Bashar, Mashud make case for Tigers' victory
 
 
 Former Bangladesh captains Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mashud believe it is not wrong for Bangladesh to assume a place in the Super Eights is unachievable. And they are confident the Tigers can take a giant step by upsetting defending ICC World Twenty20 champions India on Saturday.

Bashar and Mashud's simple argument is that by definition anything can happen in a Twenty20 match so that will suit Bangladesh who are capable of beating top rated side on their day.

"It seems an uneven battle between Bangladesh and India, but we all saw what happened in the 2007 World Cup. The Twenty20 format strongly suggests no such uneven battle that is why Bangladesh have the ability to beat champions India this time too," said Bashar, who led Bangladesh in that 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

Mashud, however, thinks the Indians have gained much confidence after the IPL, but the format of newest version game really went with Bangladesh.

"Look, why we are going down in international cricket? It is only for lack of patience as the batsmen likes to play more shots instead of leaving the ball and the Twenty20 format needs no such patience. So it is possible to beat India," said the former wicketkeeper.

Mashud thinks the batsmen have to lay the foundation so that the bowlers could find something to bowl at.

"If the batsmen can do well, Bangladesh will win. I want to especially mention the spinners, who have the ability to seal a victory if they are given a good total on the board to defend it," said Mashud. "I think it would not be wise to play eight batsmen because it is a Twenty20 game so the lower-order batsmen hardly get to bat and that's why genuine bowlers are needed in the starting line-up."

Bashar suggests shrugging off the pressure before taking to the field.

"I am impressed in the way the guys played in the warm-up games and I will suggest them to show same mentality in Saturday's match and they should remember we can beat India," said Bangladesh's most successful batsman in Test cricket.

Both captains, however, thought that putting on 160-170 runs on the board would be enough to defend it as well as it would be easier to reach the target if India were restricted to 150.

They also opined that it would be wise to bat first after winning the toss if there was no movement as well as gloomy weather in Nottingham.

Dhoni publicly denies reports of rift with Sehwag

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the unusual step on Friday of leading his team into a news conference where he publicly denied reports of a rift between himself and Virender Sehwag.
Dhoni said reports claiming he had clashed with his vice-captain were "nothing but false and irresponsible media".

Coach Gary Kirsten told reporters the story was false.

"I was blown away when I heard about this, because it is something that just does not exist," Kirsten said.

"I think it is a huge positive to say `we stand together as a team'.

"We wanted to send a message out to say this team is really unified, for the Indian people. We are very close and we have been for a long time now."

The defending champions open their campaign against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday (1700GMT). Bangladesh defeated India in the group stages of the 2007 50 overs World Cup.

"There is a level of expectation, because the team have won before," Kirsten added. "The team are fully aware of that responsibility and understand the pressures.

"The T20 format of the game does bring other teams into it -- one good or bad over can change it around. You can lose games very quickly, so it does throw it open."

Kirsten said Sehwag had torn a shoulder muscle in the Indian Premier League and was uncertain how many matches he would play.
Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons said his tsam were looking forward to putting pressure on the Indians.

"Everyone knows we're dangerous at any time," Siddons told reporters. "We've got potential match winners in any form of the game. Our consistency hasn't quite been there. We are the underdogs but we're looking forward to putting them under some pressure."

ICC World Twenty20

New Zealand v Scotland

       Kiwis staying under radar

New Zealand's World Twenty20 opener against Scotland at the Oval on Saturday promises to be a low key affair - and that is, you suspect, just the way the Black Caps want it.

For years now in one-day cricket New Zealand have punched above their weight and their quality was on show this week when they beat defending World Twenty20 champions India by nine runs in a warm-up match at Lord's.

India's subsequent nine-wicket thrashing of Pakistan in another warm-up at the Oval meant the impact of the New Zealand loss was not felt for too long back home in the sub-continent.

But it was a reminder of the heights the Black Caps can reach.

In wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum they have one of the most dynamic batsmen in world cricket and a worthy successor to the likes of Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle.

Jesse Ryder is also a batsman that can make bowlers look stupid and while the absence of Shane Bond robs them of a genuine quick, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori remains arguably world cricket's pre-eminent left-arm spinner in all forms of the game.

He took three for 24 in the recent victory over India and Vettori relishes a Twenty20 format which, on paper at least, looks to be tilted heavily in favour of batsmen.

"In Twenty20, you are not going to second-guess yourself," said Vettori.

"The batsman is going to attack you, most spin bowlers realise that, and if they attack too much you create chances and you find even part-time spinners in the Indian Premier League being highly successful."

New Zealand though are vulnerable to top order collapse - as happened in their warm-up loss to Australia - but on the flip side they do bat a long way down with reserve keeper Peter McGlashan making an impressive 49 as a No 7 against Ricky Ponting's men.

Of all the three Associate or junior nations taking part in this tournament (Ireland and the Netherlands are the other two), Scotland look least equipped to cause an upset.

It is now a decade since their captain Gavin Hamilton won his one and only Test cap for England while the squad suffered disruption during the warm-up series when former county bowler John Blain quit after a row with his skipper.

Having failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in Asia, a major blow to their morale, Scotland will be desperate to show in some way that they are deserving of a place on the big stage.

But a seven-wicket loss to the Netherlands in a warm-up confirmed the extent of the challenge facing Hamilton's men who, a day earlier, had threatened to embarrass England before Kevin Pietersen took that match away from them.

"We wanted to play decent cricket but we were miles off the mark," said Hamilton of the Dutch defeat.

"There's no excuse whatsoever for what was a lacklustre performance. The disappointing thing was that we made the same mistakes - there were far too many dot balls."

Probable teams and officials for the Group D ICC World Twenty20 match between New Zealand and Scotland at the Oval on Saturday:

SQUADS
NEW ZEALAND (from): Daniel Vettori (capt), Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (wkt), Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor

SCOTLAND (from): Gavin Hamilton (capt), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Drummond, Majid Haq, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Navdeep Poonia, Glenn Rogers, Colin Smith (wkt), Jan Stander, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts, Craig Wright
Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) and Billy Doctrove (WIS)TV umpire: Rudi Koertzen (RSA)

ICC World T20

   

ICC World T20 gets underway at Lord's 

Most explosive format of cricket returns to its birthplace England when the second edition of the ICC World Twenty20 begins on Friday at Lord's with hosts taking on outsiders the Netherlands.

A 30-minute colourful ceremony will mark the opening of the 12-team competition with Britain's popular artiste Alesha Dixon taking the stage to provide a rousing curtain-raiser.

England had introduced that shortest format in county cricket in 2003, but this version of the game gained much popularity among the cricketing nations after India, the commercial hub of cricket, won the inaugural edition two years ago.

England open up against the Netherlands in the first of their two Group B matches, kicks off at 10:30pm BdST, with Pakistan set to face England at The Oval on Sunday.

Bangladesh will open their Group A campaign against holders and favourites India on Saturday while Australia play the West Indies on the same day in Group C.

All 17,000 tickets of the Bangladesh-India match have already been sold out and tickets for the other matches scheduled to be held in the city are also selling fast. According to the latest count, only 400 tickets have remained unsold for the semi-final match to be held in the city on June 18.

There are four groups of three, with the top two from each group going through to the Super Eights which will be made up of two groups of four.

The top two from each of those groups go into the semi-finals to be played at Trent Bridge and The Oval. The final will be staged at Lord's on June 21.

Among the 10 Test-playing nations, Zimbabwe are missing the tournament due to the political reasons while three associate members – Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland – have qualified for the men's tournament through the qualifying round held in Belfast last year.

Back to the inaugural match, in pace bowler Dirk Nannes, who plays at Lord's for Middlesex, the Dutch have a left-arm quick who can swing the ball late.

Australia-born Nannes didn't hit top form during the Netherlands's recent warm-up games against Ireland and Scotland but if the seamer, who also plays for Indian Premier League side the Delhi Daredevils, is at his best then England need to watch out.

All-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate is another key figure for the Dutch and this match could see him in action against at least two of his Essex team-mates in opening batsman Ravi Bopara and wicketkeeper James Foster, with the big-hitting Graham Napier also in England's squad.

But Netherlands captain and wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits is convinced his side can start the tournament proper with an almighty bang. "I'm sure we can spring a surprise," he said. "We have a quality 20-over team.

England have never won a major one-day tournament and, despite pioneering cricket's shortest format at county level, are not among the favourites now.

They struggled to get past Scotland in a warm-up match before overwhelming the West Indies, a side they've beaten comfortably in Tests and one-dayers this season, in another practice match on Wednesday. 

ICC World Twenty20

Australia v West Indies
Aus look to reshuffle

Australia will be forced into a late change of plan when they begin their quest for the ICC World Twenty20 title against the West Indies at the Oval on Saturday now that Andrew Symonds has been sent home.

The controversial all-rounder was given his marching orders following an alcohol related incident that may well have brought down the curtain on the Queensland star's international career.

This is not the first time Symonds has been undone in this way - he was dropped for two matches during Australia's 2005 tour of England after turning up on the morning of their shock one-day loss to Bangladesh in Cardiff the worse for wear.

Symonds's absence robs Australia of one of the world's leading Twenty20 players. A hard hitting batsman, brilliant fielder and a bowler capable of both medium pace and spin, Symonds ought to be a captain's dream in this format.

That was certainly the view of the Deccan Chargers, winners a few weeks ago of the Indian Premier League, who paid 1.35 million dollars for the services of the Birmingham-born Symonds.

However, Australia know what it is like to be rocked by a late withdrawal - leg-spin great Shane Warne sustained a drugs ban on the eve of their unbeaten run to the 2003 World Cup title in South Africa - and still do well.

And experienced fast bowler Brett Lee said of Symonds: "He's a world-class player and to leave a gap like that is not great for the Australian team but we always find a way to fill a void."

Much now will depend on Australia captain Ricky Ponting to get the side back on track.

The Tasmanian remains one of the world's best batsmen in all forms of the game and Ponting looked in superb touch while making 56 during a warm-up win over New Zealand this week.

"He has let himself down, let all his team-mates down and Cricket Australia down," was Ponting's blunt assessment of Symonds's actions.

"It probably throws the balance a little bit in our side but the beauty of our side is that there is a lot of flexibility within the group."

In the short term Australia, who have called up Cameron White to the squad as a replacement, could promote either one of Michael or David Hussey up the order with David Hussey's off-spin a useful bowling option in the Twenty20.

Given their off-field problems, Australia could have had a worse opener than a match against the West Indies, who have been beaten comprehensively by England in Tests, one-dayers and most recently a Twenty20 warm-up this season.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle though did hammer 88 in a nine-wicket warm-up win over minnows Ireland this week and, in a format which more than any other type of cricket can see games won by one player alone, the left-handed opener remains a significant force.

"This is a fresh start," said Gayle after his innings against Ireland. And now those words don't just apply to his team.

SQUADS
AUSTRALIA (from): Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin (wkt), Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White

WEST INDIES (from): Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wkt), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor
Umpires: Asad Rauf (PAK) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

 Accidental designer eyes Mongoose revolution  

Twenty20 has made a virtue of challenging cricket convention and if an English inventor is right the next thing to be abandoned will be the long-standing design of the bat itself.

Marcus Codrington Fernandez, inspired by a 30-year-old video clip of former England batsman Geoff Boycott, has come up with a new design very much in tune with the devil-may-care attitude of the Twenty20 game.

The result is a bat that looks rather like a hefty brick on the end of a very long stick.

There is little in the way of shoulder -- the bit you need to play those defensive shots against the quicks -- but a much larger "sweet" section that can help even mistimed strokes race towards the boundary.

Those who remember Boycott as an excruciatingly slow-scoring batsman may consider him an unlikely inspiration for a bat designed for all-out attack but if the Mongoose is a success the Yorkshireman may go down as the patron saint of big hitting.
"I got into bat design completely by accident," Codrington Fernandez said as he demonstrated the bat for Reuters at a public pitch in East London.

"I worked in the media for 20 years and then three years ago I had a stroke, which took me out of civilised life for a year.

"It was at that point I was watching Geoff Boycott batting on YouTube and it struck me that the bat he was using was identical to the one being used today in Twenty20 games, where the objective is to hit the ball out of the park every time, not to do what Boycott was doing all those years ago.

"So the game seemed to have moved on and was fundamentally different but the equipment was identical."
He added: "This bat is designed for Twenty20."

New Ideas

There have been attempts to introduce new bats before but they have tended to focus on the use of new materials, notably the aluminium bat used by Dennis Lillee in 1979 and ultimately rejected by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the sport's guardians.
The difference here is that the Mongoose is made with the same materials as any other bat and the MCC have therefore given it their blessing.

"The MCC were extremely encouraging and supportive. They were open-minded and forward thinking in a way many wouldn't have expected," the inventor said.

While the big-hitting Australian Stuart Law has given the bat enthusiastic backing, and already used it to some effect, Codrington Fernandez concedes that the World Twenty20 starting on Friday has probably come too soon for the Mongoose, with the major players already signed up to bat contracts.

The buzz surrounding the bat suggests a lot more players will be trying it soon, however, and not just the sluggers.

"Interestingly, lots of the pro players who want to use this bat are the opening batsmen who aren't renowned for hitting the ball very hard," Codrington Fernandez said.

"They're looking to hit it harder, to get into the one-day squad, the Twenty20 squad in their teams and they see this as a route forward."

Name Choice

Using the bat, you certainly do feel that you are middling the ball more often.

"I'm not the most powerful of batsmen so it gives me an advantage," said Ben Sanders, vice-captain of the London Fields cricket club, after testing the bat for Reuters.

"You can mis-time it but it still races away."
His team mate Paul Teasdale added: "It plays really nice. It's just all middle so you can toe it and it can still go."

A quick look around the web shows that the makers have chosen a name that is a headline writer's dream, not surprising given the inventor's media background.

"We call it the Mongoose because this bat is small and it's ferocious," he said.

"It's also an underdog. We're up against 240 years of tradition since the last bat was designed." 

ICC World Twenty20

First official practice game today

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful believes the Tigers are preparing well for the ICC World T20 which kicks off on June 5.

"We have come here one week early, had three games against New Zealand, Holland and Scotland and the boys have done well. We are confident and there are two tough games against Australia tomorrow [Monday] and Sri Lanka the day after. So that's a nice build up to the main tournament," said Ashraful at the captains' media briefing at Lord's yesterday.

The Bangladesh skipper was due to stay back in London until later in the evening for the official dinner before he would leave for Nottinghamshire. The rest of the Bangladesh squad is already in Nottingham, their World T20 base, and had a training session at Lady Bay to prepare for today's warm-up against Australia at Trent Bridge.

The Tigers are expected to go in with three spinners and three pacers against the Aussies. Nayeem Islam might make a return to the side after missing the last two practice matches with a sore shoulder. Shahadat Hossain is likely to be kept out again with Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Syed Rasel and Rubel Hossain forming the pace attack.

The game starts at 1:30pm local time (6:30pm Bangladesh Time) with ESPNStar Sports beaming live coverage in South Asia.

Ashraful was looking forward to the first match of Group A against India at Trent Bridge on June 6.

"In this form of the game any side can beat the other. We defeated the West Indies in the last World T20 in South Africa and progressed to the Super Eights. Our main goal is to repeat that and if we beat India, who are the world champions, in the first match then we will fancy our chances of doing well against the other top sides and making the semifinals even."

The captain was asked about the new kid on the block Rubel Hossain who has been too hot to handle for Holland and Scotland in warm-up matches.

"He has taken nine wickets in two matches and is bowling really well. He has an awkward action and has bit of extra pace," said Ashraful.

Ashraful also put his money on vice-captain Mashrafe to come into his own against India despite a rather forgettable Indian Premier League campaign for Kolkata Knight Riders where he just got one game and went for many.

"It was only in the last over that he did badly. Otherwise I thought he was okay. But I know he'll be back. He is that type of a player. He always does well against India."

Mortaza has been the man-of-the-match in both games Bangladesh have won against India.

Asked about the comment from the Ireland captain William Potterfield that they wanted to beat Bangladesh, Ashraful said the Tigers were the better side.

"I think if we play our best cricket then we should not have a problem against Ireland because we have more quality in the side."

ICC World Twenty20

From IPL to WC

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is looking forward to uniting all the talents at his disposal during the World Twenty20 in England after competing against his teammates in the Indian Premier League.

India are the defending World Twenty20 champions after winning the inaugural edition in South Africa two years ago.

Since then the IPL, a lucrative franchise Twenty20 tournament that features the world's best players, has burst on the scene although this year it was played in South Africa because of security concerns.

"Of course it is a pleasure representing your country after the IPL where you have limited talent in your side," Dhoni told reporters at Lord's here on Sunday.

"But here we have plenty of options and we have the cream of the IPL so there is less pressure on each and every individual."

India supply more IPL players than any other nation but wicket-keeper batsman Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, said this was not an advantage in itself.

"The IPL will help us but not only us. There are quite a few players from other countries but most of our players are in the IPL.

"The best thing is that our youngsters will know how to handle pressure, when in the last over you need 10 or 15 runs, everyone in our side has faced that situation.

"It's good exposure for our guys to play against guys like Brett Lee and Shane Warne.

India have been drawn in Group A alongside Asian rivals Bangladesh - who defeated India at the 2007 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean and Ireland - who beat both Bangladesh and Pakistan in the West Indies two years ago.

"In Twenty20, there is no such thing as a weak side, an individual can take the game away from you," Dhoni explained. "If we take care of the immediate steps, the result takes care of itself."

Reflecting on India's success in South Africa, where they beat arch-rivals Pakistan in a thrilling final, Dhoni said: "We can't live on or relish the memories, we have to turn up and do everything from scratch again, it's not about the past.

"Cricket is a very cruel game, the moment you relax is when you are in trouble," Dhoni said.

Asked how the team had developed, Dhoni joked: "I've got quite a few grey hairs. That's one change, the plus point is that in the last three years there have been fewer changes in the side.

"The individuals involved have played 80 to 90 one-day internationals, helps me personally. I can pick ideas according to the situation. Also the fielding has evolved compared to what it was. We have raised the bar."

India, who still have a doubt over the fitness of fast bowler Zaheer Khan's shoulder injury, come into this event without batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

'The Little Master' has opted out of international Twenty20s and Dhoni said: "He's among the greatest, it's tough, you always want a player like Sachin in your side.

"But he wasn't at the last T20, the guys are getting used to it. But he has a big impact in the dressing room, the amount of ideas he has is amazing."

Much has been made of the impact various strategies might have on the outcome of Twenty20 matches but Dhoni said: "It's about how quickly the individual adapts, about what he does on the field.

"It's not only about strategies but how you implement and how the individual you are planning against reacts. If it was all about strategy Sachin would have been sorted out by now and he's been playing for 20 years."

India begin their Group A campaign against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

Igloo T20 cricket


Chittagong Warriors beat Ekota Sporting Club by five wickets in the Igloo Summer Twenty20 Challenge at the Dhanmondi Club ground yesterday.

Batting first, Ekota scored 133 with Shuvo scoring 57. In reply, the port city boys reached 135-5 with Mithu scoring 33.

In the day's second match, Golden Boys defeated Transformers by three wickets.

4-dayer between Bangladesh A-Maharashtra CA ends in a draw



The four-dayer cricket match between Bangladesh A and Maharashtra Cricket Association ended in a draw at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra on the fourth and final day (Sunday).

Electing to bat first, Bangladesh A made a fighting total of 343 in the first innings on the second day.

In reply, Maharashtra Cricket Association (CA) piled up a mammoth 498 in the first innings on the fourth day.

Bangladesh A scored 37 for the loss of one wicket before the two umpires drew the bails for the final day.

Maharashtra resumed their first innings with the over-night score of 363 for the loss of six wickets and then, the touring side added more 135 runs losing rest of the four wickets.

Rohit Motwani and Srikant Mandle resumed their first innings with the over-night score of 95 and 57 respectively.

Srikant Mandle notched up 130 playing 232 deliveries. He struck 14 fours and three sixers in his 268-minute sparkle innings.

Rohit Motwani knocked a patient 109 off 241 balls. He hit five fours in his 338-minute innings.

Samad Fallah hit 31(not out) off 75 balls amid five fours. He captured six wickets in the space of 108 runs. He was adjudged the Man of the Match for his all-round performance.

Dollar Mahmud harpooned four wickets in lieu of 68 runs while Imran Ahmed got one wicket for three runs on the final day.

Later, opener Imrul Kayes returned to the pavilion scoring 17 off 15 balls with two fours and a six.

Nafees Iqbal remained undefeated with 15 off 23 balls including two fours while Imran Ahmed was at the stumps with four runs.

Aditya Dole got one wicket conceding 19 runs.

Brief score: Bangladesh A team 1st innings - 343 all out in 91 overs; Imran Ahmed 90, Mehrab Hossain Jr 81, Dollar Mahmud 79, Hannan Sarker 39, Nafees Iqbal 30, Enamul Haque Jr 11, Samad Fallah 6/108, Kiran Adhav 2/73.

2nd innings- 37 for 1 in 7.3 overs; Imrul Kayes 17, Nafees Iqbal not out 15, Imran Ahmed not out 4, Aditya Dole 1/19.

Maharashtra CA - 498 all out in 158.2 overs; Srikant Mandle 130, Rohit Motwani 109, Ankit Bawne 57, Rohan Bhosale 53, Dollar Mahmud 4/64, Talha Jubaer 2/98.

Visiting Maharashtra CA will play their 2nd and last four-day match against Bangladesh A, beginning on June 3 (Wednesday) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

ICC World Twenty20

Twenty20 is home

Cricket's newest format returns to its birthplace when England hosts the World Twenty20 from Friday with the event kicking off a bumper summer which includes one of the sport's oldest combats, the Ashes.

But, as with all the other forms of one-day cricket first played in England at county level, the 'mother country' has found herself having to play catch-up with the rest of the world.

Originally conceived as a fun way of bringing new audiences, particularly those who couldn't watch cricket during the working day, into the game, Twenty20 has taken the sport by storm.

Tournaments such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) are now far more lucrative per match for a player than five-day Test cricket, the traditional pinnacle of the sport.

India, whose administrators were originally hostile to Twenty20 because they feared its commercial impact upon the 50-over game, won the inaugural global tournament in South Africa two years ago.

Nine members of that winning squad, which defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling final in Johannesburg, will be coming to England.

But, in what above all other types of cricket is a game heavily weighted in favour of batsmen, India will be without master run-maker Sachin Tendulkar, who has now opted out of Twenty20 internationals.

Generally short boundaries and fielding restrictions put a premium on big-hitting batsmen and in Yuvraj Singh they have someone who struck England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in South Africa.

Tendulkar, who himself played in this year's IPL, warned it was important that openers Yuvraj and Gautam Gambhir were refreshed after failing to find top form in the IPL.

"I think the key would be how soon they can shed the fatigue factor," Tendulkar said.

Wicket-taking bowlers are an invaluable commodity in a game where economy rates can go out the window and India look to have a promising pace attack.

Left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh, who took 12 wickets in South Africa in 2007, will be supported this time around by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

Pakistan, starved of international cricket at home after a terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March made the country a 'no-go zone', will fancy their chances of going one better this time around.

"I thought Australia would thrash them in the one-off T20 match in Dubai but it was the other way round and now, if Pakistan play to their potential, they can win the title," Pakistan great Wasim Akram told AFP this month.

Australia have dominated all forms of cricket during the last decade except Twenty20 and captain Ricky Ponting is determined to improve both his and the team's record.

"The past couple of games I've played have been very poor," he said. "In the two games in South Africa I made one in each. It's not great form going into a World Cup."

Ponting gave Australia a scare when he sustained a hand injury during practice on Saturday.

But he is still expected to take part - which is more than England captain Andrew Strauss.

The opening batsman has opted out of the tournament because he thinks he isn't a good enough Twenty20 player and the suspicion remains that England are more interested in the Ashes series against Australia that follows this event.

England have never won a major international one-day tournament and they will be without all-rounder Andrew Flintoff (knee), now replaced by uncapped leg-spinner Adil Rashid, while doubts persist over star batsman Kevin Pietersen (Achilles).

But the IPL and subsequent international form of Ravi Bopara has shown England that there is life beyond "Freddie" and "KP".

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have repeatedly punched above their weight in international tournaments and could do so again during a tournament that will take place at three of English cricket's most historic venues - Lord's, the Oval and Trent Bridge.

And the West Indies could yet put a largely disappointing tour of England behind them in this format.

Meanwhile South Africa, who won both of their two previous Twenty20s against Australia, are desperate to add a one-day title to set alongside their achievements in winning Test series in both England and Australia during the past 12 months.

Bangladesh and Ireland, who have both enjoyed shock wins on the global stage in the past, will dream of further upsets although, with both Scotland and the Netherlands taking part, there is also the capacity for some hugely lopsided results too.

For the first time the corresponding women's tournament will run in parallel with the main men's event, with both finals taking place on the same day at Lord's where, thanks in part to Twenty20, permanent floodlights are now a feature of the ground.

The tournament gets underway on June 5.

Match drawn in Bogra

The first four-dayer between Bangladesh A and Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) predictably ended in a draw after rain shortened the final day at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra yesterday.

Only two hours of play was possible during which the visitors reached 498 in 158.2 overs in their first innings. Bangladesh A were 37 for one in their second innings when rain washed out the rest of the day.

But there was enough time for Rohit Motwani and Srikant Mandle to reach hundreds. Motwani remained patient as he reached 109 from 241 balls with just five hundreds.

Mandle, unbeaten overnight on 57, made 130 from 232 balls with 14 boundaries and three sixes.

Dollar Mahmud picked up four for 68 while Talha Jubair took two wickets.

The second four-day match will begin on June 3 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

BRIEF SCORES
BANGLADESH A: First innings 343 all out and second innings 37-1 in 7.3 overs (Kayes 17, Nafis 15*, Imran 4*; Aditya 1-19).

MAHARASHTRA CRICKET ASSOCIATION: First innings 498 all out in 158.2 overs (Khadiwale 8, Bhosale 53, Sirikhande 23, Jadhav 19, Bawne 57, Motwani 109, Gaekwad 30, Mandle 130; Sajid 1-100, Talha 2-98, Dollar 4-68, Enamul 1-127, Rajin 1-27, Imran 1-3).

Result: Match drawn.
Man-of-the-match: Samad Fallah.

Hasan wants to emulate Sehwag

Rookie opener Shahzaib Hasan, who was a surprise inclusion in Pakistan's squad for the Twenty20 World Champion-ships, says he wants to emulate his explosive Indian counterpart Virender Sehwag in the mega-event that starts June 5 in England.

The 19-year-old was included in the Pakistan squad and has been backed by skipper Younis Khan to do well in the tournament.

Shahzaib has a tally of 80 fours and 13 sixes in 10 first-class matches. The youngster says he loves watching Sehwag in action.

"He is someone I would like to emulate and bat like. He dictates the pace of the game and I want to do that," Hasan said.

Hailing from Karachi, the youngster has already made an impact in the national Twenty20 Championship that concluded on last night.

Shahzaib might find it difficult to get a spot in the playing XI because the Pakistani think-tank is contemplating using wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal as a makeshift opener in the tournament.

"I will wait for my chance when it comes I will try to take it with both hands. For me just to get into the Pakistan team is a dream come true. Because my career is not a very long one," Hasan said.

KP admits T20 flaws?

The most expensive IPL player and flamboyant England batsman Kevin Pietersen has confessed he is not good at playing the hugely popular Twenty20 format but vowed to make amends during in the World Championships, beginning next week.

"I'm not very good at Twenty20 cricket, am I?" Pietersen said on the eve of the World T20 Championships in England.

"The more you play T20 cricket the better you become and I haven't played a lot of it, and I'm not very good at it," he was quoted as saying by 'The Mirror'.

Pietersen, who was not a part of the inaugural edition of IPL, played only six matches in the IPL-II in South Africa and has made just one T20 50 for England, averaging 26.

Pietersen disclosed he had developed new theories to suit his batting to the quickest format of the game.

"The more I play it though the more I'll catch up with my records in Test and one-day cricket definitely. I just know that I will get much better at it. I've worked out some new theories about how to go about my batting in T20 and that will make a difference, hopefully starting next week!" he said.

The 28-year-old ex-England captain, who failed to impress as the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain in IPL, said he loved the experience.

"I made a great captain didn't I," Pietersen said in a lighter vein.

Bangladesh in confident mood: Ashraful

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful believes the Tigers are preparing well for the ICC World T20.

"We have come here one week early had three games against New Zealand, Holland and Scotland and the boys have done well. We are confident and there are two tough games against Australia and Sri Lanka. So that's a nice build up to the main tournament," said Ashraful at the captains media briefing at Lord's on Sunday.

Ashraful was also looking forward to the first match of Group A against India ant Trent Bridge on June 6.

"In this form of the game any side can beat the other. We defeated the West Indies in the last World T20 in South Africa and progressed to the Super Eight. Our main goal is to repeat that and if we beat India, who are the world champions, in the first match then we will fancy our chances of doing well against the top sides and making the semi-finals even," Ashraful was quoted as saying by TigerCricket.com, the official website of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

The captain was asked about the new kid on the block Rubel Hossain who has been too hot to handle for Holland and Scotland in warm-up matches.

"He has taken nine wickets in two matches and is bowling really well. He has an awkward action and has bit of extra pace," said Ashraful.

Ashraful also put his money on vice-captain Masrafee Bin Mortaza to come into his own against India despite a rather forgettable IPL campaign for Kolkata Knight Riders where he just got one game and went for many.

"It was only in the last over that he did badly. Otherwise I thought he was okay. But I know he'll be back. He is that type of a player. He always does well against India."

Mortaza has been the man of the match in both games Bangladesh have won against India.

Asked about the comment from the Ireland captain William Potterfield that they wanted to beat Bangladesh, Ashraful said the Tigers were the better side.

"I think if we play our best cricket then we should not have a problem against Ireland because we have more quality in the side."

The skipper attended the media briefing at Lord's and was due to stay back in London until later in the evening for the official dinner before he would leave for Nottinghamshire. The rest of the Bangladesh squad is already in Nottingham, their World T20 base, and had a training session at Lady Bay to prepare for Monday's warm-up against Australia at Trent Bridge.

The Tigers are expected to go in with three spinners and three pacers. Naeem Isam might make a return to the side after missing the last two practice matches with a sore shoulder. Shahadat Hossain Rajib is likely to be kept out again with Mortaza, Syed Rasel and Rubel forming the pace attack.

The game starts at 1:30pm local time (6:30pm Bangladesh Standard Time). ESPNStar Sports will telecast the match live in South Asia with coverage commencing at 6pm Bangladesh Time. 

Expecting much from Bravo

While his colleagues shivered and slumped to an embarrassing Test series defeat in England, Dwayne Bravo was gaining crucial Twenty20 experience in the IPL.

Playing in the same Mumbai Indian squad as Sachin Tendulkar, he hit a memorable unbeaten 70 against Kings XI Punjab although his efforts weren't enough to give his side a semifinal place.

The 25-year-old Trinidadian had long been touted as a future West Indies star ever since his Test debut in 2004 when he snatched three wickets against England at Lord's.

His reputation grew, especially in the limited overs form of the game, and he took over the captaincy in 2007 when Chris Gayle was injured.

Bravo suffered an ankle injury in 2008 which kept him sidelined for eight months.

Despite returning to face England in the ODI series in the Caribbean earlier this year, he wasn't selected for the tour to face Andrew Strauss's side and he was allowed to play again for the Mumbai Indians.

Like Gayle, Bravo is a fan of the IPL.

"I learn about others. IPL has been great in that way. These are the players you are playing against, and now you get to know them better," he told www.cricinfo.com.

He also admitted that his frustrating time out of the game also helped him refocus.

"For those eight months, I had a lot of time to think about where I wanted my career to go. I definitely want to make up for mistakes," added a man who is averaging just over 16 with the bat in his nine T20 internationals while also picking up four wickets.

"Sometimes the shot selection wasn't great, some times it was bad decisions by me and other times, I used to bat after a long bowling spell and felt tired."

"That's why I am working very hard on my fitness now. I want to play well and for long, contribute to my team's success consistently."

ICC World Twenty20

Mashrafe raring to go

Bangladesh's think-tank must be secretly delighted that Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was treated shabbily by his Kolkata Knight Riders team in the Indian Premier League.

The astonishing price tag of 600,000 dollars paid by Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan for Mortaza appeared a bad investment as coach John Buchanan confined the young fast bowler mostly to the reserves despite the team's dismal showing.

But warming the benches for five weeks left a frustrated Mortaza hungry for success on the field when he turns out for Bangladesh in the World Twenty20.

"I can't wait to get back on the field," said Mortaza. "It was a great experience mixing with all the top players in the IPL. I learnt so much just watching them.

"Now I want to play and do well for my country. That is the only thing on my mind."

Mortaza's desperation should please Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and coach Jamie Siddons.

The 25-year-old has risen steadily since his dramatic debut in 2001 when he was launched into the Test squad by West Indian legend Andy Roberts, the then coach, even before he had played first-class cricket.

Mortaza's hard-hitting batting lower down the order makes him ideally suited for Twenty20 cricket where he has a strike-rate of 105.88 in nine matches and six wickets, although at an expensive economy rate of 9.22.

Now free from a spate of knee and back injuries that troubled him over the years, Mortaza must play a major role with both bat and ball if Bangladesh are to progress in the tournament.

"Mashrafe is obviously one of our key players," said coach Siddons. "The heavy English conditions will suit his style."

Skipper Ashraful added: "He is a kind of player you turn to when in trouble and invariably he will deliver whether it is with the bat or ball. The whole team relies on him. He is our superstar."

Bangladesh open their campaign against defending champions India in Nottingham on June 6, followed by the second group match against Ireland two days later at the same venue.

ICC World Twenty20

Tigers warm up well

For Mahmudullah Riyad and Rubel Hossain England has just been like the comfort zone of the backyard. Both have taken the opportunity given to them with both hands and have been the star performers for the Tigers in the three warm-up matches played so far.

Riyad's unbeaten 46 after pacer Rubel's five-for powered the Tigers to finish the unofficial practice games with a six-wicket victory over Scotland at Wormsley on Friday.

Right-hander Riyad took the opportunity with both hands as he top-scored with 43 in the first game against New Zealand and followed that up with 56 against Holland and 46 not out in Bangladesh's successful chase against Scotland.

Fast bowler Rubel did not play the first game but when given the chance he returned with four for 19 and five for 16 in the two matches.

"I am going out there with a very positive mind. I am looking to hit the ball hard and score runs all the time. I guess the mindset is helping me a lot," said Riyad.

"I also started this tour very confident because I am coming off a successful domestic season where I made runs. Also I had worked on my technique, especially on my backlift with Jamie [Siddons] and it has paid off," he added.

For Rubel the practice matches were a chance to show what he has practised.

"The slower ball is coming out really good," said the quick who has rattled batsmen with fast yorkers and sharp bouncers and caught the eyes of former England pacers Devon Malcolm and Phillip DeFreitas who were at Wormsley on Saturday playing for the PCA Masters against Holland.

"He is improving all the time. He trains hard and has so far managed to execute what he is doing in training. His natural pace and slightly unusual action makes him an interesting proposition," said Tigers' bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake.

Both players are also loving the atmosphere in the team.

"There is a definite buzz. We are together all the time enjoying each other's company. There is great camaraderie," said Riyad.

"I am loving it. Mashrafe [Bin Mortaza] has been an idol and to be on the same team is amazing. He helps me a lot and so does the other teammates," said Rubel.

The Bangladesh team enjoyed an off-day Saturday. Today morning the Tigers travel to their World T20 base in Nottingham.

The Tigers will play their first official practice game against Australia on June 1 and second against Sri Lanka a day later before taking on defending champions India in the first Group A match at Trent Bridge on June 6.

Bangladesh face ICC associate members Ireland on June 8 in the second group match.

BRIEF SCORES
SCOTLAND: 141-7 in 20 overs (Hamilton 45, McCallum 50, Berrington 18, extras 11; Mashrafe 1-21, Rasel 1-31, Rubel 5-16, Riyad 2-35, Borren 1-29)

BANGLADESH: 142-4 in 18.4 overs (Tamim 33, Shamsur 1, Ashraful 3, Shakib 36, Riyad 46 not out, Rokibul 15 not out, extras 8; Nel 1-18, Stander 1-13, Watson 1-29)
Result: Bangladesh won by six wickets.

MCA fight back, take lead

Bangladesh A bowlers could not stop a late-order revival by Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) on the third day of their four-day game at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra yesterday.

At 247 for 6, the second-string side were close to taking a big first innings lead. But Rohit Motwani and Srikant Mandle batted well to make sure the visitors in turn took a 20-run lead, as they ended the day on 363-6 in reply to Bangladesh A's 343.

The left-handed Motwani batted with utmost patience, scoring 95 with the help of four boundaries in his 223-ball innings. He remained unbeaten with Mandle, who made 57 off 102 balls with a six and seven boundaries. The two have so far added 116 for the seventh wicket when all seemed lost for the visitors.

The Ranji Trophy side resumed the day on 69 for two but it was the hosts who quickly gained advantage, removing Kedar Jadhav for 19. Forty-five runs later, occasional off-spinner Rajin Saleh dismissed Rohan Bhosale for 53 off 121 balls.

Ankit Bawne made 57 while Ganesh Gaekwad added 30 but their consecutive losses put the home side before the tourists regained control.

Talha Jubair took two wickets and there was one each from Sajidul Islam, Enamul Haque, Dollar Mahmud and Rajin.

BRIEF SCORES
BANGLADESH A: First innings 343 all out in 91 overs (Kayes 4, Nafis 30, Imran 90, Hannan 39, Rajin 1, Mehrab 81, Sahagir 2, Dollar 79, Sajid 0, Enamul 11*, Talha 2; Samad 6-108, Aditya 1-68, Kiran 2-73).

MAHARASHTRA CRICKET ASSOCIATION: First innings 363-6 in 119 overs (Khadiwale 8, Bhosale 53, Sirikhande 23, Jadhav 19, Bawne 57, Motwani 95*, Gaekwad 30, Mandle 57*; Sajid 1-88, Talha 2-59, Dollar 1-37, Enamul 1-95, Rajin 1-18).

Bangladesh beat Holland by 64 runs in 2nd warm-up mach



Bangladesh beat Holland by 64 runs in their second ICC World T20 cricket warm-up match at St Lawrence ground in Canterbury in England on Thursday.

Sent into bat first, Bangladesh amassed huge 206 runs for six wickets in stipulated 20 overs with skipper Mohammad Ashraful smashing magnificent 69 runs.

Besides, Mahmudullah Riad, who scored 43 runs in the opening warm-up match against New Zealand on Tuesday, hammered 54 runs while Roqiubul Hasan made not out 24 and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim 24 runs.

Chasing the huge target, Holland were all out for 142 runs as pacer Rubel Hossain captured four wickets.

In the opening warm-up match on Tuesday, Bangladesh conceded a four-wicket defeat to New Zealand at Sir Paul Getty's ground in Wormsley.

ICC World Twenty20

Don't forget the Tigers

Given Bangladesh's track record, few rivals will lose sleep over Mohammad Ashraful's men during the World Twenty20 tournament.

The Tigers have lost their last six T20 internationals, 13 of their last 14 Tests and 13 of their last 15 one-day matches, a record that will make even their most ardent supporters squirm.

But write-off Bangladesh at your own peril, as title hopefuls India famously discovered at the 50-overs-a-side World Cup in 2007 when they were knocked out in the first round.

Later the same year, the West Indies suffered the same fate when they lost to Bangladesh in the inaugural T20 Worlds in South Africa and failed to make the second round.

Those two wins in an otherwise dismal international record propelled Bangladesh to centre-stage and sparked a joyous frenzy in the cricket-crazy South Asian nation.

But success continues to elude Bangladesh and it will need a remarkable turn in fortunes for Ashraful's men to excel in the showpiece event of cricket's shortest format.

Bangladesh need to beat either defending champions India or Ireland in the preliminary round to make the Super Eights stage for the second successive time.

"We have a good team suited for Twenty20 cricket, so I am confident we can deliver if we play to out potential," Ashraful said. "We are not scared of taking on the best."

Bangladesh's chief selector Rafiqul Alam said his team's initial target was to repeat the 2007 feat and qualify for the Super Eights.

"I have a lot of confidence in this team which is a nice blend of youth and experience," he said. "The best thing is that the boys have played together for a long time at different levels and know their strengths.

"I am very hopeful that Bangladesh will play some quality cricket in England."

Desperate to see favourable results, Alam and his co-selectors have not hesitated to gamble with raw, young talent for the T20 Worlds.

Among the new faces are two hard-hitting batsmen in Shamsur Rahman, 20, and reserve wicketkeeper Mithun Ali, 19. Ali was picked in the 15-man squad despite the presence of frontline 'keeper Mushfiqur Rahim.

Bangladesh's fortunes will, however, still revolve around their experienced trio of skipper Ashraful, pace spearhead Mashrafe Mortaza and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

The Tigers will be based in Nottingham where they play India on June 6 and then clash with Ireland on June 8.