Is Kusal Mendis the new life saver for Sri Lanka?

Kusal Mendis is one of the positives for Sri Lanka in 2018…….

It was Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga, who were famous for their rescue acts whenever Sri Lanka fell into trouble. They passed the baton to a certain Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who carried Sri Lankan cricket on their shoulders for more than a decade. It was up to Angelo Mathews to show the way and for a certain period he was doing his job pretty well, but his fitness hampered his performance and, thus, the job of life-saving-act had to be carried by the bunch of young boys.

The likes of Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Roshen Silva, Kusal Perera or Kaushal Silva are talented, but somehow, they are proving to be inconsistent. A 23-year old youngster named Kusal Mendis, so far, proved his worth consistently this year and giving the impression to the Lankan fans; he is different from others and possesses the temperament like a Mahela, Sangakkara or Aravinda to fight it out when the going gets tough.

The 23-year old is special. Those who have just come to know about Mendis after his back to back fighting knocks against all the odds at Wellington and Christchurch, might feel, he is more about compactness rather than possessing the ability to script a counterattack like an Aravinda or a Sangakkara. The boy can take the attack to the cleaners like a maestro and who knows better than Steve Smith and his men, who witnessed one of the most dashing knocks of this decade at Pallekele.

Mendis notched up a swashbuckling 176 against a competent Australian attack, which set the tone for a marvellous series where the Islanders gunned down Smith & Co quite brutally. He followed it up with an 86-run knock at Galle, but since then, Mendis lost his mojo and started to frustrate the Sri Lankan followers, for whom – digesting a Lankan defeat has become a regularity over the past two years.

Chandika Hathurusingha took over the responsibility to rebuild Sri Lankan cricket. The start of 2018 was pretty optimistic for the master, but since that adventurous tour of West Indies, nothing has gone right for Sri Lanka. As usual, they are losing. As usual, things are pretty chaotic on and off the pitch. Chandika’s tactics have come under scrutiny and, it seems, the officials too are losing faith in him gradually.

But one thing for sure, it is too early to write off Chandika. It is always tough to bring back a team on track who have suffered a lot in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Yes, the progress is slow, but some bright outcomes cannot be ignored. Among few of those outcomes, the return of Mendis to back to form can be credited to Chandika and batting coach Thilan Samaraweera's hard work.

Mendis of 2018 – enough consistent, enough wiser

After his heroic knock alongside Angelo at Wellington, Chandimal said, “After the match yesterday everyone was having a bit of fun telling Mendis that he was batting like Thilan Samaraweera. He works really closely with Thilan on his batting, and we were just making fun of the way he'd played”.

“We should especially mention that at tea yesterday, he had 98 runs, and at the end of the day, after batting 31 overs and playing out a whole session, he had only made it to 116. You look at that and you really see he played for the team. It's a really valuable century, and it's one that he had to go away from his natural style to produce” Chadimal added.

The impact is evident.

The Mendis of 2018 is different from that of 2016 and 2017, where he did not know the importance of composure and displaying resolve according to the demand of situation. Since that marvellous knock against Australia at Pallekele and Galle, perhaps, Mendis thought, it is always ideal to rely on counterattacks no matter in what situation he comes out to bat. But in five-day matches, you cannot switch to a fourth or fifth gear immediately as because, it is not a Twnety20 match. In Test cricket, understanding the basics of batting is a must. And that’s why, he struggled and even, he was dropped from the side for such a style, which resulted in his lean-patch.

But this year, he worked on his weakness along with Thilan and the result has been satisfactory.

In the morning session of Day 4, Mendis weathered the storm from Trent Boult and Tim Southee, but Neil Wagner did not know about anything else other than targeting the ribs and throat. Wagner unleashed a barrage of short-pitch bowling, which came towards chest and neck like cannonballs – Mendis’ newly-found confidence and polished technique helped him to survive the heat of Wagner. He spent hours after hours along with Chandimal to ensure safety. And for which, Sri Lanka could at least survive the day and take the game to Day 5.

 “It was to bat as many balls as possible, as had been the case in Wellington. I tried to make the ball older and softer. If runs came, then that's a bonus. So we took it hour by hour and tried to break the work up that way. I was able to bat a session and a half, but if I'd been able to support Chandi a little bit better, we might have been able to finish today without a wicket having fallen", Mendis expressed his opinion in the post-match presser.

After all the hard work in the middle, he was dismissed quite tamely - Spotting a wide length ball from Neil Wagner, he drove it uppishly to short cover, where Matt Henry took a spectacular diving catch.

The shot was a wrong one and the good thing is Mendis, at present, can judge his mistakes better than before. As he said, “I don't think that was a great ball to drive. After looking at the replays, that's probably what I take from it. I was trying to hit through extra cover. The fielder was close, and I hit it too far in the air. It was probably too wide. It's one that I really could have left alone, but I made the wrong decision. Hopefully, I can learn from it”.

The words say it all. The Mendis of 2018 is much wiser than before. He has understood the pros and cons of playing Test cricket. Mendis has started to realise his true abilities, which is similar to what the past masters used to do more – be the life saver, when the team is in deep trouble.

Talent is nothing if does not turn into deeds. It seems, gradually, Mendis is learning this. Otherwise, he would not have ended up as one of the best batsmen of 2018, who has scored 1000-plus runs alongside the great Virat Kohli.

Mendis said, “I am going to try and get 1000 every year” which is the statement of a man, who is confident and hungry for more. He is one of the positives for Sri Lanka this year and Sri Lanka need to exploit the positives they have.            

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 29/12/2018  Is Kusal Mendis the new life saver for Sri Lanka? 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar             

Dean Elgar was OUT, credibility of ‘modern day’ umpiring comes under scrutiny…..yet again

“In this age of neutral umpires and technology, if the poor decisions crop up time and again, then their credibility comes under scrutiny, which is not good for the game”

In 1988, Imran Khan’s Pakistan was well set to bring an end to mighty West Indies’ more-than-a-decade-long dominance in Test cricket. Imran’s men started off the Test series as underdogs and quite astonishingly, they took a lead in the series and maintained that lead until the fourth day of the final Test. But on the final day, some poor umpiring denied Imran of creating history. West Indies went on to level the series despite reeling at 207 for 8, while chasing 262 runs in fouth innings.

Abdul Qadir said to ESPNcricinfo, “After Wasim had got rid of Ambrose and Richards, I had Marshall plumb lbw on the back foot to a flipper, but the umpire turned down the appeal”.  Qadir further added, “I thought Pakistan were a bit unlucky not to have got the benefit of that Dujon bat-and-pad catch. I thought that towards the end of the match, the umpire was no-balling me unnecessarily, allowing Benjamin to go for big shots”.

 Javed Miandad in his autobiography wrote, “We would have wrapped up the game, but a couple of crucial umpiring decisions robbed us of victory. We would have been successful if it was not for the poor umpiring that spoilt our chances in the end”.

Imran was crestfallen after that defeat at Barbados, which he thought, Pakistan were robbed of a victory. At Lahore, almost six months ago, in that eventful semi-final clash against Australia during World Cup 1987, another dubious decision against Imran by the renowned Dickie Bird, disturbed a famous come back from Pakistan. Australia would not only stun the local crowd, but would stun the world by lifting the trophy for the first time and start the beginning of a new era in Australian cricket.

Fast forward to 1999 at Hobart, where Steve Waugh’s men were finding the going tough against Wasim Akram’s Pakistan. Australia were five down and at the crease, Justin Langer – a struggling customer and one-Test old Adam Gilchrist were facing the heat of the best attack in the world to chase down 369 – quite an impossible task from 126 for 5.

Shortly after Pakistan had taken the new ball on Day 5, Justin Langer, on 76, appeared clearly to have snicked one to wicketkeeper Moin Khan off Wasim Akram but 'home' umpire Parker ruled that not out. Australia's total then was 5 for 237. Wasim lost her temper and so the Pakistani players on the field lost their motivation. That wicket could have changed everything, but in turn, it helped Australia to script a world record 16-Test-victory on a trot. Whereas, Pakistan returned home demoralized, with Akram losing his captaincy once and for all.  

There are many such crucial decisions in the history of Test cricket, which led to hamper the rhythm of a team and deny them from a victory. Above all, they simply dented the morale of the game and thus, killed the joy of watching a Test match.

Since Imran became the captain of Pakistan, he had been vocal about neutral umpires and the use of technology in cricket. It took a while for ICC to realise the importance of Imran’s words and at present, cricket witnesses neutral umpires in Test matches and utilization of modern technology at its best. Even though neutral umpires and technology have benefited teams to a great extent, but in the critical junctures of Test matches, the ghost of Barbados or Hobart tends to revisit.

That ghost revisited at Centurion on Day 3 of first Test between Pakistan and South Africa. South Africa needed 149 runs to win on a deck, which was a pretty tough one to counter. Yes, for a team like South Africa, chasing 149 would not be a big deal, but on such a spicy deck and against the mercurial bowling attack of Pakistan, it was expected to be a tricky chase. And in the morning session, the Pakistani pacers struck gold pretty early and the home team could have been two down pretty soon had the television umpire not disappointed.

In the fifth ball of ninth over of the day, Dean Elgar edged one towards slip, where Azhar Ali took a low catch. The on-field umpire wanted to be fully assured about the catch and went upstairs. But before going upstairs, the on-field umpire’s soft signal was out.

Now, an umpire gives a soft signal about what he is thinking and that becomes a very important part in decision-making. If the umpire’s soft signal is out, the first primitive decision is out. If the 3rd umpire doesn't find conclusive evidence of ball hitting the ground or not, the benefit of doubt is given the umpire’s decision and is termed out. The same applies when a decision is referred. The ratio is 60:40 for umpires call. If the ball hits the leg, off or top of stumps, the ratio of contact and umpires decision comes into play.

Azhar Ali’s catch was low and even the video evidence showed, the ball touched Ali’s fingers and not the ground. But to the utter astonishment of on-field umpire, television commentators and Pakistani players, the television umpire – Joel Wilson – turned down the decision. Elgar was saved and Pakistan lost their morale.

A century partnership was scripted between Elgar and Hashim Amla and when it was breached, South Africa lost two more wickets quickly, but it was too late for Pakistan to strike back. South Africa have taken a lead.

0 for 1

119 for 2

136 for 2

137 for 4

Just imagine the situation if Elgar was dismissed. South Africa would have been 16 for 2 as Pakistan could have spiced things up and made the Test a lot more interesting. But a bad decision simply killed all the thrills of a contest, which offered so much.

Maybe, the talk would more about Pakistan’s poor batting display, Imam-ul-Haq and his uncle and Sarfraz Ahmed’s credibility as the captain, but somewhere, I feel, Pakistan still could have pulled off something special if that decision did not go against them.

Elgar was out and that’s what I feel and even the great Graeme Smith felt the same.

In this age of neutral umpires and technology, if the poor decisions crop up time and again, then their credibility comes under scrutiny, which is not good for the game. 

Note: This article has bene published at Cricketsoccer on 28/12/2018 Dean Elgar was OUT, credibility of ‘modern day’ umpiring comes under scrutiny…..yet again

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Roshen Silva drives loosely and Trent Boult sinks Sri Lanka

Trent Boult annihilated Sri Lanka quickly to leave them demoralised…….

Trent Boult is a predator on any surface. Be it in a subcontinental flat deck or in a seam and bouncy track, Boult will script Thunderbolts with a commendable effort. Since he burst into the Test scene, quite silently he has delivered some of the finest spells in test cricket, which hardly received the hype and attention from international fans and media. The surprising silence regarding such customers leads to the use of the word underrated, which automatically creates a space to highlight the overrated ones.

But like a Dale Steyn or James Anderson, even a Boult can find the going tough when a batsman decides to display resolve. A pacer is hardly worried about the counterattacks as because there is always a chance to dismiss the batter, but in case of defiant resistance, the chances go down a bit. Again, if a quality pacer can breach the wall of resistance for once, he rediscovers his killer instincts immediately – havoc is created and if the bowler is gifted such, obviously, he does not take time to clean off things.

A new day offers a new beginning. It offers us not to commit enough mistakes. It gives us the opportunity not to waste the hard work done on the previous day. But Sri Lanka’s Roshen Silva decided otherwise.                   

Until the fifth over of the day commenced, Silva kept the basics right – got behind the line of the ball better and executed shots with soft hands. He was needed to do the same for a brief period and gthe ive strike to Angelo Mathews as much as possible. But in the fourth ball of fifth over of Day 2, Silva attempted a loose-drive with hard hands against a delivery, which was pitched up. Boult struck gold and Silva was left to rue about the stroke. In the twinkle of an eye, all the hard work of Day 1 was wasted due to lack of resolve.

Silva departed and Boult punished Sri Lanka ruthlessly. The ball came out of his hand like a weapon of mass destruction, which moved prodigiously – moved in and out from a full-length leaving Sri Lanka tottering. Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal and Dushmanta Chameera could do nothing, but surrender meekly against a pacer, who was bowling in such a manner as if he had just landed from another planet. It was a mayhem, which took a few minutes to sink the Lankan ship leaving their talisman – Mathews – as a mere spectator at the other end. Mathews could do nothing.

Six wickets fell in the span of just 15 balls.

Boult started the day at 0 for 20. The pacer was struggling with form in the opening Test in  Wellington, where he finished with the figures of 2 for 145. But he was just one moment away to rediscover his mojo and as soon as Silva gifted it, there was no stopping to the mayhem. Boult’s spell not only sunk Sri Lanka, but dented them psychologically as their bowlers failed to test the New Zealand batters, who batted the visitors out of the game.     

That’s how destructive a pace bowler can be.

That’s why people love to watch a pace bowler at his very best.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 26/12/2018 Roshen Silva drives loosely and Trent Boult sinks Sri Lanka

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

Christchurch and Centurion offer great joy, but MCG frustrates

While the quality of cricket was enthralling at Christchurch and Centurion, MCG frustrated everyone…..

Even though cricketing actions are evident on the Boxing Day in other countries, but each and every cricket fan focus on the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which has become quite synonymous with Boxing Day since the 1980s.

The sky high popularity of Boxing Day Tests during the 80s prompted the then Victorian Cricket Association to trademark the event. Except for the summer of 1989-90, MCG has been a regular venue for the Boxing Day Test. The fans, who don’t live in Australia, either wake up early in the morning or remain awake deep at night to watch live action from MCG.  MCG hardly disappointed the fans since the start of a Test. The first day of a Boxing Day Test in MCG means high quality excitement and to a greater extent, the tracks have played a vital role in providing such.

MCG decks have never been as flat as the pancakes. Neither can anyone claim, MCG decks are like roads. The equality between the bat and ball has always been noticeable. But when you see a spinner to bowl in the eighth over of the day on an MCG track, I am sorry to say, all the interest about the Boxing Day Test in MCG, takes a setback. One could see such events take place on Day 1 of the third Test between India and Australia.

The hype about the track at MCG was huge before the Test match started and the people involved in preparing and reporting the deck, stated, it would have something for both the batters and bowlers. Sadly, on a sun-kissed day, the excited crowd all around the globe was presented with a subcontinental track, which was slow and low and would get slower as the day progresses.  All of a sudden the interest regarding the Test was dented for those, who wish to witness a bit of a challenge for the batters on Test match pitches.

As a matter of fact, the notion – good tracks mean a flatter track – has done a lot of damage to Test cricket over the past few decades. In Test cricket, a contest is not a contest, until and unless, it has something for the bowlers. On a docile deck, Test cricket can never burst into life.

Even though, at the fag end of day, the clash between Mitchell Starc and Virat Kohli triggered a bit of thrill, but when you notice the action at Christchurch and Centurion, Day 1 at MCG is easily overshadowed by the thrills and chills of the decks provided by New Zealand and South Africa.

The track at Hagley Oval was a lively one. It was painted with a green brush and as soon as Suranga Lakmal started to swing the red cherry like hell, New Zealand discovered themselves in an absolute disarray. Six wickets went down in a hurry, but BJ Watling’s solidity and Tim Southee’s jaw-dropping counterattack dragged New Zealand out of the mess.

It was a top quality fight.

The Lankan bowlers forgot to bowl a tight line and length, but adopted a more attacking option to bury New Zealand early. It was a desperate situation and demanded a desperate measure – Southee unleashed his best with the bat. Bingo! Let’s go for the kill rather than getting killed. A flurry of boundaries cropped up and Sri Lanka’s attacking line-and-length was disturbed for a brief period.  New Zealand ended with a respectable total considering the track and situation they were in and struck hard with the ball when Sri Lanka came out to bat. Sri Lanka displayed resolve and arrested further collapse. The Day 1 at Christchurch witnessed 266 runs for 14 wickets.

A few hours later, cricket burst into life in Centurion, when a certain Babar Azam decided to answer his critics. Babar is mostly considered as a limited-overs batsman and not worthy enough to play Test cricket. But when Pakistan were tottering at 111 for 8, Babar decided to change his colour in went the Southee way – Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada were taken to the cleaners in a manner, as it seemed, they were mere club bowlers. It was a freakish display of counterattack. Babar was the man possessed.

When Pakistan came out to bowl, like the Kiwis, they struck hard. Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi went berserk. The wickets started to tumble, but the home team’s scoring rate did not take a step back. Their scoring rate was around 3.9 runs per over, despite the threat posed by Pakistan pacers.

New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan attacked, counterattacked and attacked and the spicy deck attributed to such a top-notch Test cricket. It forced the players to unleash their attacking instinct – the contest between bat and ball was not dull like MCG. Obviously, the Day 1 at MCG frustrated all, but Christchurch and Centurion saved the day.       

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 26/12/2018 Christchurch and Centurion offer great joy, but MCG frustrates    

Thank You

Faisal Caesar        

Will Dale Steyn rediscover his mojo?

The world awaits for Steyn to come back to his lethal best…….

0 for 60 vs Sri Lanka on July 20, 2018

0 for 30 vs Sri Lanka on July 20, 2018

1 for 54 vs Sri Lanka on July 12, 2018

1 for 35 vs Sri Lanka on July 12, 2018

2 for 51 vs India on January 5, 2018

The above numbers are about one of the all-time best fast bowlers in the history of Test cricket. Those who have been following the man since his debut in 2004-05 season, are not habituated to witness him cut a frustrating figure. Obviously, Dale Steyn can’t be such a mediocre fast bowler. Steyn rocks, Steyn breathes fire!  

From 2007 to 2014, Dale Steyn could easily be termed as the best fast bowler of modern era and his wicket-taking abilities at home and away, easily makes an all-time best customer. Especially, on the flat-decks of subcontinent, his guile had put chills down the spine of the best in business, but sadly, for the last three years, the going has not been rosy for Steyn.   

Injuries threatened his existence in the international arena. The likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi or Vernon Philander may not have made us all miss the sight of a red-hot Steyn, but somewhere, an emptiness could always be felt.

The kind of aura, which Steyn brought into the game like a Shoaib Akhtar or Brett Lee, it would take time for Rabada to reach that level. The South African Black Panther is an absolute predator, when the mission is about hunting batters and is following the footsteps of Steyn – but in cricket, there is something about involving the whole world with you, when you are on song in the middle.

When Steyn ran towards the batsmen, for a moment, the time stopped and no matter how much important work you did, you would stop doing it, focus on an object of mass destruction, slowly unleashing his destructive qualities to create a havoc in 22-yards – destruction can be a piece of spectacle and like Malcolm Marshall, Allan Donald or Shoaib Akhtar, Steyn made destruction an art of joy for all. Like a Shoaib or Lee, he has been a rock star and a rock star just forces you to get involved with his actions. They are hard to ignore.

That is why the emptiness were felt. That rock star flavor was hugely missed. But it seems, the Steyngun is gradually coming back to his best. It was evident during the limited-overs series against Australia, where his accuracy and skill hinted of a better outcome. Yes, the pace has gone down a bit, even though he was quite lively in the Test series against Zimbabwe, but he does not hit the 145 kmph mark on a consistent basis. He hits the 130-135 kmph mark consistently at present and targeting the outside edge has become more important for him than banging in those lethal inswingers.

But it is guaranteed, despite the lack of pace, a fit Steyn won’t short of that rock star flavor. His followers are expecting him to rediscover his lost mojo at Centurion where the Proteas would play their Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. On South African soil, Steyn has always been an irresistible force and against Pakistan, he boasts a very good record. Meanwhile, Steyn is just one wicket away from becoming the all-time best wicket taker in the Test history of South Africa. At present, he is level is Shaun Pollock’s 421 Test wickets.

With Philander and Ngidi being injured, it is expected, Steyn would share the new ball  against Pakistan along with Kagiso Rabada on what is expected to be a lively wicket in Pretoria.

“Test matches are what really drive me to perform. If I can carry on playing Test cricket for as long as possible that will be great. There is a plenty of T20 cricket going on at the moment because that is where the money is at but I think that people will always know that test cricket is the real deal. I love the red-ball game,” Steyn told this to Sports24 in a recent interview.

Steyn would be given that old responsibilities to lead the attack and the greater the responsibilities, the better the best delivers. It is expected, Steyn would rediscover his old best in Centurion. He has still a lot to offer in Test cricket.

   

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 24/12/2018 Will Dale Steyn rediscover his mojo? 

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

History of cricket in Bangladesh during Pakistan era

Football was the number 1 sports, but cricket was equally followed with great interest during Pakistan era….

In 1947, the British Raj in subcontinent came to an end, but before they left, the undivided Indian subcontinent was divided into India and East and West Pakistan.  With new hope and determination, the nations started to rebuild and the development of sports was also a part of it. Even though cricket was a British game and could have been ignored by both India and Pakistan, but it was hard to ignore the mass appeal this game generated and the value of it as a tool of diplomacy between two India and Pakistan, was bigger than any other subjects.

In West Pakistan, cricket started to progress by the enthusiastic people out there, but the scenario was completely different in the East. Since the Maharaja of Natore and Sarada Ranjan Ray left the scene, development of cricket in Eastern part of Bengal took a back seat. Gradually, football and hockey took cricket’s place. And when Dhaka District Eleven beat Islington Corinthians football team, which came to visit subcontinent in 1937, football became extremely popular in this region. Mind you, this was the only defeat, which Corinthians digested among the 36 or 38 matches they played – obviously, Dhaka’s victory just triggered a football revolution, which had a long-lasting effect even after 1971.

 But cricket did exist……

From Osman Samiuddin’s famous book, The Unquiet Ones, we come to know: There was, in fact, enough happening for a haphazard club league in the days of partition, according to a veteran Bangladeshi journalist. “Although the football and cricket league were suspended in the year of Partition, different clubs played friendly matches, keeping the spirits high during the winter months,” wrote Muhammad Kamruzzaman, in a publication to mark the 2011 World Cup in Bangladesh.

“The League started in 1948 with matches starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoons and ending on Sunday. In a day and a half, the match spanned 75 overs a side. Apart from the Dhaka DSA Ground, Wari Victoria, East End, Race Course and EP Gymkhana/Garrison also hosted League matches. The fields of the Engineering College, and SM hall along with their splendid pavilions were sometimes compared to those county grounds in England. There was also the Eidgah, Dilkusha and Shabag Ground”.

Formation of a Cricket Association in the East

In 1948, a cricket team from West Indies and Common Wealth visited West Pakistan, but it none in the East bothered about it. But Feroz Khan Noon – a Punjab Landlord and future Prime Minister –  thought of patronizing a cricket association in the East in 1951. As Osman Samiuddin wrote in his book: More Leagues and triangulars were arranged as a result. Masood Salahuddin, a former all-India cricketer, who played two unofficial Tests against Australia in 1935-36, had moved to Pakistan after Partition and was based in the region, becoming an early colossus on the circuit.

The visit of a cricket team from Burma

In 1951, a self-financed cricket team of West Pakistan businessmen from Burma (now Myanmar) visited Dhaka. It was the first foreign team to visit here since the partition. The Burmese team played a few exhibition matches on the greenish pitch of DSA ground, which had CI sheet as its boundary. The local team crushed the visitors.

One could say, those matches were played pretty casually by the visitors, who shunned white clothing and decided to wear coloured clothes, keds and stripped caps or straw hats. Certainly, cricketers, who smoked the same cigarette while fielding at slip cordon – could not be taken seriously. The local crowd – family members of the cricketers mainly – enjoyed such things, but their body language was far from being professional and surprisingly, the local team did not protest against such activities. But at least, cricket found some space amid the football mania!

Some changes started to take place

East Pakistan was rocked by the language movement. The likes of Salam, Barkat, Rafiq and Jabbar had to shed their blood to establish Bangla as the mother language of the people of East. It enlightened the people of East, which paved the way for some significant changes in that region.

In 1952-53 season, after its first international tour to India, the West Pakistan cricket team led by Abdul Hafeez Kardar landed on Chattogram to inspire the people of East about cricket. The Ispahani family of Chattogram, and the boss of Pakistan Cricket Board at that time, Justice AR Cornwalis played a very crucial role in organizing one match in Chattogram and three matches in Dhaka.

A 16-member East Pakistan Sports Federation  (EPSF) side was announced for the Chattogram and Dhaka matches with Barrister and leader of East Pakistan assembly, ATM Mustafa as its captain. The matches were a two-day affair and the results were a draw, but some of the cricketers from local side did shine. After the matches, West Pakistan cricket team went to tour Burma, and two cricketers named Dr. Mazharul Islam Damal and wicket-keeper Qazi Mohsin were picked from East – but they were considered only because of injuries to two cricketers from West.

Those matches in Chattogram and Dhaka against West Pakistan made a slight impact.  Kardar, who featured only in the last game, later on in a column at DAWN in 1954 hinted, the first seed had been sown via those matches.

Cricket started to create its own identity in the East.

The East Pakistan Sports Federation

The EPSF, which was formed in early 50s, took part in the Pakistan National League. In their first match, they faced Pakistan Services team studded with Test players at the Dhaka Club Ground. Kardar was the captain of the side and players like Imtiaz Ahmed, Sujauddin and Miran Box were featuring as well. But to the astonishment of all, EPSF bundled out Kardar’s men for 200. But in the end, Kardar’s men won due to superior temperament. It was a big learning curve for the East.

A cricket stadium was built in Dhaka

In 1955, a stadium in Dhaka was built, which is now known as the Bangabandhu International Stadium. It was built to host cricket matches and it ushered a new era in cricket of this country. International teams with prominent cricketers started to visit East and from a game of chosen few, cricket started to become the game of majority and choice of the new generation.

January 1, 1955, was a very significant day for the East. The newly built stadium in Dhaka would host the first Test in Pakistan.  India were the visitors and they were greeted with a lot of cheer.

As Kamruzzaman wrote: Cricket as a game got a huge boost after hosting the first Test match. School and college students suddenly found this game quite attractive. Bat and ball sales went up in sports shops. A lot of clubs also came up during this time. Cricket, in the space of five years, became the second most popular behind football. India team manager Lala Amarnath commented that the Dhaka Test’s organization was the best and so was the crowd attendance.

Playing cricket was not just  confined to Dhaka Stadium, but in the grounds like Dhaka DSA, Wari Club Ground, Victoria Sporting Club Ground, Dhaka Wanderers Club Ground, Eidgah Ground, Dhaka Club Ground in the Race Course, Engineering College Ground (now BUET), SM Hall Ground, East End Club Ground, Faridabad Club Ground in Gandaria, Dhaka University Ground and Gymkhana Club Ground – cricket was played with a greater interest alongside football.

Jewel, Raquibul and co

The grounds in Dhaka and international matches played in Dhaka stadium made cricket quite popular in the East and in the process, gave birth to cricketers like Abdul Halim Chowdhury Jewel and Raquibul Hasan. Such cricketers were extremely passionate and improved their cricketing skills by playing on the green-top wickets, which dominated in each and every ground of Dhaka. The likes of Jewel and Raquibul wanted to dominate fast bowlers like Weasly Hall, Alan Davidson and Fred Truman and thus, broke their sweat on toughest tracks.

 Their hard work paid off. Especially, Jewel’s courageous stroke-play caught the attention of Western cricket pundits. In the course of time, Raqibul would also claim a place in the thoughts of West.

Alongside, Jewel and Raquibul, cricketers like Khawaja Mohammad Atahar of Nawab family, KM Omar (Hichchu), Amirullah Munni, KM Hasan, Chand Khan, Sukumar, Mohammad Hakim, Altaf Mahmudul Haque Bakul, Lutfar Rahman Makhan, Sohrab Khan, Mohammad Enam, SA Majid Koran, Latif and Dulatzzaman.

The influential Mushtaque and Islmail Gul

Mushtaque – a cricket crazy Bengali boy from the East built the Azad Boys club, which became a well-known organization for providing greater opportunities to youngsters from the East. Mushtaque used his connections with the elites of Dhaka to organize cricket matches and raise funds for his club.  The great Jewel was one of the famous names of Azad club and its impact was huge in spreading cricket in the East.

Meanwhile, Ismail Gul was an all-rounder from Junagar, Karachi and skipper of Dhaka Wanderers. The youngsters of Dhaka used to love this person a lot and for them, he was the ultimate mentor. After Ismail became the captain of East Pakistan, he changed the face of cricket in this region. There would be regular matches, coaching camps and his smart mentorship and strict discipline would lift East Pakistan Cricket to such a level that they would challenge the might of Karachi and Lahore. This region would always be indebted to the contributions of Ismail Gul.

But the West continued to ignore the East…….

Even though some promising cricketers started to make their mark, still, they were heavily ignored by the hierarchy of West. Till 1970, Niaz Ahmed – a non-Bengali cricketer – was the only cricketer to play Test cricket from the East and his inclusion was a desperate bid by the Western think tank to save their faces.

The level of discrimination was evident from that first encounter against West Pakistan in that 1952-53 season. As Kamruzzaman wrote: Former all-India all-rounder Masood Salahuddin offspinner Sarwar and a high official of Lahore Railway, Sayeed Ahmed; and they weren’t just made to play, Salahuddin was made captain replacing Mustafa, much to the surprise of many. Mustafa knew all the players in the team, while Salahuddin knew only those who came with him”.

From Osman Samiuddin’s book we come to know: A feeling was building that as in life, so too was West Pakistan not doing right by the East. The culprit, Kamruzzaman wrote, was clear. “Nobody can deny that Kardar had a hand in the politics involving the East Pakistan players, by keeping the Cricket Board in front”.

The cricketers from East Bengal, while playing in Karachi, perhaps in the 60s, forced a draw by piling up an innings of around 300 runs in reply to Karachi Cricket Association’s 400 runs. Karachi included eleven Test players. Such was the caliber of cricketers from East Bengal.

But discrimination sustained. Even though, pressures from Cornwalis and some influential East Pakistan officials, Sohrab Khan and Amirullah Munni were included in Pakistan Eaglets team for its tour to England, but the mentality remained the same. The two players were fielded only in two matches out of twenty.

The likes of Jewel were ignored, while Raquibul’s talent was finally recognized by the West in 1971, but it did not happen as the liberation war broke through. His unofficial debut against a touring Commonwealth XI was abandoned by crowd invasion in Dhaka.

1971….

The war of independence broke out in March, 1971 after the West Pakistan army scripted a massacre in Dhaka on March 25. The whole nation united to fight against the oppression of West Pakistan Army. Jewel, Mushtaque and Raquibul participated in that war. Bangladesh cricket lost its precious diamonds: Jewel and Mushtaque in that war, but Raquibul could defeat death and come back home to rebuild the cricket in a land, which would become Bangladesh on December 16, 1971.

Conclusion

After the independence, somehow, cricket was lost and football dominated the proceedings throughout the 70s, 80s and mid 90s. But the effort to rekindle the lost glory of cricket before liberation and during the British Raj in this region never stopped. The effort started off in the mid 70s and gradually, cricket replaced football as the number 1 sports in the country.

The passion for this game always existed in Bengal and in Bangladesh, the passion was even more.

At present, Bangladesh is widely regarded as a nation, who are mad about cricket.

Note: This article has been published on Cricketsoccer on 21/12/2018 History of cricket in Bangladesh during Pakistan era

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

All is quiet on the great fight back at Basin Reserve

The lack of interest in Sri Lanka’s epic fight back among cricket fans and pundits is quite saddening…….

There you go, from nowhere, Sri Lanka managed to draw the first Test at Basin Reserve quite astonishingly. But, frankly speaking, even their ardent supporters won’t put their money in favour of Sri Lanka – surely, you don’t want to prove yourself a fool by investing faith in a team, which is displaying poor quality cricket at home and away and whose house is pretty chaotic at present.

But you know what, cricket – especially Test cricket - is such a format, where you cannot write off anyone easily. No one understood this better than Aizaz Patel, the hero in Abu Dhabi, who stated, if you think test cricket is, the easier it will come back and bite you on the, well, you know.

"You always have to expect the other team will play well. Nothing is expected in cricket. We know it's a funny game and it can bite you in the arse if you expect too many things," Patel said after the final day of first Test was washed off by rain. Patel said such in a rather sad manner as because, Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis displayed the best of grits and determinations on Day 4, when all seemed lost at 13 for 3.

Their defiant resistance on Day 4 paid rich dividends on the final day, where the skies above the Basin Reserve opened up to honour their courage as it did the same 11 years ago in Lord’s, when a lad named MS Dhoni’s determination delayed England’s victory and later on, the Lond skies opened up to draw the match to the utter astonishment of England captain Michael Vaughan.

Indeed, fortune favours the brave!  

It was not that New Zealand bowled badly on Day 4 since the Mathews and Mendis came together in the middle. As Patel said, “I haven't played a lot of test cricket, but a lot of the boys said that was the first time they had seen a day of test cricket without a wicket. But that's not to say we played poorly. I think we bowled well”.

“We applied ourselves and bowled in good areas for long periods, they just adapted really well and they have two guys sitting on 100 not out so we can't beat ourselves up too much about that”.

Indeed, Mathews and Mendis adapted very well and their focus was to spend as much time as possible on the wicket. The habit of playing false strokes was cut off, the threatening ones were left sensibly rather than poking and playing with a straight bat was the order of the day. A collapse was arrested and Sri Lanka managed to stitch a match-saving partnership, which is expected to boost the morale of this Lankan unit.

Undoubtedly, Mathews is not finished yet and still, a fit Mathews has a lot to offer for Sri Lanka. Still, I think, Mathews should lead this side if he can maintain his fitness.

But what staggered me most, is the silence of the so-called cricket fans and pundits regarding Sri Lanka’s epic fight back. Rather, the buzz of an auction garnered more attention. Sadly, this is the modern day cricket, where the tamasha dominates more than quality. This is the era, where great efforts in Test matches get poor attention for the sake of an auction, which is not even a cricket match.

And if the teams are not heavyweights, none even bother to notice.

Even though, things were different before tamasha burst into the scene. One can’t deny, how much interest the first Test between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe generated in 2005. Both the teams were regarded as minnows in that time, but still, none of the cricket fans could ignore the thrill and chill of a Test match.  

Time has changed. Cricket has changed a lot. The interest of cricket fans has changed as well.

But whether this change in interest good or bad, I have asked this question to myself many times. Is preferring a tamasha over the high-quality content in Basin Reserve better? For me, it is not. I would always prefer the high-quality content in Basin Reserve. As I believe, for the betterment of cricket’s future, it is very important to follow the best format and the new generation of cricket bosses, pundits and fans should believe the same.  

But, the story is different. They do say, Test cricket needs to be branded in the best possible way, but here, the action does not speak louder than words. And for which, all is quiet on an epic fight back at Basin Reserve!

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 19/12/2018 All is quiet on the great fight back at Basin Reserve

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Nayeem Hasan: The 17-year old with a big heart

Nayeem Hasan is another wonderful addition to Bangladesh and world cricket

Do you expect a Bangladeshi 17-year old to be mature enough to go out there and face the fury of Caribbean pace bowlers? Do you really think that a 17-year old tail-ender can deal with the pace and aggression of Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach? If you think, the young generation of Bangladeshi boys is softer, perhaps, you are living in the world of fools. The boys of this generation are the species with a big heart – a heart filled with passion and the courage to conquer the impossible! Facing a Gabriel or Roach won’t be tough for them.

The big boys like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque were already back in the hut and now, a lanky 17-year old boy named Nayeem Hasan walked at the crease to bat in his first ever Test. Mind you, the face of the boy showed no signs of acute anxiety and fear, but his body language hinted, it as just another match in a para or moholla.  

Nayeem was confident and it was evident when he dared to play shots against West Indian pacers. Moreover, technically, Nayeem proved to be more efficient than the experienced campaigners in the team – solid on the back foot and an astute defence earned him accolades on Day 1. His resilience helped the Tigers to get out of the mess and get past 300 runs.

The first impression is always the best impression and many in Bangladesh believe this, still today. If any one impresses a Bangladeshi at first sight, they think, the person would deliver the goods in future. On Day 1, the impression about Nayeem was such and interestingly, he struck gold on Day 2 at Chattogram.

On Day 2, Nayeem essayed a world record by becoming the youngest cricketer in the history of Tests to take five wickets on debut. His bowling figure reads: 14-2-61-5. Nayeem broke the record of Australia’s Pat Cummins who took five wickets on debut against South Africa in 2011 at the age of 18 years and 193 days.

Also read: The fury of Shannon Gabriel and importance of footwork

Obviously, from a Bangladeshi point of view, the thought of first impression is the best impression cut an impressive figure at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. We, the Bangladeshis, thought, Nayeem would deliver more according to our expectations on Day 2 and he not only did it but straightway, entered in the record books.

For a spinner to bag wickets, needs to have a big heart. He needs to have the heart of a Lion. Otherwise, he might have to repent for his temperament. He needs to shun the mentally of bowling flatter despite getting hit. He does not need to care about getting hit, but continue to give enough air and flight to his deliveries.

Shimron Hetmyer was batting as a man possessed and so was Shane Dowrich. The runs were flowing thick and fast and the young Nayeem was taken to the cleaners. The boy had just plucked two wickets in his debut and was pumped up to devour more. But Hetmyer would not care who the hell Nayeem, Shakib or Taijul was! He was out there to create a havoc and smashed each an every Bangladesh spinners, which came in his way. Dancing feet, high back-lift, risk-but-murderous strokes – Hetmyer was unstoppable.    

Nayeem was hit for boundaries and sixes, but still, he was never afraid to toss the ball up and vary his flight. He persisted his attacking line, which was not wider-outside-off, but outside the offstump and top of off. He pulled the length back as he was not swayed by the emotion to bowl fast and full, which many young spinners do and get hit, and thus, delivered a tad slower and tried to impart sharp-turn by using the spin-finger more.

His line-and-length enticed the batters to drive and invite trouble. His big heart and an attacking mindset helped him to reap a rich harvest.  Certainly, the 17-year old is an exciting package – different in attitude and technically astute.

A wonder kid, who is blessed with a head on his shoulders and knows very well of what he is doing at a very young age. Expecting much better things from him in the upcoming days.     

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 23/11/2018 Nayeem Hasan: The 17-year old with a big heart

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

     

The fury of Shannon Gabriel and importance of footwork

Shannon Gabriel was furious, but the technique of Bangladesh’s experienced campaigners was not good……

 

 The fury of Big Shannon Gabriel is nothing new to Bangladesh. A few months back, at Antigua, on Day 3, Gabriel packed-off Bangladesh cheaply to finish things off within three days. Jason Holder overshadowed Gabriel and Kemar Roach in the second outing at Jamaica, but Gabriel was the name of terror for the Bangladeshi batsmen. Bangladesh were expecting the same at Chottogram and after tea, the big boy was breathing fire like an angry dragon.

Mominul Haque was at his pristine best in a venue where he announced his arrival with a counterattacking 181 against New Zealand five years ago. Beautiful drives and well-timed punches of the little man left the spectators spell-bound until he decided to poke at a delivery, which was moving away from him at pace, without using his feet. Shane Dowrich caught the ball safely and the visitors breathed a sigh of relief to see the end of Mominul.      

Two balls later, the little Mushfiqur Rahim decided to move forward at a Gabriel delivery, which was coming in and ended up being trapped lbw. Wrong use of footwork was evident and it was repeated by Mahmudullah Riyad in Gabriel’s next over.

Another fast delivery beat the dust, posed a threat to rip through Riyad’s defence and ultimately it did breach his defence as, like Mushfiq, his initial movement was on the front foot rather than back. Then the skipper, Shakib Al Hasan, committed the same mistake by attempting to punch one off the front foot and left a gap between bat and pad – the ball, delivered from an angle round the wicket, zipped in to kiss the edge first and then disturb the woodwork.  

All of a sudden, the nightmare at Antigua started to show its ugly face at Chottogram.

216 for 3 became 235 for 7 and it seemed all the hard works would be wasted.

But the young guns of Bangladesh were in no intention to bat with paralyzed-feet. While the experienced and senior batters of Bangladesh were quite paraplegic against the pace and fury of Gabriel, the likes of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and the young debutante Nayeem Hasan were blessed with a better motor function of the lower limb.

In the 67th over of the day, Gabriel dished out a ferocious short-ball, which would have left the best batsmen at bay, Miraz went on the back foot quickly, shifted his balance a bit on the offstump and executed a hook shot – if any shot could describe boldness in today’s cricket, then it was that hook shot. You just don’t witness hook shots these days – or, many are not brave enough to play it. But Miraz showed, he is a cricketer of a different category -  always eager to improve technically and temperamentally.

The tail-enders like Taijul and Naim would also exhibit the initial trigger movement on the back foot rather than front, which allowed them to go behind the line of the delivery earlier. Their defence was solid and at times, executed some brilliant strokes, which ultimately dragged Bangladesh out of the mess. The young boy Nayeem deserves a lot of accolades for displaying the tough temperament in his very first Test. He was unfazed the deceptive pace of West Indian fast bowlers and his batting technique and foot movement against pace is better than an Imrul Kayes or a Mahmudullah Riyad. The boy has hit the jackpot at first hand.

Anyhow, the matter is all about footwork. Your footwork will help you to survive against pace bowlers. Neither a paraplegic foot nor the initial movement of the front foot would help a batsman to counter pace bowling, but the ability to get on the back foot would. The initial trigger movement of the back foot not only helps to get behind the line of the ball, but it aids to get on top of the bounce as well.

The majority of the deliveries of Shannon Gabriel were either from the back-of-a-length or good-length, which zipped off the surface and nipped back in against right-handers and moved away from the lefties. Had Mominul, Mushfiq or Riyad was using their feet with authority, Gabriel might not have unleashed fear in that eventful post-tea session.    

Kudos to the courage and technique of Bangladesh tail, they were able to post a fighting total on Day 1 with two wickets in hand, still.  

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 22/11/2018 The fury of Shannon Gabriel and importance of footwork

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

A morale victory for Zimbabwe

A heavy defeat for Zimbabwe at Mirpur, but they would leave Bangladesh with great satisfaction….

 Kyle Jarvis wanted to clear the distance against a tossed-up delivery from Mihedy Hasan Miraz, but the ball landed safely in the hands of Khaled Ahmed. The Bangladesh dressing room and fans breathed a sigh of relief as the hosts levelled the series. Miraz fetched five wickets, while the hero of first innings for Zimbabwe, Brendan Taylor, left the field amid applauds from the spectators present at Mirpur. Taylor’s twin hundreds at Mirpur and the fighting spirit of team Zimbabwe are indicating of a new sunshine.  

A bit more resolve might have helped Zimbabwe to see-off the fifth day at Mirpur. But one needs to keep in mind, Zimbabwe don't play enough Test matches like their counterpart, and to achieve that resolve to exhibit in five-day matches, a team needs to play Test cricket regularly. Sadly, Zimbabwe don't play enough of Test matches. 

Zimbabwe had not been the bashing-boys like the limited-overs encounter, but in turn, they dished out a brand new, never-say-die spirit, for which, the hosts were not prepared for.  Neither the fans nor the experts expected such a display from the visitors.

In my opinion, this 2-match Test series is a morale victory for Zimbabwe.

They have tested the hosts, who were much more superior to them and despite the absence of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh boasted with players to beat  Zimbabwe – it was evident in the limited-overs contest. As soon as the Test series started off in Sylhet, Zimbabwe turned the tables upside down. The skill and temperament of Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Brendan Taylor, Tendai Chatara, Mavuta and Kyle Jarvis outshone the experience of Bangladesh cricketers. Astonishingly and rather deservingly, Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead.  

Also read: Taylor and Moore’s fightback should inspire Zimbabwe      

The second Test went to the fifth day and it might not have been possible if Brendan Taylor and Peter Moore did not fightback in style to dent the Bangladesh attack. They batted throughout the third day and conveyed the message to all, they are here to fight and not surrender easily.

Zimbabwe proved to be a hard nut to crack since the first ball was bowled in the inaugural Test match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. At Sylhet, they batted with enough grit, while bowled with enough intent to knock the Tigers out of the park – it was a victory of spirit over adversity. They brought the spirit back in Mirpur and despite the scoreboard pressure and one-man down, the African Nation denied to bog down against the guile of Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Since 2003, nothing has gone right for Zimbabwe. Political turmoil and at the same time, financial crises, left Zimbabwe cricket at bay. The once feared giant killers of world cricket hit the rock bottom in the course of time. But somehow, the passion to play cricket remained alive and despite all those setbacks since the last fifteen years, Zimbabwe tried harder to rediscover themselves in this topsy-turvy world of international cricket.

All those setbacks, sacrifices and hard work were evident in the Test series against Bangladesh. Team Zimbabwe deserves more opportunities to play Test matches and only then, they would be able to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned.

The top cricketing nations need to step forward for the betterment of a cricket nation, who, once upon a time, enriched world cricket with their entertaining exhibitions and have gifted cricket the likes of Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Heath Streak, Alastair Campbell and Raymond Price.     

Test cricket can’t just be competitive with just one India, Australia, England or South Africa; but to be competitive and exciting enough like the 90s, the betterment of teams like Zimbabwe is highly important. They are improving and the big fishes need to lend a helping hand for their further progression. 

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 15/11/2018 A morale victory for Zimbabwe

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

Taylor and Moore’s fightback should inspire Zimbabwe

Brendan Taylor and Peter Moor dished out an inspiring fightback, which should motivate Zimbabwe……

“It’s not over. It’s certainly not. But it’s going to be a monumental challenge for us to even draw this game. We’ve batted 105 overs. If we bat four sessions, that’s 120 overs on day five. Realistically, it will be a miracle for us to draw this game, but we have to have the belief that we have the batters and mental strength to do that”

Brendan Taylor

Neither Zimbabwe have a Sir Vivian Richards nor a Gordon Greenidge in their batting line-up, who would go out ther to challenge the humungous score of Bangladesh in the first innings by smashing daddy hundreds. But one thing for sure,  this Zimbabwe team is blessed with some fighting characters, who just don’t bog down under pressure. The boys know their limitations and don’t try to do anything beyond that, but unleash their tenacity, whenever it is required. It was evident in Sylhet and once again, it earned the accolades at Mirpur.

The ball was still hard and new. Mahmudullah wanted to exploit the early morning moisture and engaged Mustafizur Rahman and Khaled Ahmed from both ends. Khaled was aggressive and banged the ball shorter to hit Chari’s helmet for the second time, while Fizz bowled on top of off and moved the cherry away from the batters  – more on a good length and tad fuller at times, which squared the batters. The first one hour was testing, but no wickets fell.

In Test matches, leaving the ball bears a lot of weight and for the Test teams who lack the world’s best batsmen in their batting line-up, it becomes more important for them, especially when they are batting in reply to opposition’s 500-plus score.  Zimbabwe’s Brian Chari and nightwatchman, Donald Tiripano were not feeling comfortable against Kahled and Fizz in the morning session, what they did was, leaving the ball as much as possible – occupying the crease was the order of the day and it was their way of displaying their fighting nature.

It took Bangladesh 50 minutes to force a breakthrough. Who else but Taijul Islam dismissed Tiripano and it brought Brendan Taylor at the crease.

The scoring rate increased.

Chari decided to attack and smashed two sixes off Taijul and Khaled, while the boundaries started to flow simultaneously, but it did not bring anything good for Zimbabwe, who were needed to exhibit resolve rather than an aggressive intent. 96 for 2 became 131 for 5 in the twinkle of an eye and it was up to Brendan Taylor display his composure like Mushfiqur Rahim exhibited on Day 1.

Peter Moor, whose patience bore fruit in Sylhet accompanied Taylor at the other end, but this time around, he was the man to feed the composure of his partner.  

Taylor held one end firm. The highlight of his innings was the way he read the flight of Taijul and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. His sweep shot against a well-floated Mehidy delivery in the 40th over of the day indicated about the control over his shot. The ball raced towards the square-leg boundary for four. Taijul tried his sliders to unsettle Taylor, but his ability to read the ball from the bowler’s hand earlier than his other teammates, allowed him to go behind the line and block them firmly. His small strides against Taijul was another important thing, which made it easier to leak runs – some of them were dispatched for boundaries.

He switched to a strike-rotation mode, when five wickets fell. He kept it simple – use your feet well enough and get behind the line as much as possible – the runs will come.

The runs came and the partnership with Moor frustrated Bangladesh and at one point it seemed, Zimbabwe might end the day without losing further wickets. Moor trusted his defence a lot and targeted to blunt the attack by dealing with boundaries, which came at regular intervals. He waited for the loose-balls and whenever he got those, they either sailed over the infield or pierced the gaps with an absolute surgical precision.

It was all about complimenting each other. If Moor fed on Taylor’s composure, then Taylor utilized Moor’s fluency, as it forced Mahmudullah to set a defensive field, which made strike-rotation easier for Taylor.  

A stand of 139 runs was scripted where Moor contributed 83 runs facing 114 balls and Taylor 55 runs facing 104 balls. Of course, they were aided by some sloppy fielding, but that can’t undermine their gallant effort.

Taylor carried on after Moor’s departure, but in a crucial passage of play, Taylor lost his cool and attempted a slog sweep, which was caught in the outfield in an astonishing fashion by Taijul. A defiant knock could not be an epic one at the end of Day 3.

But nevertheless, Moor and, especially, Taylor have given Zimbabwe the slightest of hope of survival in this Test, in which, Bangladesh are all set to win. Their effort should inspire Zimbabwe. They lasted 105 overs in the first innings and a bit more resolve can be beneficial for them. It is an extremely tough task, but Taylor and Moor’s efforts should motivate others.     

 

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 13/11/2018  Taylor and Moore’s fightback should inspire Zimbabwe 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Mahmudullah Riyad needs to pull up his socks in Test matches

Mahmudullah Riyad’s poor form is a worry for Bangladesh……

 The second day of the second Test between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at Mirpur belongs to Mushfiqur Rahim. The pocket-sized dynamo registered his name in the record books after scripting a double hundred. He carried on his cautious approach on Day 2, even though, against a tiring Zimbabwean attack, Mushfiq was needed to accelerate as because, Bangladesh were not in trouble like yesterday and thus, batting slowly seemed a pretty negative approach. 

Bangladesh’s target was to instill fatigue among the visitors and post a big total in the first innings to gain a psychological advantage. But if Bangladesh are thinking of winning this Test, it was important to save time to force a result – if Zimbabwe, who have nothing to lose, start to grind, those slow passages of play might haunt Bangladesh badly. And for which, acceleration was needed and a timely declaration might have been even better.

As the fielding coach of Zimbabwe team, Shepherd Makunura said, “I think the game is still evenly poised, although Bangladesh batted quite well. It's all going to depend on how well we bat tomorrow, especially the first session. If we can negotiate the first session, we can make life a little easier for ourselves. It's going to take a lot of batting for us”.

Anyhow, in the subcontinent, for the sake of personal landmarks, the outcome of a Test had been ignored on many occasions. So, waiting for a Mushfiq double hundred or a Mehidy Hasan Miraz half-century was not surprising. Mushfiq finally bagged a double ton and with that, he became the first wicket-keeper in the history of Test cricket to essay two double hundreds.  

Also read: Mahmudullah: The unsung hero of Bangladesh cricket

  

Again, Mushfiq is the sixth batsman in the history to break the record of a country’s highest individual score twice. He would be accompanied by the likes of Sir Don Bradman, George Headley, Vinoo Mankand, Virender Sehwag and Brian Lara in that elite list of batsmen. Moreover, Mushfiq has faced most of the deliveries (421 balls) and stayed at the crease for the longest period (589 minutes) by a Bangladesh batsman.     

While Mushfiq was cruising towards his milestone, Mehidy Hasan went on to script a half-century and at one point it seemed, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad would wait for Mehidy’s hundred as well. But thankfully, he declared and gave his bowlers 18 overs to test the Zimbabwean batsmen. The Tigers fetched one wicket and on a track, which gave evidence of an uneven bounce, the batsmen of visiting team negotiated quite well.

The stay of Mushfiq at the crease worked as a tonic for Mominul Haque and Mehidy Hasan, but it should have acted as a catalyst for Mahmudullah as well. With Shakib Al Hasan unavailable as the Test captain and reluctant to lead and play five-day matches, Mahmudullah might be the obvious choice as Test captain in future. And thus, he needs to lead from the front with the bat and as a tactician on the field as well.

On a day, where Bangladesh scored runs in plenty, one expected Mahmudullah to cash in and erase his lean patch like Mominul. Like Mominul, his batting performance in five-day matches have been very poor.

In 2018, including this Test, Mahmudullah has played six Test matches where he averages 21.13 and scored just 169 runs. His highest score is 83 not out, which was scripted on a graveyard-for-the-bowlers-deck in Chottogram against Sri Lanka at the start of this year.  0, 4, 0, 16 and 36 are his scores in the last five innings and since that 83 not out, the next five innings read: 28, 17, 6, 0 and 15. Not so pretty numbers for a man, who is dubbed as the next Test captain and is also one of the vital cogs of Bangladesh batting line-up.

Since that Test match against Sri Lanka at Chottogram at the start of this year, Mahmudullah had been bowled and trapped leg before once, while got caught behind and by others in the rest of the nine innings!  

Mahmudullah’s problems against the deliveries outside offstump and turning deliveries are evident these days. He is not using his feet enough when the ball is pitched up by the pace bowlers and has forgotten to leave the ones which lands on the offstump line and moves away, whereas, tries to dominate the spinners with a haphazard approach – either comes out of the crease to smash or attempts to sweep without even getting into an ideal position, which has resulted in an ugly lean patch. Even today, he was undone by a delivery, which was going away from his body from an offstump line – he poked at it and was caught behind  – the dismissal of a man, who has forgotten to keep his bat inside the line.

There are chinks in his technique and those can be corrected if Mahmudullah wishes to work on them. He is known as a hardworking cricketer. Sadly, his batting displays in five-day matches don’t hint that he is working enough on his insufficiencies.  But, Mahmudullah needs to pull his socks up and rediscover his mojo. He needs to overcome his shortcomings. 

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 12/11/2018 Mahmudullah Riyad needs to pull up his socks in Test matches

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar     

Mushfiqur Rahim batting at number 5 benefits Bangladesh

Sanity prevailed in Mirpur as Mushfiqur Rahim came out to bat at number five and Bangladesh have been highly benefited……

At Sylhet, in the first Test against Zimbabwe, Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to bat at number six was not welcomed by the critics. Being the best batsman of the team and in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, a lot of responsibilities depended on Mushfiq. The best batsman of the side should bat higher up the order, that is what the batsmen of top teams do.

The Zimbabwean bowlers set jitters in the Bangladesh batting order as four wickets fell in a matter of time and when Mushfiq came out to bat at number six in both innings, he had no genuine batsmen left to carry on the fight.   

Logic says, Mushfiq should have come out to bat either at number four or five, which would have not only given Bangladesh batting the ideal balance but also, would have helped to arrest the painful collapses. There is a school of thought, for the sake of keeping wickets, Mushfiq prefers to bat at number six, which sounds funny, but as a matter of fact, the numbers suggest, he has scored more runs batting at number six and seven.

While batting at number six, he averages 37.18, which is way better than 26.31 – batting at number 4, 32.55 – batting at number 5 and 32.55 – batting at number 7. Moreover, last year, he averaged more than 50, while batting at number six. So, his decision to bat at number six is well-backed by the numbers.

But in fact, numbers cannot always be considered as the only important thing according to the demand of the situation. When your team demands responsibility, you need to shun emotions and forget about the numbers and act accordingly. Also, in the absence of the vital cog - Shakib, along with whom Mushfiq batted most of the times at number six and seven to boost his numbers,  it was the order of the day for Mushfiq to promote himself high up the order.

In Sylhet, it did not happen, but sanity prevailed at Mirpur, where Mushfiq came out to bat in a very critical situation and stabilized the situation with composure.  

Kyle Jarvis started to move the ball and his seam-up deliveries left the Bangladesh top-order in disarray. Imrul Kayes and Liton Kumar Das were devoured by the sharp movement and when Donald Tiripano had the better of debutante Mohammad Mithun, it seemed, Bangladesh would fail to surpass 200 runs in ninth consecutive innings.

Thankfully, Mushfiq came out to bat at number five. The first ball he faced from Tiripano was a-length-one, which seamed, but Mushfiq shouldered arms and left it. It was close enough, but not closer enough to hit the stumps. That’s where the experience of Mushfiq came into play – he picked up the length earlier and decided to leave – it hinted confidence of a man, who went out there to resuscitate the innings.    

Mushfiq’s partner, Mominul Haque was finding it tough at the other end. He was dropped at 9 and 25 and never seemed to be able to get into the zone after such a horrendous run in the previous Test matches. In such a situation, Mominul badly needed assurance from the other end to flourish and Mushfiq’s decision to bat at number five simply provided Mominul with the assurance and guidance.

In the post-match interview, Mominul said, “Mushfiqur bhai guided me throughout my innings. I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundreds. It was an interesting innings. It was tougher than some of my other hundreds”.

Indeed a tough hundred for a man, whose numbers are pathetic in the previous innings. What such players need is guidance to travel through the troubled waters and such a guidance comes from the experienced campaigners like Mushfiq, who is arguably the best batsman of Bangladesh cricket team.

Then, when the matter was about arresting a collapse, Mushfiq played his role like a wall, which tough to break for the Zimbabwean pacers, who posed a big threat in the morning session.

The pacers pitched the ball tad fuller to use the early morning moisture and Mushfiq decided to get behind the line as much as possible to execute the drive through cover and cut through backward point region – 30 and 23 runs came respectively through those regions in comparison to 19 runs at square leg and 17 runs at midwicket – the areas, which Mushfiq loves to score runs. There were lesser through the V as it was not easy to score runs through long on and long off – the sharp movement would have kissed the edge.

But the best thing about Mushfiq’s knock was occupying the crease. Maybe, scoring slowly is not appreciated enough in this age of power-hitting, but still, when the matter is about grafting match-saving partnerships in trying circumstances, such a ploy is still as valuable as gold.

Mushfiq’s strike rate was 48 in comparison to Mominul’s 161 – the little man went slow, but his composure provided the perfect foil to Mominul’s fluency, who brought an end to his lean patch and at the end of day, Mushfiq remained not out on 111 – his first hundred since that eye-catching ton against India last year in Hyderabad.

Certainly, Mushfiq batting at number five helped Bangladesh a lot. 

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer  on 11/10/2018 Mushfiqur Rahim batting at number 5 benefits Bangladesh

Thank You

Faisal Caesar