BPL will Put Local Players in Spotlight - Dean Jones

Bangladesh Premier League 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 8, 2012

Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman and technical director of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise, the Chittagong Kings, has said the tournament will help young Bangladesh players, as they will have the opportunity to play alongside international stars. The Kings have Tamim Iqbal as their icon player, and bought West Indies' Dwayne Bravo and Jerome Taylor, and Muttiah Muralitharan in the auction.

"The great thing about this tournament is that the players can rub shoulders with Murali, Tamim and Dwayne Bravo," Jones said. "[For the young players], getting to see how good they are against experienced players is really important. I think it will really bring the best out of some players. Some players will fail but some players will do very well."

The BPL has been hampered by some of the high-profile buys pulling out due to international or domestic commitments. The Kings will be without Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan allrounder, and West Indies opener Lendl Simmons. "Everyone has got that problem," Jones said. "We're looking for replacements now as we speak; who they are I'm not going to disclose.

"We've got players coming in on the morning of February 10 [date of the opening fixture] because they are playing first-class matches in Pakistan and the West Indies or something. We've just got to roll with the punches, get them ready and off we go."

The Kings will be coached by former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud and have Michael Bevan, the former Australia batsman, as their batting consultant, with Jones advising the coaching staff. "Khaled Mahmud is my eyes and ears; he is helping me communicate with the Bangladeshi boys and understand their roles as well," Jones said. "Of course we have Michael Bevan and we have bowling and fielding coaches. I am very happy with my coaching staff."

Jones said the BPL would help Bangladesh cricket because it will give the local players the experience of playing under the spotlight. "I think it will give them more exposure, more awareness, it will put them under more pressure, under lights, in front of big crowds. Sometimes you'll get hurt and get beaten. And then you've got to work on your strengths and weakness to come back.

"I think it couldn't come at a better time really for the Bangladesh people and the players. They needed this, I think they wanted this. They need to get out of their comfort zone and now they are going to find out how good they are."

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Darren Sammy Opts Out From Bangladesh Premier League

West Indies news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 20, 2012

Darren Sammy, the West Indies and Windward Islands captain, has opted out of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) so that he can play in the domestic regional four-day competition and prepare for the upcoming home series against Australia in March. Sammy was bought by Sylhet Royals for $55,000 at the player auction in Dhaka on February 20.

"While I enjoyed playing cricket in front the enthusiastic and passionate Bangladeshi fans, the BPL's schedule clashes with that of the West Indies Cricket Board's Regional 4-Day Tournament. Participating in the BPL would mean missing the first four rounds of the Regional 4-Day," Sammy said in a statement. "West Indies will host Australia starting mid-March and it will be a tough and challenging series. I have decided that it would be best for me to participate in the Regional 4-Day in order that I am properly and fully prepared for the challenges of the series against Australia.

"Additionally, Windward Islands cricket is blossoming and making significant strides and we are playing consistently well. My contributions as captain and allrounder are integral to this process and I am keen on serving my team as we continue to grow. I look forward to playing before the Bangladesh fans in the future at a time which is mutually convenient."

Dwayne Bravo, Jerome Taylor, Kevon Cooper, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle were the other players from the West Indies bought at the BPL auction.

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Doubts Over Afridi's Participation in Bangladesh Premier League

Bangladesh Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 20, 2012

The day after its historic auction, the Bangladesh Premier League has seen a cloud of doubt over the participation of Shahid Afridi, the most expensive player, in the 2012 season. Afridi was bought for $700,000 by the Dhaka Gladiators but has told the Express Tribune he will not participate in the Twenty20 competition as it clashes with Pakistan's limited-over series against England.

The Dhaka franchise, though, has said Afridi will definitely be available for the tournament's semi-finals and final, should Dhaka get that far, and may even play the season opener if it is before February 13, the date of the first Pakistan-England ODI.

Franchise officials told ESPNcricinfo they were aware of Afridi's schedule before the auction and knew he might only be available for the final. Since Afridi will be paid on a pro-rata basis they decided to buy him anyway.

Afridi said he wanted to concentrate on playing for Pakistan and would use the days before the ODIs against England in the UAE to prepare for that series. "My preference has always been my national team and I'm looking forward to giving my best against England," Afridi said. "I will utilise the days before the series for training. I can only think about playing in the league when I don't have national commitments." He has not, however, informed his franchise or the BPL of his unavailability.

Afridi apart, though, there was much to celebrate about the auction, especially for the Bangladesh cricketers who earned lucrative contracts.

Allrounder Nasir Hossain was the highest earner among Bangladesh players, getting a $200,000 deal with the Khulna Royal Bengals, while the Chittagong Kings picked up Mahmudullah and Jahurul Islam for $110,000 each. Though these amounts were significantly less than those paid for big-name foreign players, six-figure dollar contracts were a first for most of the Bangladesh cricketers.

Nasir, 20, drew the most attention from local media but the signing of Mashrafe Mortaza was also noteworthy. Mortaza, the former Bangladesh captain, had famously been bought for $650,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the second IPL season, but has not played cricket since April 2011 due to a persistent knee injury. He drew a modest price at the BPL auction, going to the Dhaka Gladiators for $45,000.

"I was expecting a price like this since I haven't been playing for quite a while," Mortaza told the Bangladesh newspaper Kaler Kantho. "Still, I got myself a team. It isn't that bad."

Even without Afridi, the Dhaka franchise seems to be one of the more balanced sides in the competition along with Chittagong, while many praised the Khulna picks too. "I think Chittagong are the strongest and Dhaka are equally strong," Athar Ali Khan, advisor to Duronto Rajshahi, told New Age.

Meanwhile, the BPL commissioner Mahbubul Anam told Kaler Kantho the Bangladesh Cricket Board would take responsibility for compensating the players should they not receive payments in time from their franchises. "The board has the bank guarantee on the players' payments," Anam said. "If anything goes wrong, the BCB will pay the money from that fund."

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Afridi and Gayle Fetch Highest Bangladesh Premier League Prices

Bangladesh Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 19, 2012

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was the hottest property in an auction held for the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 tournament on Thursday, but English spinner Monty Panesar and former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs failed to attract bids.

Afridi was sold to the Dhaka franchise for $700,000 after some intense bidding involving five of the six franchises for the Feb. 10-28 tournament, which is based on the successful Indian Premier League model.

The all-rounder, however, will only be available for the final two days of the opening BPL campaign as he is on national team duty against England in the United Arab Emirates.

Tournament organisers said the money would be given to the players proportionately for the matches they are available.

Quick-scoring West Indian batsman Chris Gayle, who is available from Feb. 14, was another to attract attention with Barisal paying $551,000 for him.

His compatriots Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard also created a stir as they were sold for $360,000 and $300,000 to Rajshahi and Dhaka franchises respectively.

A total of 111 overseas players and 80 local cricketers were put on auction with teams given a maximum budget of $2million and able to buy no more than eight overseas players.

Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik (Chittagong $150,000) West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo (Chittagong $150,000), Australia’s Brad Hodge (Barisal $140,000), Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya (Rajshahi $110,000) and Muttiah Muralitharan (Chittagong $100,000) were among others to go for big money.

No Indian players were included in the auction.

Along with Panesar and Gibbs, New Zealand’s Scott Styris and Lou Vincent failed to attract a buyer.

Ireland’s wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O’Brien was the most expensive player from the associate nations with Khulna paying $80,000 for the batsman.

Bangladesh internationals Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Ashraful, Shahriar Nafees and Alok Kapali had been selected as icon players for six franchises and were excluded from auction.

All-rounder Nasir Hossain was the most-sought-after Bangladeshi in the auction with Khulna sealing his signature for $200,000.

India-based Game On Sports Management will run the tournament after winning the bid from the Bangladesh Cricket Board for six years for $44.33 million.

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Bangladesh Premier League Franchises Fetch Low Prices

Bangladesh Premier League 2011-12

Mohammad Isam

January 10, 2012

The auction for the six franchises of the Bangladesh Premier League has been completed with a total of $6.49 million spent, and none of the teams fetching much more than their base price of $1 million. Chittagong was the most expensive franchise at $1.2 million and Barisal the least at $1.01 million.

BPL governing council secretary Sirajuddin Mohammed Alamgir, however, said he was delighted that the teams had been bought because the tournament, which has received considerable promotion, can now go ahead as planned next month without any hitches. "We are very happy that it has all been completed properly," Alamgir told ESPNcricinfo. "We have the tournament guaranteed now and we didn't have to face any embarrassing situations. Bids were placed and we had the franchises sold."

The auction, held in Dhaka, was a low-key event after the sudden demise of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's chief Manzur Ahmed in the morning. The franchises have been bought for a six-year period.

The Chittagong franchise was bought by SQ Sports, a group of businessmen led by Dhaka Dyeing, who outbid Pearl Trading ($1.05 million) and Digital Auto Care ($1 million). The fact that a $200,000 bump from the base price was the highest for any team says a lot about the bidding war - or lack of it.

The second-highest price offered was for Khulna, which was bought by Orion Group for $1.1 million. Digital Auto Care paid just $1.07 million for Rajshahi; a group of business houses led by Walton, a local electronic goods manufacturing giant, bought Sylhet for $1.06 million; and the Dhaka franchise was picked up by Europa Group for $1.05 million with the other bidders - Digital Auto Care and Euro Impex - offering the base price. This was a bit of a surprise given the prestige attached to the country's biggest division. When the teams were sold for the National Cricket League T20s two years ago there had been fierce competition between bidders for the Dhaka team.

The Alif Group acquired the Barisal franchise for the lowest price of all the teams: $1.01 million. The bidding for the Barisal team turned into a bit of a farce when Southern International quoted $900,000, which was less than the base price for a franchise. That bid indicated the lack of confidence investors seemed to have in the benefits of buying a franchise.

The money paid to acquire the franchises will go to Game On Sports, who signed a six-year deal worth $44.3 million with the BCB, acquiring the rights to manage the BPL.

"Game On Sports will get all the income from this auction, which will be paid in yearly installments," Alamgir said. "The companies that have bought the franchises will be in control of their respective teams for six years, though they can sell them after three years. As for the payment to be received by the BCB from Game On Sports, that will be received in installments over six years, paid 30 days after the end of each edition of the tournament."

The absence of bids from big corporate houses was something even the eventual franchise owners expressed concern about, but they expect the profile of the tournament to grow once it starts. Notably, the companies that bought National Cricket League T20 franchises two years ago did not bid for teams this time. That tournament only lasted one season, and that experience, coupled with the fragility of the Bangladesh market, kept them away from the auction.

Foreign buyers were also rumoured to have shown interest in buying teams but none came forward in the end. There is hope that owners of IPL franchises will buy stakes in the BPL franchises from their owners.

Alamgir said that the revenue generated by the BPL would be ploughed back into first-class and age-group level cricket in Bangladesh, though the franchises will not have any obligation to develop or have any connection to the divisional sides. "The BCB's policy will be to use this money for longer-version cricket as well as for schools and age-group cricket. It will help us put the regional structure in place.

"But these franchises are businesses so we can't ask their owners to develop regional cricket. They can do it if they want, but primarily the franchises need to be run as professionally strong units with a focus on developing marketing and team management."

The Rajshahi team owners have moved quickly, and have already roped in former chief selector and Bangladesh captain Faruk Ahmed as the manager of the team, and former opener Athar Ali Khan as its chief advisor. They will also involve former national captain Khaled Mashud, who is regarded as the most influential man in Rajshahi cricket.

Europa Group, the Dhaka franchise owners, have asked former Bangladesh captain and current national team selector Habibul Bashar to build their team as its chief consultant.

The players' auction will be held on January 19 in Dhaka, and will feature several international cricketers, as well as local players, who will be justifiably excited about the prospects of signing a lucrative deal.

What the franchises went for

Chittagong - $1.2 million (SQ Sports)
Khulna - $1.1 million (Orion Group)
Rajshahi - $1.07 million (Digital Auto Care)
Sylhet - $1.06 million (Conglomerate led by Walton)
Dhaka - 1.05 million (Europa Group)
Rajshahi 1.01 million (Alif Group)

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Bangladesh Worried About Security in Pakistan - Naimur Rahman

Bangladesh in Pakistan 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 10, 2012

Bangladesh's players are concerned about the security situation in Pakistan ahead of their scheduled tour to the country in April, the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) president, Naimur Rahman, has said.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had requested the government to send a team to Pakistan to evaluate the security arrangements, but it is believed the players think the board should talk to them first before making a decision.

"We [CWAB] don't have a stance as such, but we know that the players are worried," Rahman, who was Bangladesh's first Test captain, said. "The situation is not normal there and no other team is going to Pakistan. They themselves play their home games in places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The BCB are going to send the investigation team and we hope to be a part of it. If not, we will wait for the report.

"I personally believe it is not safe. The worried players haven't approached us formally, but when they do, we will take the matter to the cricket board."

The PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf, had met with Pakistan's interior ministry to discuss security arrangements for the Bangladesh team. The Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that 'box security', which includes bullet and bomb proof vehicles, would be provided for the series.

"Since we have a scheduled tour on the Future Tours Programme, that's why we promised to send a security team before making any decision," BCB's media committee chairman Jalal Yunus told the Daily Star. "We are more concerned than the players about their security and safety. I think it's too early to say anything because we are yet to decide anything."

Pakistan have not hosted an international series since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009. Since then they have hosted their home series at offshore venues like England and the UAE.

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Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Manzur Ahmed Dies Aged 55

Bangladesh news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 10, 2012

Manzur Ahmed, the chief executive officer of Bangladesh Cricket Board and a former national cricketer, died on January 10 in Dhaka. He was 55.

BCB officials confirmed the news at a programme organised ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament. Manzur was originally scheduled to attend the programme.

A wicketkeeper-batsman in the 1980s, Manzur was appointed as the BCB CEO in September 2010. Earlier, he had served as the CEO of the Brunei Darussalam Cricket Association since 2005, following stints as an executive member and development manager of the association. He was also a member of the Asian Cricket Council's executive board.

"The news of Manzur Ahmed's sudden passing away has shocked everyone at the ICC and our thoughts and prayers go out to members of his family and friends," ICC chief Haroon Lorgat said. "Mr. Ahmed was a respectable person and clearly loved the game of cricket. He will surely be missed by all of his family, friends and cricket colleagues. His sudden passing away comes as a personal shock and reminds me of the value of time and good relations. I had closely worked with him during the organizing of the ICC cricket World Cup 2011."

"I have lost a brother, a friend, a confidante and a fellow cricketer with whom I have enjoyed many fine days on and off the field," ACC chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq said.

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Tamim Iqbal Banned For one Domestic Match

Bangladesh news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 3, 2012

Tamim Iqbal has been banned for one domestic game following an altercation with Mohammad Ashraful during a Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League match between Victoria Sporting Club and Old DOHS in Mirpur.

Tamim rushed aggressively at Ashraful, the Old DOHS captain, and exchanged words with him. As a result, the match referee imposed a one-match suspension on Tamim and fined him Taka 5000.

The incident occurred in the tenth over of the Old DOHS innings, when umpire Anisur Rahman gave Faisal Hossain lbw off Shakib Al Hasan's bowling. While Faisal was taking his time to walk off, a Victoria official began shouting at the batsman to leave the field. Ashraful immediately asked the umpire to look into the matter, after which Tamim ran towards Ashraful.

"I was aggressive in my approach while protesting against his [Ashraful] comments. I asked Ashraful bhai to stay in the game but he used abusive words for which I got angry. Being a senior cricketer, he should also know what should be done, but after the match I apologised," Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. "I have a very good relationship with Ashraful bhai, and I believe it will continue because everything is finished after the match."

The Victoria official, Lutfur Rahman Badal, was also suspended for one game by the match referee.

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Bangladesh Premier League to begin on February 9

Bangladesh news

Tariq Engineer

December 28, 2011

The first edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will kick off on February 9, 2012 with the final to be played on February 29. The 20-day tournament will feature six teams that will play each other twice each in a round-robin format over 33 matches to be held in Chittagong and Dhaka.

Teams will be allowed to field five foreign players in their XIs, as opposed to four in the IPL. Adam Gilchrist, Mathew Hayden, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Kamran Akmal and James Anderson are among at least 25 foreign players who have made themselves available for the tournament.

"The main thing is the Bangladesh players have to be available," Arun Lal, a consultant to Game on Sports, the tournament organisers, and also a former India opener, told ESPNcricinfo.

As in the first season of the IPL, each team will have an icon player. The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced yesterday that Tamim Iqbal will be the icon player for Chittagong, Mohammad Ashraful for Dhaka, Alok Kapali for Sylhet, Shahriar Nafees for Barisal, Mushfiqur Rahim for Rajshahi and Shakib Al Hasan for Khulna. The players will be paid 5% more than the amount received by the highest paid player of each franchise.

The franchise auction will take place on January 5, either in Dhaka or the sea-side town of Cox's Bazar. Companies wishing to bid for a franchise will submit their offers on the same day, and bids will be opened in front of all those present, with the franchises going to the highest bidder. The player auction is scheduled to take place 10 days later. Each team will have to spend a minimum of US $2 million and can spend up to a maximum of $5 million.

The BPL will be televised on a new sports channel in Bangladesh and the organisers are believed to be in discussions with Ten Sports to broadcast the tournament in India. However, India's domestic 50-over tournament begins on February 20 and therefore could restrict Indian participation. "India is a problem," Lal said. "In the first six or eight games, they [India players] could play."

The organisers are also hoping that the winner of the BPL will be given a place in the Champions League Twenty20 next year.

Game on Sports paid US$44.3 million for the rights to the BPL for six years.

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Weaker countries get more wrong decisions - Kamal

Bangladesh news

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 26, 2011

Mustafa Kamal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, has said that weaker teams get the short end of the stick when it comes to umpiring decisions.

"I was listening to the commentators during the recently concluded Pakistan series. Everyone mentioned there that we got bad decisions," Kamal said during the launch ceremony for the 2012 Asia Cup. "If those decisions went our way, the cricket would have been more competitive but we couldn't do that. To err is human. I cannot talk against umpires being an ICC director, but I have seen that against weaker countries, there are more wrong decisions."

Kamal was referring to the fourth day of the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, when Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal was given out caught even though the ball appeared to have struck his helmet and lobbed to the slip fielder. It was a crucial time for the Bangladesh team who were in pursuit of saving the game. There was a loud clamour for the Decision Review System (DRS), though this wasn't the first such instance.

During the England series in March 2010 as well, there was a lot of talk surrounding the BCB's reluctance to use technology with then captain Shakib Al Hasan being one of the advocates. In the second Test of that series, coach Jamie Siddons was seen fuming at some of the decisions in the England first innings. Umpire Asoka de Silva's mistakes during the Pakistan tour in 2003 was the first flashpoint of Bangladesh's angst with decisions.

Kamal was recently named the joint-nominee from Pakistan and Bangladesh for the ICC vice-presidency, and is in line to take over as president in 2014. He said that during the ICC's meeting a few months ago, the deliberations on making technology mandatory were put on hold as the system isn't foolproof yet. However, he stated that the next Bangladesh television deal would include the use of DRS.

"In the October ICC meeting, the DRS was discussed. There it was decided that since the technology hasn't been developed to that extent and there are mistakes in the DRS system itself, it won't be made mandatory.

"In our deal with Nimbus, there was no DRS. But from next April, when we will discuss with another broadcaster, we will tell them to include DRS in all our games."

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No Excuse For Bangladesh's Fielding - Law

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Mirpur, 4th day

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 20, 2011

Stuart Law, Bangladesh's coach, has demanded higher standards from his fielders after a series of dropped catches left the team struggling to save the second Test against Pakistan in Mirpur.

"We are under pressure from Pakistan's performance; when you're dropping good players, you're giving them two chances at bat," he said. "There's no excuse, there are no 38-year-olds [in the Bangladesh team] running out there. They are all in their mid-twenties. Young men should be fighting fit for four to five days.

"That is an area of concern for us. I think our bowlers did well and created enough opportunities. It's not a practice thing. We practice till hands are sore."

On the fourth day, Bangladesh put down three catches - Robiul Islam shelled a simple chance at mid-on, Mahmudullah dropped another at slip and Sunny one at midwicket - as Pakistan went on to take a lead of 132 and then knock over five Bangladesh wickets with the hosts still in the deficit.

However, Law has confidence that Bangladesh can still draw the game. "If the two at the crease [Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain] can bat, we can [secure a draw]. If we can bat 2-2.5 sessions, I believe we can."

Bangladesh had lost wickets in a hurry, after making up a commendable 338 in the first innings, with some of their batsmen - Mahmudullah in particular - playing questionable strokes. That shot, Law said, stemmed from the fact that Bangladesh play more one-day cricket.

"I've spoken to him [Mahmudullah] about that. It comes from being a one-day cricketer. We don't play a lot of Tests. It's okay if you play that shot when you chase eight or nine an over but in a Test match, when you're looking to save the Test, it's not the right option. We need to play more of long format of the game, as a team."

Bangladesh were set back by a double-strike from Umar Gul that accounted for Tamim Iqbal and Shahriar Nafees on the stroke of tea. Both batsmen, though, received rough umpiring decisions in a series where the DRS isn't available.

"They [the umpires] have the most difficult out there," Law said. "It's not the decisions, but the timings of them. Just before tea to lose two wickets in two balls to decisions that we felt were quite questionable. It's a massive kick in the guts.

"It's just a great reminder to everybody that this DRS is something that as a team [we could use]. A lot of talk about us fighting for survival in the international scene. If decisions don't go our way, and there seem to be quite a few, it makes our job that much more difficult."

Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez said his bowlers had put the team in a fine position. "Our bowlers have worked very hard and have taken five wickets today. The new ball was doing a bit. We are in a position where we can put pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen and we are very much on track [to win the Test]."

Hafeez also appreciated Shakib Al Hasan's effort - the allrounder followed up his century with six-wicket haul. "Shakib's performance was great. I think he was under some pressure for not scoring in the ODIs. He came out with a strategy and executed it well.

"He bowled really well after scoring the hundred, which is something special. He is doing a wonderful job for Bangladesh."

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Had To Work Really Hard For This Century - Shakib

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Mirpur, 2nd day

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur

December 18, 2011

It was ironical that a run-out ended Shakib Al Hasan's innings that was so solidly built on patience and thinking on his feet. The left-hander made 144 in nearly six hours that spanned five sessions, two of which went wicketless. But instead of focusing on how it all ended, a DVD of this innings would be worth it for the sheer quality of the innings.

When Mushfiqur Rahim tucked Umar Gul off his hips into the vacant midwicket area, there was a single for the taking. But the captain took a few steps forward and called late, leading to hesitation and by the time Shakib turned back, Taufeeq Umar broken the stumps with a direct hit. The error was Mushfiqur's and Shakib's reaction was a natural expression of a man who had battled the conditions and the opponents.

"Nobody wants to get out like that so I am slightly disappointed, but I am happy with the runs I have scored," Shakib said. "Run-out is also part of the game, it happens."

This was the fifth longest stint at the crease by a Bangladesh batsman, and easily Shakib's longest innings. Most of those in front of him in this list were picked and recognised for their ability to bat long. His only other Test century came in the second innings against New Zealand in 2010, a three-hour knock that was on par with most Test hundreds in terms of time. However, this knock in Mirpur began on the first day and he knew that one mistake could prove costly for the entire team.

"I would keep this century ahead of the other one. I had to work really hard for this. I batted with the tail-enders in Hamilton and the situation was different there," Shakib said.

"The first century is always special but this one's the most satisfying, I had phases when I had to check my shots. I have batted a long time for this century," said Shakib, whose ability to pick singles (63, more than half the team's 118) was another lesson for his team-mates.

Of the 15 boundaries during the 242-ball innings, Shakib hit just one on the second day. Perhaps the situation and the bowling attack was taken into consideration, but he let Mushfiqur find his feet during their 82-run sixth wicket stand. They batted out the shortened first session of 21 overs without fuss.

For the past two years, Bangladesh had lost a wicket when they were nearing a break. But in two days, they had as many wicket-less sessions, thereby reversing the trend. The last session of the first day and the first on the next is often critical for Bangladesh when they bat first and make a good start.

Shakib mentioned how the team has had to start "all over again" due to the long breaks between Test series.

"I don't think we are going backwards. The trouble is when we get to play Tests after long breaks," Shakib said. "We have to start everything anew when we play Tests after 2-3 months. It takes an innings or two to understand the situation.

"If we could play regularly, it wouldn't be a problem. You can see that we played Tests regularly before taking the 14-month break. Our performance was better at that time." Shakib regretted not carrying on during the second day, and the thought of a possible double-century crossed his mind.

"If I say I don't have it [regrets] I would be wrong. But I didn't target that I have to score X number of runs. I wanted to bat as long as possible. If I could have batted all day, I would have gotten the double-century," he said.

But Shakib is a hard man to impress. When asked if Bangladesh had gotten rid of their mental block after their vastly improved first-innings performance, he said that he would talk about it after the second innings.

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PCB stops Cricketers From Playing in Bangladesh T20 League

Pakistan news

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 18, 2011

Some Pakistan players have been refused permission to play in Bangladesh's Dhaka Premier League by the PCB in order to help concentrate their energies on next month's Test series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

"All players who are in contention for selection for the England Test series are barred from playing the league starting in Bangladesh from December 26," Nadeem Sarwar, the PCB media manager, told ESPNcricinfo. "There is a clear message for all top players - including the probables for England series - who were to join the [Bangladesh] event [that they] are barred. The PCB does not want to take a risk on their fitness as Pakistan play a very important series next month."

Sarwar declined to name the players disallowed from playing in the Bangladesh domestic competition. Nine Pakistan players - Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdur Rehman, Kamran Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanvir - had reportedly been offered contracts by different clubs in the limited-overs league that begins on December 26 in Dhaka.

Pakistan are currently touring Bangladesh and will return home next week before leaving for Dubai on January 9. The first of three tests against England starts on January 17 in Dubai.

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Shakib and Nafees Lead Bangladesh Recovery

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Mirpur, 1st day

The Report by Abhishek Purohit

December 17, 2011

Bangladesh 234 for 5 (Shakib 108*, Nafees 97, Cheema 3-52) v Pakistan

Shakib Al Hasan and Shahriar Nafees showed that it was possible for Bangladesh batsmen to play shots without throwing their wickets away, with the country's first century partnership in Tests since June 2010. The duo batted for almost two sessions to rescue Bangladesh from what had looked set to be yet another low total, after Aizaz Cheema had reduced them to 43 for 4 in helpful morning conditions.

At no stage in their partnership were Shakib and Nafees subdued, and without doing anything reckless, put on 180 at more than three-and-a-half runs an over. Though the Mirpur track eased out completely after seaming around in the first session, Bangladesh had caved in for 135 on a flat Chittagong surface a week ago. With their Test status being called into question by some, they had everything to prove. Shakib and Nafees showed that there was more to Bangladesh cricket than a large and fanatical fan following.

Fog and dew had delayed the start by 75 minutes but also encouraged Misbah-ul-Haq to ask the under-pressure Bangladesh batsmen to face his fast bowlers - although Pakistan went in with only two of them as against Bangladesh's three. Cheema's morning spell read 8-2-18-3 but Shakib ensured he was kept out of the attack for most of the second session, hitting him for three fours in four deliveries soon after lunch.

Shakib's aggression forced Misbah to turn to his spinners but there was not much help for them from a pitch that had now revealed itself to be a typical flat first-day subcontinent pitch. Shakib continued to play positively against Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, working them on the leg side, and driving and punching through extra cover. A back-foot punch off Ajmal brought up his 50 and he stepped out next ball to caress a flighted delivery to the extra-cover boundary to bring up the century partnership - Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes were involved in the previous one in Manchester, against England in June 2010.

Nafees had earlier showed his team-mates the way to play the fast bowlers on a surface that was aiding seam in the morning. Wary of edging angled deliveries to the four slips, Nafees aimed to play straight as much as he could. Though that meant letting go of a few scoring opportunities, he went hard when he was given width and pulled with panache. Nafees hammered Umar Gul's first delivery of his second spell through extra cover to reach his third 50 after his return to the Test side in August.

Going against the propensity of Bangladesh batsmen to implode after reaching half-centuries, both batsmen continued in the same vein after getting to their landmarks. With the light fading in the Dhaka winter, Shakib cut Gul for two boundaries in an over to move to 99 and brought the appreciative crowd to its feet with a characteristic chop through point to reach his second Test hundred. Nafees clattered Ajmal through extra cover to move to 97 but Gul sent down an accurate bouncer in his next over to have him gloving it to the wicketkeeper. By then, though, Bangladesh had restored their pride, and Pakistan had looked clueless for the first time in three weeks on this tour.

Things had looked almost predictably bleak for Bangladesh in the morning after Cheema, especially, and Gul were relentless in exposing the hosts' frailties. Getting sharp seam movement, Cheema had Nazimuddin padding up in his first over, though everyone except umpire Shavir Tarapore thought that the bounce would have taken the ball over the stumps.

Gul did not get the kind of movement off the pitch that Cheema managed, and in the absence of swing, he had to rely on his accuracy and the element of surprise. After Tamim Iqbal had tentatively survived against several pitched-up deliveries, Gul dug in the bouncer in his fourth over. Tamim did what Tamim does, and the top-edged hook was taken safely by Cheema at fine leg.

With Bangladesh bringing in a fast bowler at the expense of Mohammad Ashraful, Mahmudullah was given a promotion in the batting order to No. 4. It didn't work, as Cheema rattled Mahmudullah's stumps first ball with one that nipped in between bat and pad.

Nasir Hossain, who had batted as low as No. 8 in the first innings in Chittagong, was sent in at 21 for 3. He looked thoroughly uncomfortable initially, stabbing and getting beaten as the ball jagged around. Another prod at an away-going Cheema delivery produced the edge and ended in the gloves of Adnan Akmal to make it 43 for 4. Another Test involving Bangladesh could have been decided by the first innings, but for Nafees and Shakib.

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Bangladesh To Tour Pakistan in April 2012

Bangladesh news

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 17, 2011

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will conduct a security inspection of Pakistan in January 2012 as a precursor to Bangladesh's tour of Pakistan in April the same year, Mustafa Kamal, the president of the BCB has said. His statements came after PCB officials, including new chairman Zaka Ashraf, met with BCB members in Dhaka.

Following the meeting, Ashraf announced that the PCB had endorsed Kamal as the next president of the ICC. Under the ICC's rotation policy, it is PCB's and BCB's turn to jointly nominate a candidate. If approved, the nominee will assume office as the ICC's vice-president at the end of its annual conference in 2012 and thereafter ascend to the presidency in 2014.

However, Kamal still needs to be approved by a majority of BCB directors, who could theoretically still pick a different candidate. The final nomination will be handed over to the ICC by December 31, 2011.

The two boards had been discussing the prospect of Bangladesh touring Pakistan as the by-product of a deal between them over choosing the next vice-president. The PCB had formed a security plan to present to its Bangladesh counterpart to convince it to send the national team to Pakistan.

"My board today agreed to form a security committee to visit Pakistan in January 2012 to review their security measures so as to ensure proper security arrangements are in place prior to arrival of Bangladesh team in Pakistan," Kamal said in a statement. "My board further agreed that Bangladesh cricket team will visit Pakistan in April 2012 as per ICC's Future Tours Programme. I hope this way, slowly and gradually, international cricket will come back to Pakistan."

At the press conference following the meeting, Ashraf said that the situation in Pakistan was back to normal now. "All those things that you must have seen, they are over now. That's why we want to reorganise cricket, bring back cricket to Pakistan. Fans are also being deprived of this game."

The purpose of the meeting was to find ways of strengthening the bonds between the two boards, and a number of other collaborations were also announced. Among them were reciprocal tours between "A", Academy and Under-19 teams, as well as between the women's team of both countries. Pakistan would also provide assistance in training the Bangladesh academy players. In addition, the two countries will partner together to "organising international cricket events in collaboration with other cricket boards".

"I am also encouraged with the steps that we agreed to today, which will help in developing and making Bangladesh cricket more stronger," Kamal said. He also expressed his gratitude to the PCB for nominating him for the presidency of the ICC.

"It is a matter of pride and a privilege to receive the PCB's support on my nomination. I will try to live up to the expectations of not only the people of Bangladesh but for Pakistan as well, and also the entire cricketing fraternity. The support that the PCB has given me demonstrates the close relations that our two boards enjoy, and it is not the first time that the PCB has come forward to support us.

"Who could forget that it was Pakistan that proposed Bangladesh's entry into Test cricket? We are indebted to them. Pakistani players have played in Bangladesh and have helped our cricketers a lot. We will also try to support Pakistan in any way we can."

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Ashraful Dropped From Second Test

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Mirpur

Mohammad Isam

December 15, 2011

Mohammad Ashraful has been dropped from the Bangladesh squad for the second Test against Pakistan, which begins on December 17. The decision follows Ashraful's poor showing in the Chittagong Test, where he lasted fourteen balls in two innings.

Shafiul Islam, meanwhile, returns to the national setup, after being ignored for the first Test. He had missed out on the West Indies Tests in October-November, because of a foot injury.

There was confusion surrounding Bangladesh's squad for the second Test, with regards to the status of Ashraful. He had checked into the team hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday and was among the fourteen players who practiced at the Shere Bangla Stadium on Thursday morning. Also, coach Stuart Law had said Ashraful was, to his knowledge, part of the squad.

However, the selection panel's list, which was yet to be approved by BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal as is mandatory, did not include Ashraful's name. Eventually, Kamal approved the squad on returning to Dhaka after the ACC meeting in Singapore late on Thursday evening, but the delay raised questions of professionalism.

The amount of time the coaching staff spent working on Ashraful during the training session, and Law's statements, served to add to the confusion. "As far as I know, he [Ashraful] is in the squad," Law said. "That's why he's here at practice. We haven't been told anything different. Maybe it is speculation, that sort of thing goes on in this part of the world."

Later on Thursday, the BCB's cricket operations committee asked Ashraful to leave the hotel while he was signing up with a new club for the Dhaka Premier League on the last day of the inter-club transfers. Shafiul Islam arrived at the hotel in the evening from Bogra, his hometown. The coaching staff wasn't informed of the switch and got to know of it only after it was reported on television channels and news websites.

Bangladesh Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Mahmudullah (vice-capt), Tamim Iqbal, Nazimuddin, Shahriar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Elias Sunny, Shahadat Hossain, Sohrawardi Shuvo, Robiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Shafiul Islam.

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Law wants More Four-Day Games For Bangladesh

Pakistan in Bangladesh 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 15, 2011

Bangladesh coach Stuart Law has said the team has to get the experience of playing more four-day games if their Test record has to improve. He suggested it would help to play such games against non-Test playing teams during the off season.

His views echo that of the captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who blamed the run of defeats on the lack of infrastructure in the country's first-class set-up. In the first Test against Pakistan at Chittagong, Bangladesh made 135 and 275 and went on to lose by an innings and 184 runs in less than four days.

"Four-day cricket is where you produce your Test players from. The more you play, the easier it gets," Law said. "Bangladesh haven't played a lot of Tests in the years they've been involved. Some players have been around for 5-6 years but haven't played a lot of Tests.

"If you play a lot of ODIs but not Test cricket, something's got to give. Hopefully the cricket board and players can come up with some program so that they can get enough four-dayers in before Test matches. The other option is to play longer forms of game against the associate nations, especially in the downtime when Bangladesh are not playing cricket."

Bangladesh's batting has let them down this year. In eight Test innings they have gone past 300 just once and none of their batsmen have managed a century. Mushfiqur said this stemmed from the inability of batsmen to get big scores in first-class cricket. No player has scored more than two centuries in this year's National Cricket League, which is currently in its second phase.

Law acknowledged that it would take a lot for his team to get over the loss ahead of the second Test in Mirpur starting on Saturday.

"It is a difficult thing to come out of. Having been a player in a similar situation where you don't know where your next run is coming from, it can engulf you," Law said. "The easiest thing to do is, as I've been telling the players, don't lose sight of what makes you successful. We have to be up there mentally when the game starts, to want to do the hard yards. It has been a sign for million years that the longer we bat, the more runs we score."

On the bowling front, Law said there was plenty to be learnt by observing Pakistan's varied attack.

"Although Pakistan are playing very good cricket, there's nothing in their bowling attack we should not want to face. They have always had class seamers who can swing the new ball and get the old ball reversing. Saeed Ajmal is one of the best to watch, has lots of tricks up his sleeve. He puts batsmen under pressure. He's more like (Muttiah) Muralitharan in the sense that he's more of a wrist spinner than an offspinner."

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Confusion over Ashraful's selection For Mirpur Test

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Mirpur

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 15, 2011

There is some confusion surrounding Bangladesh's squad for the second Test against Pakistan, which begins on Saturday, over the status of Mohammad Ashraful. The coach Stuart Law has said Ashraful was part of the squad - and he was seen training with his team-mates - but the selection panel's list, which is yet to be approved by the BCB president as is mandatory, does not contain his name.

The confusion arose after the selection panel were reported to have picked a squad for the second Test excluding Ashraful and the injured Rubel Hossain, and giving Shafiul Islam a recall. The list is expected to be approved by BCB president Mustafa Kamal, who is due back in the country late on Thursday night. Ashraful, however, checked into the team hotel yesterday along with the other members of the squad and went through the pre-match procedures this morning and it seemed the team management were working on the assumption that he would be picked.

"As far as I know, he [Ashraful] is in the squad. That's why he's here in practice. We haven't been told anything different," Law said. "Maybe it is speculation and that sort of thing goes on in this part of the world.

"All I have done is prepared like a Test match. I have told everyone to be prepared for all outcomes come match day. That's the same in any team. We have turned up here today as a squad from the first Test. We have all practiced like we are playing a Test match. So that's not an issue."

Akram Khan, the chief selector, told reporters that the panel had finalised the team and handed it over to the BCB. "We submitted the team to the board today because we have only two days in hand for practice before the second Test match."

Ashraful had made a comeback to the squad for the first Test against Pakistan, after being dropped for Tests against West Indies and the ODIs against Pakistan. He managed only 1 and 0 in Chittagong.

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Test Form can only Improve with First-Class Cricket - Mushfiqur

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 1st Test, Chittagong, 4th day

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 12, 2011

Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, has said the national team's Test performances will not improve unless first-class cricket in the country progresses. Bangladesh's loss to Pakistan in Chittagong was their 10th in 11 Tests since the start of 2010, and Mushfiqur, who is three Tests into his tenure as captain, said the trend would not be reversed until players started to do better in domestic cricket.

"We must improve our first-class infrastructure; without that we will continue with this sort of performance in Test cricket," Mushfiqur said. "We may have impressive performances in one or two matches but overall the situation will be the same as it is today."

Bangladesh's batting has let them down this year. In eight Test innings they have gone past 300 just once and none of their batsmen have managed a century. Mushfiqur said this stemmed from the inability of batsmen to get big scores in first-class cricket. No player has scored more than two centuries in this year's National Cricket League, which is currently in its second phase.

"We must make a habit of scoring hundreds or double-hundreds by playing in the first-class competition," Mushfiqur said. "Another thing we need to do is make sure all the national players are available to play in the first-class competition to ensure a high level of competitiveness. We can improve our skills only by playing in the first-class competition."

One of the criticisms of Bangladesh's batsmen has been that they are being too aggressive, and after their collapse for 135 on the first day in Chittagong, coach Stuart Law had said they had "given up their wickets easily." Mushfiqur, though, said he did not have a problem with batsmen playing aggressively, though they needed to apply themselves more.

"I think our batsmen tried to play their natural game and there was nothing wrong with that. Actually we have to show more patience, determination and the right application to prolong the innings."

Debutant Nazimuddin was Bangladesh's best batsman in Chittagong, scoring 31 and 78 in each innings. His performance and the persistence of the bowlers, who were hampered by poor fielding while conceding 594, were the positives Mushfiqur said Bangladesh could take from the game.

"Nazimuddin played well in the match. We had expectations of him and he fulfilled them. We can take inspiration from him. Our bowling was also not bad, though we dropped some catches, which helped some Pakistan batsmen to play big innings.

"We were actually out of the match when we lost five wickets in the first session of the first day. But still Nasir [Hossain] batted well in the first innings while Nazimuddin and Shakib [Al Hasan] played good knocks in the second innings." .

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Bangladesh Slides Towards Big Defeat

Bangladesh v Pakistan, 1st Test, Chittagong, 3rd day

The Report by Nitin Sundar

December 11, 2011

Bangladesh 134 for 4 (Shakib 41*, Nazimuddin 41*) and 135 trail Pakistan 594 for 5 decl. (Younis 200*, Hafeez 143, Shafiq 104) by 325 runs

Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq killed the last embers of Bangladesh's spirit with a 259-run stand, before Misbah-ul-Haq gave them temporary respite with a declaration. The relief proved to be a mirage, though, as Pakistan's spinners skimmed through Bangladesh's top order to leave them facing a heavy defeat with two days to play.

Younis finished with an unbeaten 200, and along with first-time centurion Shafiq, administered Bangladesh a lesson in crease-occupation. The hosts, however, did not seem to have taken away too many learnings; their batsmen betrayed poor skills and a lack of patience for the second time in three days. On a wearing wicket, Pakistan's multi-dimensional spin attack made a breach apiece, while Aizaz Cheema also contributed to leave Bangladesh 134 for 4 at stumps.

Tamim Iqbal's approach in the six-over phase leading up to tea suggested he wasn't going to change his style following the first-innings implosion. He escaped twice, missing a kamikaze on-the-up drive off Cheema, and a heave against the spin of Mohammad Hafeez, his bugbear. Hafeez dismissed him for the third time on the tour soon after tea, hitting the stumps with a harmless offbreak that Tamim inexplicably chose to leave. Shahriar was clumsy while pulling and loose while driving on his way to 28, before missing a sweep against Saeed Ajmal.

With the pitch taking prodigious turn after staying benign through the day, Abdur Rehman probed away with four men around the bat in addition to the extra-chirpy Adnan Akmal. Mohammad Ashraful duly exited for a duck, clueless against a Rehman delivery that drifted towards leg before spinning across to take a thin edge on the way to the slips. Nasir Hossain had batted out time while facing a tall target in the second ODI, but opted for flash ahead of graft today in a situation where the draw was both acceptable and viable. Faced with a Cheema bouncer, he went for a pull instead of the leave, and Mohammad Hafeez held a smart catch in the outfield to make it 80 for 4. Shakib Al Hasan counterattacked with a series of shots for the gallery, and Nazimuddin showed promise for the second innings in a row, but his effort once again only served to highlight the recklessness of his colleagues.

Earlier, Bangladesh's seamers produced pace and bounce to show the first signs of spirit in their ranks, but the fielders were too sloppy to make it count. Three balls into the day, Younis got to his 19th Test ton, glancing Shahadat Hossain through fine-leg for four. Shahadat promptly offered him a couple of freebies - one too straight, and the other too wide - and Younis looted boundaries to suggest the overnight break in play hadn't diminished his touch or appetite. Shahadat hit his straps quickly, though, and summoned an extra yard of pace to test Shafiq's technical flaws.

In his second over, Shahadat whipped down a bumper that reared up at Shafiq, who fended it uncomfortably off the glove. Shahadat persevered, and eventually elicited a top-edged hook with another menacing bouncer. The ball swirled towards Rubel Hossain at fine leg, who made an apology of an effort running in. Shahadat applauded Rubel's attempt, and it wasn't clear if he was being sarcastic or genuine. Shafiq capitalised and marched past fifty.

Rubel also worked up impressive speeds - at times touching 145kph - from his round the wicket angle. He set up a leg trap for the bouncer, and had Younis pulling without control on two occasions. The first top-edge spiralled towards Shahadat at fine-leg, who returned the favour to Rubel by backing out of a tough chance. The second one looped straight to deep midwicket, and Bangladesh surprised themselves by holding on, but it was a no-ball.

Thereafter, Bangladesh looked incapable of taking a wicket unless it was gifted. Shafiq creamed Rubel square, and drilled him straight for fours, forcing Mushfiqur Rahim to fall back on spin. Younis prospered with his trademark mix of shuffle-and-dabs and lean-and-sweeps to go past 150. With lunch around the corner, he swivelled back to smash Ashraful for six, and Shafiq shredded Shakib through the off side for boundaries.

Bangladesh took the third new ball as soon as it was available, but it only hastened Pakistan's progress. Shafiq was once again hurried by a bouncer - a weakness he will need to address before facing quality opposition - before reaching his century with a tuck off Elias Sunny. Shafiq perished soon after, testing the spread-out fields with an inside-out loft that ended in long-off's hands. Younis was unstoppable, though, punching Rubel Hossain for four, before slog-heaving Sunny over midwicket for a six. He reached his double-ton with a nudge through square leg. His second hundred had come off only 132 balls, and Misbah-ul-Haq seemed pleased as he applauded from the dressing-room, even as gestured for Younis and Adnan Akmal to come in. The declaration gave his bowlers 39 overs to make a mess of Bangladesh's reply.

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