Samuels, Bravo empower West Indies in Khulna Test

By Saqibul Islam

DHAKA, Bangladesh (TheSportsNEXT) November 22, 2012: Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo accepted the responsibility with both hands as West Indies responded professionally well to Bangladesh’s first innings total on second day of the second and final Test at Khulna on Thursday.

At stumps on day two, West Indies reached 241 for two with Marlon Samuels not out at 109 and Darren Bravo unbeaten at 85.

The duo came together at the crease when West Indies had lost two quick wickets after Bangladesh managed to add only 22 runs to their overnight score of 355 for eight.

Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo added 198 runs for the third wicket stand to take West Indies in a commanding position in the second Test.

During the partnership, Marlon Samuels reached his third Test hundred this season while his partner Darren Bravo is just 15 runs away from his fourth century.

Chris Gayle once again failed to impose himself for a longer period of time and this time Kieran Powell also failed to prolong his stay at the crease but Samuels and Bravo bought them time in the middle with some application as the pitch had nothing much to offer to either spinners as well as seamers in Khulna.

Earlier on second day, Bangladesh were bowled out for 387 runs in their first innings.

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Tamim Iqbal to play 2nd Test against West Indies: Physio

By Saqibul Islam

DHAKA, Bangladesh (TheSportsNEXT) November 20, 2012: Left-hand opening batsman Tamim Iqbal showed great character on Tuesday when he cleared the fitness test to stay on course of playing the second Test match against West Indies.

Team Physiotherapist Vibhav Singh told reporters here, "He felt fine batting in the nets and we think he is fit to play tomorrow”.

Tamim Iqbal had was nursing an elbow injury which he attracted during the first Test and was unlikely to be part of playing eleven in the second Test until Tuesday evening when the left-hand aggressive opening batsman passed a fitness test and was cleared by the medical panel for his inclusion in the final playing eleven.

Following a shambolic 77 runs defeat in first Test against West Indies, Bangladesh selectors had decided to give uncapped opener Anamul Haque a chance in place of Tamim Iqbal.

Anamul Haque was top-performer for Bangladesh in ICC U19 World Cup in August and has hit two centuries in his last three first-class matches.

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Shohag Gazi advised to back himself after first-ball six

By Bipin Dani

MUMBAI, India (TheSportsNEXT) November 15, 2012: Shohag Gazi, the 21-year-old Bangladeshi off-spinner, has been advised to back himself.

Chris Gayle of West Indies welcomed the Bangladeshi bowler's Test debut by smashing his very first ball over long on for a big six.

The piece of advice has come from Australia's Gavin Robertson, whose first balls in debut Test and ODIs were hit for boundaries.

Speaking exclusively from Sydney, the 47-year old former Aussie Off-spinner said, "In 1994 I was selected to play my first one day international cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I ran into bowl to Arjuna Ranatunga, he and Ian Healy had held me up for about 2 minutes whilst having a conversation between each other. I came into bowl and lacked rhythm bowling a full toss at stomach height to Ranatunga and was quickly dispatched for 6 from my very first ball".

"My next One day game for Australia was back here in Australia , so on my debut on home soil in one day cricket I came into bowl my first ball ,and after a small pep talk from Steve Waugh who asked me to make sure I made this delivery at least bounce on the pitch, I duly came into bowl the first ball and focused on making it bounce , problem was it bounced halfway down the wicket to Graeme Hick and was duly dispatched over the square leg fence for 6 runs", Robertson added.

"Four years later in 1998 Indian Test match series I was picked to tour India and was picked in the first Test match at Chennai. I was brought onto bowl by Mark Taylor. Steve Waugh decided to give me another small pep talk and said, "Any chance of keeping this delivery inside the fence, I duly rolled into bowl to Nayan Mongia, a 5 ft 7 inch wicketkeeper-batsman who was opening the batting and obviously had the Internet and must have checked on Google that my previous two first ball deliveries on different continents were hit for the maximum".

"Mongia didn't want to spoil the story and I bowled my first ball, with good flight and shape as Mongia launched into a huge swot over the wide mid-wicket boundary, as I watched the ball sailed through the air. I only prayed for the sequence to be broken", he recalled.

"Luckily history showed the ball bounced 70 cms inside the Chennai Test ground boundary, and I finished with figure of 4 for 72 off 32 overs, I was well and truly over the first ball angst and especially over Steve Waugh’s ‘motivational' speeches".

"One thing Shane Warne always knew, you always get the ball back and the batsman has to do it again, keep bowling well until the batsman make a mistake, they will succumb to a lack of concentration and wickets come. My advice to the new bowler would be always   ....  BACK YOURSELF......", he concluded.

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Bangladesh keep battle alive in Mirpur Test

By Saqibul Islam

MIRPUR, Bangladesh (TheSportsNEXT) November 15, 2012: Bangladeshi batsmen stepped up their game and temperament on Thursday to respond responsibly to the huge first innings total by West Indies on second day of the first Test at Shere Bangla National Stadium.

Bangladesh reached 455 for six in reply to West Indian total of 527 for four (declared) at stumps and were just 72 runs away from taking first innings lead as Naeem Islam (108) scored his maiden Test hundred.

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Bangladesh name squad for first West Indies Test

By Saqibul Islam

DHAKA, Bangladesh (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), on Thursday, announced a 14-man squad for the Dhaka Test against West Indies starting Tuesday.

The Bangladesh selectors have reposed their trust in the rookie pacer Abul Hasan taking into consideration his performances in the four Twenty20 Internationals he has played for the country so far. However, it is still early to say whether he would be able to find a place in the final playing eleven against a rejuvenated West Indies side that has services of explosive opener Chris Gayle and experienced middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

The selectors have also rewarded the 21-year-old offspinner Shohag Gazi for his brilliant show at the domestic cricket where he not only claimed 11 wickets in the last two matches taking a hat-trick but also delivered the goods with the bat by hitting a century.

Talking to a news conference here, BCB Chief Selector Akram Khan said, "He (Shohag Gazi) played very well in the National Cricket League, took few wickets and scored a century, so we thought this is the perfect time to give him the break. Also he is an off-spinner, as you all know West Indies team has plenty of left-handed batsmen, so we needed someone like him."

Fast bowler Rubel Hossain made his comeback into the side while Mushfiqur Rahim has been retained as skipper of the national side. Former skipper Mohammad Ashraful was singled out by the selectors as they replaced him with Naeem Islam.

The Test series between Bangladesh and West Indies consists of two Test matches with the second match starts from November 21 at Khulna.

The 14-man Bangladesh squad includes Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Zunaed Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Naeem Islam, Nazimuddin, Nasir Hossain, Elias Sunny, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan, and Shohag Gazi.

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