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The Bangladesh Cricket Board is faced with a quandary ahead of picking their 14-member squad for the Champions Trophy with Habibul Bashar’s fitness status not yet confirmed. Bashar, their captain, has said he can confirm his fitness status only a week after the ICC deadline of September 7 for submitting the squads.It is possible that Bashar will be included in the squad and later replaced if he fails his fitness test. “As far as I know, one can only replace an injured player from the 30-member probables but we are still not clear about the rules,” Mahbubul Anam, the board general secretary told the , a Dhaka-based daily. “That’s why we have to go through the ICC laws first about the matter then we will discuss with the selectors,”Bashar fractured his left thumb during the second one-day match against Zimbabwe in July. He missed the last Champions Trophy in England in 2004 because of a fracture to his right thumb. Mahbub said that the Bangladesh board might ask the ICC to look at Bashar’s case as a special consideration.But Faruque Ahmed, the chief selector, was confident that Bashar would recover in time for the tournament. “Yes, you can say it is a little bit of a dilemma for the board as well as the selectors because we have to pick the final team by September 7 while we can know the exact position of Bashar only a week later. But I am not too bothered with the situation as Bashar is recovering well and his injury is also not a serious one.”Though Faruque himself supported Bashar’s inclusion in the squad, he said that the final decision would be taken only after the selection panel had discussed it. “I don’t know the details of the ICC rules about the matter but I don’t think there is any rigid law,” he added. Bangladesh are scheduled to play West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the qualifying round of the Champions Trophy beginning October 7. If they finish in the top two, they will advance to the next round of the tournament to play the six top-seeded teams.

Australia have chosen a squad heavy with young allrounders for the Hong Kong Sixes tournament that starts on the weekend. Aaron O’Brien is the most experienced member of the seven-man group, which features three players who have played first-class cricket.O’Brien, a left-arm orthodox spinner and middle-order batsman, will be a key player for Australia having 20 first-class matches to his name at New South Wales. Shawn Gillies and Steve O’Keefe have also played in the Pura Cup, while Nathan Reardon, Michael Buchanan and Matt Johnston have domestic one-day experience.Tasmania’s Alex Doolan is the only member of the squad without a state game to his name. Australia’s first match is against Bangladesh on Saturday. Also in their pool is South Africa and an All Stars team that features Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brian Lara, Craig McMillan, Heath Streak, Anil Kumble and Geraint Jones.Squad Aaron O’Brien, Michael Buchanan, Alex Doolan, Nathan Reardon, Shawn Gillies, Matt Johnston, Steve O’Keefe.

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

Inspired by a genius who raised his game when the occasion demanded, Sri Lanka overpowered India in their final league match at Port-of-Spain and stormed into the Super Eights. India suffered one of their most disappointing days in recent memory, muffing up a run-chase on a pitch posing no worries, and were all but ousted from the World Cup, in what is likely to be their worst campaign since 1979.It wasn’t as one-sided a contest as the scorecard suggests. The first half of the match was a cat-and-mouse battle that everyone expected, with neither team establishing their dominance. Sri Lanka scrapped out a competitive 254 and defended it with verve and skill. Muttiah Muralitharan towered over India’s batsmen, bounding in from around the wicket and taunting them with offbreaks and that were near unplayable. He was unstoppable on the field too and pulled off a full-length lunge to dismiss the in-form Sourav Ganguly, and killed Indian hopes once and for all with a good catch at long-off to get rid of Rahul Dravid.Coming close on the heels of Bob Woolmer’s tragic demise, India’s exit will no doubt be a setback for the World Cup. Carrying the tags of ‘commercial favourites’, they will be the first to admit that they didn’t deserve to go through, having been trumped by both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It was no doubt a spineless batting effort today but there is little one can do when confronted by a magician like Murali.Half-centuries from Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva had set Sri Lanka up but it was the Murali factor that proved too much for India. His first-ball topspinner that hoodwinked Mahendra Singh Dhoni summed up his influence. He fizzed one through and landed it on middle stump, Dhoni thought about the cut but could only watch in a daze as the ball crashed into his back pad. It was so plumb, and he seemed so embarrassed, that he walked instinctively. To see Dhoni walk before the bowler had completely gone up for the lbw appeal was to see the last whiff of hope evaporate.Murali earlier removed the dangerous Virender Sehwag at a crucial juncture. Sehwag’s solidity, and reading of the percentages, was reminiscent of the batsman in his prime. There was hardly any wild swinging outside off – barring one moment on 39, when Kumar Sangakkara couldn’t latch on to a full-length dive off a fierce slash off Dilhara Fernando – but a game built on assessing the situation and the bowlers. Yet, in the 23rd over, Murali’s third, he was tied up in knots. He first missed a doosra down the leg side, one that was called wide despite nearly knocking off leg stump, but was completely baffled by another that pitched on off and turned away, watching Mahela Jayawardene gobble up a catch at first slip.If Sehwag’s dismissal was the turning point, Yuvraj Singh’s fatal run-out was probably the clincher. Taking off for a single where there was none, after Dravid had nudged behind square, was all it needed for Sri Lanka to pounce. Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar had fallen cheaply earlier – one to a poor stroke, another to an incisive delivery – and the run-chase was well and truly derailed. Dravid ploughed along amid the ruins, suffering a hamstring along the way and briefly lashing Lasith Malinga for four consecutive fours in an over, but that was nothing but a rage against the dying light. The contest was long over.

Sri Lanka’s batting efforts were built around Tharanga and Silva. Sri Lanka didn’t ride on their senior pros, who were bogged down and snaffled out, but relied on a 22-year-old to guide them past the early tension. Tharanga wasn’t at his flowing best, understandably so considering the needle in this contest, but his half-century was the one that anchored the innings. He didn’t endeavour anything out of the ordinary and had his lucky moments, against Ajit Agarkar’s slower balls and Zaheer Khan’s in-cutters. But he interspersed them with gorgeous drives.His dismissal brought in a couple of hardworking batsmen – Silva was beaver-like in his approach, grinding out singles and improvising fours while Dilshan, always on the look-out for runs, provided support. Silva’s third consecutive World Cup fifty formed the heart of the middle overs and his cheeky glides behind the wicket irritated the bowlers. Dilshan was the more forceful, backing away and forcing the ball through the off side. Both fell in quick succession but Russel Arnold and Chaminda Vaas, adding 38 in 23 deliveries, boosted the total beyond the 250 mark.India’s bowlers turned in an impressive performance, 27 extras notwithstanding. Agarkar and Munaf Patel were the best bowlers on view and would have ended with richer hauls with a dose of good fortune. Tendulkar surprised with his banana inswing and Ganguly chipped in with an important wicket. The tension that had built up over the last few days simmered right through the first 70 overs of the match, only for Murali to cut through it in his inimitable style. A banner that read “Murali-ed” probably got it just right.

In the slew of announcements and news that appeared from the working committee meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India emerged one vital snippet that should not go unnoticed. For the first time in its history the BCCI is taking its role in the development of women’s cricket seriously, and has announced that each player who was part of the women’s team that beat England and then won the Asia Cup would receive a bonus of Rs. One lakh (US$2000).While that does not seem like a lot given what their male counterparts earn, it is a significant sum for members of the women’s team, who barely earned anything from their victories. In the past, while the Women’s Cricket Association of India, run, for all practical purposes, by Shubhangi Kulkarni, a former Indian captain, did not register losses, they did not have the luxury of paying their cricketers well.Women’s teams stayed in dormitories and modest hotels and received little in way of match fees, and only on the odd occasion, through sponsorship support, did they receive daily allowances. But, after the ICC laid down a deadline for all cricket boards to merge their men’s and women’s administrative bodies, slowly but surely, a change came about. Kulkarni, secretary of the women’s association, had met Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then BCCI president, about a merger, but nothing came of it.Currently the new regime of the BCCI has worked towards appointing committees to oversee women’s cricket in India at various levels, incorporating existing officials of the women’s association. A significant step forward came when India toured England and each member of the women’s team received a daily allowance of US$50 per day, which is on par with what the men’s team receives.When the side embarked on their 40-day tour of England, each was handed travellers’ cheques and currency worth £1100 (US$ 2000), an unheard of thing in women’s cricket. Interestingly, Nike, who are the kit sponsors of the men’s team, were willing to extend their support to the women’s team, but could not do so as the Women’s Cricket Association of India had a pre-existing deal with Sahara until December 2007.When the women’s team toured England they drew the first Test at Grace Road, Leicester. Then they came back with a five-wicket win, to take their first-ever series win in England. Mithali Raj, the captain, and Anjum Chopra, the left-hand bat, starred in a first-innings score of 307. Jhulan Goswami, the fast bowler, then took 5 for 33 and reduced England to 99 all out. Following-on England made 305 thanks to a century from Charlotte Edwards, but India knocked off the required runs with five wickets to spare.Even then it was suggested to Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, that the team be given a bonus of some sort. But he preferred to wait for the Asia Cup and club the two, and his faith in women’s team paid off. India easily beat Sri Lanka in the final, restricting them to 93 before knocking off the required runs with eight wickets to spare. Now, the Indian women have got the rewards they deserve.

Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been dropped from India’s ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, following a poor home series against South Africa.

Ins and Outs in the ODI squad

In: Barinder Sran, Rishi Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey
Out: S Aravind, Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Mohit Sharma (injured), Ambati Rayudu, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra

A rejigged ODI squad included a maiden call-up for Punjab’s 23-year-old left-arm pacer Barinder Sran, as well as a recall for Manish Pandey, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe in July. Sran has played only seven List-A matches and taken 15 wickets at 26.73.Himachal Pradesh allrounder Rishi Dhawan also found a place in the squad, but there was no room in the ODI team for Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny.Patil also said the changes to the team were necessitated by the predictability of the team composition in India’s recent series. “We felt Indian team in batting and bowling was looking very much predictable,” he said. “So we wanted to have some variations, and that is why we have picked a player in our batting order [Pandey] and a player in the bowling department [Sran] also.”Raina has managed just one century in his last 26 ODI innings, and scored just 180 runs in eight matches since the 2015 World Cup. He was unable to shake off this poor run even against South Africa last month, as he managed just 68 runs from five matches at an average of 13.60. Bhuvneshwar’s series was just as forgettable; he claimed his seven wickets from five matches at an average of 49.57 and an economy rate of 7.13.To a question on whether selectors had lost faith in Raina’s abilities, Patil reiterated that no player was written off. “If he had lost confidence he wouldn’t have been in T20 team also,” he said. “Selectors have no right to write any player off. We look at the performance, the fitness of the player and we look at the combination. If a player fits in the combination we pick him.”With just five specialist batsmen in the squad, Raina’s exclusion could open the door for Rishi Dhawan, Pandey or Gurkeerat Singh. Rishi Dhawan, who has played 53 List-A matches, recently struck a match-winning 117 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Madhya Pradesh to fire his team into the quarter-finals, to go with 28 wickets from eight Ranji Trophy matches.A source privy to the developments in the meeting said the names of Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur were also discussed for selection. “The emphasis was on identifying a larger pool of talent ahead of the Asia Cup T20 and the World T20,” the source said. “The idea is to promote youngsters and also reward consistency over the years. Rishi Dhawan, for instance, has been doing very well over the last few years.”The source said there were other players in the selectors’ radar as well and that they were keen on watching as many talented cricketers as they could in the lead up to the World T20.According to him, one of the reasons behind the inclusion of Rishi Dhawan and Sran was the nature of pitches in Australia. “There will obviously be good bounce there and it will suit the faster bowlers,” the source said. “The batting ability of someone like Rishi Dhawan will also come in handy. With [Ravichandran] Ashwin and Bhaji [Harbhajan Singh] there already, it becomes a strong No.7, 8 and 9.”ODI squad: MS Dhoni (capt), R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Barinder Sran

New Zealand teams could compete in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition as soon as 2008-09. The boards of Australia and New Zealand are discussing the potential for a Trans-Tasman tournament, with the top sides going on to compete against teams from India, England and South Africa in the newly-announced Champions Twenty20 League.Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming were in New Delhi on Thursday for the launch of the ICC-sanctioned competition, which is seen as an official alternative to the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Although no players were named as definite participants Fleming and McGrath, both of whom had been courted by the ICL, would appear likely to play. Shane Warne’s decision not to sign with the ICL has also fuelled speculation he might join the Champions Twenty20 League, which will start in October 2008.The details are still being fine-tuned but the initial plan is for domestic teams that progress to the international tournament to be allowed to top up their squads with guest players. That could mean Warne or McGrath might sign with an Indian or England domestic team, for example, while an Australian state side could try to lure top players from other countries.”That is certainly a possibility in the Champions League and, in some respects, that is part of the attraction,” Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland told the . “It’s a concept where we have the best of the best at domestic level playing against each other. Previously, apart from really isolated instances, this just hasn’t happened before.”In the first season, the two Australian states that reach the KFC Twenty20 final will earn a place in the Champions League. However, after 2007-08 the states will probably have extra competition for a spot in the worldwide tournament.”We have had preliminary talks with Cricket Australia about establishing a trans-Tasman league which will feed into subsequent global championships,” New Zealand Cricket’s CEO Justin Vaughan said. “Both New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia are interested in exploring this potential further with the possibility of a trans-Tasman league starting as early as the 2008-09 cricket season. The two top teams from this league would then progress to the Champions Twenty20 tournament to play teams from Indian, African and European leagues.”

It has been announced that Alviro Petersen’s contract with the Titans has been terminated by mutual agreement.Petersen, despite considerable success in South African domestic cricket, was left out of the squad for the semi-final and final of the Standard Bank Cup after an internal hearing took place in January. He has not played for the Titans since.”I have loved playing for the Titans. I will always be grateful that I was given the opportunity by the Titans to play professional cricket,” Petersen said in a statement released on Monday. “It was also during my time with the Titans that I was selected for South Africa ‘A’ and I know that playing for the Titans assisted me to achieve this honour.I believe, though that it is time to move on and that it will be in my best interests if I continue my career with another Franchise. I thank everyone at the Titans for what they have done for me and wish them all the very best for the future.”Elise Lombard, the Titans’ chief executive, said: “On behalf of the Board of the Titans I thank Alviro for his contribution to the Titans and wish him well for his future in South African cricket”.Petersen’s place in the team was taken by the return of AB de Villiers, who was on national duty, and Goolam Bodi.

Australia have completed preparations ahead of Thursday’s Twenty20 match against New Zealand at the Gardens Oval, Darwin, a prelude to the five-match Rose Bowl ODI series at the same venue. This will be Australia’s first game in Darwin.Since their arrival on Sunday, the team has spent time acclimatising to the Darwin winter. The day’s main practice session provides the last chance for new coach Lisa Keightley to make final adjustments before the Twenty20 clash.”Tomorrow will be our third Twenty20 international so we are still finding our way in this format of the game. The match will enable us to set a platform leading into the 50-over games,” Keightley said in a Cricket Australia press release.”We’ll approach the match with the intention of having some time in the middle, enjoying the game and seeing what skills we can produce at this time of the year. Overall, I’m really keen to walk away from this series knowing where all the girls are at.”We’ve lost Cathryn Fitzpatrick, so we’re looking for a new opening bowler who will spearhead our innings. With the bat, we’ll be trying to get some new combinations and establish some players in different positions.”New Zealand will be without the services of Louise Milliken, the fast bowler, who was ruled out of the series after injuring her knee yesterday in a practice match against the Northern Territory junior team. She will leave for New Zealand tonight and have an MRI scan to assess the extent of damage.Sarah Burke has been named as Milliken’s replacement and will join the team tomorrow afternoon.Australia enters the series as clear favourites after winning the previous five-match series against New Zealand 5-0. But last year’s corresponding Twenty20 international resulted in a close ‘bowl-off’ victory for Australia.Australia will be bolstered by the return from injury of Karen Rolton; the reigning ICC Women’s Player of the Year will lead Australia in Darwin.Australia’s team for the Twenty20 match will be announced tomorrow morning.

It’s hard enough for top-quality bowlers to come up against a rampagingChris Gayle, just spare a thought for the lesser teams. Unfortunately forthem, Gayle’s made a habit of pulverising minnows – he averages 59 againstZimbabwe and close to 49 against Bangladesh – and today it was apremeditated assault. Start steady, motor along and go ballistic towardsthe end.”Things weren’t that easy,” he said at the end of the day, beaming acheeky smile. “The wicket was keeping low and one needed to concentrate. Ineeded to capitalise on the start. Hopefully I can better my performanceagainst Sri Lanka.” But was the wicket really that difficult? WasBangladesh’s surrender understandable? “It was a good wicket and we sawthat when they batted early on. But they didn’t really capitalise on thestart. It wasn’t the easiest of wickets to start but it’s something thatneeded you to dig deep. Once you got in you can pace yourself and go onfrom there.”The manner in which he went after them as the finish line approached madethe bowling look quite pedestrian. “It’s definitely not the weakest attackin ODI cricket,” Gayle retorted when asked his thoughts. “They bowledwell, especially the two left-arm spinners. They put the ball in the rightareas. My game-plan was to go out there and not take it for granted. I’m agood reader of the game and it’s a situation – when I’ve played 100 andodd one-day games – that one learns.”His constant chatter with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, towards the end of thegame, didn’t go unnoticed. “Chanderpaul and myself wanted to work well inpartnership, we wanted to communicate and plan it well and stay till thethe end,” he continued. “I wanted a hundred and he wanted a fifty, so hesaid, ‘Chris, whatever you do make sure I get my fifty as well.'”Gayle and Chanderpaul have taken care of the bulk of West Indies battingin the opening two games of the tournament but Brian Lara wasn’t tooconcerned. “The game on Saturday [against Sri Lanka] is very, veryimportant for us we’s love to qualify No.1 and move on. If Chris andChanderpaul are the only two to bat on Saturday, this is great for us.There is no room for experimentation at this present time. You just haveto win, win, win.”No team wants to pick themselves up from a loss going into the moreimportant stage of the tournament,” he continued looking ahead to the SriLanka game, “so I think both teams going to be very competitive. WestIndies is going out to put out their best XI and we are going to go reallystrongly for a win. I think three wins on a trot, going into the secondstage of the tournament, is definitely going to be positive.”West Indies’ fortunes, though, will hinge on the fitness of their players,three of whom were ill-disposed. Lara admitted that it was a seriousconcern. “Starting with Sarwan, Smith and Morton, and now Fidel it’s hardto quarantine the guys specially if you travel. Hopefully Fidel will beback in the field soon.”

Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo has admitted that he wished that he and his team had taken a stand against the old Kenyan Cricket Association earlier than they did.Tikolo and a number of senior players finally went on strike last October after more than a year of disputes over payments they claimed were owed to them by the Sharad Ghai led board. That regime was finally removed by fresh elections in May, and Ghai is awaiting trial on charges that he misappropriated around $3.5 million of KCA funds.”The association was mismanaging the sport and we did not utter a word as things deteriorated,” Tikolo told the Nation. “Last year we said enough was enough and refused to play. Our action prompted the government to act. Now the rot in cricket has been cleaned out. Had we protested earlier then we would be at a higher level in the game.”Tikolo also revealed that he regretted his role in chosing Andy Moles as the national coach. He was one of three people given the task of finding a replacement for Sandeep Patil, but revealed that it was a decision he immediately rued.”We could not work with Moles,” he told the paper. “Our relationship in the dressing room deteriorated by the day … it even threatened our performance.”This made me realise my work is to play – hiring and firing coaches is the job of the association. When things went wrong we could not complain as we were part of the selection panel.”