Ben Stokes has the potential to be one of the greatest allrounders in the history of Test cricket

 

“Ben Stokes plays like Imran and Botham. Like them, he is aggressive, brave, and relishes tough challenges. Test cricket needs players like him and a competitive rivalry”

The battle between the bat and ball was well poised on the first day of the second Test between South Africa and England. The Proteas were determined to bounce back after a torrid 2015 and the young Kagiso Rabada did pretty well to keep the English batsmen under control.

Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes were grafting a partnership that was gradually becoming a threatening one for Hashim Amla’s team. In the 80th over Amla took the new ball and from a cricketing perspective, it was not a smart move as the old ball could have proved handy if someone like Morne Morkel was introduced during that crucial passage of play.

Morkel is a bowler who has the ability to utilize the old ball smartly, by swinging it late, and on such a weary track, his expertise might have bloomed flowers for South Africa. The new ball should have been taken on the second day as it would have been productive in the first session.

For a breakthrough, any captain will throw the ball, whether old or new, to his tried and tested customer, but Amla did the opposite. He brought on the debutante Chris Morris to bowl with the new ball and this proved to be a costly ploy. Morris’ first ball of the 81st over was full and outside off and Ben Stokes greeted that with a well-timed-but-powerfully-hit on-drive.

If any shot hinted at something special that was about to come then that was it. That shot unnerved Morris. He lost his control over his bowling and Stokes plundered three more boundaries in that over to galvanize his killer mood.

At the end of day 1, Stokes was not out on 74. The Stokes and Bairstow partnership has fetched 94 runs for the sixth wicket and 46 of those were leaked in the last seven overs of the day against the new ball and courtesy of some swashbuckling stroke-play of Stokes.

The second day of the Test match is now a part of cricket’s folklore. Cape Town’s Table Mountain has witnessed many epic encounters and eye-popping batting displays. On the third of January, 2016, she witnessed yet another magical and jaw-dropping display of murderous-batting. It was almost like Graeme Pollock’s one-legged adventure against Australia in 1967 when he transformed into Hercules to pummel the Aussie bowlers.

Ben Stokes was mesmerizing, breathtaking, and relentless. He single-handedly put the South Africa attack to the sword. He kept on hitting the ball so powerfully that the fielders hardly had to move as the ball rocketed towards the boundary the moment it left the bat.

Stokes stormed his way to 258 runs off just 198 balls with 11 humungous sixes and scorching 30 boundaries. England made 312 for 1 off 38.5 overs in the day. The record books were turned upside down by Stokes.

At the moment, he holds the record for England’s fastest ever century and double-century, the fastest ever Test match 250 and the highest ever score for a Test batsman batting at six. He also holds the record for the most runs scored by an individual batsman in the morning session of a Test match.

Ben Stokes announced his arrival with a hundred against Mitchell Johnson and Co. at the WACA and then bagged 6 for 99 at SCG. England was down and dusted in Australia, but Stokes was one of the positives of that tour. Slowly and steadily, he stamped his authority in the English team, and at the moment, he is dubbed as one of the finest prospects not only for England but for world cricket as well.

Stokes is an allrounder. According to Phil Simmons, “He can take a game from you with bat or ball. He’s the glue that holds the England team together. His bowling allows Jimmy Anderson to come back fresh and that’s a big thing. That’s the kind of cricketer you need”.

Ben Stokes’ batting has created hype among fans all over the world and more often, it overshadows his bowling abilities. Yes, his bowling has not been as staggering as his batting of late, but mind you, he is a very effective pace bowler. His bowling is all about attitude rather than skill. His bowling is not as skillful as James Anderson or Stuart Broad, but when it comes to displaying courage, creating pressure, and never-ending stamina, Stokes is the man in whom you can invest faith.

He has the ability to generate pace even on dead tracks and can maintain his speed despite bowling longer spells in adverse conditions. Still, that wicket-taking ability has not taken center-stage in Stokes’ bowling repertoire.

In the Test series against West Indies and New Zealand last year, his bat did the talking more than his bowling while in the Ashes, his bat remained quiet, but with the ball, he took 11 wickets, and in the UAE against Pakistan, he was firing blanks both with the bat and ball. Taking wickets on a consistent basis had been missing, but in South Africa, it all got together – 411 runs and 12 wickets from 4 Tests which is like the achievement of a true all-rounder.

According to many fans, cricket in the 80s was gold. It was an era when the ultimate legends of the game ruled the rooster, but that era was given a charismatic touch by the four greatest allrounders in the history of Test cricket: Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, and Richard Hadlee. Their rivalries were a matter of huge interest among the fans and their charismatic display, had a big impact on world cricket, especially in Test cricket. Their departure has created a vacuum that has still not been filled. The emergence of charismatic all-rounders became a rarity.

Ben Stokes plays like Imran and Botham. Like them, he is aggressive, brave, and relishes tough challenges. Test cricket needs players like him and a competitive rivalry.

Note: This article has been published in Cricketsoccer on 30/01/2016  Ben Stokes has the potential to be one of the greatest allrounders in the history of Test cricket 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Pinak Ghosh - The exciting young talent from Bangladesh

The cricketing fraternity in Bangladesh is still bemused regarding the back-to-back defeat against Zimbabwe in the four-match Twenty20 series which ended few days back. Bangladesh were expected to essay yet another Banglawash, but the Zimbabweans bounced back in style to level the series, which shocked the fans who were preparing to celebrate 2016 with a bang. Sadly, the tourists spoiled the party of the Bangladesh cricket fans.

At present, majority of the fans and experts in Bangladesh are quite excited about the upcoming Asia Cup and World Twenty20. They are still not gripped by the euphoria of the ICC Under-19 World Cup which is hosted by Bangladesh this year. As the tournament kicks off, I guess, people will get involved with this mega-event more and more.

One must not forget that, Bangladesh as a host has a lot to prove as because, the venue of the Under-19 World Cup was at risk due to security reasons and Australia’s refusal to participate in the tournament had been a big blow for Bangladesh. Despite all the hindrances and doubts, finally, the tournament will commence in this country and of course, this event is expected to catch the imagination of the people of Bangladesh and rest of world cricket.

Bangladesh have named a very strong team for this year’s event. Their captain, Mehedi Hassan Miraz is already a star in this part of the world and dubbed as the next Mashrafe Mortaza. Youngsters like Joyraz Sheik, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Zakir Hasan, Abdul Halim, Mehedi Hasan Rana and charismatics like Saif Hasan and Sanjit Saha are tried and tested customers who are hungry for success and provides not only stability within the team, but the much needed x-factor as well.

Among these prominent names, there is a 17-year old boy who has the temperament and skill to catch the attention of the world. Pinak Ghosh is still a school going boy, but his appetite for runs leaves one astonished. He has the power to hit big sixes and fetch boundaries in a staggering fashion which gives one the impression that the boy is born to bat.

Pinak hails from Netrokona, which is situated in the northern part of Bangladesh, near the Meghalayan border. It’s a part of Mymensingh divison. While studying in Mukul Niketon school in Mymensingh, he notched up a hundred and his talent was spotted by the local coaches which helped him to earn a ticket to play cricket for the Bangladesh Under-16 side couple of years back. He fared well there and his manner of scoring runs and batting style earned him a place in the Bangladesh Under-19 side.

Pinak burst into the scene after scripting an exceptional innings against South Africa in Durban last year. Pinak smashed 21 fours and one six to score 150 runs off 148 balls. It was such an eye-popping knock that it hit the headlines with immediate effect. The speciality of that innings was his ability to time the ball with perfection and most of the time, he kept the ball on the ground while hitting the boundaries which hinted about his maturity as a batsman at such a young age.

That innings boosted Pinak’s confidence and it was evident in the three-match one-day series against the touring West Indies Under-19 this year where his 135-ball 109 runs helped Bangladesh to seal the series.

Pinak is a left-handed batsman. Like Anamul Haque Bijoy he is blessed with timing and he’s aggressive and stylish like Soumya Sarkar. One of the most attractive aspect of Pinak is his attitude. He is never afraid to take risks and his supreme confidence is his assett which will take him a long way.

Pinak’s job is one of the most difficult one in the team. He plays in the team as an opener and his duty is to ensure his team stability at the top. So far, Pinak has been able to perform his job with distinction. He’s one of those rare breeds who can adapt well according to the siatution. He can be attacking, but the same time, he knows when to halt and rely on maneuvering the strike. Such tributaries are the hallmark of a competent batsman.

Pinak is a promisng youngster and it is expected that he will strike gold in this year’s Under-19 World Cup.

Watch out for this boy!

Note: This article has been published in Cricwizz on 26/01/2016 Pinak Ghosh - The exciting young talent from Bangladesh

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 4th Test, day 5 - England thrashed by Rabada fire

It was a dismal performance with the bat for England on the final day. The fans still were getting ready to follow the match, but in the twinkle of an eye, the English batting collapsed miserably. Kagiso Rabada was the star performer for the Proteas who bagged 13 wickets in the match and at the moment, he is the most exciting pace-bowling prospect in world cricket alongside Mustafizur Rahman.

A consolation win for the Proteas and it should work for them like a tonic as they almost forgot to win a Test match. I hope their consistency will return while England should not have been so lackluster. The better teams never take any matches lightly.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 4th Test, Day 4 - South Africa are well poised for a consolation win

A consolation win seems to be knocking at the door for the South Africans. Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel have jolted the English top order and the moment, it seems that the determination of the English team has taken a holiday as soon as the series was sealed in Johannesburg. Hashim Amla and Temba Bamvuma’s useful knocks helped to swell the lead, but the dejected figure of AB de Villiers was not a satisfactory one for the fans. I can’t remember when did I last see AB passing through such a lean patch.

I enjoyed the second spell of Ben Stokes. It was aggressive and full of intent. He was bowling a long spell like the fast bowlers of 80s and 90s and hardly seemed to get tired. The humidity didn’t stop him from banging the ball short and test Amla’s technique and temperament. Well, his pace was lively and for a moment, it seemed to me that I was watching an Imran or Botham in full throttle. Test cricket is beautiful.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

এনামুল হক বিজয়কে লড়াই চালিয়ে যেতে হবে

১) “এশিয়া কাপ ও টি-টোয়েন্টি বিশ্বকাপ সামনে রেখে শুরু হওয়া বাংলাদেশ দলের অনুশীলন ক্যাম্পে হঠাৎ ডাক পেয়েছেন বাংলাদেশ দলের লেগ স্পিনার। কাল রাতেই তাঁর খুলনায় রওনা হওয়ার কথা ছিল”।

খবরটা পড়ে ভালো লাগলো। মূল দলে জায়গা পাবে কিনা সন্দেহ আছে। কারন টি২০ ফরম্যাটে লেগস্পিনারদেরকে কেউ খেলাতে চায়না। কারন, এখানে বলে লেগিদের বেশী রান দেবার রিস্ক আছে। শেন  ওয়ার্ন কিন্তু দেখিয়ে দিয়ে গেছেন যে টি২০-তে ও লেগিরা বেশ কার্যকর। এখন আপনি বলতে পারেন, লিখন তো আর  ওয়ার্ন নয়। হ্যাঁ সেটা সত্য কিন্তু কাউকে নিয়মিত খেলার সুযোগ না দিলে সে নিজেকে প্রমান করবে কিভাবে? আমি আবারও বলছি, যে কোন দলের জন্য লেগস্পিনার হলো এসেট।

২)  “এনামুলের কাছে জুবায়ের জানতে চাইলেন, তাঁকেও কিছু বলা হয়েছে কি না। দীর্ঘশ্বাস বেরিয়ে এল এনামুলের। শুকনো মুখে শুধু বললেন, ‘না রে...”

এনামুল হক বিজয় হঠাৎ করেই অনেকটা নিঃসঙ্গ হয়ে গেছেন। এবারের এশিয়া কাপ এবং টি২০ বিশ্বকাপের প্রাথমিক দলে তার জায়গা হয়নি। অথচ, গত এশিয়া কাপে এই এনামুলই ৪ ম্যাচে ১ সেঞ্চুরি ও ১ ফিফটিতে ৫৬.৭৫ গড়ে  ২২৭ রান করেছিলেন। গত নভেম্বরে সফরকারী জিম্বাবুয়ের সাথে তার ব্যাট তেমন কথা বলেনি এবং “জাতীয় দল থেকে বাদ পড়া, তাঁর টেকনিক ও খেলার ধরন নিয়ে নানা প্রশ্ন, কুষ্টিয়ায় এক যুবককে পিটিয়ে আহত করার অভিযোগ, সর্বশেষ বোর্ডের চুক্তি থেকে নাম কাটা যাওয়া” একসাথে এত নেগেটিভ ব্যাপার গুলো এনামুলকে হতাশার সাগরে নিমজ্জিত করে রেখেছে। 

এনামুলের টেকনিক নিয়ে সবাই পূর্বে অনেক প্রশ্ন তুলেছে এবং এখনও তুলে। হ্যাঁ, এনামুলের মূল সমস্যাটা হলো দুর্বল ফুটওয়ার্ক এবং অফস্ট্যাম্প লাইনে পড়ে ব্যাটকে ছেড়ে বাইরের দিকে চলে যাওয়া বলে দুর্বলতা। এই দুর্বলতা কিছুটা, মহামারি আকারের নয়।

কিন্তু এই দুটো ব্যাপারে বর্তমান বিশ্ব ক্রিকেটে কোন ব্যাটসম্যানটা পারফেক্ট? বর্তমানে বিশ্বে কি কেন উইলিয়ামসন ছাড়া টেকনিক্যালি পারফেক্ট ব্যাটসম্যান আছে?

জো রুটের কথা মাথায় আসছে, ঐদিকে এলেস্টার কুক এবং হাশিম আমলা আছেন। রাহানে আস্তে, আস্তে টেকনিক্যালি একজন ভালো ব্যাটসম্যান হয়ে উঠছেন। কিন্তু তারপরও টেকনিকে কিছু এদিক-সেদিক আছে। তবে, এদের সবার চেয়ে শুধু একজনই এগিয়ে আছেন এবং তিনি হলেন নিউজিল্যান্ডের কেন উইলিয়ামসন। হ্যাঁ, তাকে টেকনিক্যালি পারফেক্ট বলা যায়।  

ঐ টেকনিকে দুর্বলতা স্টিভ স্মিথ এবং কোহেলীর ও আছে।

যাই হোক, বাংলাদেশ দলে টিকে থাকাটা এখন অনেক কঠিন। দলে টিকে থাকার প্রতিযোগিতাটা বেশ শক্ত। কারও ফর্মে ভাঁটা আসলেই তার জায়গা নেবার জন্য অনেক খেলোয়াড়ই এখন আছেন। দল থেকে বাদ পড়া নিয়ে এনামুলের হতাশ হবার কিছুই নেই। ক্যারিয়ারে খারাপ সময় আসতেই পারে কিন্তু সেটা যেন দীর্ঘায়িত না হয় সেদিকে লক্ষ্য রাখতে হবে।  

এনামুলকে প্রমান করতে হবে, টেকনিকের কিছুটা দুর্বলতা নিয়েও তিনি বেজায় রান করেত পারেন। শচীন টেন্ডুলকার বোটম হ্যান্ড গ্রিপ নিয়েও বিশ্ব জয় করেছিলেন, শেওয়াগের কি ডিফেন্স এবং ফুটওয়ার্ক কি খুব ভালো ছিলো? কিন্তু তারপরও বোলারদের ঘুম হারাম করে দিতেন।

টেকনিক্যালি কিছুটা দুর্বল ব্যাটসম্যানদের কিছু এসেট থাকে। শেওয়াগ এবং জয়সুরিয়ার খুব দ্রুত লেন্থ পিক করার অসাধারন ক্ষমতা ছিলো, মিয়াদাদের ছিলো খুব দ্রুত ক্রিজে ব্যাটিং পজিশন পরিবর্তন করার ক্ষমতা, সৌরভ গাঙ্গুলি শর্টপিচ বল এবং অনসাইডে ততটা দক্ষ না হয়েও বড়, বড় স্কোর করেছিলেন অফসাইডে স্ট্রোক খেলার অসাধারন দক্ষতা এবং টাইমিইং-এর ওপর ভর করে এবং হালের স্টিভ স্মিথ একদম আনঅর্থোডক্স টেকনিক নিয়েও রান করে যাচ্ছেন তার ব্যাক ফুট স্ট্রোক প্লের ওপর অসাধারন দক্ষতার জন্য।

আমাদের বিজয়ের দুটো এসেট আছে – খুব দ্রুত বোলারদের লেন্থ পিক করার ক্ষমতা এবং অসাধারন টাইমিং। এই দুটো ব্যাপারকে আরও শক্তিশালী করলে ভালো হয় না?

বিজয়কে লড়াই চালিয়ে যেতে হবে। ঘরোয়া ক্রিকেটে নিয়মিত পারফর্ম করাটা তার জন্য এখন অবশ্য কর্তব্য। 

ক্রিকেটের লঙ্গার-ভারসন ফরমেটে বিজয় অনেক কার্যকরী একজন ব্যাটসম্যান হতে পারবেন বলে আশা রাখি।

বিজয়ের মতো প্রতিভা হারিয়ে যাক এটা বাংলাদেশ ক্রিকেটের কোন ভক্তেরই কাম্য নয়।       

ধন্যবাদ

ফয়সাল সিজার                

South Africa v England, 4th Test, Day 3 - Kagiso Rabada was excellent!

Don’t you think that South Africa have found the replacement of Dale Steyn? I think they have found one. The name of the bowler is Kagiso Rabada. Frankly speaking, I am extremely impressed by the boy’s sense of responsibility at such a young age. Today the South Africans were one bowler down and desperately needed a bowler to lead the attack. 20 years old Rabada was unfazed by the critical situation and stood up to take the responsibility of leading the attack which was plagued by injuries.

Rabada’s pace was a matter of interest for me today. It seems to be increasing gradually. Today he touched the 140 km/hour mark on a consistent basis and I think day by day it will increase to terrorize the batsmen all over the world. And his discipline outside that offstump? Well, it was very good and despite bowling with such a speed, he hardly erred his line. Moreover, his variation in lengths was praiseworthy as well. The kid has a head over his shoulder and he is one of those bowlers who thinks deeply before delivering each and every ball.

This kid is hungry for success and temperamentally he is very strong. South Africa should be careful in preserving this black diamond. He will be a great asset not only for South Africa, but for world cricket as well. Especially, Test cricket badly needs such assets.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 4th Test, Day 2 - Alastair Cook leads England's fight back

I used to read a lot of praises about Alex Hales. A section of the cricket experts rated him highly and wanted him to feature in the Test side. Sadly, I simply feel pity about their cricketing knowledge as because, success in today’s limited-overs cricket is never enough to prove a point in Test cricket. Hales might have plundered big sixes in the Twenty20 or Power-play obsessed 50-over matches, but Test cricket is different. Here one needs to be technically well-equipped to survive.

So far, Hales always seemed to me an uncertain batsman. Neither his defence nor his footwork has been impressive enough to claim a place in the England Test side. I am sure, England have better openers than Hales in the County circuit. Stop this bloody practice of glorifying bits-and-pieces cricketers of the so-called Twenty20 Leagues. Let them perish, and vanish in the circus shows. Test cricket needs high quality players and not mediocrity.

Meanwhile, Nick Compton also has not been up to the mark, but he can ensure stability and assurance which Hales can’t. Compton can occupy the crease to assure the batsmen at the other end, which helps them to fetch runs. This is a very good quality which more often is undermined by the circus-show-obsessed cricket experts of today.

Quinton de Kock’s knock was an attacking one and helped South Africa to post a good total which can ensure victory, but Alastair Cook seemed to have got back his Test mood. His defence was good while he was sure about his offstump. He accumulated runs steadily and hinted that, he is looking for some big runs on day 3. South Africa will need early wickets tomorrow. 

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Faisal Caesar 

Jack Bannister - Rest in peace sir!

I'm extremely sad to read about the death of Jack Bannister. He was such a brilliant commentator. People like me have learned so many things by listening to the commentary of such wonderful people in the late 80s & 90s.

Richie Benaud, Jack, Tony Lewis and co never offered dull moments while a cricket match was going on. BBC cricket commentators along with channel 9 were the best in the world during those days. They still are better than the present ones. Boy, I miss those golden days.

Rest in peace sir!

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Faisal Caesar 

Shivnarine Chanderpaul had been a great student of the game

Shivnarine Chanderpaul had been a great student of the game. While playing gully cricket, we used to emulate Chanderpaul’s stance and it always proved to be a disaster and of course, while standing in front of the wicket like Chander, each of us looked like jokers. More than his batting style, his stance had an impact among the school going boys of the 90s.

For a brief period his contributions were overshadowed by Brian Lara and when Lara retired, he carried the hopes of a team who were the lost souls of world cricket. His consistency was astonishing and his ability to occupy the crease hours after hours, kept the Caribbean hopes alive. But those sweat-breaking hundreds and half-centuries never transformed into match-winning ones. He lacked the support of a Viv, Lloyd, Haynes, Greenidge, Roberts, Holding, Marshall and Garner. Still, he continued to fight.

I feel sad that the West Indians failed to realize the effort and sacrifices of a man who gave his all lift West Indies cricket. It’s an end of an era. Chander was the last man who was carrying the torch of the glorious 90s. All good things come to an end. It’s time to go buddy. You have given this game a lot of memories and plenty of things to learn.

Goodbye Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

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Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 4th Test, Day 1 - The day belongs to Stephen Cook

I saw Jimmy Cook play in a Test match against Sri Lanka at Moratuwa in 1993. It was not a live match, but a match recorded in a video cassette which I borrowed from Filmfare Video shop. The quality of the video was not up to the mark, but still it was an enjoyable one. Allan Donald and Brett Schultz were breathtaking and amid some brilliant batting display by the likes of Hasham Tillakaratne, Arjuna Ranatunga, Jonty Rhodes and Andrew Hudson, Jimmy Cook’s dull display hardly caught my attention.

And it should not caught my attention at all. As I grew up and started to understand the game and its history a bit more, I could realize what a bad effect apartheid had on South African cricket. Jimmy Cook’s career was badly affected by apartheid and you can’t expect a forty-year old to dish out a great performance. But mind you, Jimmy was a fantastic opener whose career did not flourish the way it should have.

But his son, Stephen Cook injected hope and a delightful feeling in his father’s heart despite a belated Test debut. Stephen is a solid batsman and his technique looked satisfactory to me. Why it took so late for the South African hierarchy to realize the true worth of Stephen? In my opinion, he should have been included in the team since the first Test. Keeping in mind about his staggering success in domestic cricket last season, preferring  Stiaan van Zyl over him seemed a pretty awkward one.

His century-partnership with Hashim Amla proved that years of struggle and spending a lot of time in domestic cricket have not only made him a mature batsman, but a cricketer who is devoid of shakiness. He gelled so well with a superstar like Amla that none will think that he was playing in his maiden Test match.   

 By the way, the sort of batting display Amla scripted can be tagged as graceful. Some of his shots were directly from the top-drawer – artistic amalgamation of pristine timing and velvety wrist work. Yet another hundred for Amla while Stephen is now a part of cricketing history. A brilliant hundred to his name to justify his selection and of course make his father proud.

As soon as the partnership was broken, South Africa started to lose wickets quickly. Both AB de Villiers and JP Duminy frustrated big time. Duminy played a nothing-shot and sadly, his talent never transformed into deeds. Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock arrested a certain collapse.

I could not find the sharpness among the English bowlers which had been evident in the previous Tests. In this Test series, Steve Finn has been the most influential bowler for me. Broad dished out a magical spell while Moeen fetched wickets when needed, but when it came to building pressure, Finn has been brilliant. He has been the main man in creating the platform for crucial breakthroughs. England came back into the game later today, but the Finn-factor was missing throughout the day.

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Faisal Caesar 

     

What has happened to South Africa?

The third Test match at Johannesburg was turning out to be a compelling one. The ground staff of the New Wanderers stadium did a fantastic job to prepare a track which provided advantage both for the batsmen and bowlers and it dented the concept among the modern day cricket experts that the best tracks are those which aids well for scoring runs in plenty.

But as a matter of fact, the contest is always simmering when the ball has a bit of an edge over the bat.

The first two days provided high quality battle between the bat and ball – Steven Finn’s nagging-and-incisiveness on day 1, a fitting reply from the South African tail-enders on the following day, followed by the electrifying pace-bowling display of Hardus Viljoen and at the same time, superb exhibition of technique and temperament by Joe Root and a counter-attacking half-century by Ben Stokes against all the odds, created an ideal stage for a memorable Test match.

Broad- the spoilsport

 But, Stuart Broad, and South African batsmen’s shambolic display simply spoiled everything. The Test match turned out to be a damp squib. Broad burst onto the scene like a snow leopard and attacked the South African batsmen mercilessly as if he was hungry for several days and didn’t stop until he had devoured all the Protea batsmen.

Under the overcast conditions, Broad’s red-hot face and sparkling blue eyes became a matter of fear for the South African batsmen, who had the reputation of being the best in the world, but surprisingly looked hapless on their own home soil and thus, ended up the ghost without a fight.

Stuart Broad’s spell was a bone-chilling one, but the majority didn’t expect the SA batsmen to surrender meekly. The best Test team in the world, boasting world class batsmen doesn’t drown without even trying to swim.

But, on the third day, Hasim Amla, AB de Villiers and co’s abysmal display left the fans all over the world astonished. They are not habituated to witness such a spineless South African unit.

Suddenly, this South African unit has started to give everyone the impression that they were once-a-great-side. This South African team has forgotten to attack.

Neither do they unleash glimmering batting or bowling displays  to outweigh the opposition nor their fielders are electric on the field. The current South African team is too mediocre.

The beleaguered SA side

What has happened to South Africa?

South Africa’s batting in Test cricket has been struggling since last year’s Indian tour where they were humiliated badly on rank turners, and even at home they were found wanting. The batsmen lack self-confidence and patience to occupy the crease as much as possible under trying circumstances. Maybe they have still not recovered from the torrid tour in India, which has affected their confidence level badly.

Then, the absence of two of their most experienced pace bowlers due to injuries has made a big hole in the South African bowling attack which failed to test the opposition when it was needed the most.

Morne Morkel bowled well, but when it came to delivering the inspiring spells, he could not script one like Dale Steyn. It’s always hard to expect too much from the young guns like Kagiso Rabada, Hardus Viljoen and co.

Meanwhile, the senior players of the team have failed consistently to lead from the front. When the going gets tough, the younger members of the team always look up to the senior members for inspiration, and when they fail, automatically it hampers the confidence level of the youngsters, and consequently, the team starts to lose its way.

Captaincy issues

As captains, both Amla and De Villiers have been reluctant to attack and lacked depth in their thinking.  In the crucial stages of the Test matches in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the Proteas lost their authority simply due to some poor thinking by Amla and De Villiers.

Amla should not have taken the new ball at the fag end of the day in Cape Town when the old ball had done enough keep England under pressure and using Morne Morkel with the older ball would have been helpful as he is capable of reversing the ball. Amla took the new ball and bowled his inexperienced bowlers with that. England simply murdered the Proteas attack.

While at Johannesburg, De Villiers should not have sent his fielders on the boundary when Ben Stokes still had not unleashed an assault on day 2.  Stokes hinted that he would go all guns blazing, but after being hit for just one six, it is not sensible enough to adopt a pragmatic approach.

Neither should De Villiers should have taken off Rabada and Viljoen when they were on song in the first session of day 3. It led to easing off the pressure a bit and England were able to take a valuable lead. Even though, it didn’t matter much. 

A dismal slide

The South African team is showing signs of a dismal slide and it can be attributed to a certain emptiness in the leadership role, lack of confidence, defensive thinking and failure of the seniors to lead from the front.

It can be assumed that this team is going through a transition period and such periods are always tough for any side. This young South African team has some promising cricketers and in the course of time, they are supposed to bounce back and claim their supremacy in world cricket.

What they need is a leader and a smart thinker to show them the way. It is heartening to see that De Villiers has shrugged off his reluctance regarding captaining the Test side and committed to Test cricket after this heavy defeat. South Africa can breathe a sigh of relief.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 16/01/16 What has happened to South Africa?

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Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 3rd Test, day 3 - Stuart Broad devours the Proteas

Stuart Broad and the South African batsmen’s spineless simply spoiled everything. The Johannesburg Test match was turning out to be a classic, but in the end it was a damp squib.

Stuart Broad dished out yet another hair-raising spell of pace bowling to skittle out South Africa cheaply and left everyone stunned. When the conditions are overcast, you can’t just stop Broad from putting shiver down the spine of the batsmen. He is yet to be considered as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of England cricket, but surely, he is claiming the tag of one of the finest bowlers who loved to deliver match-winning spells.

What has happened to South Africa? The batsmen are still not out of their torrid Test series in India, the seniors have failed to lead from the front, the fielders are lacking the intent and there is a sign of pragmatism in the team which is un-South-African.

What?

I guess, this team is passing through a transition period and every team goes through this. In the course of time, they'll bounce back. But they need a leader for the rebuilding process. The seniors seem more committed to other formats. The ghosts of Twenty20 Leagues must not affect this Proteas unit.

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Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 3rd Test, Day 2 - Electrifying Hardus Viljoen and Ben Stokes, brilliant Joe Root

First of all, I wish to thank the ground staff at Johannesburg for producing such a marvelous track. It has pace and bounce to aid the bowlers and if a batsman can exhibit his temperament and technique well, he will be able to fetch runs. While the amount of substandard cricket hit the headlines in the social media, the story of one of the most compelling days of Test cricket at the Wanderers has almost gone unnoticed by the majority of the fans from Bangladesh and the rest of subcontinent. Mediocrity has cast a strange spell over the media and fans of the subcontinent.

Hardus Viljoen’s pace was electrifying. I have read about this boy earlier and in a Bangladeshi group, who claim themselves as the fans of the Proteas from this part of the world, I mentioned about him during the second Test. I commented on one of their posts to watch out for this boy. I guess, they didn’t care much about that as these days all are too busy about the big fishes only. Well, this boy set fire in Wanderers today with his lively pace.  He can bowl fast and mind you, I am not at all convinced with what the speed-gun stated about his pace. He seemed to me even faster than that. South Africa has a promising pace bowler to rock the stage in the upcoming days.

How good was Joe Root’s hundred? In my opinion, this has been one of his best knocks in Test cricket and one of the finest I have seen in recent times.  First of all, his footwork was precise. He was astute,  both on the back and front foot and he was well-balanced while executing the shots. Secondly, his focus was like of that of a hawk. He was very quick to pick the length. He was well aware of when to play and when to leave.  Thirdly, his knowledge about his off stump was spot on. He was hardly a confused character while the balls landed on the corridor of uncertainty. Finally, his defence and back lift. Well, they were perfect enough and aided him to travel through the crucial stages of the game when England were found wanting.

Ben Stokes was found among the runs again and he scored those runs the way he is used to do. If the situation is drastic, take drastic measures. Like Virender Sehwag, his fanda is simple. Attack is the best defence no matter how critical the situation is.

It was such a wonderful display of battle between the bat and ball. There were challenges from the South African pacers, there were fight backs from the English batsmen. Boys, you missed the charm of high profile cricket today.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh v MCC XI - A historic day in Bangladesh cricket

In the early 70s, soccer was the heart and soul of every Bangladeshi. Legendary soccer player Salahuddin was the poster boy of Bangladesh sports fraternity and Salahuddin’s impact was so heavy that it created a legacy of producing some of Bangladesh’s finest soccer players.

The domestic Football Leagues and various domestic football tournaments gave people heart filled joy. There was no space for cricket in Bangladesh.

As a matter of fact, Bangladesh tasted the beauty of Test cricket during the East Pakistan era. Teams like England, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies played Test matches in the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

But after independence, cricket’s charm was devoured by the sky-high popularity of soccer. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board was established in 1972. A cricket League commenced in Dhaka and Chittagong, but it was not encouraging enough to catch the pulse of the Bangladeshi public. Cricket in Bangladesh was in need of a massive boost.

Robin Marlar’s nostalgic article

Robin Marlar, the ex-cricketer who played for England and then became a renowned cricket journalist after retirement, wrote an article in The Sunday Times about Bangladesh’s enriched cricketing history by recalling the fond memories he had while watching Test matches at Dhaka during the pre-liberation days.

He was not sure whether cricket existed in the new country named Bangladesh. He was afraid that gradually, cricket might become a fossil in a land which has the tradition of hosting legendary players like Sir Garfield Sobers, Ted Dexter, Richie Benaud and co.

Syed Ashraful Haque’s initiatives

Marlar’s opinion piece caught the attention of ex-cricketer of Bangladesh Syed Ashraful Haque who was staying at London during that time as he was completing his graduation. Ashraful wrote a letter to Marlar stating that the passion for cricket still existed in Bangladesh and boasts a good number of followers.

Ashraful’s letter led Marlar to arrange meetings with the senior officials of International Cricket Council, who lacked the appropriate information about the state of cricket in Bangladesh and thus, Bangladesh’s membership in the ICC kept on getting shelved.

The ICC officials nurtured the idea that the condition of cricket deteriorated immensely after the birth of Bangladesh and they had doubts about the cricketing abilities of the players of this region as the last Bengali that played any sort of decent cricket was Pankaj Roy from India.

The names of martyred Abdul Halim Chowdhury Jewel and Raquibul Hassan were not in their minds and no wonder, the ICC had kept on ignoring Bangladesh’s efforts to join the international cricket fraternity.

Roquibul Hassan features in the World XI

In the winter of 1975, the Pakistan Cricket Board organized a series of one-day matches to be played between the Pakistan National Team and World XI. Pakistan cricket’s hierarchy decided to invite a player from Bangladesh to represent the World XI.

The invitation was orchestrated by Ashraful and Bangladesh Cricket officials forwarded Raquibul Hassan’s name to Pakistan Cricket Board and immediately he was en route to Karachi. Raquibul featured in the matches and the world came to know that the passion for cricket in Bangladesh still was not dead.

Marlar’s influence, Ashraful’s diplomatic strategy and Raquibul’s move to represent the World XI in Pakistan, helped the ICC generate enough support to give Bangladesh a chance. In May 1976, Bangladesh invited the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to tour.

In June, the International Cricket Council discussed Bangladesh's membership and they decided to wait for the MCC tour before allowing Bangladesh membership.

The arrival of the MCC team in Dhaka

The MCC team, led by Ted Clarke, arrived in Dhaka on December 27, 1976, for a short tour. Two days later they traveled to Rajshahi and Chittagong to play two-day zonal matches.

The match in Rajshahi was a draw where North Zone’s Raquibul scored a brilliant 73 runs in the second innings while the performance in Chittagong was a dismal one – the English bowlers rattled the batting line-up of East Zone team twice in just more than one day. Only Ashraful Haque stood firm to score 60 runs.

But the three-day match in Dhaka against the Bangladesh national team  generated more attraction.

Historic January 7, 1977

January 7, 1977. Dhaka was, as usual, noisy and chaotic. Dhaka’s winter was, as usual, festive. There was the scent of traditional pithas (pancakes) of winter in the air, one could listen to the music of a harmonious Bangladesh, one could witness the smiley faces despite the cold weather and one could hear people talk about cricket amid the popularity of soccer.

All roads led to the Bangabandhu National Stadium.         

  

The morning was cool and sunny. The visiting team relished such a weather as they are accustomed to it. The Dhaka track was fairly hard with even bounce and devoid of grass. Shamim Kabir, the captain of Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first.

At 9:45 am, the two umpires, Altaf Hossain and Reza-i-Karim walked out on the ground to officiate the match amid thunderous applauds. It was not a soccer match, but a cricket match where the presence of the crowd was inspiring.

Shamim Kabir and Roquibul Hassan, the two openers from Bangladesh, walked out to bat and Bangladesh’s journey in world cricket started.  

Yousuf Babu – The hero

 Shamim and Roquibul’s start was a cautious one, but a sharp inswinger from Martin Vernon disturbed Roquibul’s woodwork and the rhythm of Bangladesh innings was dented.

Mainul Huq and Omar Khaled Rumi played some brilliant strokes but their presence was like an ice sclupture in the desert. At one point Bangladesh were reeling at 145 for 6. The batsmen had starts, but their stay at the crease was not brief.

The last-minute-inclusion Yousuf Babu, a hard-hitting lower order batsman who could bowl as well took the charge of the innings and he not only forged useful partnerships with Daulatzzaman and Farook, but also attacked the English pacers as well.

It was a flawless innings where he executed shots on the back foot with perfect balance and pristine timing. He was not out on 60 at stumps and his fluent knock gave Bangladesh the much needed confidence to fight.

Babu was dismissed for 78 the next day but he was not done yet.  He proved useful with the ball as in the first innings his figures were 4 for 37. From an unknown fellow, Babu became an overnight sensation.

The significance of January 7, 1977

The match ended in a draw. A team which lacked the proper preparations and experience to battle against a formidable English unit, fared very well to earn the respect of cricket connoisseurs.

On the back of Bangladesh’s performance against the touring MCC  side, the ICC made Bangladesh an Associate member on July 26, 1977.

January 7 bears enough importance in the history of Bangladesh cricket. The seeds of a bright future were sown on that day. It instilled confidence among the Bangladeshi cricketers to work hard and strike gold.

Surely, Bangladesh cricket has come a long way and one must not deny the impact of that three-day match which commenced on Januray 7, 1977.

Note: This article was published in Sportskeeda on 08/01/2016 Bangladesh v MCC XI - A historic day in Bangladesh cricket

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 3rd Test, Day 1 - England have been brilliant in scripting crucial breakthroughs

A sturdy Dean Elgar and an inform Hashim Amla provided enough composure on a greenish track to deny the English bowlers from wickets for a brief period. Amla’s technique and footwork were a matter of lesson for the youngsters who wish to become a great cricketer in future rather than a bloody joker of modern day circus shows. On such a skiddy track, maintaining your balance is very tough, but Amla’s balance was just perfect.

Steve Finn never stepped back from posing a threat and his patience was rewarded soon as he dented Amla’s composure and as soon as Amla was dismissed, the English bowling looked different, it became sharper and developed the habit of scripting crucial breakthroughs. Whenever the South African batsmen started to build a partnership, England clawed back into the game and stamped their authority. Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada helped to stretch the total past 250 runs and South Africa have plenty of work to do in the first session of day 2. It will tough to put up a resistance against this confident England attack.

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Faisal Caesar  

South Africa v England, 2nd Test, Day 5 - Suddenly the Test match burst into life

First of all I welcome Hashim Amla’s decision to resign as the captain of South Africa. Captaincy was taking its toll on Amla’s batting and I always felt that he was actually not enjoying his role as captain. At the moment, he will be free from the burden of leading the side and concentrate more on his batting and let me tell you one thing, he is hungry for runs and the bowlers of the world should be very afraid of him. He will fetch plenty of runs this year.

The Cape Town Test burst into life as the South African bowlers kept on dismissing the English batsmen at a regular interval. All of a sudden the English were seen fighting for survival and to the astonishment of all, the final day didn’t prove to an unbearable grubwork. Accumulation of cloud in the sky favored the swing pace bowlers and they started to strike gold.

Chris Morris and Morne Morkel bowled brilliantly and created a platform on which Dane Peidt capitalized. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali dished out a resistance and ate up 22 overs. Rain and bad light brought an end to this Test match which transformed from a smouldering one into an enthralling one.

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Faisal Caesar 

South Africa v England, 2nd Test, Day 4 - Impressive Temba Bavuma

Temba Bavuma is a very good batsman. He is a stylish and superb timer of the cricket ball. Some of his drives off the back foot were simply the product of pristine timing - just soft hands and the brilliant ability to pick the length early and maintain the balance well.  While executing shots on the onside, especially the cross-batted strokes, he has his own style  - it seems that he chops the ball down or whatever.  He is not only on sound the back foot, but leans onto the front foot with authority while flaying the ball through the covers. It was an entertaining knock and delighted the crowd. He is not a quota-cricketer anymore.

This Test match will be drawn until and unless any dramatic twist takes place. But such a possibility seems unlikely as because the nature of the track is such that it won’t allow any adventures to happen. But, this track has helped the Proteas to come out of their ugly lean patch, even though, such placid tracks are not good for Test cricket at all.  

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Faisal Caesar 

Cricket Australia's decision has been a sad one

"We have not taken this decision lightly and we apologise for the inconvenience this may create for the organisers of the tournament - in particular the ICC and BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board)."

Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland’s statement indicates that CA had to make a hard choice regarding the matter.  You and I are not security experts and can’t even fathom about the reports of the intelligence which led CA to withdraw from the upcoming mega event. Neither can we assume nor can we be sure about the reason of why CA had to make such a tough decision of pulling back from the upcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.

We must not forget that Australia participated in the World Twenty20 amid political chaos and their soccer team toured last year, despite the withdraw of the senior cricket team from playing a two-match Test series. Then what led CA to take such a decision remains a moot question.

Before traveling to any country for a tournament or mega-event, each and every big team remain highly cautious about the safety of their players and heavily depends on the reports of the intelligence. Any sort of chinks in the intelligence reports, let the higher officials to take drastic measures.  Such decisions trigger criticisms, but those don’t bother the higher officials at all. At least, CA have been generous enough to feel the sentiments of the Bangladesh cricket fans.

Personally, from a fan’s perspective, I am quite hurt. As a Bangladeshi, I can guarantee that Bangladesh is a safe place to travel and the fiber and fabric of the society is intact and there exists a harmonious environment throughout the country. If anyone travels to Chittagong, Sylhet or Cox’s Bazar, the number of travelling from the western countries and Downunder are very encouraging and they are boosting the tourism sector of Bangladesh enormously. The satisfaction on their faces will indicate that Bangladesh is a safe place to travel.

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Faisal Caesar

South Africa v England, 2nd Test, Day 3 - Hashim Amla is back

Finally, Hashim Amla is back. I posted last night that he will go big and at the moment he is not out on 157. He was giving the impression of a comeback in Durban and at Cape Town, he has cashed in big time.

It has not been one of Amla's most elegant knocks, but surely a much needed one to inject confidence in a team which has suddenly lost its self-belief. Amla has been watchful throughout the day and motored the innings brilliantly. Meanwhile, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis has also been among productive scores and how important it was for South Africa to get their big guns back in form!

The track was placid and at times such tracks help a team to erase the lean patch of a team whose batters have been struggling for a while. The track didn’t offer much assistance and as the day progressed, there were hints of lackluster attitude among the English players. I was impressed with the bowling of Steve Finn and I think when Alastair Cook took the new ball, he should have thrown it to Finn, but with James Anderson around, one would always keep the faith in his tried and tested customer.

Alastair Cook’s field setting has been proactive, but didn't deter the focus of the Proteas batsmen.  England’s fielding has not been up to the mark, but South Africa won’t mind with those as they end the third day with a smile on their face.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar