10.05
Scorecard

Bangladesh have a long battle ahead of them if they are going to avoid a heavy defeat in the second Test at Sabina Park. They start the day needing at least 210 to make West Indies bat again, and with only seven wickets in hand. They may well have found themselves in an even more precarious position, were it not for a fighting 28 not out from Habibul Bashar which steadied the ship after his side had been reduced to 34 for 3.A double-century from Ramnaresh Sarwan, ably supported by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, put West Indies firmly in control of the match yesterday. They added 262 for the fourth wicket after after losing Tino Best – the nightwatchman – early on in the day’s play. And just to rub it in, Pedro Collins took 2 for 17 in the late afternoon to send Bangladesh hurtling towards what looked like inevitable defeat.In the 20 overs at their disposal, the West Indians bowlers made short work of Bangladesh’s top order. Collins struck first, trapping Hannan Sarkar leg-before for 10, while both Rajin Saleh (0) and Javed Omar (5) were both caught by Dwayne Smith, off the bowling of Collins and Tino Best respectively.With the sky overcast before play began, Bangladesh’s hopes will be raised by today’s weather forecast, with showers and thunderstorms likely.

Scorecard

Yasir Hameed’s elegant hundred, Inzamam-ul-Haq’s brutal half-century and a strangulating spell from the bowlers sent Bangladesh hurtling to 76-run loss against Pakistan in the third match of the Asia Cup, played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. And, Pakistan picked up a bonus point to boot. The 109-run partnership between Hameed and Inzamam was the highlight of the morning session and their handling of the middle-overs proved to be the difference between the two sides.Chasing 258 for victory on a pitch that got slower and lower as the match progressed, Bangladesh were stifled by the spin duo of Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria in the middle overs. Shoaib Akhtar, who was off colour in his first spell, reverse swung it towards the end and Bangladesh didn’t have too many answers.Bangladesh are no strangers to Hameed-heroics. They were at the receiving end of his huge scores in last year’s series in Pakistan. His three hundreds, in Tests and one-dayers, kick-started his career in glorious fashion. In fact, he scored 82 when the two sides last met in a one-dayer.This innings had most of his trademark shots – the cover-drive of the front and back foot, the flick from outside off to square leg and the chancy wild swish. On three or four occasions, the ball flew off the edge through the vacant slip region, but amid all that there were some delightful fours. He took charge of the opening partnership, with Imran Farhat showing signs of rustiness, and maintained the rate at five-an-over.Hameed also played the supporting act when Inzamam was thrashing it around and both didn’t let the initiative slip in the middle overs. He got a large dose of fortune on 64, when Mohammad Ashraful dropped a sitter at long-off. On a day when other batsmen showed rusty form, his slap-dash effort went a long way in helping Pakistan reach their final score.Inzamam came in after the fall of two quick wickets as the bowlers were applying the brakes on the scoring-rate. He carted Mohammad Rafique, the left-arm spinner, for two towering sixes and got back the momentum that Hameed had given in the first 10 overs and was subsequently lost. Though both fell in successive balls, with 10 overs left, and despite the lack of lower-order pyrotechnics, only 57 in the last 10, Pakistan had reached a respectable score.Javed Omar began the reply in positive fashion and Bangladesh were 48 for 0after 10 overs. That was partly due to the lacklustre first spell by Shoaib Akhtar, with a shortened run-up that Bob Woolmer had suggested, as he sprayed it wide of the stumps. The result was four overs, no wickets, 12 balls left alone, two wides and a lukewarm Shoaib.Sami was wayward too but there were a few unplayable jaffas in between. He got his reward in the 11th over when Ashraful nicked a wide one to Moin Khan (48 for 1). Habibul Bashar, the captain, had no clue to one of the Sami specials that cut him in half, but he was caught in front two balls later as an inswinger rapped him on the pads (52 for 2).And there began the downhill journey for Bangladesh. Kaneria and Malik made good use of the slowness of the pitch and gave nothing away in the middle overs. Shoaib returned in the 31st and troubled all the batsmen with his reverse swing. He finished with three wickets – one lbw, one bowled and one catch of a bouncer – had a few very close leg-before shouts turned down, but continued grinning all through.Bangladesh folded for 181, with Malik ending with two wickets, and Pakistan earned the bonus point too. A new tournament, a new coach, and lots of reverse swing – all looked fine with Pakistan.

The Videocon Cup has been touted as a dress rehearsal for the ICC Champions Trophy in England, but India and Australia are looking a step further. In October, less than a week after the Champions Trophy final, the two sides face off in a four-Test series which has been billed as the clash of the year.”It’s going to probably be the biggest series of the year. We all know that,” said Sourav Ganguly, who captained India to a remarkable come-from-behind victory when Australia last toured India in 2001. Speaking to AFP after India’s game against Australia was washed out, he said, “They will be definitely looking forward to coming to India and we will be looking forward to that series. They did well in Sri Lanka [when Australia won 3-0] so we’ll have to be up for it.”His counterpart, Ricky Ponting, termed the series “huge”, and zeroed in on Shane Warne as the bowler who could make the difference. Warne has had a successful time with Hampshire in the English domestic season and unlike previous tours to India, where he was plagued by niggles, he’s operating at peak fitness.”I think Shane can make a huge difference for us over there,” said Ponting, according to a report in . “The Indians have played him well on the last couple of tours to India, but I know for a fact Shane hasn’t been all that fit on the last couple of tours there. He’s obviously fitter now than he’s ever been, his body’s in great shape. Talking to Michael Clarke, who’s been playing with him at Hampshire, he’s bowling very, very well. If he can take some of that form into the Indian series I am sure he’ll play a big part for us.”Australia haven’t won a series in India since Bill Lawry led his side to a 3-1 triumph in 1969-70. Then, Ashley Mallett, an unheralded offspinner, had been the revelation, taking a bagful of wickets to offset the damage done by Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna.Though Warne averages a dismal 52 in Indian conditions, Ganguly was in no mood to trivialise the challenge that he represents. “He’s their key bowler,” he said. “He will make a difference to any side. We’ve played him well over the years but obviously he’s the type of bowler who can win matches any day.”Ganguly also reckoned that the upcoming series would have a different feel to it in the absence of Steve Waugh. Waugh had been a part of four Australian Test tours to India, and also played in two World Cups on the subcontinent. “It will be different,” said Ganguly. “Steve’s a legend and people in India respect him. Obviously, it’s going to be a new side with some young boys.”He, and millions of Indians, will hope though that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

For all England’s attempts to try to get the media to concentrate on the immediate task in hand – Sunday’s warm-up against Namibia – the media wouldn’t leave the Z word alone.In the end Michael Vaughan played ball, claiming to more than one raised eyebrow that Zimbabwe had not been discussed by any of the players since they had arrived in Windhoek. “There hasn’t been a mention of it at all, we’ve just been working hard on our fitness,” he said. “We’re not particularly looking forward to it, but it’s five opportunities to impress on the field. I want the guys to concentrate on the cricket, it’s crucial that they focus on winning matches.”If there are any political questions we have Richard Bevan, David Morgan and John Carr coming out to answer them … and if there are any other questions I will be answering them.”Vaughan will be relieved that queries regarding Zimbabwe should be put on the back burner for three days at least as England meet Namibia in two one-day warm-up matches. Their preparations haven’t been ideal. Storms have limited them to a few gentle outdoor sessions, and a request to the Namibians that they be allowed to field all 14 players in each match was firmly declined.”The weather has intervened, and we have done a lot of fitness, which we always intended to do on this part of the trip,” Vaughan explained. “We’d have liked to have had a bit more middle and net practice, so we’re going in slightly rusty, but we still expect a decent performance. We have a young, exciting team – and I expect them to perform to a decent standard even if they haven’t had much net practice.”England won’t be taking Namibia too lightly. On the only previous occasion the two sides met, during the 2003 World Cup, the match was far closer than expected and for a time there was a sniff of an upset in the air. England went on to win, but it was closer than expected.

Ten current and former Kenyan players have refused to meet representatives of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit in Nairobi next week, claiming that they haven’t been given enough notice.Martin Hawkins and Alan Peacock had been set to travel to Kenya on November 30 to speak to 15 members of the Kenyan side from 1999 and 2000, including team officials, over continuing allegations which stem from the banning of Maurice Odumbe in July.But Alan Kosgey, a laywer speaking on the players’ behalf, told reporters that his clients had “respectfully declined the summons due to the very short notice but they are happy to be interviewed at a future appropriate time.” Two of the ten are out of the country – Steve Tikolo is in Bangladesh and Collins Obuya in South Africa.”The rest have also said they need enough time to prepare for the exercise because they do not know the nature of investigations the officers will take.” The Kenyan board (KCA) is powerless to intervene as none of the ten has a contract with it. “They aren’t expected to sit around and wait for ICC summons,” Kosgey added. Sammy Obingo, the KCA’s general manager, said that Hawkins and Peacock would still visit but could only talk to “whoever is available.”The players who have declined the summonses are Tikolo, Obuya, Thomas Odoyo, Kennedy Obuya, Martin Suji, Tony Suji, Jimmy Kamande, Peter Ongondo, Josephat Ababu and Francis Otieno. Three others – Alpesh Vadher, Hitesh Modi and Brijal Patel – have not indicated that they would not be available, although Modi is in Mauritius on his honeymoon.

New Zealand have asked if they can play a one-day series against a world team to plug the gap left after Sri Lanka’s tour was postponed.The Sri Lankans were due to play five one-day matches and two Tests in New Zealand but only one match was played before the tsunami disaster occurred.New Zealand now have no matches before the first one-day international against Australia on February 19, prompting the New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden to appeal to the International Cricket Council for some interim games.Snedden has already asked India if they would be interested in touring, and he has also approached the ICC over the possibility of a series against a world XI.”We’ve formally applied to the ICC for permission and support,” Snedden told the newspaper, “so that other Test-playing nations might be encouraged to release players for the event.”

8 – Jacques Kallis

Breathtaking statistics from a, well, statistical point of view. But the lingering suspicion that Kallis plays solely for himself was writ large across his final-day performance when, having created the most solid platform imaginable, he simply refused to carry the attack to England’s bowlers in the manner that we all know he can. At Durban and Cape Town, he had played in the knowledge that his wicket was of paramount importance, for there was little of substance to come but, by the Centurion Test, South Africa’s selectors had wised up, and with men of the calibre of Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher lurking in the middle order Kallis’s reticence was mystifying. An admirable cricketer, but an utterly unlovable one.8 – Charl Langeveldt
Played just the one Test, but Langeveldt gets an extra mark both for his demolition of England in their warm-up at Potchefstroom, and for bowling South Africa to victory at Cape Town despite the pain of a broken hand. After theirpumped-up, fight-fire-with-fire attitude in the opening rounds of the series, it took a thirtysomething debutant to remind South Africa of the virtues of line and length, and most of all, patience. As Hoggard later demonstrated, Langeveldt’s absence at Johannesburg proved to be critical.8 – Makhaya Ntini
All the best opening partnerships have involved a measure of contrast, and the Pollock-Ntini alliance is no exception. Where Pollock is all guile, Ntini is pure rampage – an indefatigable gallop to the wicket and a limb-flailing launch, which more often than not gets its rewards. Until Andre Nel appeared for the final Test, Ntini and Pollock shouldered an incredible burden, and did so unstintingly as well. They deserved better.8 – Shaun Pollock
A constant menace, as an incredible economy rate of 2.26 would imply. Andrew Strauss likened him to a bowling machine, but that would be doing his guile a disservice. Bowled more overs than anyone else on either side (although Ntini finished just four balls behind him) and was as much of a handful in those desperate final moments at Centurion as he had been at any other stage of the series. His batting was less visibly effective, although seeing that he was often as low as No. 9, that is unsurprising. He showed his true colours at Durban, however – a first-innings 43 to set up what must have seemed like a victory, and a second-innings 35 to stave off the prospect of a devastating defeat.8 – AB de Villiers

Incredible self-belief for one so young, especially one who was mucked around by the selectors so dramatically all series. Began and ended as an opener, but in between he took over the wicketkeeping duties and also propped up the middle order. Impetuosity got the better of him in the early stages of the series – and again in the first innings at Centurion, when he was dismissed sweeping for 92 – although he made impressive amends second time around. But, for all the brilliance of that Man-of-the-Match performance, nothing could compare to his backs-to-the-wall half-century at Durban. He has all the talent in the world, and is here to stay.7 – Herschelle Gibbs
Took a while to settle back into the side after a very public chastisement from his new coach, Ray Jennings, and he nearly blew it all over again when he was fined his entire match fee for a late-night indiscretion at Cape Town. But Gibbs works best when he is left to his own devices, and his breathtaking batting at Johannesburg demonstrated just that, as he came agonisingly close to a century in both innings. Class is permanent, as the man himself would say.7 – Andre Nel
Misses out on the extra mark simply because he was unable to square the series, but Nel’s in-your-face attitude masked a skilful performance that deserved better rewards. By his own admission, he has grown as a person and a cricketer since his back injury last year, although he still remains the man the crowds love to hate. His good-natured aggression is, however, good for the game.6 – Mark Boucher
His omission was such a talking point at the start of the series that he seems to have been present throughout, rather than just for the final two matches. His first innings back was a gritty 64, a two-fingered salute of a performance, but he had no answer to Hoggard’s perfect delivery that deceived him in the second innings at Jo’burg. South Africa is stronger for his presence.6 – Jacques Rudolph

Unable to build on his 93 in the first Test, Rudolph became more and more anonymous as the series progressed. He remains the most secure of the several middle-order batsmen whom Graeme Smith regularly berated for their lack of application, but an eventual average of 30.40 is proof that he was every bit as culpable as his colleagues who didn’t last the course.6 – Nicky Boje
Very much in the modern mould of left-arm spinners, Boje’s contributions as a batsman were every bit as vital – if not more so – than his tight but unpenetrative bowling. His late appearance in the team, after an operation to remove his thyroid gland, instantly transformed the balance of the batting, and his quickfire 76 at Cape Town was arguably the decisive performance of the only one-sided match of the series. Constantly derided by Geoff Boycott for his bowling, but his leadership qualities were a further string to his bow.6 – Graeme Smith
Troubled by Matthew Hoggard throughout, and distracted by the ever-changing dynamics of his squad, Smith was a shadow of the formidable figure who swept all before him in the 2003 series. That’s not to say he wasn’t still a mighty presence, however, and England were never able to rest easy until he had been removed from the crease – particularly in the second innings of their two victories, at Port Elizabeth and especially at Jo’burg, when his defiant 67 looked for a time as though it might salvage a draw. Deserved better luck with his bowling, especially against Graham Thorpe.5 – Boeta Dippenaar
In hindsight, Dippenaar’s first-Test century was one of the worst things that could have happened to South Africa. He is indisputably one of the game’s good guys, and the moment was one that he will cherish, but he has long been considered a soft touch by opponents. His guaranteed presence in the middle order ensured that the selectors were still searching for their best combination as the series reached its climax.5 – Dale Steyn
Raw and rapid, Steyn was an exciting prospect with which to launch the series, but he was soon discovered to be out of his depth, for the moment at least. He did, however, serve notice of his potential with arguably the finest delivery of the tour, a wicked 90mph legcutter that demolished Michael Vaughan’s off stump at Port Elizabeth. Needs some more meat on his bones before he can start to live up to any comparisons with a young Allan Donald.4 – Hashim Amla
Looked a million dollars in net practice, but seemed out of his depth in the middle. Accidents singled him out and he has time on his side, but South Africa were a stronger side by the time they bit the bullet and cast him aside.Also playedAndrew Hall
An unfortunate scapegoat after Port Elizabeth, he returned to the side too late to alter the result.Martin van Jaarsveld
A late replacement at Durban. One impressive innings, but not enough to keep Dippenaar from resuming his duties.Thami Tsolekile
The unwitting centre of the Boucher storm. Performed admirably and acrobatically in his primary role as a wicketkeeper, but not up to the task with the bat.Zander de Bruyn
Trumpeted as the next big allrounder, but at Port Elizabeth he looked neither one thing nor the other.

The Indian cricket board has agreed to shift the second Test out of Ahmedabad in deference to the wishes of the Pakistan Cricket Board, but has proposed a sixth one-dayer at the same venue. Announcing this at a press conference in Delhi, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the BCCI president, said that he was awaiting a response from the Pakistan Cricket Board to finalise the tour schedule.Kolkata is likely to host the Test originally allotted to Ahmedabad and there is also a possibility that the series will be postponed by four to five days, to allow the the Indian board to sort out the television-rights issue. The working committee of the BCCI, which met in Delhi, did not discuss the matter today because the Madras High Court was still hearing a petition filed by Zee Telefilms challenging the cancellation of its bid.Mahendra confirmed this and said, “The first Test will be played as scheduled in Mohali and the three-day match against Board President’s XI will be hosted by Dharamshala. The itinerary will be redrawn and the tour will be deferred by four to five days.” As per the earlier schedule, the Pakistan team was to arrive in India on February 24.Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has suggested Mumbai as an alternative venue for the Test that was supposed to be played in Ahmedabad, and asked the BCCI to give a counter-proposal on the venues in the next 24 hours. The Pakistan board maintained their reservations over playing in Ahmedabad, and Shaharyar Khan, the PCB’s chairman, spoke to Jagmohan Dalmiya and the ICC’s Ehsan Mani to update them on the latest developments.In a PCB press release, Shaharyar denied reports that the Pakistan board had agreed to play a one-day international instead of the proposed Test at Ahmedabad. His comments came shortly after Natwar Singh, India’s foreign minister, told reporters on board the flight from Islamabad to Lahore that Pakistan had agreed to consider playing a one-day match in Ahmedabad.

Michael Slater thought he was going to die when he first experienced the severe symptoms of bipolar disorder, a mental condition that causes rapid mood swings. Slater, the commentator and former Test opening batsman, experienced panic attacks that rushed him to hospital and he believed the problem could be linked to the spinal disease ankylosing spondylitis, which he was diagnosed with as a teenager.”I felt that every day I was going to die,” Slater, who played 74 Tests, told the ABC’s Enough Rope. “Every day was my last day. That’s how drastically it affected me.”Slater’s first panic attack came when he was still playing Test cricket and was sparked by his debut as a commentator in England in 2000. “I was so nervous, so uptight about it, and after the first day’s commentating, I thought I’d done an absolute crap job,” he said. “So I came back to my hotel and I didn’t feel great, and then bang, that night I had my first ever full-blown panic attack, was rushed to hospital, thought I was having a heart attack.”It was the first time Slater, 35, talked publicly about the illness and he said it could help people understand why his behaviour sometimes appeared erratic. The combination of the mental problem and spinal disease, which developed into reactive arthritis and meant he could barely move some mornings, forced him to retire.”It was like I was an old man trying to get going and it would take me to midday before I’d sort of loosened up and be able to walk fairly freely,” he said. “I just knew that I didn’t have the energy to try and get on top of it again, so retirement was the only option.”Slater also told the show about the break-up of his marriage and the pain of dealing with false rumours that he was addicted to cocaine and was the father of Adam Gilchrist’s child. Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive and former Cricket Australia CEO, asked Slater about the drug-use allegations before Australia went to India in 2001.”You go back to your so-called reliable source and tell him he’s not so reliable,” Slater told Speed. “Drugs have never been a part of my life, will never be a part of my life. It’s just something I will never stand for.”Slater said when he looked back at the period he wondered how he got through it. “It was pretty tough,” he said. “I’m proud of myself … I’m strong, and I’m loving the commentary world, and hopefully there’s a long career doing that, being involved with the game and just enjoying life.”

Sachin Tendulkar
Contrary to what people think, I hadn’t really planned to bat that way. I was pumped up for the match all right, but when we went out to bat, the idea was to stay in for the first few overs and see off the new ball. When you’re chasing 275, you don’t want to lose three or four quick wickets. Obviously, you can’t afford to fall too much behind the run-rate either, but we knew that if we played out the first 10 overs, we had enough batsmen to play strokes later. So there was no question of targeting Shoaib or anybody else.It just worked out differently. I got a couple of balls to hit, they went nicely off the bat, and things started happening. Shoaib bowled short and wide. It was there to be hit, and I hit it well. It went for a six. I thought, this is working well so why not carry on? Cricket is about making plans and executing them, but you have to be prepared to change your plans if things change out there in middle. It was one of those days.Shoaib Akhtar
Sachin is the greatest batsman in the game, and if he comes out with something like that, it’s no surprise. I was the one who got him out first ball when I was a nobody [in the Asian Test Championship, 1999]. And if he smashes me it doesn’t mean Shoaib Akhtar is finished. Yes, we make strategies, and I make a strategy for the whole team rather than only for Sachin. Obviously, he is a key player and it’s always an advantage to get him out fast. I had a strategy at Centurion too, but I was unfit. I had a problem with my knees and went into the game after having taken six injections. My entire right leg was numb and I was only about 40 per cent fit. It was just a bad day for us. It was bad being hit for sixes. It was just bad to lose in that way. They asked me to play, and they made me play, and I had to play for the sake of my country.