England v Australia, 3rd Test, Day 3 - Australia's performance have been disappointing

England have taken a 2-1 lead in the ongoing Ashes series. Australia were in need of a fairy tale today and for which an extraordinary performance was needed either with the bat or ball. Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc showed enough spine in the first session of the third day and hinted the importance of resolve to the top order in bowling friendly conditions.  Yes, Nevill did have some lucky escapes, but fortune always favors the brave. At least, the tail did give Australia some runs to defend.

Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were needed to script a performance like   Fred Spofforth whose seven wickets against England in 1882 led to the birth of the Ashes. But nothing such happened at Edgbaston. Ian Bell and Joe Root finished the formalities without making the weather heavy.

Why Australia’s performance has been so shoddy? How to describe such a spineless display by the Australian cricket team? Well, I can only say that lost their way amid the momentum gained at Lord’s. It was a lackluster Australian unit, especially the top order. Australia need to regroup themselves ahead of the fourth Test match.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar    

England v Australia, 3rd Test, Day 2 - Steve Finn has left Australia reeling

Steve is not Finn-ished. Finn, 26, has been a one-day regular for England in recent months but has not played a Test in over two years, his last appearance in Tests was in the opening match of the 2013 Ashes. Mark Wood’s fitness problems unleashed an opportunity for Finn and he fully utilized it. He generated pace, bounced and swung the ball to jolt the Australian batting line-up in the second innings.

The Australian pacers did make early inroads in the first session, but the 87-run partnership between Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad stabilized England’s position. David Warner dished out a counterattack, but he lacked support from the other end. Steve Smith, Michael Clarke,  Adam Voges, Chris Rogers and Mitchell Marsh failed to provide the perfect foil to Warner’s aggression. The way Steve Smith got out in the second innings was surprising  – a half-hearted premeditated pull shot is never expected from a batsman who is enjoying the form of his life. Does pace-bowling friendly conditions dent Smith’s confidence? He was found wanting in Cardiff and at Edgbaston, he has been fragile as well.

Michael Clarke’s poor form has become a worry for Australia. Is his poor form indicating the end of his career?  He is a hard nut to crack and I firmly believe that there is enough cricket left in him.

Peter Nevill is still fighting out there for the Australians. There has to be a fairytale innings from him and an inspiring partnership between him and Mitchell Starc to keep the Australian hopes alive.

Fairy tales do happen in cricket. Isn’t it?

Lastly, congrats Mitchell Johnson for your 300th Test wicket. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh v South Africa, 2nd Test, Day 1 - The Proteas trigger a Bangladesh collapse

Mominul Haque and Imrul Kayes while Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim were able to arrest a collapse when the South African bowlers scripted breakthroughs. But as soon as Mushfiq departed, Liton Das and Shakib Al Hasan failed to stitch another inspiring partnership to arrest the collapse. Shakib’s dismissal was due to an absolute ripper of a delivery from Morne Morkel  while Liton played an unnecessary stroke during a crucial stage of play when resolve was the order of the day rather than rush of blood.

The South Africans plan to persist with the old ball even when the new ball was available, paid rich dividends. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel’s spell with the older ball at the closing stages of day one was bone-chilling. Steyn reversed the ball at pace and made it to come back into the batsmen consistently while Morkel made the cherry to bounce well enough even in this slow and low track. It’s not an easy task to encounter such sort of pace bowling, but still, it was not an impossible task: patience was the key.

After watching Steyn to reverse the ball, I felt the absence of Rubel Hossain big time. At present, Rubel is in good form and his pace would have been beneficial for the Tigers and again, he has the ability to reverse the ball. I am still not sure why doesn’t he get picked in the Test team!

Mushfiqur Rahim has overcome his lean patch. There were problems regarding his back lift and foot work and moreover, his tendency of playing the ball too early invited the lean patch. But Mushfiq is a keen learner of the game and for which the lean patches will not be permanent in his career.

Today, he played the ball late and his footwork was astute against the spinners. Above all, Mushfiq’s nag to spend more time at the crease helped him well to get back into his groove. He was cautious against the likes of Steyn, Morkel and Philander and cashed in big time against Harmer. Mushfiq’s flicks against Morkel and Steyn were delicate to watch and it was the result of playing the ball late.

It’s a tricky Mirpur track and Bangladesh have the bowlers to test the South African batsmen.  In my opinion, things will not be that easier for the Proteas batters as well.

Nasir Hossain is still out there. It’s a great opportunity for him to justify his selection. It will be interesting to see how he marshalls the tail-enders tomorrow. Bangladesh needs to add more to this total. A score of 300 and more will be competitive enough.

Lastly, congrats Dale Steyn for the 400th Test wicket.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

England v Australia, 3rd Test, day 1 - Well bowled England

The Ashes of 1997 was the fourth edition for me or I think, I should say, it was my third to be precise as during the 1990-91 season, I just got familiar with the term Ashes and followed a bit but, from 1993, I started following the Ashes regularly.

The summer of 1997 was sultry in Bangladesh. I was searching for a better college for admission. I ditched Notradame, Science, Rifle’s Public and Residential Model Colleges only for Dhaka College. I disliked the tough academic schedules and disciplinary actions of those colleges. I preferred a bit of freedom.

 Life was moving on and of course, there was cricket to provide me  all the joy in my carefree life.  

While the summer of 1997 was a rosy one for me, the Australians were found wanting in England from the word go. In the first Test at Edgbaston, Mark Taylor won the toss and elected to bat first on a damp Birmingham track. It was a bold decision, but sadly, Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough curved the Australian batting order on day one. Michael Kasprowicz and Glenn Mcgrath left England wobbling at 50 for 3, but Nasser Hussain and Graeme Thorpe’s defiant stand helped England to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Australia’s capitulation of today at Edgbaston, reminded me of the summer of 1997. In 1997 I was watching the match with french fries and a cold drink and today, I watched the game with a book in my hand. Frankly speaking, being a fan of Australian cricket, such a display neither impressed me in 1997 nor today. But, on both the occasion, I was left admiring the English bowling. The bowled the way it should be bowled on such conditions and didn’t waste the opportunity. The horrors at Lord's were laid to  rest. 

There was grass on the pitch, the sky was covered with dark clouds and the conditions were not as damp as the summer of 1997. Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat first. It was a bold decision, but sadly it backfired. James Anderson, a dangerous bowler in such conditions, buried the frustrations at Lord’s and swung the ball at will to rattle the Australian batting order in a ruthless fashion. Except Chris Rogers, none of the Australian batsmen showed the ideal technique and temperament against the moving ball. Australia were all out out for 136!

Can you believe this? But, this has happened.

The Australian bowlers came out with an aggressive intent, but the English confidence was not easy to dent. The English batsmen just raced to 133 for 3 in no time.  

Since 2002 England have lost just one Test way back in 2008 against South Africa. Edgbaston is one England’s luckiest grounds along with the Oval. Tough task ahead for the Aussies. They will need to make the full use of the first session tomorrow with early breakthroughs. Otherwise, England will script a memorable turnaround. Even though, an English turnaround will make this series a fascinating one.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 5th ODI - The Pakistan team was too reluctant

After being down and out in two consecutive one-day internationals, Sri Lanka rediscovered their vim at Hambantota and plundered Pakistan in a ruthless manner. Kausal Perera smashed a blazing hundred while the Lankan middle order, simply mauled the Pakistani bowling.  Sri Lanka posted 368 for 4 in 50 overs and it was a stifling chase for the Pakistanis. Pakistan scripted a meek surrender.

The fighting spirit of the Pakistanis throughout the tour was hugely missing among the Pakistani players. It was a reluctant unit and the tradition of exhibiting complacent attitudes after securing a Test or ODI series has not diminished from Pakistan’s cricket culture. Yes, as soon as the series is secured, reluctant attitude does crop up in a team; but the best teams don’t allow such things and always play for a win. They might lose the match, but not without a fight.

Pakistan have been superb in this tour and the fans expect them to be consistent and reluctant-free in the upcoming days. Even though, such things have been never been their virtue since Imran Khan left the scene.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar  

Liton Kumar Das has justified his selection in the Test team

The summer in Bangladesh has been always very hot and humid. The sun shines so brightly that it leaves the people exhausted. The Bangladeshis’ plea for rain continues throughout the summer season. Even the sweet and juicy fruits of the summer fail to calm the people of Bangladesh.

The exhausted Bangladeshis get a new life with the arrival of monsoon. Each drop of rain is celebrated in Bangladesh. Rain is the sublime gift of the heaven and the romanticists adores rain more than anything. But for the cricket lovers, it’s always a curse and play as a spoilsport.

The first Test between  Bangladesh and South Africa was beautifully poised. But, all of a sudden, rain showed up at the fag end of the third day’s play and it continued to pour heavily in the fourth and fifth day as well and thus, brought a premature end to a fascinating content. The ardent followers of the game were hurt while the Bangladeshi cricket fans were left bemused as they believed that the Tigers might have pulled off an astonishing 1-0 lead in the series.

The belief of the fans didn’t stem from sheer imagination, but the dominating performance of the Tigers in all three days had made believe such. To the astonishment of all, it was South Africa who were on the back foot since day 1. As a matter of fact, Bangladesh have gained plenty of positives from the Chittagong Test – Mushfiqur Rahim’s improved captaincy and field setting, an inspiring display by the bowlers, the much needed resolve from the batsmen and of course, Liton Kumar Das.

Liton hails from the northern district of Dinajpur. His cricketing talent was groomed at BKSP. Since the school days, his appetite for fetching big scores impressed everyone. Liton’s talent aided him to get included in the Bangladesh Under-19 World Cup squad. In the Under-19 World cup of 2012 held in Australia, Liton’s exhibition of perfect technique and temperament on bowling friendly conditions were praiseworthy. Especially, his ability to play strokes pivoting on the back-foot with confidence in such a young age caught everyone’s attention.  He fared well in the last year’s Under-19  World Cup in UAE as well. His batting average in the Under-19 World Cups has been a staggering 51.33.

Liton quickly got into the domestic circuit of Bangladesh in 2011-12 season and with the progression of time, his batting has only flourished. In the 2014-15 season, he was the second highest scorer in the Dhaka Premier League and the top scorer in the National Cricket League. Such a bright performance earned him a place in the Bangladesh national team this year.

Liton made his Test debut against India this year as the wicketkeeper-batsman and with the bat, he scored a fluent 44 off 59 balls which included eight fours and one six. It was an entertaining knock, but it sparked the thought that Liton was more suited to limited-overs version than Test cricket. In the Twenty20 and One-day International series against South Africa, Liton’s flashy strokeplay and shorter stay at the crease established such thoughts even more. Liton’s temperament for cricket’s purest format was under scrutiny.

Crucial stand against South Africa

In the first Test against South Africa, Bangladesh were still trailing by 53 runs when Liton came out to bat with Shakib Al Hasan. Bangladesh have failed to gain advantage against the top teams many times in the previous occasions and such fears started to crop up as soon as Mushfiqur Rahim was dismissed cheaply in the morning session of day 3. But at the end of the day, the Tigers were able to take a lead for the first time against the Proteas and Liton’s maiden Test fifty played an important role in that.

Liton was under enormous pressure before this Test match. 100 runs from the last six ODIs and 32 runs from two Twenty20 internationals doesn’t do enough justice to his talent. He was included in the team only as a wicketkeeper as Mushfiq’s injured finger still did not heal properly. In a team where the competition of establishing  the place is huge, a bright performance from Liton was needed to justify his selection. He was useful as a keeper and it was high time to prove a point with the bat as well. And Liton’s bat did shine in Chittagong.

Liton’s innings against South Africa was more about patience, maturity, and composure. He curbed his attacking instincts to a greater extent and decided to spend more time at the crease. Morkel sent down short-pitched stuff and invited Liton to play the pull-and-hook shot while Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander tested him with their accurate bowling. But Liton stood like a saint and helped Bangladesh to travel through a very critical passage of play in the pre and post lunch session.

But as soon as he got settled, he unleashed his repertoire of strokes – a cover drive against Morne Morkel in the last ball of the 107th over  was the best shot of the day. It was pitched up from the length with pace, but Liton just caressed it through the cover in an artistic manner. Then against the same bowler, Liton flicked a very good ball to midwicket for four in the 85th over. A single on the leg side in the first ball of 110th over in a delicate fashion brought up his first Test fifty.

Liton stitched an 82-run with Shakib Al Hasan for the sixth wicket and had the match not postponed due to rain, it might have proved beneficial enough.

Liton has proved that he is able enough to withstand the challenges of Test cricket. His technique is good while his temperament is rock solid. The hallmark of Liton’s batting is his astute footwork and timing. His timing is the best among the current Bangladesh batsmen and his sweetly timed drives and elegant flicks always reminds us about Mark Waugh. He is all about delicate stroke-play rather than murdering the ball mercilessly.

Liton Das is a blessing for Bangladesh cricket. He deserves to play higher up the order and in the upcoming days it is expected that he will be regarded as the best batsman of Bangladesh.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 26/07/2015 Liton Kumar Das has justified his selection in the Test team

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh v South Africa, 1st Tes, Day 3 - .......And a fifty for Liton Kumar Das!

Litton Kumar Das showed his capabilities as a Test batsman today and I have hardly seen any Bangladeshi batsman to time the ball so perfectly like him. Another important criteria which will help Litton to flourish more in the future is his astute footwork, focus and the ability to pick the length quicker than his teammates. This boy is a blessing for Bangladesh cricket and will go a long way. In the upcoming days, it is expected that he will bat higher up the order. In fact, in the fourth innings, I wish to see him come out to bat at number five.

Litton has made me proud!

The South African openers’ confidence started to grow gradually and wiped off the deficit. At first, they looked a bit shaky, but as soon as they weathered off the new ball, they dominated the Bangladeshi bowlers in style and they must thank the lack of discipline of the Bangladeshi bowlers.

Mushfiqur Rahim set the right field for his two strike bowlers – Mustafiz and Shakib, but you can never expect breakthroughs when you discover them bowling too short, wide-of-the-off-stump and more on the middle-and-leg-stump line. Mustafiz started off with a brilliant ball, but as time passed, he lost his vigor and sizzle while Shakib’s inconsistent line-and-length hurt Mushfiq and Bangladesh big time. Only Mohammad Shahid bowled with a nagging line and incisive length, but he is more of a pressure creating bowler and not a wicket taker. It’s the duty of the strike bowlers to utilize the pressure created by such bowlers.

Stiaan van Zyl was watchful and patient, but Dean Elgar looked in an attacking mood. Bangladesh bowlers need to rediscover their vim on day 4 otherwise, they might lose the advantage gained in this Test match.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 4th ODI - Well played Pakistan, well done Azhar Ali

What an amazing turn around by the Pakistan team! Yet another clinical performance to secure the one-day series against Sri Lanka in style. Over the years, their performance in the ODIs has been shoddy and their lack of temperament while chasing was always under scrutiny. It created enough frustration for the fans and critics.

But all of a sudden, this current Pakistan team is reminding us about the Pakistan of old times – the men in green, who  were rated among the best ODI teams in the world and dished out eye-catching performances to claim place in most of the people’s heart. The fans and critics always wished to witness that Pakistan team, but sadly they were hardly evident on the cricket field.

This Pakistan team seems different and they play with much more positive intent and hunger. On the field, they play as a unit and each player always seems super-charged. Should I think that Azhar Ali’s captaincy has an impact over Pakistan’s brilliant performance? I think it is. As because, a lot of things depend on the captain in cricket and his way of handling the pressure and man management is always vital behind a team’s sound display on the field.

In that sense, Azhar Ali has done a great job in regrouping this fragile Pakistan team and of course, he has proved critics like me and others wrong. When he was appointed as the captain of the ODI team, many people from his own country, let alone me,  thought that it was a step-backward-appointment and after losing 3-0 against Bangladesh, gave such sort of thinking enough validity. Many thought that Ali would be the carbon copy of Misbah-ul-Haq’s pragmatism. Even some of my Pakistani friends in Facebook blasted expressed their utmost dissatisfaction and anger regarding his appointment.

But, Ali has proved all of us wrong. As an ODI batsman in Sri Lanka, he was fluent and played according to the demands of modern day cricket. His captaincy has been way better than it was in Bangladesh while his field setting hinted us of how quickly he can learn from his mistakes. Ali has proved that he is a tough character and he is capable of leading Pakistan.

Yet another fantastic show by the men in green in Colombo and personally, I have no interest in whether they will be able to qualify for the Champions Trophy or not, but as a cricket fan, the satisfaction is that the Pakistan team has started to turn around and I shall be happier when the West Indies would do the same. The cricketing world badly needs teams like Pakistan and West Indies to perform well.

Lastly, Ahmed Shehzad's attempt to claim that catch during the second ball of the 40th over was a bad example for the game. It was clearly against the spirit of the game and a foolish attempt in this age of standard technology. Shehzad should be ashamed of himself for doing such.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh v South Africa, 1st Test, day 2 - Tamim Iqbal-Mahmudullah Riyad's partnership and Dale Steyn's ordinary bowling

Tamim Iqbal was the batsman who played Dale Steyn with authority and the reason for that has been Steyn’s ordinary bowling – he delivered most of the balls wide outside off at him and such deliveries are not ideal against the left-handers.

Tamim faced 27 balls from Steyn and scored 21 runs with two boundaries and 12 of those runs came from that cover and  extra-cover region. When it matters the most, Steyn usually brings the ball back into the left-handers to unsettle them rather than using the short-balls. But surprisingly, Steyn didn’t bring the ball back in more often against Tamim – he was allowed to settle and I guess, it helped Bangladesh a lot.

Similarly, Mahmudullah faced 28 balls from Steyn and scored 16 runs – a resolved one, but Steyn’s length was on the good- length-wide-of-off, too-fullish-wide-of-off  and too straight-moving-towards-leg-stump. Riyad scored five runs from that cover and extra-cover area, four from third man, four from long leg and two from square leg – the scoring areas indicate how ordinary Steyn has been today when he was much needed for a penetration by his team.

Like Bangladesh, the Proteas did make run-scoring difficult for the home team, but it’s hard to expect wickets when your main weapon fails to fire. Philander and Morne Morkel, bowled well to keep things tight, but Steyn was found wanting – he ran in, bowled, huffed and puffed without any rewards.

The Bangladeshi batsmen must be given the credit for not losing patience during the middle-stage of the day and exhibited good temperament while traveling through a frustrating passage. The challenge if not threat posed by Philander, Morkel and Harmer during that stage was well handled by Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad.

Philander was seen coming at his best in the post tea session as he generated deceptive pace and late-swing and removed Mahmudullah and it seemed that South Africa might jolt Bangladesh, but rain stopped the rest of the day's play.

Hashim Amla’s captaincy was not up to the mark. I found Mushfiqur Rahim more innovative and thinking than him in this Test match. Moreover, Mushfiq’s strike bowler delivered the goods when it was required and in that sense, I feel sorry for Amla.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh v South Africa, 1st Test, Day 1 - The Tigers played with positive intent on day 1

The track might be placid and it might not aid the pace bowlers or spinners, but if a team bowls according to a plan and keep the basics right then, the outcomes are sure to be positive. On the first day, Bangladesh were  brilliant enough to bag all the ten wickets of South Africa and it was due to a positive intent and an appropriate planning.

Mushfiqur Rahim’s captaincy has been brilliant 

Mushfiq’s captaincy has never been as good as his batting. His defensive mindset has always earned him enough criticisms, but for the first time, I was impressed with his captaincy. He came out of his defensive shell and maneuvered his fielders and bowlers well to give the impression that he is looking for wickets rather than containment. In the 18th over, when he engaged Mohammad Shahid to bowl, he had a packed offside field with a wide or flying slip – this is positive captaincy. Even though Shahid’s pace won’t allow a flying-catch, but that vacant area in between the traditional slip and wide slip was set as a trap to entice the batsmen to do something silly by going for the drive.

Mushfiq, had his slip fielders a bit closer against pace bowlers than the previous occasions and  that fielder in the area between cover and extra-cover while Hashim Amla was batting pressurized him and forced him to poke Mustafiz. Then, his smartness in utilizing Jubair deserves praise – allowing Jubair to bowl round the wicket to use the rough was part of a smart captaincy.

Moreover, Mushfiq’s engagement of Shakib immediately after the fall of Dean Elgar was a part of thinking captaincy. And yes, Shakib removed Faf du Plessis as soon as he was brought into the bowling.

Yes, at times, there were touches of Dunga-like-pragmatism in Mushfiq, but such things were not enough.

Those tidy overs after lunch helped Bangladesh to come back into the game

Two top-order batsmen were at the crease and on such a flat deck they looked relaxed enough. How can a captain fetch wickets in such a situation? The first ploy is to suffocate the opposition batters and create pressure and the second option is to engage your best bowler in the business. Bangladesh applied the first option.

In the post-lunch session, Mohammad Shahid was engaged with Jubair Hossain. Both the bowlers bowled ten overs and those ten overs changed the scenario of day one. Mohammad Shahid continued to bowl maiden overs by pitching the ball consistently on the back-of-a-length and good length along the line of offstump. Whereas, Jubair – struggled with his flight earlier, but later adjusted it well -  bowled with intent and both of them created pressure which made run scoring tough for the Proteas batters.

Mustafizur Rahman replaced Shahid and never let the pressure to ebb away. The South African batters were more suffocated by the Mustafiz-Jubair pair and Mustafiz-Taijul pair after a while, and this suffocation led to the fall of two quick wickets.  Bangladesh were able to get back into the game because of those tidy overs bowled by Shahid, Mustafiz, Taijul and Jubair.

Mustafizur Rahman’s inspiring spell and Jubair’s inclusion in the squad 

What a spell of pace bowling it was from Mustafizur Rahman. From the word go, Mustafiz was looking impressive with his line and length and his discipline outside the off, especially, bowling with the intention of hitting the top of off had paid dividends. His variation of length and pace are his weapons and if he can learn to bring the ball back into the right-hander, he will be a bowler to watch in the days to come.

Meanwhile, Jubair Hossain has justified his selection  in the team. I just think that, he needs to increase his pace a bit and work a bit more on his flight, Googly and flippers. His orthodox legspinners have enough guile and from round the wicket he is lethal.            

Rubel Hossain would have been handy today

I would have loved to see Rubel Hossain in the team today. His recent form has been good and his raw pace would have given the Tigers a fantastic attacking option. It’s not ideal to say that Rubel’s Test record is bad, he can’t bowl long spells and leaks a lot of runs. Well, I am asking you, which Bangladeshi bowler, other than Shakib, has a very good bowling record in Test?

If Rubel can’t bowl in longer-spells, then he should be used a stock bowler in shorter-spells. It’s hard to accept the absence of a pace bowler who is in an absolute purple patch. I am not sure about the reason of his exclusion, but if he is interested to play Test cricket or not remains a moot question.

Temba Bavuma played a fighting knock

While the senior batsmen of the team succumbed to pressure, Temba Bavuma played a mature knock. The young man seemed mentally strong enough and has the ability to absorb pressure. Moreover, he can play strokes all around the ground. He seems a very good prospect for the future.

Now, it’s up to the Bangladeshi batsmen to support the good work of their bowlers on day 2. It won’t be easier against Steyn, Morkel and Philander. Bangladesh need to be patient and occupy the crease more and more on day 2. The first session will be crucial tomorrow.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 3rd ODI - Crowd trouble in Sri Lanka was unexpected

In the 34^th over of the third ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan yesterday, a fight broke out in the southeastern stand inside the stadium during the second innings. A rock was thrown onto the field during Sri Lanka’s run chase and the situation became quite worse, which led the police to evacuate the stadium. The play was halted for a brief period and there were fears that the game would not restart. But thankfully, the match referee Javagal Srinath gave green signal for play to resume and Pakistan completed the formalities to take a 2-1 lead.   

The crowd trouble in Colombo last night was a new experience not only for me, but for the rest of the cricket followers a swell.

The Sri Lankan cricket fans are passionate, bear a sound knowledge about the game and are not like the typical fans of subcontinent. They are extremely gentle and tolerable and enjoy cricket with the true spirit of the game.  Ugliness is not their way, but the incident of last night had surprised us all and to an extent, it dented the image of the nation.

 I am an ardent fan of the Sri Lankan cricket fans and I am confident that they will never  repeat such an incident in future. They are the pride of subcontinent.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 3rd ODI - Clinical Pakistan in Colombo

No Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez banned from bowling for 12 months, the middle order lacks the experience of Misbah and Younis Khan and the pace attack is not a competent one.

But there is Yasir Shah, Mohammad Rizwan, Immad Wasim, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan and forgotten heroes like Shoaib Malik to deliver the goods. In fact, there is no dearth of talents in Pakistan. If one player gets banned, then another exciting talent is ready to fill the gap. 

The men in green were clinical in the third ODI, but don’t be surprised if you discover a meek surrender in the fourth ODI. Cornered Tigers one day, cornered chicken the other. This is what Pakistan cricket is all about – unpredictable, mysterious, funny, at times ugly, but always entertaining for the fans.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

England v Australia, 2nd Test, Day 4 - Australia have bounced back in style!

After a clinical performance at Cardiff, such a dismal show from England was quite unexpected. They gained the momentum in Cardiff, but failed to hold on to it as they were outplayed and outsmarted by a professional Australian unit. The English simply failed to put up a fight against the Aussies  and their meek surrender was not an easy one to digest for their supporters.

It was a ruthless Australia! Brilliant Australia! Professional Australia! Yes, the Australians have bounced back at Lord’s in a clinical fashion. They were down and out in Cardiff, and  it didn’t dent Australia’s confidence, but in turn, that defeat made them determined enough to dish out such a riveting display. On a sun-kissed day at Lord’s, England’s miseries knew no bound.  

What makes these Aussies to fight in such a ruthless and professional manner? In my opinion, the enriched and professional cricket culture of Australia aids them not only to play like a champion, but create champions as well.  Yes, lean-patches do visit their cricket, but those dark phases are transient and ebb away fast due to a professional cricketing infrastructure. Their cricket players and hierarchy are well-equipped in knowing where the mistakes are being made and then., quickly rectify them. Above all, temperamentally, each Australian is a champion.

For the past few days, I have read  various opinions where some were repeatedly saying that the Lord’s track was a placid. If it was that flat then why the English batsmen failed to capitalize on it? Yes, the track didn’t have enough spice on it like Cardiff, but it was certainly not as dead as Ahmedabad, Lahore or Khulna. The track was almost like Adelaide where you can fetch good results if you land the cherry on the right line-and length and if the batsmen know the value of uplifting and slowing down the tempo according to the demand of the situation then you can reap a rich harvest here. Australia applied it, whereas England failed to to do the same.

Mitchell Johnson was fiery. His odd nasty bouncers and well directed short-pitch stuffs were bone-chilling. The English batsmen were reminded of Brisbane 2013 while there some good contributions from Hazlewood, Marsh and Starc. The Australian pacers bowled with deceptive pace and enough discipline – a criteria which have been a trademark of this Australian team since the Ashes 2013. Pace and discipline in combination can do anything. It’s a lethal combination and when movement gets added, it becomes a devastating bomb.

Mitchell Marsh has proved his worth in Lord’s and it seems that Shane Watson’s Test career will be laid to rest.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

England v Australia, 2nd Test, Day 3 - An Australian bounce back is likely to happen

Australia’s new wicketkeeper, Peter Nevill, is very impressive. It’s pretty easy to get nervous when you are playing at Lord’s and in an Ashes Test match, but the young man has shown enough character and maturity to claim a permanent place in the Test team. He didn’t concede any byes till the 50^th over and he has a safe pair of hands. And not to forget, the guy can bat also. That’s how tough and mature the Australian products are!

Another Australian tough and matured product is Jos Hazlewood. His calm and composed approach will give you the impression that he has been playing Test cricket for a long time. His bowling doesn’t have the touch of thrill-and-chill like Starc or Johnson, but boy, when he bangs in those full-length deliveries along the middle-and-off line from a fullish-or-back-of-a-length, he is tough to handle. Hazlewood is a pressure-creating bowler who can create the ideal platform for the likes of Johnson, Starc and Co to hunt for wickets. He can be a great bowler in the history of Australian cricket.

Anyhow, Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes were going well, but it was not adequate enough. Both fell to Mitchell Marsh, who was the master of dragging-onto-the stumps. On both the occasions, he lured Stokes and Cook to drive by pitching the ball on a length where they were supposed to keep low – well that was pretty smart bowling. And this is why I enjoy watching every time. They always help you to enrich your cricketing knowledge.  

Once, the Cook-and-Stokes partnership was broken, England lost their way. I thought that, there will be an Dravid-and-Laxamnesque at Lord’s the way Stokes and Cook were going.

Australia are in a commanding position and they are all set to level the series.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

England v Australia, 2nd Test, Day 2 - Mitchell Johnson was a treat to watch

Stuart Broad pitched the ball up, cut it away and swung a bit by keeping the cherry on the line of off stump and surely, he the best English bowler on day 2. He dismissed the theory of the experts that it would be tough to take 20 wickets on this Lord’s track which has been tagged as batting friendly.

As a matter of fact, this track at Lord’s has it both for the batsmen and bowlers – the batsmen will be able to score runs if they know how to slow down and lift the tempo while the pace bowlers need to pitch the ball up and target hitting the top of offstump.

Mitchell Starc, Jos Hazle Wood and Mitchell Johnson learned from the mistakes of Cardiff and got things right at Lord’s by hitting the deck hard – pitched it up more, targeted the top of off and delivered the ball fuller at pace along the line of middle and off. In Cardiff, it was too full on the middle-and-leg stump line. 

I enjoyed watching Mitchell Johnson. He bowled with an aggressive intent and always gave the impression of getting a wicket each time he ran into bowl. His short-pitched stuffs were not as ferocious as Brisbane of 2013, but they were fiery enough to put chills down the English spine. He was a treat to watch on day 2 and it seems that, he will prove handy for the English in this Test match.

But, the day belongs to Steve Smith,  who came the first Australian to score a double hundred at Lord’s since Don Bradman and Bill Brown and the first Australian to smash a double ton away from home since 2006 and also the first Australian to notch-up an Ashes double ton since 2002. It was such a matured knock and again, it was the product of perfect utilization of slowing down the tempo and lifting it according to the demand of the situation.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

The new-look Bangladesh

The term ‘new Bangladesh’ is creating a lot of noise around the country and to an extent, around the cricketing globe as well. It was not long ago that the Tigers were tagged as the whipping boys of world cricket and more often, their existence in world cricket was questioned by the cricket pundits. Be it in Test cricket or one-day cricket, the Bangladesh cricket team had been a subject of troll in the social media.

The Tigers’ such a sorry state was a matter of fun for the others, but it was hard for the local fans to digest such sort of trolls. But, over the last eight months, the picture of Bangladesh cricket is something different. Till now, it has been a matter of huge interest to the international audience, critics and ardent followers of the game.     

Two days back, at Chittagong, they clinched a stunning one-day international series win against one of the best teams of the format and the manner they notched up the victory was ruthless and dominating one.

In the past, the contest between Bangladesh and South Africa hardly generated interest among the cricket followers and it was always dubbed as a jolly-bash for the Proteas and misery for the Tigers. Losing the match in the most disgraceful manner was a well-known story and even this year, the results in Twenty20 series and first ODI hinted the same as well.

Change in fortunes

In the second and third ODI, the Tigers essayed one of the most epic comebacks ever in the history of Bangladesh cricket. Only once they bounced back to win the ODI series and that was against Zimbabwe way back in 2005 and against the top teams, Bangladesh were always found wanting whenever they lost the first match of the series. Their temperament  against the  teams had always been questioned and for which after the back-to-back defeats in Twenty20 matches and first ODI, very few were optimistic about the turnaround of the Tigers. 

But Bangladesh didn’t lose their way, despite losing matches against South Africa earlier. They clawed back with a roar and gifted their fans one of the finest Eid gifts ever. Bangladesh have won four back-to-back ODI series at home and it’s not a matter of joke at all. This is a new Bangladesh.

So what’s all about this concept of new Bangladesh? Certainly, it has not come about as an isolated phenomenon.  Perhaps, the injection of new talents have given Bangladesh a new dimension and made everyone believe that the present Bangladesh team plays with a new confidence and vigor.

Exciting talents coming through

The inclusion of exciting talents like Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das and Mustafizur Rahman has been vital to this concept of new Bangladesh. Soumya’s handling of the short-pitch stuff with his trademark periscope shot, Litton’s courage to play the hook shot and Mustafiz’s boldness to test the very best with his nagging length and devastating cutters has been the symbol of a confident and fearless Bangladesh team.

These young talents have played a major role in transforming Bangladesh into a complete package. The confidence of these exciting talents has been contagious in the team and it has helped the senior members of the team to give their best shot as well.

But this is just one part of the story. Without a healthy environment, it would never have been possible for these talents to flourish. The Bangladesh Cricket Board, head coach Hathurusingha, bowling coach Heath Streak, captain Mashrafe Mortaza and other senior members of the team have been equally responsible for creating the perfect environment for these talents to express themselves.

Yes, it’s a new Bangladesh which has learned to aim higher and are hungry for success. In the limited-overs format, they are a  fearsome contender at present, but this new Bangladesh must not lose its way in the long run.   

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 17/07/2015 The new-look Bangladesh

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

যোগ্য বলেই লিটন দাস বাংলাদেশ ক্রিকেট দলে খেলার সুযোগ পান

ঘটনা ১ঃ

১৯৭৪ সালে সোমারসেট কাউন্টি ক্রিকেট ক্লাবের ভাইস চেয়ারম্যান লেন ক্রিড অ্যান্টিগা সফরে আসেন। লেন ছিলেন একজন ক্রিকেটের গ্রেট ফলোয়ার যিনি প্রায়ই নিজের একটি দল নিয়ে শীতের মৌসুমে সোমারসেট কাউন্টি ক্রিকেট ক্লাবের জন্য নতুন প্রতিভা অন্বেষণের উদ্দেশ্যে ওয়েস্ট ইন্ডিজের দ্বীপ রাষ্ট্র গুলো সফর করতেন। লেনের সফরকারী দল গুলো হতো মাল্টিন্যাশনাল। ভারতীয়, পাকিস্তানী এবং বিশ্ব ক্রিকেটের দুই থেকে তিনজন নামকরা খেলোয়াড়, যারা শীত মৌসুমে ফ্রি থাকতেন, তাদেরকে নিয়ে তৈরি করা দল নিয়ে তিনি ক্যারিবিয় দ্বীপ গুলো সফর করতেন।

সফরের আগে লেন, কলিন কাউদ্রির কাছ থেকে একটি ছেলের ব্যাপারে শুনে এসেছিলেন। কলিন, লেনকে বলেছিলেন যে গত বছরের (১৯৭৩ সাল) ট্যুরে তিনি খুব সম্ভাবনাময় একটি তরুন ব্যাটসম্যান দেখেছেন যার নাম ভিভ রিচার্ডস। লেন যেন তার দিকে একটু নজর রাখেন। সফরের শুরু থেকেই লেন ভিভের ব্যাপারে খুব প্রশংসা শুনছিলেন। অনেকের সাথেই কথা বলে তিনি জানতে পারলেন যে ঐ ব্যাটসম্যান কাউন্টি খেলার জন্য যোগ্য। কিন্তু শুধু মুখের কথাতেই তো লেন মেনে নিবেন না। স্বচক্ষে ঐ ছেলেটির ব্যাটিং না দেখে লেন কোন সিদ্ধান্তে আসবেন না।

লেনের সফরকারী দলের সাথে অ্যান্টিগার খেলা শুরু হলো। ভিভ মাত্র ৩২ রান করেই আউট হয়ে গেলেন। অ্যান্টিগার দর্শক খুব হতাশ কিন্তু লেন একটুও হতাশ হননি। তিনি সোমারসেটের প্রেসিডেন্টকে ভিভের ব্যাপারে সুপারিশ করলেন। কিন্তু সোমারসেটের প্রেসিডেন্ট কোন ভাবেই ভিভকে নিতে চাচ্ছিলেন না। কারন উনি ‘আনকোরা’ কোন খেলোয়াড়কে নিয়ে রিস্ক নিতে চান না। কিন্তু লেন নাছোর বান্দা এবং প্রেসিডেন্টকে বলে দিলেন যে যদি ভিভ কাউন্টিতে অসফল হয় তাহলে তিনি নিজের পকেট থেকে ক্ষতিপূরণ দিবেন। কারন লেনের মতে, তিনি এমন একজন প্রতিভার সন্ধান পেয়েছেন যে কিনা বিশ্ব ক্রিকেটের চিত্রটাই বদলে দিবে। ভিভ সমারসেটে আসলেন, ওয়েস্ট ইন্ডিজের হয়েও খেলা শুরু করলেন। বাকিটা শুধুই ইতিহাস।

ঘটনা ২ঃ

ইমারান খানের নিজের কিছু স্কাউট ছিলো। তারা প্রায়ই ইমরানকে বিভিন্ন ক্রিকেটারের ব্যাপারে ইনফরমেশন দিত। ১৯৯১ সালের দিকে, ইমরানের স্কাউটরা উনাকে একজন মোটা ব্যাটসম্যানের ব্যাপারে খোঁজ দেন। ইমরান ঐ মোটা, বোকাসোকা চেহারার ছেলেটিকে নেটে ডাকেন এবং ওয়াসিম ও ওয়াকারকে বললেন ঐ ব্যাটসম্যানকে আতঙ্কিত করার মতো বোলিং করতে। ঐ মোটা ব্যাটসম্যান হুক এবং পুল খেলল ফ্রন্টফুটে এবং দুই-ডাবলু কোন ভাবেই ওকে আউট করতে পারেনি।

নন-স্ত্রাইকিং এন্ডে দাড়িয়ে ইমরান ঐ ব্যাটসম্যানের খেলা দেখলেন এবং মনে, মনে বললেন, “এই ব্যাটসম্যান গড গিফটেড”। ইমরান সবার ‘না’ কে উপেক্ষা করে ঐ মোটা-বোকাসোকা-চেহারার-আনকোরা ব্যাটসম্যানকে বিশ্বকাপ দলে নেন এবং ইনজামাম-উল-হক ১৯৯২ সালে কি করেছিলেন সেটা সবাই জানেন।

ঘটনা ৩ঃ

বাংলাদেশ বনাম দক্ষিন আফ্রিকার দ্বিতীয় একদিনের ম্যাচ। দ্বিতীয় ওভারের শেষ বলটি রাবাডা শর্ট-অফ-লেন্থ থেকে খুব জোরে ডিলেভার করেন। ব্যাটসম্যান লিটন দাস, ব্যাকফুটে যেয়ে হুক শট খেলেন এবং বলটি নিমিষের মধ্যে লংলেগে চলে যায়। ছক্কা!

চতুর্থ ওভারের তৃতীয় বল। রাবাডা মিডেল-এবং-অফে গুড-লেন্থ থেকে একটি বল ফেলেন জেতাকে খেলার নিয়ম হলো, একটু ব্যাকফুটে যেয়ে বোলারস ব্যাকড্রাইভ খেলা। কিন্তু লিটন ইম্প্রেসিভ ভাবে খুব আর্লি লেন্থ পিক করে ফেলে এবং ব্যাক ওয়ার্ড স্কয়ার লেগে ফ্লিক করে চার মারেন। ওটাকে গ্লান্স-ফ্লিক বললে আরও ভালো শুনাবে। এবং সর্বোপরি, পেস বোলিং-এর বিরুদ্ধে লিটনের  ফুটওয়ার্ক খুবই ভালো।

এখন আসল কথাতে আসি।
        
কেন লিটন দাসকে দলে নেওয়া হয়েছে এটা নিয়ে অনেকেরই বেশ মাথা ব্যথা। বেশীরভাগ বাংলাদেশী ক্রিকেট ভক্তদের মতে লিটন দাস হিন্দু বলে দলে চান্স পেয়েছে। আচ্ছা এরা কি মানুষ না অমানুষ? কারো ভেতরে প্রতিভা না থাকলে শুধু ধর্মের দোহাই দিয়ে দলে চান্স পাওয়া যায় নাকি?

বাংলাদেশ দলে কতজন ব্যাটসম্যানকে আপনি এভাবে হুক শট খেলতে দেখেছেন? বাংলাদেশ দলে কত ব্যাটসম্যানকে পেস বোলিং-এর বিরুদ্ধে এত আর্লি লেন্থ পিক করে দেখেছেন?  যে দুটো শটের কথা আমি উল্লেখ করেছি সেই শট দুটো আবার দেখেন। 

লেন কিংবা ইমরান বড়, বড় সেঞ্চুরি কিংবা ঘরোয়া ক্রিকেটের ওপর নির্ভর করে ভিভ কিংবা ইনজামামকে দলে নেননি। লেন এবং ইমরান দুজনেই, ভিভ এবং ইনজির temperament, confidence, courage এবং stroke making abilities  জাজ করেই তাদেরকে দলে নিয়েছিলেন।

একজন তরুন এবং সম্ভবনাময় ক্রিকেটারকে শুধু ঘরোয়া ক্রিকেটের রান কিংবা বড়বড় সেঞ্চুরি দিয়ে বিচার করা ঠিক না। তাহলে বিশ্ব ক্রিকেট ভিভ, ইনজামাম কিংবা দুই ডাবলুকে পেত না। এই ধরনের ট্যালেন্টদের কিছু খোদা প্রদত্ত গিফট থাকে যেগুলো একজন জহুরীর চোখেই ধরা দেয়। আমদের কোচ চান্ডিকা হাথুরসিংহে হচ্ছেন সেই জহুরী যিনি লিটনের প্রতিভাকে বুঝতে পেরেছেন এবং তাই তো তিনি লিটনকে উপরের দিকে ব্যাট করান। এরকম প্রতিভাকে কেন নিচের দিকে খেলিয়ে অপচয় করবেন? এবং, ভুলে যাবেন না, গত মৌসুমে ঘরোয়া ক্রিকেটে লিটনের পারফর্মেন্স ও খুব ভালো।

লিটন কেন দলে এই অহেতুক তর্কে না যেয়ে, এটা ভাবুন, বাংলাদেশ কতটা ভাগ্যবান এরকম একজন প্রতিভাবান ক্রিকেটারকে পেয়ে। নিজের মনটাকে বড় করুন। আপনি ওপরে, ওপরে বিশাল বড় চেতনাধারী হবেন কিন্তু মনে, মনে সাম্প্রদায়িক মোনভাব পোষণ করবেন সেটা কি ঠিক? আর ক্রিকেট খেলা নিয়ে আজাইরা চিল্লানোর পূর্বে এই খেলাটাকে বুঝুন এবং এর ইতিহাসের ব্যাপারে জানুন। চোখ বন্ধ করে কোন জাজমেন্টে আসলে আপনি নিজেই মূর্খ বলে বিবেচিত হবেন এবং সেটা হচ্ছেন ও!

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