'I really admire Vaas' – Srinath

Javagal Srinath: ‘Fast bowling takes different meanings at different stages of your career’ © Getty Images

weCricinfo On Vaas reaching 300 Test wickets
When people spoke about Sachin’s 35th 100, it did call for some celebrations. Any milestone calls for that. But I’d like to look beyond the mere numbers and see what has gone into it … tremendous amount of commitment, the resilience, coming back up after being down. At a milestone you take stock of the situation and you celebrate. That’s what statistics should mean to anyone. I’m very pleased for Chaminda Vaas because credit should be given to anyone who takes wickets on subcontinent tracks. The Sri Lankan team has never been considered a threat in the same degree as Australia or South Africa or even the Indians and they’re always up against quality batsmen. If you take the split of Vaas’s wickets – home and away – you’ll find his performance is equally good. That is noteworthy.On Vaas bowling without much fast bowling support all his career
The commonality that you see in India and Sri Lanka is that fast bowlers are few and far between. The wickets we play on could be a major reason for that. The reasons are the same for the two countries. In spite of not having much fast-bowling support he has bowled his heart out. But he did have good support from Arjuna Ranatunga, who spotted him and nurtured him.On Vaas knowing his own strengths and weaknesses
Fast bowling takes different meanings at different stages of your career. When you are young and energetic you tend to try and bowl as quickly as you can. The sooner you realise that pace is just one of the components of fast bowling you start thinking about line, length, the conditions. For Chaminda Vaas that came early in his career, I’m sure about that. That’s the reason he has had so much success in the last four years. He has kept the ball in the right areas and allowed pace to play second fiddle. He does not try to bowl express pace, his action does not allow it. He has kept to the basics on most occasions, and bowled to the situation. Once you start doing that it’s easier to see weaknesses in batsmen. Bowling in the right areas will expose the weaknesses of most batsmen.On how easy or difficult it is to know yourself as a fast bowler
A lot of parameters are involved in getting to know yourself as a fast bowler. In the end you have to decide what changes are needed, how to adapt. In retrospect people can be a mirror to you. But when the process is on I don’t think anyone has any insights. It’s more or less trial and error to check what you have in yourself. Understanding pitches, making subtle changes to adapt to different conditions, these are the key things you need to realise as a fast bowler. Glenn McGrath is a classic example. Even though he has had an ideal body to bowl quick he has never relied on pace. He understood the knack of getting wickets early, and Vaas has done the same, in harsher conditions. That’s why I really admire Vaas.On Vaas not having a fast bowler to look up to from Sri Lanka
There’s enough Test cricket going on around the world. It’s not necessary that an idol has to be from your own country. Being an inswing bowler I was always a great fan of Imran Khan and how he handled batsmen. Vaas has said more than once in interviews that he was a big fan of Wasim Akram, and tried to emulate him. An idol can be from anywhere.On Vaas’s longevity … he’s going strong after 90 Tests
More than the wickets he has taken I am amazed at his fitness levels and the way he has changed his bowling action over the years. Ranatunga played a key role. The captain’s confidence makes a big difference for any bowler. Ranatunga understood and realised that they needed a fast bowler if they were to be successful. When Pramodya Wickramasinghe could not do well consistently they relied more and more on Vaas, and he has risen to occasion most times.On how fast bowlers keep their chins up when bowling long spells in tough conditions and going wicketless
In the end it is very important how you conserve energy. How you start the day, how you pace yourself, how you end, these are important things and people like Dilhara Fernando need to learn these things from Vaas. If you are quick and bowl flat out in the first 15 overs, you struggle to come back in the last spell. Pace can be intimidating, but that is only a certain percentage of fast bowling, it is not the main thing. In conditions like this in Delhi’s winter you can bowl more overs in a day than say in Sri Lanka but you also get stiff, so you have to be constantly stretching, and keeping warm. It’s small adjustments like this. How you space yourself and conserve energy is crucial. If you run in hard and bowl quick, but down the leg side, that doesn’t make much sense. You have to know where to expend energy.

ICC warns India of responsibilties

Niranjan Shah: reminded of India’s duties © AFP

The ICC chief executive, Malcolm Speed, has written to Niranjan Shah, the honorary secretary of the BCCI, to issue an unusually forthright reminder of India’s duties to the worldwide cricket community.The response from the ICC comes after India announced plans to break away from the Future Tours Programme (FTP) ,by playing Australia in three consecutive years, and said they would not play any future Champions Trophy events, following the 2006 tournament.”I have read a number of media reports emanating from the BCCI in which you and other BCCI officials are quoted as spokesmen on behalf of the board,” said Speed. “The President [Ehsan Mani] and I are both very concerned that BCCI is moving ahead and taking what appear to be unilateral decisions that are contrary to ICC policy as agreed by the ICC members including the BCCI.”There is nothing to stop countries arranging tours outside of the FTP, but there is a fear that India are trying to reorganise the international calendar to maximise their income.”I wish to remind the BCCI of three important decisions that have been taken by the ICC and IDI [the commercial arm of the ICC] boards in recent times. At its meeting in Auckland on March 9, 2004, the ICC executive board resolved to adopt the ICC [tours programme].”The effect of this decision is that the FTP is binding on all of the members of the ICC, including the BCCI. Any attempt by a member to amend it unilaterally without the consent of the ICC board is invalid.”The letter from Speed also outlined the decisions that had been agreed at the ICC meeting in Sydney during October. This included the ICC staging a major event each year until 2015, although this plan has been disrupted with the poor response to the Super Series. Speed confirmed the priority for scheduling matches, making it clear that tours outside the FTP were at the bottom of the list. The order explained in the letter is the following:

  • ICC Events;
  • FTP Tours;
  • Regional events such as the Asia Cup and the Afro-Asia Cup;
  • Series involving Associate Members;
  • Any additional bilateral series outside the FTP.Speed continued: “With the greatest of respect to the BCCI, could I urge you to take these decisions into account when you are considering scheduling of matches.”He explained that the next appropriate forums to discuss ICC policy were the chief executives’ committee and executive board meetings scheduled for February and March 2006.
  • Gilchrist bats for regular opening partner

    Phil Jaques: ‘I’ve just got to go out and do my business and hopefully I can’t be ignored’ © Getty Images

    Adam Gilchrist, the stand-in captain, has called for a regular opening partnership to be established ahead of the 2007 World Cup and has thrown his weight behind Simon Katich. Gilchrist’s support has come after consistent calls for Phil Jaques, the New South Wales opener who made 94 on debut, to be given a regular place.”I think any team that’s settled is going to benefit from that regularity and being familiar with eachother,” Gilchrist said in . “For the best part of my career I’ve had two regular partners in Mark [Waugh] and then Matty [Hayden] and I’m starting to have batted a number of times with Kato [Katich].”You’d have to ask the selectors what they’re going to do with batting positions, but Simon has been very consistent since he’s come in as opener. He hasn’t nailed a big score, he knows that, but he’s certainly been the one that’s been the more consistent in getting the team off to a decent start. He’s getting comfortable in that position and learning it.”Everyone would like a regular batting line-up well and truly settled leading into the World Cup. It’s still 12 months away [so] there is still a fair bit of time to get that settled.”Katich is feeling tremendous pressure from the in-form Jaques. “[Opener] is where I’ve played for NSW, and that’s where I feel comfortable batting,” Katich said in the . “But obviously I’ve got to replicate that form for Australia. So far I’ve been relatively consistent but I haven’t got any big scores, which I need to do. That’s been frustrating. [Jaques] batted really well. Whether all three of us can coexist I’m not sure.”Jaques has been turning on the heat, averaging 104 and 56.55 in the ING and Pura cups this season, and with his 138 against Tasmania on Wednesday he became the first batsman in Australian domestic one-day history to hit four centuries in a summer. “I’ll just be working twice as hard.” Jaques told . “I’ve just got to go out and do my business and hopefully I can’t be ignored. I suppose the more runs you score the more the pressure mounts.”Michael Clarke is another contender for the opening job and has liked the role in his brief stints. “I do enjoy it,” Clarke told . “I enjoyed the VB series last summer when Matty Hayden and Gilly had a rest. Unfortunately it’s just too hard to get up there, the boys do so well there. Gilly and Kato have been fantastic. For me, I have to bide my time. I don’t mind batting six for Australia in the one-day team either.”

    Sky secure rights for England-India series

    Satellite broadcaster BSkyB has secured the rights to televise England’s tour of India.Nimbus Communication announced the four-year deal early on Friday, and it was confirmed by a spokesman for Sky TV. As well as the current series, it covers India’s home series against Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa through to 2009.Neither party would disclose the value of the contract. It is widely thought that many of the other channels mentioned by Nimbus in recent days were not necessarily serious bidders, but were brought into play in an attempt to increase the value of the rights.Sky’s production team, which has been on standby all week, will fly out to India this weekend and will be followed by the commentary team which includes Mike Atherton, Ian Botham, David Gower and Nasser Hussain.Sky now has the rights to all home international series in England, Australia, India, South Africa and West Indies.

    'It was totally disappointing' – Jayasuriya

    ‘Mohammad Asif bowled particularly well – his delivery to get rid of Thilan Samaraweera was a peach’ © AFP

    Sanath Jayasuriya
    On his final game
    It was totally disappointing for me. I got injured and we lost the match – it was not the best way to end my Test career. Naturally, I was looking for a good finish but unfortunately we were unable to do that. I tried my best to bat and I took an injection in the morning. But the doctor was not very keen for me go outMahela Jayawardene
    His summing up of the match
    It was not a bad wicket but they bowled really well yesterday. There was something for the quick bowlers here in the morning but we could not get those early breakthroughs. Defending just 180 we needed to get three or four early wickets to get the momentum going. We were confident and the bowlers beat the bat a few times early, but they started batting well and got away from usOn what would have been a good target
    It is all about momentum – if we’d had batted better last evening the momentum would not have shifted over to Pakistan. Anything over 250 might have been OK if we had the momentum. The last hour of the day yesterday cost us the match and the seriesOn Mohammad Asif
    He bowled really well here and at the SSC. He bowled straight and was putting the vast majority of his deliveries in the right areas. You can’t take anything away from him – he just bowled really well. This was the first time I have seen him – he has the pace and the movement. His wrist seems to be right behind the ball and he gives nothing away, putting a lot of the pressure on the batters.On his reluctance to use Malinga Bandara
    After seeing the wicket yesterday and how it was behaving my gut feeling was that I had to give an opportunity to the quicks to get something out of it. It was not that Malinga [Bandara] did not have anything, but Murali was bowling well and he is is obviously our main match-winner. Thus I went for Murali at one end and tried to do something with the quicks at the other. Malinga, though, has done really well in the last few months. He didn’t have a great game at SSC but you can’t say he had a bad game here because he hardly bowled because of the conditions.On whether complacency was responsible for Sri Lanka’s collapse
    After we got them out and secured a 109-run lead we had a chat in the dressing room and said `Let’s push the advantage and make sure we don’t give them anything’. There was no complacency, as we knew after the first Test that we had to put the runs on the board against these guys and bat for three sessions.But we lost early wickets and they bowled really well. I can’t pinpoint it and say, `This was lacking and that was lacking’. The effort was there but it was an unfortunate two hours. The first four or so wickets were got by good balls and after that the guys were trying to get some runs and turn around the momentum. For example, Dilshan is a natural strokeplayer and that is what he did in the first Test to rescue us. He was trying to do the same here. You can’t pinpoint and say it was bad technique.On whether Sangakkara should have opened
    Sanga is very fit – he showed that in the first Test as well. He was not complaining. We asked the question and he wanted to open so we moved everyone moved one spot.On Sanath’s sad farewell
    Unfortunately, Sanath was not there for us yesterday. It was very sad. He had a brilliant career and has been a great ambassador for Sri Lanka’s cricket. Everyone wanted to give him a good farewell and it was a very disappointing way to say goodbye to Sanath in Test cricket.On the England tour
    England will be different. When we went last time we handled the conditions well at the start but then struggled in the last two Tests. Obviously, though, the weather and the pitches are going to be different and we are just going to have to get there and adjust as quickly as possible. It is all going to be about hardworkOn Darryl Harper’s reluctance to give Murali lbws
    I don’t want to make any comments on that. If I have anything to say I will put it in the report, which is the right way to do it. Umpires are under a lot of pressure as well. It is not easy in Test cricket. Wee just have to take it with our heads high.Bob Woolmer
    On the ease with which Pakistan won
    I think the 20 wickets yesterday was a slightly false reflection of the conditions. Sometimes, if you psychologically do as well as Sri Lanka did yesterday to bowl us out you can subconsciously relax. Asif started to take wickets and it all started to happen for us. When you come here knowing you have a specific target, on a pitch that really wasn’t a 73 all out surface, you realise that you just need to get through the new ball and Murali’s first spell. Then Younis Khan and Imran Farhat batted really well. When we were 109 behind after the first innings we were looking down the barrel. But a wonderful performance from Asif got us back in the game.On Mohammad Asif
    He bowled beautifully in this series. In fact, I think it’s really exciting for Pakistan cricket just how well he bowled. He is a type of bowler that Pakistan have not had for a long time – someone who hits the deck and is tight. He is one of those McGrath-like bowlers who bowl really tight line and lengths and just move the ball in and out. It is very difficult for a batsman to pick up as there is very little change in his action. He moves the ball and he is not slow – he is quick enough to bowl people out. At the age of 23, he will get better.On the turning point of the match
    It swung Pakistan’s way when Sri Lanka batted again last afternoon. I think, though, possibly, the hidden turning point may have been when Sanath Jayasuriya took that blow while catching Imran Farhat. Suddenly, they had to open with someone else and the only way Pakistan could win was by bowling out Sri Lanka cheaply. I was looking at around 140/150 and then chasing around 250 so bowl them out for 73 was a shock for us as wellOn the pitch
    On the first day I though it was a good pitch. There was some movement after the moisture of the preceding few days, but the bounce was even – having said that I though we could have bowled better on it. On the second day it seemed to get quicker and more uneven. Historically, after looking back previous Tests, batting on the third day is the best day here in Kandy so I think we were fortunate. When you are chasing 180 and you get a good start, hitting fours and taking singles, the opposition find it difficult to hold you.On Jayasuriya
    Sanath has been an absolute credit to the game of cricket. He has been a wonderful ambassador for Sri Lanka’s cricket. He has been a fantastic cricketer on the field, with his batting, left-arm spin and fielding. It is always sad when someone who has done so much for cricket on the field has to pack up his bags and stop.

    Cosgrove and Dorey in ODI squad

    Brett Dorey: an opportunity to improve on his tally of one wicket in ODIs © Getty Images

    Mark Cosgrove and Brett Dorey will replace Damien Martyn and Stuart Clark for the three-match one-day series in Bangladesh. Martyn played in the first Test but is returning home due to an elbow injury, while Clark is going back to Sydney to be with his wife for the birth of their child.Cosgrove, a 21-year-old left-hand batsman for South Australia, hasn’t yet played international cricket but has impressed in the first-class circuit, averaging 41 from 24 matches. Dorey, 28, played three matches in the VB Series last season, but managed only one wicket.Australia have already made one other change to their squad, replacing Shane Watson with James Hopes. Watson hasn’t yet recovered completely from a calf injury he picked up in the recent Pura Cup final.

    Asia to host 2011 World Cup

    Click here for a list of all events awarded

    Ehsan Mani makes the announcement in Dubai© ICC

    Asia have won the bid to host the 2011 World Cup by beating a joint bid by Australia and New Zealand by ten votes to three. The ICC’s executive committee met in Dubai on Sunday, and made series of decisions regarding the future hosting of events. After missing out on 2011, Australia and New Zealand have the 2015 World Cup and England the 2019 event.”We did a great job, the four countries put together an impressive presentation and we got 10 out of 13 votes,” Lalit Modi, BCCI vice-president told the Press Trust of India. “We are looking forward to it. A lot of work has to go in. The four countries will jointly sit down along with ICC to chalk out plans for hosting the 2011 World Cup. A lot of infrastructure needs to be put in place. We are mentally geared up for it. We will do the task at hand.”Reflecting on the decision over the 2011 tournament, Ehsan Mani, the ICC President, said: “On behalf of the ICC I congratulate the four Asian members on earning the right to host the World Cup 2011.”Since turning up at the ICC board meeting in March with an unviable submission they have worked hard to satisfy the strict hosting criteria set by the ICC. That a compliant submission was produced ahead of the final deadline earlier this month is testament to the capacity of these four countries to work together.”We can now prepare with confidence for what promises to be the biggest occasion that cricket fans in Asia and around the world will ever have seen. This is the first time that members interested in hosting ICC events have been required to produce submissions that fulfil strict hosting criteria and we have been delighted with the process.Pakistan had reasons for a double celebration when not only did they win a joint bid with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to host the 2011 World Cup but they were also awarded the 2008 Champions Trophy.The delegates representing the Asian bid at the meeting also expressed their joy at securing the right to host the 2011 tournament.”We are delighted to have been asked to host the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, it is a tremendous honour,” said Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the PCB. “The submissions process has been eye-opening for all of us. I don’t think we fully appreciated the volume of work that was required to produce a compliant submission and we are grateful to the ICC Board for allowing us extra time to complete this process.”IS Bindra, who attended the meeting on behalf of the BCCI, said: “I was fortunate enough to be associated with Asia’s previous successful bids for the 1987 and 1996 tournaments. Both of those were great successes and we hope 2011 will represent a new landmark as a cricketing and sporting milestone.”We can promise that the 2011 Cricket World Cup will be as big as the football World Cup. In Asia you will see traffic stop, and massive television audiences and crowds for all the matches played.”The BCCI secretary, Naranjan Shah, who was in Dubai to help deliver the Asian presentation, added: “We worked hard as a group and we were all determined to get the World Cup. It has been a joint effort and this result is the fruits of those efforts.”The Bangladesh representative, Mohammad Ali Asghar MP, said: “This is fantastic news and is a big progression for Bangladesh, especially as we have also secured an ICC Event in 2014. The matches in our country will definitely keep up Bangladesh’s development in world cricket and we congratulate the ICC for giving us this chance. We will ensure we have all the support necessary from our Government to make these events successful.”Jayantha Dharmadasa, the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), added: “It is difficult to find the words to express how delighted I am with this news. All of Sri Lanka, from the President down, will be thrilled with what has happened and with the problems in the country at the moment this is a very positive thing.”We have also been awarded an ICC Event in 2012, and whether it will be a Twenty20 World Championship or a Champions Trophy we are so happy to be hosting it. The events in 2011 and 2012 mean that we will have hosted five ICC tournaments in 12 years and that speaks very highly of Sri Lanka, SLC and the present administration.”We will have two new grounds by then with one near Kandy and the newly renovated stadium in Galle and that means we would have a total of seven excellent world-class venues to use.”The result is a boost for the Asian group whose bid had been weakened by a late submission. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had made a bid and were allowed an extension until April 21 to set out their proposal after they had difficulty hitting the first deadline in March. In the end, when it came down to voting, the Asian group came through with a big majority.

    ICC events2007 Twenty20 World Championships – South Africa
    2008 Champions Trophy – Pakistan
    2009 Twenty20 World Championships – England
    2009 Women’s World Cup – Australia
    2010 Champions Trophy – West Indies
    2011 World Cup – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
    2012 Twenty20 World Championships or Champions Trophy – Sri Lanka
    2013 Women’s World Cup – India
    2014 Twenty20 World Championships or Champions Trophy – Bangladesh
    2015 World Cup – Australia and New Zealand
    2019 World Cup – England

    Gul hoping to land Glamorgan deal

    Umar Gul is looking to follow in Waqar Younis’s footsteps by signing for Glamorgan © AFP

    Umar Gul is hoping to land a one-month stint with Glamorgan during the ongoing county season and before the start of Pakistan’s tour to England in the summer.Gul said he would play for the club if the deal is negotiated successfully and he gets clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). “I have been approached by Glamorgan for this season and if I get permission from the PCB then I would be delighted to play in the English season,” Gul told AFP.Gul only recently returned to international cricket, during the ODI series against India in February, having been out injured since March 2004. In his last Test appearance before a serious stress fracture of the back almost ended his career, Gul took five wickets against India at Lahore, helping his side to a famous win.Understandably, Gul has been inconsistent since his comeback, though he has produced a couple of impressive spells against India and in Sri Lanka. In his time away, others such as Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Asif have emerged as pace bowling options.Gul added, “I spoke to Bob Woolmer who has suggested that I play for one month for the county and join the Pakistan team if I am required for the England tour.” If he does sign up, Gul will join fellow countrymen Asif, Rana and Mushtaq Ahmed, the leg-spinner, on the circuit. And he will hope to emulate Waqar Younis, who enjoyed a successful stint with the county in the late nineties.Pakistan tour England between June and September for four Tests and five one-day games and a preliminary squad for the pre-tour training camp is due to be announced on Wednesday.

    Thorpe awarded MBE

    Graham Thorpe missed out on last year’s monumental Ashes series © Getty Images

    Graham Thorpe, the former England batsman, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours.Just over 12 months ago, Thorpe made an unbeaten 66 for England against Bangladesh; his 100th Test, It was to be his last as England opted to introduce Kevin Pietersen to the Australians the following month.His 100 Tests earned him 6,774 runs at the healthy average of 44.66; in a 13-year career, dogged by back injuries, marital problems, and a period out of the game, he was one of England’s finest middle-order batsmen.”I was really taken aback by it,” Thorpe told BBC Sport. “But I am extremely proud I have been recognised in this way. This is not the reason you play cricket – but getting this sort of recognition is something I am very proud of.”Thorpe, England’s 10th highest run-scorer in Tests, joined a select band of players to make a hundred on debut (114 not out against Australia, at Trent Bridge, in 1993), and later shone against Sri Lanka and Pakistan on England’s successful subcontinent tour in 2000-01.

    Bangladesh level the series

    Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
    How they were out

    Farhad Reza’s 50 on debut helped Bangladesh post a defendable total © Getty Images

    There was to be no come-from-behind win or celebratory fist-pumping from Zimbabwe as Bangladesh hit back from yesterday’s loss with a 62-run win in the second one-day international at Harare. Having scrapped their way to 238 for 8, Bangladesh bowled and fielded with fire to bowl Zimbabwe out for 176 and level the best-of-five series 1-1.Bangladesh applied the chokehold on a struggling Zimbabwe. Shahadat Hossain picked up two early wickets, Adbur Razzak snapped up Vusi Sibanda at the halfway mark, the fielders remained sharp to leave the middle order stuttering, and, most importantly, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Elton Chigumbura were kept quiet. Shahadat forced Chamu Chibhabha to nick a straight delivery on the stumps to Khaled Mashud. To add to their problems, the Zimbabwean running between the wickets was poor in the face of a rejuvenated Bangladeshi side. Habibul Bashar and Aftab Ahmed affected two run outs to send the unconvincing Piet Rinke and Hamilton Masakadza back to the pavilion and Zimbabwe were suddenly 52 for 3.Sibanda, in a similar vein as yesterday, struggled to work the ball off his pads but was fluent through the off side. His dismissal, caught behind off Razzak’s flighted left-arm spin, compounded a floundering response with the bat from Zimbabwe. As the run rate soared, Shahadat returned to clean bowl Brendan Taylor, and Zimbabwe’s task became all the more difficult. To seal the deal, effectively, the heroic combo from last evening, Matsikenyeri and Chigumbura, were not allowed to perform another rescue act. Though Matsikenyeri got to 46 from 56 deliveries, his dismissal – caught fishing at Razzak by Mashud behind the stumps – signaled the death knell. Chigumbara today struggled to get bat to ball and was trapped leg before by Mohammad Rafique for 15 from 48. Thereafter, the spinners continued to stymie the lower order and Zimbabwe were finally bowled out in the 45th over. Shahadat finished with 3 for 44, the best Bangladeshi figures.Earlier, a maiden fifty on debut from Farhad Reza and a patient undefeated 48 from Mashud apart, it was a similar tale of woe for the Bangladeshi batsmen against a spirited and disciplined Zimbabwean unit who refused to give in. For the second day running, Prosper Utseya won the toss, inserted Bangladesh, and watched gleefully as his medium pacers wreaked havoc. Or, from a Bangladeshi perspective, Bashar lost the toss again, was forced to expose his frail top order, and watched them self-destruct.Ed Rainsford and Tawanda Mupariwa began as they did yesterday, simply putting the ball in the right channels and waiting for Bangladesh’s imprudence. This was not a pitch on which the batsmen needed to bash everything in sight. Every Bangladeshi was aerial, and three – Javed Omar, Shahriar Nafees, and Aftab Ahmed – perished to shots that just weren’t on. Ashraful tried his best to emulate his team-mates with a top-edge and a slog that landed safely between three fielders, but had to depart in a more unconventional way – to a gem of a delivery from Blessing Mahwire.Farhad, refreshingly, was impressive throughout his innings. He was in fine form down the ground, impressive against the spinners, and a keen judge of a single. With Mashud for partner, he added 71 for the sixth wicket in good time as Bangladesh attempted a fight back. He was dropped at mid-off by Chibhabha on the dot of the halfway mark, but that was merely in keeping with the mood of the innings. He moved to 48 with a heave over midwicket for six, and reached 50 with a calm two through the same region. His effort ended, however, when he failed to get his bat down on a quick Rainsford yorker and lost his leg stump.Faced with the pressure on 76 for 5, Mashud was his workmanlike self as he swept and dabbed the ball wide of the fielders. He didn’t pick up his first boundary until the 49th over, but his presence was a reassuring one for Bangladesh. His unbeaten 48 kept just enough pressure on Zimbabwe not to run away with the match. Mohammad Rafique was keen on the cut shot, and when offered the width, rarely failed to come up short. He even managed a thumping pull over deep backward square leg for six. His 33, off 44 deliveries, was his second valuable act in two days and helped Mashud add a semblance of a good total.How they were outBangladesh
    Javed Omar c Utseya b Mupariwa10 (17 for 1)
    Shahriar Nafees c Chibhabha b Rainsford 7 (34 for 2)
    Aftab Ahmed c Masakadza b Mahwire 40 (68 for 3)
    Mohammad Ashraful c Taylor b Mahwire 4 (73 for 4)
    Habibul Bashar c Matsikenyeri b Rinke 5 (76 for 4)
    Farhad Reza b Rainsford 50 (147 for 6)
    Mohammad Rafique c Chigumbura b Mahwire 32 (195 for 7)
    Mashrafe Mortaza c Sibanda b Mupariwa 14 (213 for 8)

    Game
    Register
    Service
    Bonus