Mustafiz back home

Bangladesh speedster Mustafizur Rahman landed in Dhaka on Monday night after helping his team Sunrisers Hyderabad win the Indian Premier League the day before.

On his arrival at the Hajrat Shahjalal International Airport, deputy minister for youth and sports Arif Khan Joy greeted the paceman with sweets.
Mustafiz bagged 17 wickets in 16 matches in the IPL as Hyderabad brought home their maiden IPL trophy.

Perseverant Sunrisers Hyderabad clinch maiden IPL title

Despite a jaw-dropping batting effort from Chris Gayle and another half-century from Virat Kohli that helped him finish the season with a tally of 973 runs, Sunrisers Hyderabad expertly held their nerves to eke out an eight-run victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in front of their home fans at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore and to win their maiden Indian Premier League title.
David Warner's attack-minded move to put the runs on the board in a big encounter paid off handsomely as Sunrisers posted a mammoth 208 for 7. Warner laid a strong foundation with his ninth half-century of the season, before Yuvraj Singh held the middle-order together with a vital contribution. Ben Cutting gave the team the much-needed flourish towards the end of the innings that took Sunrisers to an above-par total on a batting-friendly track.
Kohli unleashed his captaincy quirks early once again, starting the proceedings with a deep point for Warner and a deep square leg for Dhawan. With two left handers in the middle, the Royal Challengers skipper couldn't turn to Iqbal Abdulla, his left-arm spinner, early. He brought in Chris Gayle instead, who put down a tough chance off Dhawan in his first over. Kohli's field placements in the powerplay overs didn't bear the sort of fruits he would have hoped for as his bowlers erred in length, allowing the Sunrisers duo to get off the blocks swiftly. Shane Watson started too full without any protection down the ground and the Sunrisers openers made him pay for it, smashing a straight six each. Gayle too couldn't quite bowl to his field as Sunrisers raced away to 59 for no wicket in 6 overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers' most successful bowler of the season, managed to break the menacing partnership, using a googly to fox Dhawan, whose urge to sweep the ball led to his downfall. Warner continued to swing his willow at every inch of width offered to him, bringing up his ninth fifty of the season, off just 24 deliveries. Chris Jordan arrived and offered more width on a platter, letting a free-scoring Warner add to his tally of boundaries. The England pacer benefitted from a change of strike as Moises Henriques skied a length delivery on the leg side to give Royal Challengers a lucky break at the half-way stage.
Yuvraj Singh ensured a brief time-travel to the past as he began with a sublime cover drive off Watson, usually associated with a much leaner and meaner Yuvraj of the early 2000s. Jordan helped the southpaw add to the narrative by offering two hit-me deliveries down the leg, which Yuvraj flicked away elegantly for a four and a six. Even the Royal Challengers fans found a reason to stop and applaud an opponent.
Aravind's return to the attack gave the packed crowd a bigger reason to cheer, as Warner's attempted cut shot was caught by Iqbal Abdulla at short third man, leaving the Sunrisers in a wobble despite their run rate being in excess of nine-an-over.
Yuvraj eased the nerves that suddenly cropped up after Warner's dismissal, by carting a colossal six over wide long off, that landed in the second tier. Sunrisers however, were faced by the similar adversity of a crumbling middle-order as Deepak Hooda fell for a six-ball three and Yuvraj was deceived by a slower ball from Jordan after looking set to make the most of his first IPL final appearance. At 156 for 5 in 17 overs, Sunrisers were staring at a total of around 180, that would've still felt a touch below-par against Royal Challengers' batting might. Ben Cutting, however, walked out and addressed that concern to a great extent.
The Australian identified Watson as a target during his manic 15-ball 39-run match-defining cameo. Cutting matched Yuvraj's efforts, sending a ball over the roof in a 24-run final over that left Watson with forgettable figures of none for 61 and Sunrisers with a total of 208 for seven.
Stiff and rigid as he may have been at the crease all season, Gayle took to the occasion of chasing a total in excess of 200 by reverting to his devastating best in the powerplay overs. Barinder Sran, the young left-armer, proved to be the earliest weak-link in an otherwise well-oiled bowling attack. Gayle collected 16 off Sran's second over with two sixes and a four. A warmed-up Gayle gave Cutting an early insight into what it feels to be at the receiving end of an onslaught as Royal Challengers brought up 50 in the fifth over.
Mustafizur Rahman managed to put a lid on the frenzied beginning, but his four-run over meant very little as Gayle continued to go after the rest of the bowlers and collect sixes for fun. That the fielding restrictions were relaxed made very difference to his approach to six-hitting as he lifted the Royal Challengers from 57 from 6 overs to 100 off 9, including a 21-run over off Moises Henriques. Warner was forced to bring back Mustafizur early in search of a wicket, but Kohli, who had been a silent partner till that over, welcomed him with a four and a six as Royal Challengers' target at the half-way stage had been dwarfed by more than half.
Just as Gayle looked set to score his sixth IPL century, he miscued a heave and departed for a 38-ball 76, an innings laced with four fours and eight sixes. The wicket brought respite for Sunrisers but the fact that Kohli had just begun to settle in didn't bode too well for them. There seemed to be a seamless transition of run-scoring from Gayle to Kohli as the Royal Challengers skipper kept his opponents on their toes. He went on to bring up 11th fifty-plus score this IPL.
With Gayle back in the pavilion, Warner saw an opportunity to bring back Sran, a move that worked wonders. Kohli stepped out early to carve a superb inside-out loft over extra cover for a six to score his seventh half-century of the season, but his attempt to replicate his effort two balls later resulted in his dismissal as an inside edge crashed onto the stumps. Kohli walked back, annoyed with himself while Sunrisers huddled together with a real sense of belief.
AB de Villiers's fall just six balls later brought the game back on level-pegging, with Shane Watson and KL Rahul needing to score 60 off the last six overs.
Rahul's wicket in the 15th over left Watson with a massive task at hand. Mustafizur returned for his final spell and denied Watson the chance to Royal Challengers' hero as the Australian misread a slow-cutter and perished to a catch at cover by Henriques. A pumped-up Bhuvneshwar began the 18th over with a yorker that beat Stuart Binny but missed the leg stump. Only three runs came off the next four deliveries before Sachin Baby's reverse-sweep raced away to the third man fence, leaving the Royal Challengers with 30 to chase from last 12 deliveries.
The penultimate over of the chase, by Mustafizur, began with the run out of Stuart Binny but Baby kept his side in the hunt with a six off the final ball, narrowing the equation to 18 off Bhuvneshwar's final over. Amidst palpable tension between overs, there was a moment to chuckle as the crowd began to chant 'Sachin...Sachin', clearly for the Sachin at the crease, rather than the one cricket fans are used to applauding over the years.
The Kerala skipper, however, couldn't repay the adulation, and even broke down when he realized after the penultimate delivery that it was out of his team's reach, as Bhuvneshwar bowled an exceptional final over to take his team to IPL glory.
In the end, there were shades of the final from 2009 when Royal Challengers looked all set to triumph against a side from Hyderabad, before the proceedings took a dramatic turn and they ended up with the runners-up medal.
Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 208/7 in 20 overs (David Warner 69, Ben Cutting 39*; Chris Jordan 3-45) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 200/7 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 76, Virat Kohli 54; Ben Cutting 2-35) by eight runs

Hyderabad win maiden IPL title

Bangladesh speedster Mustafizur Rahman played his part as a Ben Cutting-inspired Sunrisers Hyderabad won their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title by defeating a star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight runs in Sunday’s final.
The game, played at RCB’s home ground, looked poised for a Bangalore win when openers Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli took the score past 100 in 9 overs chasing 209, but David Warner’s decision to keep Mustafiz and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the dying overs proved decisive in the end.
Gayle was in a buoyant mood as he smashed 76 off 38 balls thanks to four fours and eight sixes, but Kohli was not in his best form, adding 54 off 35.
Ben Cutting gave Hyderabad the break through by bringing an end to Gayle’s innings while Barinder Sran struck soon afterwards to send Kohli home.
Following the duo’s departure, it was all Hyderabad as none of the RCB batsmen could offer any resistance in front of a determined bowling.
The failure of key players AB de Villiers and Shane Watson to score big brought about their third defeat in as many finals as the IPL trophy remain a distant sigh for the Bangalore boys.
Mustafiz played a significant role when he made Shane Watson give a catch to Moises Henriques and he and Bhuvneshwar made sure RCB batsmen could not go berserk in the last overs.
Cutting bagged a brace while Mustafiz, Sran and Bipul Sharma grabbed one apiece in the historic win.
Earlier, the winners posted 208 for 7 riding on Warner’s 69 and Cutting’s 15-ball 39. Eyebrows were raised when Warner opted to bat first against an RCB team that are good in chasing, but he did have the last laugh.
The ever-green Yuvraj Singh’s 38 off 23 balls also proved vital to keep the Sunrisers run wheel going in the middle.
Chris Jordan was the most successful bowler for RCB with three wickets while Sreenath Aravind bagged two, but Watson conceded 61 off 4 overs, including 36 in his last two overs, which probably had made the difference.
The win means Mustafiz became the second Bangladeshi to win the IPL trophy, emulating the feat achieved by Shakib Al Hasan with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014.

Shakib’s return brings hope for Abahani

Middle order batsman Mosaddek Hossain guided Abahani Limited to win a thrilling match beating Prime Doleshwar SC by three wickets in the Walton Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League at BKSP ground in Savar on Saturday, reports UNB.
With the day’s victory in a must win situation to stay in the super league race, world famed all rounder Shakib Al Hasan also made memorable return to Abahani Limited after six years.
Replying to Prime Doleshwar SC total 191 runs for 7 in a curtailed 28 overs, Abahani Limited, which needs a victory to stay in the super league race, required 10 runs in the last three balls of the match with number six batsman Mosaddek Hossain was in batting against Farhad Reza.
Mosaddek Hossain meet the demand of the situation scoring 12 runs in last three balls of the match punishing Farhad Reza in a crucial moment. He scored 2 runs in the 3rd last ball, hammered a six in the 2nd last ball and hit a match-winning boundary in the last ball of the match helping Abahani to reach their target in a must win situation.
After the day’s match, Abahani Limited advanced to the 4th slot in the league table securing 10 points from nine matches while Prime Doleshwar shared the top slot with Mohammedan SC securing 12 points each from nine matches, despite the day’s defeat.
Sent into bat first, Prime Doleshwar SC scored 191 for 7 in reduced 28-over-a-side match due to rain, featuring 82 runs in the 5th wicket partnership by Nasir Hossain and Sanzamul Islam.
National all rounder Nasir Hossain contributing 56-ball 72 runs featuring four fours and two sixes while number six Sanjamul Islam made run-a-ball 40 with two fours and a six.
Besides, national batsman Raqibul Hasan (25), Rony Talukder (18) and and Ziaur Rahman (18) were the other main contributors for Prime Doleshwar.
National pacer Taskin Ahmed claimed two wickets for 53 runs while Mossadek Hossain, Saqlain Sajib and world famed all rounder Shakib Al Hasan took one wicket each conceding 12, 16 and 31 runs respectively.
Chasing a target of 192 runs, Abahani Limited, riding on Mosaddek Hossain’s unbeaten 57 runs, reached their target making 194 for 7 in the last ball of curtailed 28th over.
Number six batsman Mosaddek Hossain quick-fired 57 runs off just 35 balls featuring seven fours and two sixes in addition to his one wicket haul and was adjudged the man of the match.
Shakib Al Hasan celebrated his return to Abahani Limited after six years scoring 45 runs of 40 balls hitting three fours and one six, one down Nazmul Hossain Shanta scored 39-ball 40 runs including two fours and one six, Indian Rajat Bhatia made 18-ball 15 runs with two fours and Liton Das scored 14-ball 11 runs with one four.   
Al Amin Hossain and Farhad Reza took two wickets each conceding 36 and 45 runs respectively.

Kohli eyes maiden IPL crown

The imperious Virat Kohli will be eyeing a fairytale ending Sunday to a record-breaking season when he leads the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League’s final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Kohli has been in the form of his life since the recent World Twenty20 where he was instrumental in taking India to the semi-finals before the hosts’ heartbreaking loss to the West Indies.

The 27-year-old was named player of the tournament after scoring 273 runs in five matches at an average of 136.50, and he has again been in a class of his own in this edition of the IPL.

Kohli has shattered the previous best aggregate in a season by scoring 919 runs, including four centuries and six fifties.

Rated as the number one T20 batsman in the world, he has also gained kudos for his captaincy during Bangalore’s rollercoaster ride to the final which is being played on their home ground.

After a disappointing start to the tournament left them bottom of the table at one stage, Kohli inspired them to a charge up the table and secure a second place finish.

He had a rare failure in Wednesday’s final four eliminator when he was bowled for a duck but South African AB de Villiers stepped up to the plate with an unbeaten 79 which just saw Bangalore over the line.

Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar said that in a format where the ability to hit big sixes was once seen as the key to success, Kohli had prospered by playing good cricketing shots.

“He is a special talent and he works hard on his game,” Tendulkar told Gulf News.

“His discipline and commitment has to be emulated. He visualises different formats without ever compromising on his technique.

“In addition, he is very strong mentally and thrives in pressure situations.”

Kohli’s sensational performances have taken some of the pressure off his controversial team-mate Chris Gayle.

Long regarded as T20 cricket’s ultimate superstar, the big-hitting Jamaican has struggled for much of the tournament and only managed one half-
century.

He also landed himself in hot water over a newspaper interview laced with sexual innuendo, only months after he clumsily tried to chat up an Australian
TV interviewer live on air.

Warner factor
Hyderabad skipper David Warner has had his own fair share of controversy over the years but he has let his batting do the talking this year.

Warner’s scintillating innings of 93 not out in Delhi on Friday night ensured his team’s qualification for the final which is being played in Bangalore.

The Australian’s 58-ball blitz against Gujarat Lions was his eighth fifty, putting him second in the scoring chart behind Kohli with 779 runs.

“The final is about not worrying about their players and executing our plans,” Warner said after the match.

Hyderabad’s seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the leading wicket-taker with 23 scalps and he has received crucial support from his young Bangladeshi partner Mustafizur Rahman who has taken 16 wickets.

After previous editions had been marred by fixing and corruption, this year’s tournament has managed to avoid any major scandal.

However the venue of the final had to be switched to Bangalore after judges banned Mumbai from hosting matches at a time when the state of Maharashtra has been blighted by drought.

Neither of the finalists have ever won the tournament which is now in its ninth year.

Squads
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (capt),Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Varun Aaron, Abu Nechim, Sreenath Aravind, Stuart Binny, Yuzvendra Chahal, Praveen Dubey, Travis Head, Iqbal Abdullah, Kedar Jadhav, Chris Jordan, Akshay Karnewar, Sarfaraz Khan, Vikramjeet Malik, Parvez Rasoon, Mandeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Lokesh Rahul, Kane Richardson, Tabraiz Shamsi, Sachin Baby, Shane Watson, David Wiese

Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Moises Henriques, Eoin Morgan, Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha, Karn Sharma, Mustafizur Rahman, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Barinder Sran, Trent Boult, Ben Cutting, Kane Williamson, Ashish Reddy, Ricky Bhui, Bipul Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vijay Shankar, T Suman, Aditya Tare.

Tigers to tour NZ in Dec

The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Friday announced their scheduled to play a full-fledged home series against Bangladesh starting with an ODI at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 26 December, says news agency UNB.

The series comprises of three ODIs, three T20Is and two Tests. The matches will take place at five separate venues -- Christchurch, Nelson, Napier, Mt Maunganui and Wellington.

Bangladesh toured New Zealand for one T20I, three ODIs and one Test in February 2010 when the hosts sealed the full series beating the Tigers by 1-0 in T20I, 3-0 in ODI and 1-0 in Test.

Fixtures:


ODI Series:


1st ODI: 26 December, Hagley Oval, Christchurch; 2nd ODI: 29 December, Saxton Oval, Nelson; 3rd ODI: 31 December, Saxton Oval, Nelson

T20I Series:


1st T20I: 3 January, 2017, McLean Park, Napier; 2nd T20I: 6 January, 2017, Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui; 3rd T20I: 8 January, 2017, Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui

Test Series:


1st Test: starting on 12 January, 2017, Basin Reserve, Wellington;
2nd Test: starting on 20 January, 2017, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

'Sexism row was just a little fun'

West Indies star Chris Gayle has insisted controversial comments he made to a female television reporter earlier this year were “just a little fun” as he turned on critics including Andrew Flintoff and Ian Chappell.

Gayle, 36, came under fire for asking Australian broadcaster Mel McLaughlin out on a date in a live television interview during a Big Bash Twenty20 game in January.

“I wanted to see your eyes for the first time, hopefully we can win this game and then we can have a drink after as well,” said star batsman Gayle, before adding: “Don’t blush, baby.”

Chappell and Flintoff, former captains of Australia and England respectively, were among those to criticise Gayle’s conduct.

But Gayle, in an extract from his autobiography published in The Times on Monday, said of his remarks during the Melbourne Renegades’ match against Hobart Hurricanes: “I meant it as a joke. I meant it as a little fun.

“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful and I didn’t mean it to be taken serious.”

‘International incident’ -
“Channel 10’s commentary team could be heard laughing in the background... but someone above them clearly decided to step in, and a throwaway comment in a fun format escalates and blows up and within hours it has turned into a major international incident.”

Flintoff responded on Twitter by saying Gayle had made himself look a “bit of a chop”.

But Gayle, in his autobiography, said: “The only chop Freddie (Flintoff) knows is when he used to bowl short to me and I would chop him past backward point for four.”

As for Chappell, Gayle said: “Ian Chappell, calling for me to banned worldwide, a man who was once convicted of unlawful assault in the West Indies for punching a cricket official.

“Ian Chappell, how can you ban the Universe Boss? You’d have to ban cricket itself.”

Saturday saw Gayle facing fresh accusations of sexism following the publication of an interview with female journalist Charlotte Edwardes in The Times magazine.

In the article, the Jamaican opener boasted of his “very, very big bat”.

He also asked Edwardes if she had ever “had” a black man and been in a threesome.

The interview also saw Gayle say women did have equality.

“Women can do what they want. Jamaican women are very vocal. They will let you know what time is it, for sure,” he said.

Gayle added: “Women should please their man,” explaining: “When he comes home, food is on the table. Serious,” although if she also works, “they share” and it is down to the “first person home”.

Gayle is currently playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

He is also due to play for Somerset in English cricket’s domestic T20 Blast event, having enjoyed a successful spell with the south-west county in 2015.

Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender, responding to the Edwardes interview, said: “We were disappointed to read the report in The Times (magazine).

“Our experience of Chris was very positive when he was with us last season, both on and off the pitch.

“We haven’t had the opportunity to discuss this with him yet, but will of course do so when he arrives to play for us in a few days’ time.”

Australia set to name Gillespie fast bowling coach

Australia is close to poaching Jason Gillespie from English cricket to be the national team’s new full-time fast bowling coach, a report said Wednesday.
Head coach Darren Lehmann has been on the look-out for a replacement since Craig McDermott stepped down at the end of the World Twenty20 in India this year.

He said last month that the highly-regarded Gillespie, who has been head coach at Yorkshire for four years and was last year touted as a candidate for the England coaching job, was high on his list.

At the time, the former Australian fast bowler said he was committed to the reigning English county champions.

But the Sydney Morning Herald reported Wednesday that discussions about bringing him home were now at an advanced level and his services could be secured next month.

“We’re speaking with a number of candidates but by no means is anything confirmed,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said in response.

The Herald said the pending appointment would propel Gillespie into the frame to eventually replace Lehmann, alongside frontrunner Justin Langer.

Ex-Tasmania quick Adam Griffith is temporarily filling the bowling coaching role for Australia’s upcoming one-day tri-series in the West Indies, which also includes South Africa.

Former South African pace spearhead Allan Donald then takes over for their Test tour of Sri Lanka.

Donald has said he is interested in the job full-time with reports also mentioning former Australian pacemen Ryan Harris and Andy Bichel, along with New Zealand’s Shane Bond, as possible contenders.

Mustafiz’s Sunrisers eliminate KKR

A solid 44-run knock from Yuvraj Singh followed by some outstanding spells of bowling from both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur proved more than enough for Sunrisers Hyderabad to knock Kolkata Knight Riders out of 2016 Indian Premier League, reports ndtv.com.
David Warner-led team will now battle it out against Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 2 to determine who faces Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final.
After being put in to bat, Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to a bad start as they lost Shikhar Dhawan in the second over of the innings.
Skipper David Warner and Moise Henriques put on a 59-run stand for the second wicket but Kuldeep Yadav then struck to remove both batsmen in quick succession.
Yuvraj Singh then came to the rescue for SRH and his brilliant knock of 44 off just 30 balls helped them put on a sizeable total of 162 for eight wickets.

Home Sports KKR ask Hyderabad to bat, Shakib left out

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be batting first in Wednesday's 'Eliminator' against Kolkata Knight Riders as skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss against David Warner.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has not been included in the KKR squad in a game they will also miss West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, who is out injured.

South African Morne Morkel comes in for Russell as does Rajagopal Sathish while Ankit Rajpoot make way.

Hyderabad, who has Bangladesh speedster Mustafizur Rahman in great form, brought in Bipul Sharma and Ben Cutting for Karn Sharma and Kane Williamson.

KKR have asked Hyderabad to bat first after

De Villiers fires Bangalore into final

Chasing 159 for victory at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Royal Challengers were reduced to 68 for six before De Villiers’ blitz fired the team home in 18.2 overs.
Gujarat medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni (4-14) hurt Bangalore with early strikes as red-hot openers Virat Kohli (0) and Chris Gayle (9) were back in the dug out early.
Coming in at number three De Villiers stayed calm to stitch an unbeaten 91-run partnership with Iqbal Abdullah (33) to stun the opposition in front of a raucous home crowd.
Man of the match De Villiers smashed five fours and five sixes during his 47-ball stay as the top-order batsman snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat.
Earlier put into bat Gujarat rode on West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith’s 41-ball 73 to post a respectable 158 all out in 20 overs.
Smith lifted Gujarat from a precarious nine for three to stitch a 85-run fourth wicket partnership with Dinesh Karthik as the duo counter attacked with great effect.
The Windies allrounder took charge to teach the Bangalore spinners a bitter lesson as he smashed five boundaries and 6 sixes during his entertaining knock.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal got the dangerous Smith back in the dug out as Australian allrounder Shane Watson (4-29) wiped out the Gujarat tail.
After left-arm spinner Abdullah’s double strike to get openers Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch out early it was Watson who hurt Gujarat’s bid to score big.
The Suresh Raina-led Gujarat though will have another shot at securing a final berth when they meet the winner of the Eliminator in the second Qualifier in New Delhi on Friday.
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Mustafiz now in Indian commercial!

'Cutter Master' and pride of Satkhira, Mustafizur Rahman is on a roll.

Apart from his on-pitch successes, he is now featured in television commercials, as part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad entourage, he was shown in an online delivery brand's advertisement, says news agency UNB.

The 59-second ad first shows Yuvraj Singh catching Mustafizur, David Warner, Eoin Morgan and Kane Williamson sobbing over an Indian drama serial.

The scene switches to captain Warner unable to find his lucky bat, which he fears would affect his form.
Refusing Morgan's gesture of sharing his bat, he remained stunned after finding that Yuvraj had ordered to bring his lucky bat from the brand in question, Desk to Desk Courier & Cargo (DTDC).

Although it is his first Indian ad, Mustafiz, nicknamed the Fizz, has already featured on brands including Robi and Centre Fresh.

Australia’s Henriques gets surprise call

All-rounder Moises Henriques earned a surprise recall Tuesday to Australia’s Test squad for Sri Lanka after James Pattinson was ruled out injured, with Stephen O’Keefe included as a second spinner.

Australia are embarking on their first Test tour of Sri Lanka in five years, as part of a two-month series that also involves five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.

Henriques was an unexpected choice, returning for the first time since 2013 with pacemen Pattinson and Peter Siddle both ruled out with back injuries.

Nathan Coulter-Nile was also included in the 15-man squad for the July-August Test series, along with O’Keefe who was picked for last summer’s final Test against the West Indies but overlooked for their two-match tour to New Zealand on green, seaming pitches.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc returns to Test cricket after a six-month injury absence.

“This squad has proven experience in sub-continental conditions,” said national selector Rod Marsh.

“Henriques comes into the squad to give the flexibility of an additional all-rounder option, having already shown he plays and adapts well to spin-friendly conditions.

“He has been working hard with his fitness and we believe he is in prime condition to serve us well should he be selected to play.

“Jackson Bird and Nathan Coulter-Nile join the squad and will give us good control and pace.”

He added that O’Keefe would complement Nathan Lyon well, if selected in the final XI.

“We know his ability, he takes wickets continually in first class cricket and he impresses when we select him to play Test cricket,” he said.

But Pattinson’s omission is a setback, failing to recover from the back problem he picked up on the New Zealand tour.

“Unfortunately his back pain continued... and after further investigation it confirmed that he has had a recurrence of a back stress fracture,” said Cricket Australia physiotherapist David Beakley.

“James will continue to spend the winter recovering from this injury, at which point we hope to have a clearer view of timelines for his return to play.”

The top-ranked Australia play Tests in Kandy, Galle and Colombo from July 26 with Lyon and Khawaja the only players to have previously experienced the five-day game in Sri Lanka, when Michael Clarke’s team won their last series 1-0 in 2011.

Australia: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Jackson Bird, Joe Burns, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, Stephen O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges.

Injured Maxwell returns home

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has suffered a side strain in the Indian Premier League and will head home to recover before the West Indies tour, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday. Maxwell had “increasing soreness in his left abdomen area” after playing for Kings XI Punjab, CA said in a statement.
“From the information we have so far, the injury doesn’t appear to be something that will prevent Glenn from participating in this tour, but we are keen to give him the necessary time to recover before departing to the West Indies at the end of this month,” a CA physiotherapist said.
The hard-hitting 27-year-old becomes the fifth Australia player to leave the Indian Twenty20 tournament early following the departures of captain Steve Smith, John Hastings and Mitchell and Shaun Marsh.
Australia play West Indies and South Africa in a triangular one-day international tournament starting on June 5.

 

Ganguly doubts Dhoni’s future as skipper

Batting great Sourav Ganguly has called for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be ditched as India’s limited overs captain unless selectors are convinced he can lead the team into the 2019 World Cup.
After India’s semi-final exit at the recent World Twenty20, Dhoni tried to brush off suggestions that he might struggle to make the next 50 over World Cup being held in England in July 2019 when he will turn 38.
But Ganguly, who was Dhoni’s predecessor as captain of both the Test and one-day side, cast doubt on whether the man known as ‘Captain Cool’ had the staying power to remain at the helm for another four years.
“The selectors need to find an answer to whether they see Dhoni leading India in 2019. If the answer is no, then find a new captain,” Ganguly told the India Today television network on Tuesday.
“If the answer is yes, which I will find very, very surprising, Dhoni continues.”
Dhoni, a wicketkeeper-batsman, stepped down as India’s Test captain in December 2014 after leading his country to a record 27 victories and was succeed by Virat Kohli.
However, he stayed on as ODI and T20 skipper, leading the team in last year’s World Cup as well as the recent World T20, which India hosted.
When quizzed on his future after India’s defeat to the West Indies in the World T20, Dhoni asked his questioner: “Do you think I am unfit, looking at my running? Do you think I can survive until the 2019 World Cup?”
Although his acumen as a Test captain was often questioned, Dohni is seen as one of the greatest skippers in short-form cricket after leading India to victory in the inaugural World T20 in 2007 and the 2011 ODI World Cup.
Since the World T20, Dhoni has struggled in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), with his Rising Pune Supergiants team languishing near the bottom of the table.
Ganguly, however, said that even if Dhoni was replaced as skipper, he still merited a place in the team, and insisted that he had great respect for his successor’s achievements.
“There’s no disregard to him (Dhoni), he has been one of the greatest captains of the country,” said Ganguly.

Gayle backs pink-ball tests

Explosive West Indian opener Chris Gayle has backed day-night tests and believes they could make the longest form of the game more popular.
Australia and New Zealand played the first floodlit test at the Adelaide Oval in November, attracting more than 123,000 fans through the gates.
“It’s going to be different for the fans (but) I don’t see any reason why the concept can’t take off and be as successful as the shorter forms of the game,” Gayle told reporters in Bengaluru where he represents the Royal Challengers Indian Premier League team.
The tall left-hander, who scored 7,214 runs in 103 tests, played his last test against Bangladesh in 2014.
According to media reports, India want to host a day-night test against Australia next year.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to p

Mashrafe runs riot against Sheikh Jamal

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza on Saturday smashed an outstanding century against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club during Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.

The record-breaking 50-ball century by Mashrafe helped Kalabagan Krira Chakra set 317-run target for Sheikh Jamal.

Mashrafe scored a total of 104 runs from 51 balls with 11 sixes and two fours in the innings. This is for the first time the Bangladesh captain managed to score a century in List-A cricket league.

He, however, bagged seven half centuries in list-A matches. This is also the quickest century by a Bangladeshi in first class cricket.

Mashrafe picked his first fifty from 35 balls, but the second one took just 15 balls to reach the milestone.

In 46th over, Mash hit 3 sixes, and in the 48th over stroke another four sixes.

Five games that won Barca La Liga

Barcelona claimed their 24th La Liga title on Sunday with a 3-0 win at Granada thank to a Luis Suarez hat-trick.
Here, AFP sports looks at five key games on the Catalans’ run to retaining their title.

Atletico Madrid 1 Barcelona 2, September 12, 2015
Barca faced a huge test just three games into the defence of their title with a visit to Champions League finalists Atletico.
Lionel Messi started only on the bench the day after the birth of his second son, but the World Player of the Year came on to score the winner after a stunning Neymar free-kick had cancelled out Fernando Torres’s opener.

Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 4, November 21, 2015
Messi watched on from the bench once more for the first hour on his return from knee ligament damage, but Barca still landed an early blow in the title race from which Madrid and, in particular, beleaguered coach Rafael Benitez never recovered.
Suarez and Neymar starred with the Uruguayan opening and rounding off the scoring, whilst the Brazilian slotted home the second just before half-time and teed up Andres Iniesta’s stunning strike for the third with a cheeky backheel.

Barcelona 6 Celta Vigo 1, February 14, 2016
Barca blew open a tight game with a magnificent 20-minute spell to score four goals of stunning quality to see of a valiant Celta Vigo.
The easiest finish was the most talked about as Suarez slotted home Messi’s pass from the penalty spot in homage to the late Johan Cruyff’s famous effort for Ajax 34 years previously.

That was part of a second-half hat-trick for Suarez, whilst Neymar and Ivan Rakitic chipped home classy finishes late on to add to Messi’s inch-perfect first-half free-kick.

Deportivo la Coruna 0 Barcelona 8, April 20, 2016
Having suffered three consecutive league defeats for the first time in 13 years, Barca bounced back in stunning fashion with a demolition of Deportivo inspired by four goals and three assists from Suarez.

Messi, Neymar, Rakitic and Marc Bartra also netted as the confidence flowed back to start a run of five wins to end the season by a combined score of 24-0.

Granada 0 Barcelona 3 May 14, 2016
Suarez was the hero once more as he struck a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to 59 and become the first player other than Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Pichichi trophy as La Liga’s top scorer in seven years.

Heritage of Bangladesh

Why Bangladesh is so Beautiful :

Beautiful Bangladesh Bangladesh is a land of mystery and intrigue. The country is centuries old and while it has seen many visitors over the years, it is only now starting to experience a commercial tourism boom. In many respects, Bangladesh is a land of opportunity and adventure. All you need do is step out and discover its many mysteries for yourself. There are so many things to be enjoyed here. Perhaps one of the most popular activities is that of sunning yourself on the exquisite white sandy beaches of Cox's Bazaar and Teknaaf. Both beaches are situated on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal and are relatively unspoilt by tourists making them a great place to spend vacation time. Another attraction is the many archaeological sites in the country. They are interesting from a cultural and architectural point of view and can be fascinating to tour. Bangladesh's other attraction is a bit more lively – the Royal Bengal Tigers which have become somewhat of a trademark for the country. These stunning big cats are somewhat protected in the country and are stunning to behold! Bangladesh is also home to the longest sea beach, the largest tea gardens and some amazing exotic animal life. To top it off, the people of the country are colorful and friendly and have a fascinating culture. There is a lot to do here. You can choose things such as trekking and adventure tours. Most of the activities give you the opportunity to take in the beautiful green mountains, sparkling rivers and clear vistas. The natural wealth of the area is, in many respects, unbeatable. Bangladesh is a paradise just waiting to be discovered!
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