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Bangladesh put up a magnificent account of themselves in the Test series, but are likely tofind the going tougher in the one-day series. Much of their resistance in the Tests wasattritional: batsmen seeing off sessions, bowlers – especially Mohammad Rafique – stickingto their task with discipline. Their stern defence was at the heart of their struggle there,but what they will need now is aggression and the instinct to attack. That could be aproblem.Javed Omar and Rajin Saleh would, thus, both be much less effective in the one-dayers,and Habibul Bashar’s importance will be amplified. Mohammad Ashraful is a combativehustler, but he can sometimes go overboard. Bangladesh failed abjectly in the 2003 WorldCup because they all tried to attack from the start of their innings and they threw it away.Their aggression must not be wanton if they are to stretch Pakistan in this series.Dav Whatmore has done an outstanding job of motivating his team, and if they continue toplay with the same intensity, they could yet be a handful. Pakistan, meanwhile, is notquite full-strength. They have been a transitional team for a long time – most spectacularlyshowed up in their `home’ series against Australia last year – and young blood can workboth ways. The youngsters in the team could be hungry to prove themselves; or they couldbe impetuous and impatient. Bangladesh’s victory will depend as much on Pakistan as onthemselves.Abdul Razzaq is back for Pakistan, as is Yousuf Youhana, but Younis Khan has, oddly, beenrelegated to the reserves. Kamran Akmal replaces the banned Rashid Latif, while theyoungsters who impressed in the Test series – Yasir Hamid, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Guland Shabbir Ahmed – have all been included. One curious inclusion, though, is Junaid Zia, afast bowler who was once accused of chucking and underwent corrective action. He is alsothe son of Taufeeq Zia, the PCB chief, and his selection – especially as it is against arelatively weak opponent – has raised a few eyebrows in Pakistan.Bangladesh’s bowlers, meanwhile, will feel less inadequate in the one-day series. Theyhave rarely looked like picking up 20 wickets in a Test match, but restrictive bowling in aone-day match is within the bounds of possibility. Khaled Mahmud, whose Test career -barring the last couple of games – has been indistinguished, is actually a decent one-dayplayer. He was Man of the Match in Bangladesh’s famous victory over Pakistan in the 1999World Cup, and he will have more than that to inspire him in the coming games.Bangladesh are fighting for respectability – the hunger is palpable – and their time mustsurely come.Probable teams
Pakistan 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Yasir Hameed, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq(capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 ShabbirAhmed, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Junaid Zia.Bangladesh 1 Hannan Sarkar, 2 Javed Omar, 3 Habibul Bashar, 4 MohammadAshraful, 5 Rajin Saleh, 6 Alok Kapali, 7 Khaled Mashud (wk), 8 Khaled Mahmud (capt), 9Mohammad Rafique, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza, 11 Tapash Baisya.

LAHORE, March 20: Pakistan captain Rashid Latif vowed on Thursday he would play cricket for one more year. Rashid said that he accepted the offer of captaincy as a challenge while talking to reporters at Gaddafi Stadium.”Yes, the rebuilding of the Pakistan team is a challenge for me. And the task is possible and not impossible,” he said.The 34-year-old wicket-keeper/batsman admitted that though the axing of seniors players was a hard decision yet it was taken in the best interest of Pakistan cricket.”The senior players are talented and they had done good work for Pakistan team. But now it is time to test fresh blood,” he said.Rashid emphasised his prime mission was only to serve the nation and during his captaincy he would try to prepare a strong team and a wicket-keeper which could be either Kamran Akmal or any one else.He said he had opted for retirement after the World Cup but the new responsibility given to him forced him to change his decision.Rashid was all praise for Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, whome he termed as a good all-rounder and who deserved a place in the team much earlier.He called Taufiq Umar the best find of the year and added left-hander opener should have played in all matches of the World Cup.To a question, Rashid said that Razzaq was included as there was no substitute of him at the No 6 spot when the playing eleven was discussed with the selection committee.

Chairman of Selectors, Sir Vivian Richards has confirmed that former West Indies Captain, Carl Hooper told him today that he had reconsidered his decision to be available to play in the First Cable and Wireless Test against Australia and would therefore not play when the match bowls off on Thursday.Sir Vivian said that he had previously delayed announcement of the final squad for the First Cable and Wireless Test while he awaited a response from Hooper about his willingness to continue playing for West Indies and his availability. Hooper had responded that he would be willing to play in the team and would be available for the First Test. He was therefore named as a member of the squad.Sir Vivian said: "Even though I am surprised by Carl’s change of heart, I want to wish him well in whatever he decides to do from here on. While he has not indicated that he has retired I still want to thank him for his service to the team and West Indies cricket."

Despite a defiant knock of 120 by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, Lahore Whites were unable to prevent Peshawar scoring a five-wicket victory in the Quaid Trophy Grade-I match at LCCA Ground Wednesday.Set to score 97 in 15 mandatory overs, Peshawar reached their target with one over to spare and thereby gained maximum 12 points in a match that only started on day two after the furore over the pitch.Earlier, Lahore Whites resumed their second innings at 44 for one and were bowled out for 265 in 75.5 overs. The overnight pair of Kamran Akmal and Adnan Usman extended their second wicket stand to 87. After Adnan’s departure Rao Usman (54) joined hands with Kamran in a third wicket partnership that produced 106 runs in 119 minutes. But with the departure of Rao Usman, the middle-order caved in without a fight as the last five wickets fell for the addition of 39 runs.However, Kamran played outstandingly to slam 22 fours during his 137-ball innings in 220 minutes.For Peshawar, Test discards Fazle Akbar and Arshad Khan claimed three wickets each for 74 and 70 runs, respectively.

The International Cricket Council has ruled against switching England’s World Cup match against Zimbabwe away from Harare.The World Cup technical committee has awarded four points to Zimbabwe, deeming that effectively England have lost the game. The England and Wales Cricket Board must decide this morning whether to appeal against the decision.The committee ruled that the venue was safe despite the team’s security concerns.”It’s a decision that gives the committee no pleasure,” said the ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.”I don’t expect a quick resolution, not before May or June and certainly not before the end of the World Cup.”An appeal would be the end of the process. If they (the ECB) wanted to bring it to a civil court they could do but that it is not something that concerns us.”ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said: “No decision has yet been made as to whether to lodge an appeal. This is a very important decision for us and we need to go and discuss this matter seriously.”The committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss the controversial fixture, which was originally scheduled to take place on February 13.During a seven-hour meeting in Johannesburg, Lamb and Mark Roper-Drimie, head of legal affairs at Lord’s, submitted new information.The match was called off by the ICC following weeks of wrangling with the ECB, who wanted to move the Group A game to South Africa because of safety concerns about playing in strife-torn Zimbabwe.Today’s decision means that England face a huge task to reach the second round of the tournament, after losing points from a match they were expected to win.

New Zealand’s women won the first game of their abbreviated tour of Australia when beating Queensland women by 76 runs at Allan Border Field yesterday.New Zealand batted first and scored 198/9 in their 50 overs. Anna O’Leary scored 51 off 95 balls and featured in a 43-run partnership with Rebecca Rolls at the top of the order. Rolls scored 18 while skipper Emily Drumm scored 28 off 38 balls.Haidee Tiffen scored 20 and Paula Flannery 19 in the middle order while at the bottom of the order Rachel Pullar scored 14.Queensland scoring details were not available but they were dismissed for 122 to give New Zealand the victory. Their next game is tomorrow at the Gabba.

Nothing is like it should be at the Sydney Cricket Ground.On another baking Sydney day ahead of the third Test between Australia and South Africa, the ground was swathed in smoke from the NSW bush fires, the pitchwas uncharacteristically green and a player who could have “come from another planet” was set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of an inauspicious debut here.Australian captain Steve Waugh said the smoke today reminded him of being on the Indian subcontinent.”Coming out to practice this morning it was like we were playing at New Delhi with the haze over the ground,” Waugh said.”It wasn’t as bad as it was two days ago when it was pretty choking but the bush fires are forecast to get worse.”Waugh said his team felt an obligation to play entertaining and winning cricket to provide some distraction for those who have suffered from the fury of the fires.Part of that entertainment package could be the use of two leg spinners – Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill – against a South African side seemingly mesmerised byspin bowling. Whether MacGill plays or not depends on the pitch, which Waugh said was not a traditional Sydney strip of dirt.”The pitch is certainly not the same as you come to expect from the SCG – it’s got a lot of grass and it’s pretty hard,” Waugh said.”But there’s a good chance Stuart MacGill will play. It’s 50-50 at the moment depending on how the wicket comes up tomorrow.”Stuart deserves a chance. He’s a proven performer at this level – he’s a big match performer and I know he won’t let us down. I know he’ll take wickets if he plays – it’s just a matter of getting the balance right and whether the conditions will suit him more than a quick bowler.”With Australia having wrapped up the series 2-0 with two crushing wins in Adelaide and Melbourne, Waugh said it was the best opportunity to experiment with two leg spinners at their peak.For Warne, tomorrow’s Test marks the 10th anniversary of his debut here against India, when he gave no indication of what was in store over the subsequentdecade.Waugh today recalled the first time he saw, or rather heard, Warne bowl on a development tour of Zimbabwe.”I just remember hearing the ball actually coming out of his fingers.”It was like he’d come from another planet almost, the way the ball was coming out so well and turning so far – I couldn’t believe he wasn’t already playing first-class cricket.”He was always going to be special.”Australia’s dominance in the series has taken a huge toll on South Africa, with Proteas allrounder Lance Klusener quitting the tour and the tourists contemplating rushing in left arm spinner Nicky Boje.Klusener went home to Durban to have some time with his wife after his confidence was wrecked by a horror tour, which included a first-ball duck in Melbourne.Waugh, while feeling for Klusener, said it was a sign Australia had flattened the Proteas.”He’s one of their impact players and in the past he’s one of the guys who has said a lot on the field.”For him to say he’s not playing well enough and feels intimidated and didn’t know where he was scoring the next run from – that shows we’re doing something right.”South African captain Shaun Pollock, admitting his team had been too uptight earlier in the tour, said the Proteas would perform better now the series was lost.”The pressure is obviously off, we’ve lost the Test series and .. from that perspective the series is over.”Maybe the guys have been a bit uptight and this is the ideal opportunity to play with a bit more freedom.”Pollock said 20-year-old Jacques Rudolph was expected to take Klusener’s place.Boje was originally supposed to be on this tour but was forced out with a knee strain just a week before the team departed.He is South Africa’s best spin bowler but has played only two Tests since April after undergoing knee and shoulder surgery. Pollock was uncertain whether Bojeshould be rushed in.Teams:Australia (two to be omitted): Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne,Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath, Brad Williams, Stuart MacGill.South Africa (two to be omitted): Shaun Pollock (capt), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph, Neil McKenzie, MarkBoucher, Nicky Boje, Claude Henderson, Allan Donald, Nantie Hayward, Justin Ontong.

England newest bowling hero Richard Johnson was back at the County Ground in Taunton this morning, after playing a major part in defeating Zimbabwe inside three days and winning the Man of the Match Award.Twenty eight year old Johnson who moved from Middlesex to join the Cidermen for the 2001 season with the express aim of rekindling his international career has achieved that aim and in some style.In his first over he removed two batsmen with successive balls and was on a hat trick, and ended the Zimbabwe innings with the astounding figures of 6 for 33 on his England debut, figures that have assured him of a place in the record books.When I asked him about his Test match debut and his time with the England team `Johnno’ told me: "It was a great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Meeting up with the players three days before the game felt good because having been around the scene for a while I knew most of the guys and have grown up with them, so I felt very much at home in their company.""The practice days went well for me, but I didn’t know whether I was going to be in the final line up till the morning of the match. I had an idea that I would be playing, but after so many disappointments I don’t take anything for granted," he said."It’s always nice to bat first and chill into the game, rather than bowling right at the start, and it’s always good to get runs. I just went out there and played my normal game, I didn’t feel nervous about the situation I just looked to play the way that I do for Somerset."When did he know that he was going to open the bowling. "I only found out just before the start of their innings, although I had a feeling that it I might open the attack because they have been using Steve Harmison as a first change bowler," he said."I couldn’t have asked for a better start. The ball didn’t swing away it just angled in so I used the conditions. The captain (Nasser Hussain) set a split field for me and said to go for bowled and LBW decisions and I got two in my first over which was a great start."What about the second innings. " I did the same job in the second innings, and with a split field went for bowled and LBW’s. I had two good shouts turned down and didn’t go for many runs so even though I didn’t get any wickets I was quite pleased and did what was asked of me," he said.After such an impressive debut what lies ahead I asked. "Now we have the One Dayer’s, with a friendly against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, and then Pakistan at Old Trafford on Tuesday which is a day nighter. I’m looking forward to that because it’s a different game and there will be a great atmosphere up there."Looking further ahead he said: "I hope that I get my chance in the Test series against South Africa, but some of the senior guys like Darren Gough will be back so there will be a lot of competition for places, but after my experience against Zimbabwe of course I want to hold onto my England place."

Tinu Yohannan is the complete athlete; faster, higher and stronger allput together. He is also the first player from the state of Kerala to beincluded in the Indian cricket squad. The 22-year-old tall fast bowlermight very well play his first Test on Monday at Mohali against England.Yohannan had earlier impressed the selectors with his bowling in theIrani Trophy match against Baroda, where he charged in and bowled atgood pace even at the fag end of the day, prompting one of the selectorsto say that India needs players with such commitment.Yohannan took to high-jump as a young boy and won gold at the stateschool level and also silver at the junior state level. The genes havebeen passed from his father TC Yohannan, gold-medal winner in long jumpin the 1974 Asian Games and the first Asian to cross the eight-metremark.Yohannan is from the small hamlet of Edapally near Kochi, the queen ofArabian Sea, in Kerala. He represented his school – Bhavan’s VidyaMandir Elamakkara – in the state CBSE championships and won gold in highjump. It was during the summer vacation after his tenth-gradeexaminations that Yohannan went over to the MRF Pace Academy to learnfast bowling. Yohannan had earlier talked to the head coach at MRF, TASekhar, over the phone. The selection trials were all over and yetSekhar called him in to the nets to have a bowl along with othertrainees, a decision that makes Sekhar that much more proud today.Talking over the phone with CricInfo, the usually shy lad couldn’t hidehis happiness. “I am really happy to be selected for the Indian team. Iam really thankful to the Kerala Cricket Association and the MRF PaceAcademy for helping me through to make it thus far. I will always beindebted to Dennis Lillee and TA Sekhar for their guidance and support.I am proud to be an Indian and I will give more than my best for theteam.”In his eight Ranji Trophy appearances for Kerala, Yohannan has pickedonly 24 first-class wickets. Clearly, the selectors have gone in fortalent and work ethic than the number of wickets. Yohannan played forthe Board President’s XI against England in Hyderabad and, soon afterthe match, he spoke about his career and ambitions in an exclusiveinterview to CricInfo. “If I know anything about fast bowling, it is allbecause of my guru Dennis Lillee. The four years that I spent withSekhar at the MRF academy have taught me a lot about fast bowling.”Here is a player who believes in plain hard work. He has two five-wickethauls in the Ranji Trophy so far and reckons that being selected for theIrani Trophy was a pivotal moment in his career. “I just wanted to give100 percent and wait for the results,” says Yohannan about his approachto the Irani Trophy match. When asked about his playing against aninternational side for the first time, which was incidentally againstEngland at Hyderabad last week, Yohannan said, “I was very happy to hearabout the selection, which I came to know about through the morningnewspaper. I was nursing some hope of making it into the team.”Yohannan bowled 11 overs in four different spells in the first inningsand struggled to find his rhythm. But the young man took it as anopportunity and a learning experience to be bowling at the foreignplayers. It was a determined Yohannan who charged in to bowl at theEnglish batsmen in their second essay. Madan Lal, who was the teammanager, had advised him to bowl stump-to-stump on a docile track. Theadvice from the former Indian opening bowler and the current nationalselector did the trick; Yohannan bowled with a lot of fire to surprise afew Englishmen.The young fast bowler was very much impressed by Nasser Hussain’sdriving on the rise and the back-foot play of Michael Vaughan. Thechampagne moment of the three-day match was when Yohannan shattered thestumps of Vaughan, who was shaping to play at a really quick deliverythat cut back in a shade. The off and middle stumps went flying in aspectacular manner. Perhaps that was the one ball that changed the lifeof this soft-spoken youngster.Yohannan was looking forward to playing in the four Ranji Trophy matchesfor Kerala. Talking about the goals that he has set for the season,Yohannan said, “I want Kerala to qualify for the knock-out stage. I haveto give my best, bowl aggressively and retain my fitness to achievethat.” His mates would not mind missing him from the Ranji team; it isindeed an honour for the small state of Kerala that one of their boyscould well be playing in a Test match on Monday.

Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson is to make representation to Duncan Fletcher after being told that his two England contracted players will not be available to play for the county after the Cheltenham and Gloucester Final at Lord’s on Saturday.Originally it had been assumed that the two players would return to Somerset to play in the last two Championship matches of the season, against Essex at Chelmsford on September 5th, and Northants at Taunton on September 12th. Their presence could well be a deciding factor in whether or not ‘The Cidermen’ finish in second place which would will be the highest championship finish that the county has ever achieved in its history.Earlier today the Chief Executive commented: “It seems that out of all the contracted players Nasser Hussein, Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick are the only fit ones who are not being released to play for their counties for the rest of the season. Somerset are not happy about this situation and are planning to make representation to Duncan Fletcher.” He went on: “It’s down to the individuals to try to get their release if they want to play for Somerset.”Regarding the England overseas touring parties that were announced on Tuesday Mr. Anderson said: “One must feel sorry for Richard Johnson for not being selected after being called up to the squad on three occasions. We must assume that he will be on standby and ready to fly out if there are any injuries.”He continued: “We are surprised that Ian Blackwell hasn’t been named in the one-day squad after the season he has had, and even more so that he hasn’t been included in the Academy side. Somerset nominated Matt Bulbeck and Pete Trego, but neither have played enough to justify their selection.”With regard to Matt Bulbeck he continued: “We are sending Matt out to Perth in Australia to the Paul Terry School after Christmas to help him to prepare for next season.”