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The series would serve as an appetiser for the hosts to the bonanza of the upcoming PSL

Danyal Rasool10-Feb-2021

Big Picture

After an entertaining Test series where the 2-0 scoreline belied the competitiveness of the cricket, Pakistan and South Africa move on to the shortest format. This is a series both sides will cherish for very different reasons. For Pakistan, it serves as an appetiser to a five-week-long bonanza of T20 cricket in the shape of the PSL which starts later this month, and will mark, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the presence of crowds for a cricket match. The visitors, on the other hand, can put their heart and soul into these three matches, not knowing when they play next, following Cricket Australia’s controversial decision to call off their tour to South Africa citing Covid-19 concerns.Pakistan have to be the clear favourites simply because of the youthful, inexperienced side South Africa line up with. Initially selected because they wanted to keep their senior players rested for the now-cancelled Australia tour, South Africa opted to stick with that fresh-faced side, a far cry from the team that ended Pakistan’s record-breaking 11 T20I series-winning streak two years ago.Related

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Pakistan will look to put an indifferent performance in the T20I series against New Zealand behind them, while hoping to replicate the spirit of the Napier T20I, where they pulled off a victory from a deeply unfavourable position. At home, meanwhile, they have been solid in T20I cricket since a disastrous 3-0 reverse against a severely depleted Sri Lanka side 18 months ago. However, the wins since then have only come against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and South Africa represent the biggest threat to that recent uptick in T20I form, no matter the absences.South Africa’s most experienced player David Miller admitted they would come under heavy pressure, and recent form indicates that. The visitors have not won any of their last five T20I series, last triumphing against Sri Lanka nearly two years ago. Heinrich Klaasen captains them on this tour, but with little obvious firepower either with bat or ball, his side will have to produce a level they have struggled to attain of late to seriously test a well-drilled Pakistan side that knows the Lahore conditions inside out.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WLLWW
South Africa LLLLW

In the spotlight

Haider Ali misfiring in New Zealand meant Pakistan were left a bit short on firepower in the powerplay, and a return to form would give the home side an invaluable boost. With Fakhar Zaman’s form declining and Mohammad Rizwan, despite his Napier heroics, not quite explosive enough to hold down a permanent opening spot, Haider’s emergence has been perfectly timed. Alongside Babar Azam, who is set to return after his absence in New Zealand, Pakistan have the perfect mix of quality and power at the top. Haider demonstrated the sort of impact he could have on a game on debut against England and at home versus Zimbabwe, and with the PSL – where he shot to prominence – right around the corner, he likes this time of year.Janneman Malan will be high on confidence following scores of 67, 95 and 69* in his last four List A matches•Associated Press

In a fairly inexperienced touring party, Janneman Malan stands out for his pedigree and quality. Arguably one of the players who might have earned a call-up in a full-strength side, Malan’s recent form makes him one of South Africa’s trump cards this series. It might have come in the 50-over format, but 67, 95 and 69* in his last List A matches – coupled with a match-winning 129 not out against Australia last year – means confidence isn’t something the 24-year old will be short of. A strike rate in excess of 135 in T20 cricket is indicative of Malan’s potential in the shortest format, and there’s little reason this couldn’t be his breakout series.

Team news

Azam’s availability means Rizwan will likely drop lower down the order despite his heroics in New Zealand. Asif Ali and Hasan Ali are likely starters, while Shaheen Afridi may get a rest.Pakistan: 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Haider Ali, 3 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 4 Khushdil Shah, 5 Asif Ali, 6 Hussain Talat, 7 Faheem Ashraf/Iftikhar Ahmed, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Usman QadirGlenton Stuurman and Pite van Biljon may start for South Africa, while a spin-heavy strategy could see George Linde, Jon-Jon Smuts and Tabraiz Shamsi all feature.South Africa: 1 Janneman Malan, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Jon-Jon Smuts, 4 David Miller, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (capt &wk), 6 Pite van Biljon, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 George Linde, 9 Lutho Sipamla 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Glenton Stuurman

Pitch and conditions

Dry, sunny weather of late in Lahore means that true to form, the Gaddafi surface should be a belter for run-scoring. There’s no inclement weather about either, and a full game should play out.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have never lost a T20I series to Pakistan.
• Statistically, there isn’t an obvious answer as to what the side winning the toss should do at the Gaddafi Stadium. Batting first has resulted in six wins in T20Is, while chasing has produced five.
• Miller needs 99 runs this series to leapfrog his teammate Faf du Plessis as the third-highest T20I run-scorer for South Africa.

Quotes

“We are here to win. We are here to represent the Proteas in the best possible light, regardless if you’ve played your first game or your 100th game.”

Glamorgan’s 174 for 4 shown to be inadequate after Australia keeper blasts 23-ball fifty

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2019A blistering half-century from Australia’s Alex Carey at the top of the innings, with useful support from the middle order, enabled Sussex to easily overcome Glamorgan’s challenge and remain at the top of the South Group. Glamorgan, meanwhile, have yet to win a game this season, and have just the final game, at home against Hampshire on Friday, to redeem themselves.Sussex, needing to score at more than 8.5 an over, were without their captain and opening batsman Luke Wright who had damaged his wrist whilst fielding but Carey proved a capable deputy by destroying the Glamorgan attack in the opening overs.Marchant De Lange was struck for 33 in his two overs as Carey raced to 50 from 23 balls, and after six overs Sussex were 72 without loss – 27 runs ahead of Glamorgan after the Powerplay. Andrew Salter then dismissed both openers, Phil Salt bowled heaving across the line, then Carey feathering a catch to the wicketkeeperSalter took his third wicket in the 12th over when Delroy Rawlins swung across the line, but Sussex remained in control, needing 55 from the remaining eight overs. With David Wiese hitting arguably the biggest six seen at the ground – the ball striking the wall of the media centre – and Laurie Evans also punishing some loose bowling, Sussex strode home with 19 balls to spare.Glamorgan, who opted to bat first, made a steady start with Nick Selman, playing only his third game in the competition this season, and Shaun Marsh scoring 45 from the Powerplay overs with Selman punishing Jason Behrendorff for 17 in his third over.The opening pair had put on 72, with Selman scoring 40 from 23 balls, which included five fours and two sixes. They were separated in the 10th over, when Selman was caught on the long-off boundary in Will Beer’s second over.Following Selman’s dismissal, Marsh began to accelerate, reaching his fifty from 44 balls, with Glamorgan reaching 100 in the 13th over. He added a further two runs before was caught on the square-leg boundary for 52, with four fours and two sixes.Glamorgan were 164 for 2 with two overs remaining, but Ingram, after a lean season by his standards, scoring only one fifty in the opening game, reached a half-century from 39 balls, before departing to the first ball of the 18th over where Ollie Robinson held on to a well-judged catch on the extra cover boundary. A couple of lusty blows from David Lloyd and Chris Cooke enabled the home team to post a competitive total.

Kusal Perera and the captain himself have forged a solid combination at the top, giving Sri Lanka more reason to cheer this World Cup

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Leeds05-Jul-20193:46

Dilshan: Classy Avishka could go a long way for SL

Going into their final round-robin match, Sri Lanka may be out of semi-final contention, and yet, there is a strong argument they have surpassed expectations at this World Cup. Ranked ninth in ODIs ahead of the tournament, they have won half the matches they’ve played so far, beating England, West Indies and Aghanistan, while losing to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa (their games against Bangladesh and Pakistan were both rained out).Although India are firm favourites on Saturday, one more Sri Lanka win will secure them a mid-table position – fifth or sixth – something even optimistic Sri Lanka fans might have believed was beyond this team. And while Lasith Malinga has been the team’s best player, the batting of Avishka Fernando in particular has been a revelation.ALSO READ: Last chance for India’s middle order to get it right ahead of the knockoutsMost expected Sri Lanka’s World Cup to be disastrous. And although their ODI cricket remains poor, it seems in a better place than it did when they arrived in England.”We’ve had a few positives out of this World Cup, with the openers and No. 3 having done well for us,” Dimuth Karunaratne said. “Avishka Fernando is playing really well. He only got three games, but he showed what he can do – he can produce runs for Sri Lanka. He’s one of the future stars.”While 21-year-old Fernando has been a particular cause for excitement, having hit Sri Lanka’s first ODI hundred since January, and made 183 runs at a strike-rate of 107 through the course of his three innings, Sri Lanka have also had solidity at the very top of the order. Karunaratne and Kusal Perera have produced three opening partnershps worth at least 90.Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera gave Sri Lanka a strong start•Getty Images

The strength of performances are increasingly divorced from selection calls in Sri Lanka, but following years of rapid turnover in the opening positions, Sri Lanka perhaps have hope that the Karunaratne-Kusal Perera partnership can provide stability well beyond the World Cup.”Kusal and I have different styles,” Karunaratne said. “What the team expects from me is different – everyone expects me to bat through the innings. Kusal has been given the freedom to play his game. He can play his shots since he knows that I will play the anchor role from one end. If I get out, it gets difficult for him to play with freedom, so what I look to do is to rotate the strike and let him take on the bowling.We have a good understanding and I don’t race to catch up with his score. I have my limitations and I try to stick to that. We also have a good understanding running between the wickets. We have played lot of A team cricket together.”Sri Lanka have lost seven of the nine ODIs they have played against India in the last two years, but they had won their most recent match against them in England.. Chasing 322 at the Oval during the 2017 Champions Trophy, Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews struck fifties as Sri Lanka achieved the target with seven wickets in hand. Karunaratne hoped memories of that win would spread vibes within his team.”India are a top team, and you can’t afford to make mistakes against a side like that. But we have beaten them in England in the Champions Trophy, and some of those players who did that are in this squad as well. I hope we can take inspiration from that win and play well.”

Essex had made hard work of their three-wicket win after apparently cantering at the halfway stage of their pursuit of 180 to win.

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2018
ScorecardSimon Harmer pulled Dwayne Bravo to the boundary from the penultimate ball of their Vitality T20 Blast clash at Chelmsford to give Essex their first victory of the campaign.Essex had made hard work of their three-wicket win after apparently cantering at the halfway stage of their pursuit of 180 to win. They started the final over requiring eight runs, and had whittled that down to four from three balls, and three from two before Harmer became the hero of a dramatic night.Middlesex, who chose to bat, owed much to a 91-run fourth-wicket stand in nine overs between captain Stevie Eskinazi and wicketkeeper John Simpson. The batsmen were dismissed within three balls by Matt Coles, both on 46. Eskinazi faced 31 deliveries with two sixes and four fours, and Simpson’s innings lasted 34 with three sixes and a four.

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Chasing 180, Essex started with confidence. They had 47 on the board after four overs, and 57 when the first wicket went down an over later. Wheater had the majority of them, including sixes off Ravi Patel and James Fuller, in addition to seven fours, but departed going for a third six when he ballooned his shot to midwicket for Eskinazi to pouch the catch. He had blitzed 45 from just 18 balls.Wheater almost lost Chopra just before his own exit when his opening partner gave what should have been a routine catch at deep square leg, but Hilton Cartwright spilled the chance under considerable crowd pressure.Chopra made the most of his reprieve, and when he lofted Fuller over long-off for six, Essex were already more than halfway to their target with only half the overs gone.Tom Westley joined the party with a switch-hit off Patel for four before being caught on the midwicket fence by Eskinazi for a 23-ball 24 to end a partnership of 52 for the second wicket. However two wickets fell in quick succession, Chopra stumped by Simpson off Patel for 38 from 37 balls and Ravi Bopara run out by Fuller’s direct throw from mid-off.When Ryan ten Doeschate was caught in the deep by Fuller, Essex were 31 runs short with three overs to go, and in danger of self-destructing. Dan Lawrence took two thick edges to third man before trying a third and falling to Paul Stirling. Essex needed 17 off the last two overs.The late collapse continued when Coles swung at Helm and was snaffled by Patel at short fine leg, but Harmer hit Helm for six to leave Essex requiring eight off the last over.Middlesex had beaten Surrey in their first game on Thursday night thanks to the efforts of Paul Stirling with bat and ball. But the Irish opener lasted just seven balls this time, one of them thrashed conclusively through midwicket for four, before he was deceived by one from Sam Cook that got up and took his glove on the way through to Adam Wheater.Max Holden, making his Middlesex debut, hit Jamie Porter for three successive boundaries before chipping Harmer to Chopra at point. Nick Gubbins was Harmer’s second victim, having just pulled him for six, he gave himself room to sweep and lost his middle stump.But Harmer went for 22 in his final over, with sixes over long-off by John Simpson and Stevie Eskinazi, to post figures of two for 43. The fourth-wicket stand reached fifty in five overs with the pair trading sixes.Coles bowled a mixed third over, the 15th of the match. Eskinazi hooked a maximum off a full-toss, and then the first free-hit was a wide. But Coles bounced back, having Simpson caught by Dan Lawrence rushing in from the square-leg boundary, and two balls later Eskinazi chipping straight to Bopara at short cover. Coles finished with two for 33.The fall of the brace of wickets put the brakes on the Middlesex scoring, with just 17 runs added in four overs. Dwayne Bravo tried to up the tempo with a mighty heave at Zampa, but only edged to Wheater. However, 21 taken off the last over by Bopara carried Middlesex from 158 to finish on 179. Cartwright hammered a six and three successful fours in that over on the way to an 18-ball 27.

Queensland’s hopes of a home Sheffield Shield final took a hit after day one of their clash against Western Australia was ruined by rain

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2018
ScorecardQueensland’s hopes of a home Sheffield Shield final took a hit after day one of their clash against Western Australia was ruined by rain. Only 2.3 overs were possible at the Gabba after the Warriors won the toss and elected to bowl.Lachlan Pfeffer and Matt Renshaw negotiated 15 balls from Matt Kelly and Liam Guthrie before rain halted proceedings. Play will begin an hour early over the next three days. A win for the Bulls would all but ensure they host the final.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said that wins against top teams over the last couple of years has helped them gain self-respect and play with a lot more freedom

George Dobell at Edgbaston14-Jun-2017It says much for the progress of Bangladesh in recent years that their senior players and coaches keep being asked a very similar question: is this the biggest moment in the history of the team?That a reasonable answer to that question – whether it was asked ahead of the World Cup quarter-final in 2015, when they defeated England in a Test in Dhaka or Sri Lanka in a Test in Colombo, when they won home ODI series against Pakistan, India and South Africa, or now, when they find themselves in the semi-final of a global tournament for the first time – is “yes” confirms the impression that, as their captain Mashrafe Mortaza put it, their “graph is pretty good. We’re coming up.”While most would accept that they have enjoyed a little fortune on the way to the semi-final – rain came to their rescue against Australia – the general impression remains: Bangladesh are a growing force in international cricket. Their future looks bright.There is no doubt that India are favourites in this semi-final, though. Strong favourites. It’s not just that they have a hugely experienced batting and bowling line-up, it’s that they have a huge amount of experience of playing in such high-profile games.But as if Pakistan’s victory over England had not already exposed the folly of presumption, Bangladesh have a record that demands respect. They have produced the two highest partnerships of the tournament to date (Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah added 224 for the fifth wicket against New Zealand, while Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim added 166 for the third wicket against England), they have recorded four of the nine highest individual scores (including three centuries) and they have won two of the last three ODIs between these sides.Most of all, they have a skillful, varied attack that, even on the fine batting surface anticipated at Edgbaston, provides Mashrafe with options.For all those reasons, Bangladesh should be a far more confident side than the one brushed aside by India in the World Cup quarter-final. Now they know they can win big games and fight back from tough positions. Now they know they belong at this level. India, Mashrafe said, are going to find a “changed” opponent.”Winning against England [in the 2015 World Cup] helped us a lot. We lost our next match, against New Zealand in New Zealand, but on a tough wicket we scored almost 300 and the team took a boost from that.”After that, we beat Pakistan, India and South Africa. Yes, it was at home, but we gained more self-respect by beating those sort of teams.”So this team has changed. Over the last two or three years, we’ve changed a lot, especially in the dressing rooms. Now we play with freedom. The coaches support the players and don’t drop them. These sort of things actually change teams.”Mashrafe took particular confidence from the victory over New Zealand. With 20 overs of the New Zealand innings remaining, they were 152 for 2 with Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson well set. A total well in excess of 300 looked likely.”That’s the thing,” he explained. “We never give up. They batted really well, but we came back strongly. And once you have played at your best, you know how well you can play and things can change. I know, on our day, we can do anything.”Might the pressure of the occasion prove a burden? Mashrafe accepted his side is in uncharted territory here, but, like his coach the previous day, attempted to alleviate the burden.”It is our first time in our life in a semi-final; that is a fact,” he said. “And if you look at it as a semi-final, the pressure will be very hard. But if you think of it as just another match, the pressure will come a lot easier. And India has more pressure than us as the population is huge there and people love cricket a lot. Both teams have a lot of expectations.”For a Bangladesh team of which very little was expected not so long ago, such hopes are another sign of progress. Few would bet against this being the first of many semi-final appearances over the coming years.

Derbyshire have announced that they are “no longer pursuing” a deal to bring Marlon Samuels to the club

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2017Derbyshire have announced that they are “no longer pursuing” a deal to bring Marlon Samuels to the club. Samuels revealed in an interview last week that he had been offered a contract “worth £120,000-130,000 a year” to sign as a Kolpak player for Derbyshire, while expressing his frustration with West Indies’ selection policies.Samuels was left out of the ODI squad for West Indies’ series with England but was said to be reluctant to go down the Kolpak route, as it would bar him from international cricket. However, Derbyshire have now withdrawn their interest.A statement on the club’s website said: “Derbyshire can confirm it has been in contact with West Indies international Marlon Samuels and his agent regarding opportunities at the club.”The club remains committed to exploring all options to strengthen the side ahead of the 2017 season. However, we have a number of routes available and, in view of recent events, the club is no longer pursuing Marlon Samuels.”Samuels, 36, was not selected for the England ODIs after opting to miss the majority of the WICB’s Regional Super 50 competition in order to play in the Pakistan Super League. He was critical of the board for not showing more loyalty after a 17-year international career that has seem him play more than 300 times for West Indies.”I’ve got a Kolpak deal on my plate which I’m contemplating,” he said of the offer to play county cricket. “It’s a three-year deal with Derbyshire. Worth probably £120,000-130,000 a year. The money is not the issue at the moment, I’ve been playing international cricket the last 17 years so have set myself the right way. This is about principle, about being loyal.”

While Yuvraj’s injury will be a major blow, the poor form of Warner and Dhawan, and lack of match practice for Boult have left the Hyderabad thinktank with several issues to ponder over

Vishal Dikshit08-Apr-20165:19

Jayawardene: Nehra can allow Sunrisers to play extra foreign batsman

2015 form

Sixth, or third from the bottom, after winning half of their 14 matches. At one stage, towards the end of the league, they were in third position.

Big picture

Only three seasons old in the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad have already witnessed the highs and lows of a T20 league. After making the playoffs in their maiden season, they ended the next two in the bottom half of the table.

Sunrisers Hyderabad squad

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

In IPL 2015, they looked set to make the playoffs, but lost their last two matches and were bunted down the table. Often, their middle and lower orders could not capitalise on the strong starts from David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan. To rectify that this season, they bought Yuvraj Singh, Aditya Tare and Deepak Hooda to add to their retained players’ list of Eoin Morgan, Naman Ojha and Moises Henriques. If Yuvraj’s poor form in the World T20 was not enough of a worry, an ankle injury has ruled him out for two weeks. The Sunrisers thinktank would also be bothered by the batting form of Warner, who was moved to the middle order by Australia in the World T20, and Shikhar Dhawan. Trent Boult’s lack of match practice – he didn’t play a single game in the World T20 – could also be an issue.They have added more teeth to their bowling by purchasing two in-form quicks, Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman. The two left-armers will join Bhuvneshwar Kumar, their best bowler last season, and Boult. Legspinner Karn Sharma will continue to lead their thin spin attack. In the allrounders category, Sunrisers have two Australian options – Henriques and Ben Cutting.Overall, the real push Sunrisers need for a berth in the playoffs will have to come in the second half of the season, something they lacked in the previous two editions. “With the balance we have, there won’t be any excuse this year,” captain Warner said before the start of the season.

Burning questions

Will Sunrisers tinker with their trusted opening pair of Dhawan and Warner to include Kane Williamson at the top? Or will they continue with Dhawan and Warner, and move Williamson down, or maybe leave him out of the XI? To strengthen the pace attack, will they pick Mustafizur or Boult to assist the Indian combination of Nehra and Bhuvneshwar?

The go-to men

David Warner hammered seven fifties in IPL 2015 with an overall strike rate of 156.54. Even though his bat barely spoke in the recent World T20, a seven-week tournament bodes well as he looks to find his touch again.Ashish Nehra could be their trump card to take down the opposition’s top order, with his wicket-taking abilities in the Powerplay. Twenty-two wickets last season – fourth overall – and an economy rate of 5.94 in the 2016 World T20 underline his importance.

Bargain buy

For the kind of promise he has shown so far in international cricket, and the form he exhibited in only three matches in the World T20 – his haul of nine wickets included a five-for – Mustafizur Rahman was not too expensive a purchase at INR 1.4 crore ($US 208,000). Having more subcontinent experience, he could even get the nod ahead of Trent Boult in the XI.

Availability

Yuvraj’s exclusion for two weeks is the only injury blow.

Coaches

Head coach – Tom Moody, spin-bowling coach – Muttiah Muralitharan, mentor – VVS Laxman

Quote

“The way he [Nehra] has come back, he looks stronger and he knows what he has to do to play at the highest level. I have been seeing that and I think if we go back to the Australian series where India beat us, the way he started and finished was a fantastic effort. I think he is a great bonus and plus point for Sunrisers Hyderabad going into the season.”

The final-wicket pair of Logan van Been and Ed Nuttall helped Canterbury into a Super Over, but Auckland’s Michael Bates snuffed out their hopes after that

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2015
Auckland won the Super Over
ScorecardFile photo: Michael Bates picked two wickets and gave away just five runs in the one-over eliminator•Getty Images

Michael Bates’ magnificent performance in the one-over eliminator restricted Canterbury to 5 for 2 in five balls, Colin Munro then finished the game in one ball, smashing Hamish Bennett for a six to seal Auckland’s thrilling victory.It was a brutal end to Canterbury’s hopes in their chase of 171 after their final-wicket pair had batted splendidly to tie the game in the first place. Logan van Beek and Ed Nuttall came together with their team needing 32 off the last 15 balls. That equation became 16 off the final over, eventually it was just one run too many. Having fallen so agonisingly short, Van Beek, who made 24 off 15, with two fours and Nuttall, who hustled 13 off 8, with a six, could only watch as their team slumped to a fourth straight defeat in the Super Over.Earlier, opener Aiden Blizzard had kept Canterbury up with the required rate of 8.55 with his 38-ball 57. A knock made all the more necessary because Auckland kept picking up wickets in clumps. Captain Ronnie Hira was the first to go in the third over, Henry Nicholls followed him in the fourth and a score of 37 for 2 left both teams in with a sniff.The pendulum swung Auckland’s way thanks to their captain Rob Nicol – he dismissed Blizzard and Andrew Ellis in the space of two balls and Canterbury were left needing 65 runs in 44 balls with only four wickets in hand. Mitchell McClenaghan took two wickets in the 18th over, which meant the asking rate soared to 12.8, which turned out to be just enough.It was Auckland’s second win in three games and their batting did set it up quite nicely. In the first innings, Colin de Grandhomme got to a fifty in only 25 balls and Nicol came in during the third over and batted through the innings to make 50 not out off 48 balls. Bennett was the pick of Canterbury’s bowlers producing returns of 2 for 30 in his four overs.Prior to the start of the game, a minute’s silence was observed for Jonah Lomu, the New Zealand All Black who passed away at the age of 40.

Nasir Hossain, the Bangladesh allrounder, has said that Bangladesh A’s upcoming series against India A will be ideal preparation for the home series against Australia in October

Mohammad Isam09-Sep-2015Nasir Hossain, the Bangladesh allrounder, has said that Bangladesh A’s upcoming series against India A will be ideal preparation for the home series against Australia in October. Nasir is one of 14 national players included in the Bangladesh A squad, who are scheduled to play three one-dayers and a three-day game against India A, as well as a three-day match against Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka.”Doing well in India will keep us well prepared for the Australia series next month,” Nasir said. “I think this is why there’s a number of national team players in this team. We are going there to win the one-day series. It is better that we are playing the three-day matches in the latter part of the tour. After we play the two three-dayers, we play against Australia.”Expecting a tough opposition from India A, Nasir feels the tour will be helpful for the national players. “We have returned to training after a break. We will have a number of national team players in the side.”This tour will be good for our individual performances. It will be harder because India A will not make it any easier for us. I feel it will be a good contest,” he said.After being dropped for the Zimbabwe series last year, for the first time in his international career, Nasir completed his comeback in all three formats in July this year when he was picked for the second Test against South Africa. He was unbeaten on 13 the end of the first day, but the rest of the game was rained off.Nasir continued to stay in the limited-overs squads after he was picked for the World Cup, but did not spend a lot of time in the middle, the longest stretch being 44 balls against South Africa in the first ODI. Instead, his bowling flourished as Mashrafe Mortaza persisted with him in critical phases of one-day games.He said that he does not have a personal target for the India tour but he will be looking to grab any chance that comes his way. “I played in the last Test so I don’t really have to make a comeback. I play each match to perform. We have to play well in India. They are a strong side. We will be more focused in this tour.”I don’t have a personal target. I want to make use of any opportunity that comes up,” he said.