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Sport
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2016
WI series within two months, says BCB chief n Mazhar Uddin 2016 World Twenty20 champions the West Indies are likely to play a Test series against the Tigers within the next two months, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan informed the media yesterday. The BCB boss said the West Indies Cricket Board has expressed their interest to tour Bangladesh and already sent a proposal for a Test series. The BCB though is also considering adding both ODIs and T20Is to the itinerary. The board is treating the West Indies series with a great deal of significance as it precedes the important tour of India. “We received a proposal from the WICB and they want to play a Test series with us. We are interested to play the other formats as well along with the Test series,” said Nazmul yesterday. A final decision regarding the West Indies bilateral series will be finalised in a meeting of the board directors tomorrow. Meanwhile, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury has stated that the Sri Lankan team will not be able to contest a series in Bangladesh this month. “The BCB had invited Sri Lanka for a series in April but the series has been postponed till February 2017,” said Nizamuddin. l
An action of the Dhaka North and South City Corporation Pioneer (Under-16) Football League final between Arambagh and Gazipur City Football Academy at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Arambagh goalkeeper Mohammad Emon was named the player of the final while Bashundhara Kings' Mehedi Hasan was adjudged the player of the tournament MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK
Arambagh clinch U-16 Pioneer League n Tribune Report Arambagh Football Academy emerged as the champions of the Dhaka North and South City Corporation Pioneer (Under-16) Football League, beating Gazipur City Football Academy 2-0 in the grand finale at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Arambagh, a stone’s throw away
from the final venue, were unbeaten throughout the entire campaign. Following a listless first half, Arambagh captain Mithu put his side ahead with just two minutes into the second half. After receiving a through pass from Arif, Mithu unleashed a grounder from the centre of the box which gave the Gazipur City goalkeeper no chance.
presentation ceremony but was absent. In his absence, Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy distributed the prizes among the winners as the chief guest. Around 2,000 budding footballers from all over the country, split into 60 teams, took part in the league that got underway last February at eight different venues in the capital.l
Fahim doubled the lead, and in the process, completed their victory in the 66th minute, placing home another fine cross from Arif. Meanwhile in the third-place deciding match yesterday at the same venue, Bashundhara Kings defeated Uttara Recreation Club 4-3. Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin was expected to grace his presence in the
Murali made Gilchrist feel like a 10-year-old n cricket.com.au Adam Gilchrist says legendary subcontinent spinners Muttiah Muralidaran and Harbhajan Singh were the bowlers that caused him the most difficulty during his decorated career. Gilchrist compiled 33 centuries in all formats across his 12 years at international level and enjoyed success around the world, including in the subcontinent. But the former wicketkeeperbatsman says the bowlers that troubled him the most were two of the greatest off-spinners of the modern game, Sri Lanka’s Muralidaran and India’s Harbhajan. And he says the rubber-wristed Murali, Test cricket’s most prolific wicket-taker, provided him the biggest challenge. “It would be a combination of Murali and Bhajji,” Gilchrist was quoted as saying by PTI when asked which bowlers he feared the most. “I could never read the delivery from Murali’s finger movements. He always made me feel like a 10-year-old.”
Despite being perplexed by Murali’s unique action, Gilchrist did enjoy plenty of success against both the Sri Lankan and Harbhajan during his career. And statistics show he was far more
effective against Murali than he was against Harbhajan. One of Gilchrist’s greatest knocks at Test level came against Murali and Sri Lanka in Kandy in 2004, when he hammered a magnificent 144 batting
at No.3 in the second innings to help steer Australia to a tense 27-run win after they’d conceded a lead of 91 on the first innings. The left-hander hit 48 from 68 balls he faced from Murali in that innings, including six fours and a six, although the spinner eventually dismissed him LBW. Murali removed Gilchrist four times in six matches at Test level, with the batsman averaging almost 52 across nine innings against the off-spinner. And the numbers are firmly in Gilchrist’s favour in one-day cricket; Murali dismissed the Australian just twice in 32 matches at ODI level, the Australian hitting seven centuries against him, including a match-winning performance in the 2007 World Cup final. However, Gilchrist says the numbers belie the true story, saying he employed a horizontal bat to counter Murali’s vicious and unpredictable turn. “Whenever I was in doubt, I promptly swept,” Gilchrist said. “There was this Test innings where I had gone out with this mindset to sweep. “First ball, I swept and the ball went for four. Second ball, I swept again.
This time, it went straight up in the sky and I was caught. “Next match, again I swept Murali the first ball and was caught plumb in front of the stumps.” Gilchrist also used the sweep shot with mixed results against Harbhajan, who dismissed him seven times in Test matches and four times in ODIs. Gilchrist famously struck centuries in the opening Tests of Australia’s 2001 and 2004 Tours of India, two rollicking hundreds that propelled the tourists to rare Test victories on Indian soil. While the Australian got hold of Harbhajan on both of those occasions, the Indian ultimately dismissed him both times and also had the last laugh in those two series. Harbhajan removed Gilchrist for scores of 0, 1 and 1 in the second and third Tests of the 2001 series and dismissed him for another single score in the fourth Test of the 2004 tour. Overall, Gilchrist wasn’t at his best in matches in which Harbhajan played; he averaged 25 from 10 Tests in matches against the spinner and 31 from 25 ODIs against him.l