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guyanatimesGY.com
thursday, december 10, 2015
special helps Barisal Lara blasts senior players, Gayle cruise home in style WICB for lack of leadership
Brian Lara laments that current young cricketers did not have the sort of role models who were in the great West Indies teams
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hampion batsman Brian Lara says it is no surprise there is a shrinking pool of youngsters aspiring to play for the West Indies, above all else because current senior players are setting a bad example by chasing cheques in Twenty20 competitions. But Lara also said the players were not totally culpable, slamming the “badly run” West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and hinting there would be an upheaval in Caribbean cricket administration because the WICB was ignoring member nations’ leaders and “acting like a law unto themselves.” “What you’re talking about is a badly run cricket board, and [when] the player relationship with board members is not really good you’re going to head in the direction where you feel comfortable,” Lara said on Fox Sports’ Inside Cricket. “The guys don’t trust the board any more. They don’t even trust the players’ association. I mean, what choice do they have?” Former Australia captain Allan Border sympathised with the circumstances that have led the likes of Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo to focus on domestic Twenty20 tournaments, such as the looming Big Bash League where they will represent Melbourne Renegades, ahead of playing for the West Indies. “The reality is you’ve got an offer of $2 million here
[in IPL] and $100,000 there [from the West Indies]. I mean, what decision are you going to make? You want to play for your country, yes, but that is just poles apart,” he said. “We’ve got to work out some sort of compromise so it’s county first and franchise-cricket second.” Lara said he was inspired during his childhood by watching the dominant West Indies team, and its cornerstone players. He lamented current young cricketers did not have those sort of role models. “You’ve got youngsters coming in and [critics] saying they don’t have the passion to play for the West Indies team, but that can only come from examples,” Lara said. “I believe that the example being set now is that guys are heading off to franchise cricket, everyone wants to make a lot of money out of the game, and the West Indies seems to be very much secondary. If that’s the example, then you’re not going to get the passion from the youngsters.” Former Australia vicecaptain Brad Haddin said while he welcomed hearing retired players such as Sir Garfield Sobers and Curtly Ambrose speak about their deep affection for West Indies cricket, he wanted current senior players such as Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo to publicly do the same. “It’s great to see the past
players with passion for the game, but I’d like to see some of the current crop step up, front the media and say ‘We’ve got the same passion about moving West Indies cricket forward’,” Haddin said on Inside Cricket. Lara, however, doubted the capacity of Samuels, 34, and former one-day captain Bravo, 32, to be able to do as Haddin suggested. “They don’t know West Indies cricket, they don’t have an understanding of the history, so how could they be passionate? They just want to know where they can get the next cheque to pay their bills – which is understandable,” Lara said. “But you’ve got to play a sport because of the passion you develop over the years. They would not be able to handle a press conference like that.” The only time Lara deviated from his criticism of the WICB was its decision to install bowling all-rounder Jason Holder, 24, as captain in all formats. He said he hoped it would be a landmark appointment for the West Indies. “I think the West Indies have an opportunity with a young man like that . . . to build something around him. South Africa did it in about 2003 with Graeme Smith. Maybe this is an opportunity,” Lara said. “Support him, don’t worry about the results too much, and see whether you can build something over the next 10 years with him.” Lara urged Holder, if given the opportunity by winning the toss on Thursday, to bowl first in the series-opening Test against Australia, believing it would be “impossible” for the team to make enough runs batting first to put pressure on the home team. He said paceman Jerome Taylor could be a key bowler, but had to be supported to ensure the pressure he created did not dissipate at the other end. (The Age)
Chris Gayle smashed four successive sixes off Jeevan Mendis as Barisal won in a canter
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hris Gayle sent out a stern warning to the rest of the playing field with a blazing unbeaten 92 that flattened the already demoralised Chittagong Vikings. The eight-wicket win consolidated Barisal’s position in the top half of the BPL standings as they moved to 12 points. Gayle struck nine sixes and six fours in his unbeaten 47-ball knock. But the big hitting was triggered by Mehedi Maruf, who slammed Bilawal Bhatti, before the Jamaican took over by slamming Maruf for 18 in the fifth over of the innings. There was more carnage as Gayle slammed Asif Ahmed for 19 courtesy three fours and a straight six. The six-hitting spree didn’t stop there as Naeem Islam and Tillakaratne Dilshan also came under fire, as Gayle brought up his 53rd T20 half-century in just the 13th over to put Barisal in cruise control mode. From there on, it was simply oneway traffic. With 21 needed to win, Gayle struck Jeevan Mendis for four sixes over long-on to end the game within the bat of an eyelid. However, there was controversy in the first over of the Barisal chase when Dilshan bumped into Rony Talukdar, who was trying to
take a quick single. The collision meant Talukdar was well short of the crease when Dilshan picked up the ball and threw it to the wicketkeeper Anamul Haque, who removed the bails instantly. Both Talukdar and Gayle discussed the matter with the umpires but ultimately it was given adjudged run out. Earlier in the day, there wasn’t much drama, but there was inconsistency that
has hampered Chittagong time and again this season. Their makeshift captain Dilshan had a new opening partner in Anamul for the first time in the tournament after Tamim Iqbal pulled out due to a groin niggle. They put on 52 for the first wicket before Dilshan fell. His 22-ball 28 was courtesy ith two fours and two sixes, which he hit in the same AlAmin Hossain over. Anamul also struck two fours before Sohag Gazi, playing in his first BPL match this season, had him bowled. The offspinner finished a fine four-over spell in which he conceded only 17 runs. Kevon Cooper had Yasir Ali caught at point in the tenth over before Mendis got into a tangle trying to play a reverse-sweep and was given out. Mohammad Sami then got into the act, first dismissing Umar Akmal after being hit for a six, and then Asif Ahmed in the last over. On both occasions, the batsmen had just changed their bat before the delivery. As far as these performances were handy in restricting the final total, none of it could match the might of Gayle on the night. (Cricinfo)
SCOREBOARD Chittagong Vikings innings (20 overs maximum) Anamul Haque† b Sohag Gazi 28 TM Dilshan* c †Rony Talukdar b Al-Amin Hossain 28 Yasir Ali c Sabbir Rahman b Cooper 11 Umar Akmal c †Rony Talukdar b Mohammad Sami 25 BMAJ Mendis lbw b Mahmudullah 3 Naeem Islam c †Rony Talukdar b Cooper 4 Asif Ahmed c †Rony Talukdar b Mohammad Sami 17 Bilawal Bhatti not out 9 Extras (b-3, lb-5, w-2) 10 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 135 Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Dilshan, 5.5 ov), 2-60 (Anamul Haque, 6.6 ov), 3-72 (Yasir Ali, 9.5 ov), 4-85 (Mendis, 12.5 ov), 5-105 (Umar Akmal, 15.4 ov), 6-112 (Naeem Islam, 17.1 ov), 7-135 (Asif Ahmed, 19.6 ov) Bowling: Mohammad Sami 4-0-
31-2 (1-w), Al-Amin Hossain 4-031-1, KK Cooper 4-0-24-2 (1-w), Sohag Gazi 4-0-17-1, Taijul Islam 3-0-19-0, Mahmudullah 1-0-5-1 Barisal Bulls innings (target: 136 runs from 20 overs) CH Gayle not out 92 Rony Talukdar† run out (Dilshan) 1 Mehedi Maruf b Taskin Ahmed 18 Mahmudullah* not out 19 Extras (lb-5, w-4, nb-2) 11 Total (2 wickets; 15 overs) 141 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Rony Talukdar, 0.5 ov), 2-31 (Mehedi Maruf, 4.4 ov) Bowling: TM Dilshan 3-016-0, Bilawal Bhatti 3-0-260, Shafiul Islam 2-0-12-0 (1w), Naeem Islam 2-0-14-0, Taskin Ahmed 3-0-23-1 (1-nb, 3-w), Asif Ahmed 1-0-19-0 (1nb), BMAJ Mendis 1-0-26-0
No decision yet on India-Pakistan series
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he bilateral series between India and Pakistan, scheduled to take place in December, remains in limbo even after a meeting between senior officials of both governments. India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was in Islamabad and held talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday. But it is understood that cricket was not among the topics discussed. PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, however, had been under the impression that resuming cricketing ties would be on the agenda, and the fact that
it wasn’t has put serious doubts in his mind over the series going though. “We are already late, but this is something which is beyond our control,” he said. “I am disappointed that cricket didn’t make into the discussion but we are still unclear about the status of the series. I don’t know what
is going to happen but given the delay and silence I understand it’s a no after all from them.” More doubts were cast when BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who is also an MP with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said cricketing relations cannot resume until
there is political stability between the two countries. These, however, were his personal views and he clarified that he would comply with whatever decision the Indian government or the BCCI took. “If there is firing on the border, with your people getting killed, will you play
cricket? Of course I’ll say no,” Thakur told NDTV. “Any Indian will say no to that. My personal view could be different, but I have to honour what the BCCI members have decided because I’m secretary. “Former secretary of the BCCI signed an agreement with the PCB in April last year, where it is clearly mentioned, if certain resolutions are passed by the ICC, we will play you. We have to honour that now. But I can’t force BJP’s agenda or my individual agenda on the BCCI.” After a deadlock over who would host the series, the BCCI and PCB had petitioned their respective governments to allow the teams
to play each other in Sri Lanka. Pakistan had given the nod, the series still awaits the Indian government’s approval. Even if headway is made and the series does go through, the PCB will have to race against time to make logistical arrangements given it is tentatively scheduled to begin on December 15. According to the MoU signed between the BCCI and the PCB, it is Pakistan’s turn to host the series. The prevailing uncertainty leaves the Pakistan board with very little time, especially with the venue being Sri Lanka. The PCB, however, is determined to host the series. (Cricinfo)