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Centuries from Aditya Tare and Ajit Agarkar helped Mumbai take a large, confident step towards a sizeable first-innings total in their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Services.

Sharda Ugra in Delhi17-Jan-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Ajit Agarkar scored his first Ranji century in three years•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Centuries from Aditya Tare and Ajit Agarkar helped Mumbai take a large, confident step towards a sizeable first-innings total in their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Services. On a slow, sluggish day of cricket, interrupted by bad light and a spot of rain, Mumbai had reached 380 for 6 when play was suspended as the light worsened.Tare was batting on 108, his second century for Mumbai this season, while Agarkar’s 113 not out was his first Ranji century since the 2009-2010 season against Himachal Pradesh.The unbroken 211-run seventh-wicket partnership between Tare and Agarkar has given Mumbai an iron-fisted control of the semi-final and Services all the grief they would not have wanted after a promising first day. They lost their strike bowler and leading wicket-taker of the season, Suraj Yadav, who had to go off the field due to a twisted ankle after bowling four overs in the morning just shortly after the introduction of the new ball. Off the 65 overs of play that happened today, Mumbai scored 181 runs without losing a wicket.Tare’s was the slower of the two centuries, uncharacteristic when it comes to his batting, but typical of his performances for Mumbai this season. He has opened the batting in five matches, batted at No. 3 and 4, and No. 7 once, before being slotted into the conventional No. 6 slot meant for the wicketkeeper. The value of his contributions, said Agarkar, is what has enabled Mumbai to play five bowlers. Tare is better known for flamboyant shot-making but on Thursday, collected the runs with a quality well-known in the old Mumbai school of batting – accumulate when available, don’t throw your wicket away and don’t get ahead of yourself. Tare showed patience to wear down the bowlers, and did not try to force pace with dazzling but dangerous improvisation.Agarkar thinks Tare’s batting has been exceptional this season, and the performance in Palam, was a sign that he had “adapted to a demanding situation.” In keeping with his better-known side, he pulled out a reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Avishek Sinha to take Mumbai past 300, and got to his century by guiding a yorker-length ball from Nakul Verma to third man for four.At the other end Agarkar moved at a quicker clip, but played without risk, offering occasional entertainment with attractive strokes around the ground. Shadab Nazar was punched off the backfoot through covers, Nishan Singh was driven straight down the ground and the spinner Sinha punished similarly. This was his fourth first-class century and his second Ranji century for Mumbai. His first two first-class centuries have come in unusual surroundings – in Peshawar for India A on a 1997-98 tour and the second at a Lord’s Test for India in 2002 – before he scored two more for Mumbai. He was asked to name his favourite shot of the day among his fourteen boundaries at Palam and Agarkar said, dead-pan, “the single to get to a hundred.”Despite their sturdy performance in the field on day one, Services found the second line in their bowling attack significantly weaker from the discipline of their three medium-pacers. When they began to resort to part-time options as the long second session dragged on, Mumbai accelerated, scoring 23 in the last five overs before tea. In the final 15-over second session curtailed by bad light, Mumbai scored 59. Start of play was delayed by 45 minutes due to bad light, then truncated after 9.5 overs due to the combination of bad light and a light drizzle. The very long second session produced 97 off 40.1 overs.Mumbai now have the collective gleam in their eye: the wicket, Agarkar said, had required the batsmen to grind, slow but holding steady. “We’ve got enough batting to survive on a difficult wicket and surviving today was important. It’s a six day match and we want as many runs as we can get.”The Services camp will be nursing hurting calves and some pride this evening, but said they could only do the one thing they knew best: fight. “We’ve got this chance after so long, we won’t let it go.” While the weather and the wicket promise many a slow session of cricket, a tussle underneath the surface will always be on. It is what Ranji Trophy semi-finals should ideally be about.

Paul Stirling and Mominul Haque helped Sylhet Royals to a competitive score of 175 for 7 before their bowlers put in a spirited effort to secure a 33-run win against Barisal Burners in their first game.

Mohammad Isam18-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPaul Stirling’s rapid fifty gave Sylhet Royals the start they needed•BCB

Paul Stirling and Mominul Haque helped Sylhet Royals to a competitive score of 175 for 7 before their bowlers put in a spirited effort to secure a 33-run win against Barisal Burners in their first game. It was an impressive start for the franchise that won just two games in the first edition of BPL.Put in to bat first, Sylhet began at a good pace but lost Hamilton Masakadza in the fourth over when left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam had him trapped lbw for 19. Thereafter, Stirling and Mominul added 51 quickly, using the pace of the ball on most occasions to find boundaries. Stirling cracked eight fours and a six in his 29-ball half-century, backing away whenever he sought a boundary, while Mominul showcased strength in hitting three fours and a six and supported the big-hitters at the other end well.But after the team had reached the hundred-run mark in the tenth over, the Sylhet batsmen lost their way. Kabir Ali and Alok Kapali took two wickets each, as Barisal restricted them to 175 but that total was still going to be a challenge for a team that has lost players like Kamran Akmal and Umar Gul in the mass Pakistani pull-out.Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan allrounder who was acquired by Sylhet after they lost two West Indies players (Andre Russell and Tino Best), took two early wickets with his flighty offspin before the rest of the slow bowlers took over. Sohag Gazi didn’t pick up a wicket but created enough pressure for the likes of Elton Chigumbura, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Bishawnath Halder to pick up cheap wickets. Ali was the only man to make some runs, hammering 50 off 21 balls with four huge sixes, before being stumped the off Shuvo. None of the other Barisal batsmen stayed at the crease long enough to have a serious go at the target.

A round-up of the Women’s World Cup warm-up matches played on January 29

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2013Australia Women secured their second win in two days as they chased down the 223-run target set by India Women with five wicket in hands at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.Australia were 117 for 4 at one stage, but captain Jodie Fields scored a quick half-century and put up 39 with Lisa Sthalekar and 41 with Alyssa Healy to keep India’s bowlers at bay. Fields retired when 26 were needed off 15 overs and Healy scored quick runs to complete the chase. Amita Sharma got the wickets of the openers, but the rest of the bowling attack was taken for runs.India chose to bat and made a strong start getting to 100 for 1 in the 21st over. But they lost three wickets within the space of six balls – two to Sthalekar – to lose momentum. Important lower-order contributions by Reema Malhotra (35 off 63 balls) and Nagarajan Niranjana (35 off 26) helped India cross 200.In Cuttack, half-centuries by Nain Abidi and Bismah Maroof and stifling spells by the bowlers helped Pakistan Women annihilate Odisha XI by 95 runs. Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 7 for 2 after choosing to bat, but a 148-run stand between Abidi and Maroof lifted the team. Javeria Khan (33) and Qanita Jalil (25) were the other two main contributors, while the rest were out for single-digit scores. Sujata Mallik and Gangotra Behera shared three wickets each.Opener Madhusmita Behera responded with a slow half-century to take Odisha to 84 for 1 in the 31st over. But once Sana Mir struck twice in the same over, the rest of Odisha batting crumbled. Asmavia Iqbal returned with figures of 3 for 20 from her 10 overs as Odisha limped to 145 for 8 in their 50 overs.In a tight contest at the MIG ground in Mumbai, Sri Lanka Women edged out South Africa Women by two wickets in a low-scoring match. Chasing 165, Sri Lanka had collapsed to 66 for 6. But No. 8 Sripali Weerakkody, who scored an unbeaten fifty, first partnered Eshani Kaushalya (22) in a 40-run stand, then put up 41 with Chamani Seneviratna and finally shared an unbeaten 20-run stand for the ninth wicket to help Sri Lanka clinch a win.South Africa’s innings had followed a similar pattern earlier. Kaushalya struck thrice in the early overs as South Africa were reduced to 59 for 6. But a half-century by captain Mignon du Preez and her 72-run partnership with Dane van Niekerk (46) revived the team. Once du Preez was out in the 35th over, the rest folded and the team was all out for 164 in the 46th over.Danielle Hazell’s five-wicket haul went in vain as England Women lost to New Zealand Women by 13 runs in Mumbai.New Zealand, after being asked to bat, were in a position to put much more than the 223 they eventually got. They were 209 for 5 with five overs to come. But Hazell first removed the well-set Sara McGlashan (88 off 90 balls) and then ran through the tail as only 14 came off last five overs. McGlashan had helped revive the team from 117 for 5 with a 92-run stand with Nicola Browne (40).England stumbled at the start of their chase as they lost the openers with 25 on the board. But Sarah Taylor (32) and Lydia Greenway (51) did the repair job and took England past 100. Loss of regular wickets, though, pushed them to the brink on 152 for 7. A 48-run eighth-wicket stand between Jenny Gunn (35) and Tammy Beaumont (22) threatened for a while, but New Zealand removed the last three wickets quickly to complete the win.

Afghanistan began their series against Scotland with a comfortable win in the first of two Twenty20 internationals in Sharjah

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfghanistan began their series against Scotland with a comfortable win in the first of two Twenty20 internationals in Sharjah. Mohammad Shahzad hit a fifty to lead Afghanistan to 132 and their bowlers tied Scotland down in the chase.Afghanistan were in trouble at 5 for 2 after new captain Mohammad Nabi chose to bat. The man he replaced, Nawroz Mangal, departed fourth ball of the game to one of the four debutants for Scotland, Iain Wardlaw, while Karim Sadiq was dismissed by another debutant Neil Carter in the second over.Afghanistan could have been bogged down just as Scotland were later, but Shahzad made sure that did not happen. He put on 79 with Asghar Stanikzai at over a run a ball. Shahzad hit seven boundaries during his 55 off 46 deliveries while Stanikzai provided valuable support with his 30 off 37. Yet another Scotland debutant, Matt Machan, restricted Afghanistan with a haul of 3 for 23, which included the wicket of Shahzad.Scotland began their chase poorly, with Calum MacLeod being caught short of his crease by Afghanistan’s lone debutant Hamza Hotak in the first over. Carter fell to Sadiq’s second delivery in the third and Scotland could never get going. Machan’s unbeaten 42 off 38 was the sole innings of note for his side. Kyle Coetzer and Preston Mommsen got slow starts, but that only served to increase the asking-rate, with Scotland falling short by 27 runs when the overs ran out.

Albie Morkel injured his left ankle during the Ram Slam T20 final and which could force him to miss a portion of the IPL

Firdose Moonda07-Apr-2013Albie Morkel left the field after bowling 2.3 overs in the Ram Slam T20 final with an ankle injury. However, he dispelled concerns over his participation in the IPL by *tweeting the next morning that he will be leaving for India on Monday after undergoing a scan. Scan went well. Will be on my way to India today,” he said.While sending down his 15th delivery of the innings, Morkel turned on his left ankle and fell onto the pitch, where he lay for several seconds before turning over with a grimace. He was treated on field and had to be helped off.Morkel returned to bat later in the match although he appeared in some discomfort. He limped through his runs put batted for 29 minutes before becoming the last man out.”We don’t know how bad it is yet. He will have to get it checked out,” Titans captain Henry Davids said after the game. “He turned over his ankle, which can be quite serious. But it was good that he could come out and bat again, he is a very destructive player.”This is not the first time Morkel has been troubled by ankle problems. He picked up a similar injury on South Africa’s tour of England last July. On that occasion, Morkel required only 10 days to recover.CSK’s other big South African signing, Faf du Plessis, will miss the first four weeks of the IPL with a lower-back problem which will leave them without two key players. They will, however, have the services of Chris Morris in their squad.
*The story has been updated after Morkel’s tweet confirmed he was leaving for India

Lancashire’s inability to post a competitive first-innings total has allowed Essex to take command at Old Trafford

Myles Hodgson at Old Trafford08-May-2013Essex 226 and 120 for 2 (Cook 57*) lead Lancashire 177 (Cross 45, Phillips 3-20) by 169 runs
ScorecardKarl Brown’s two-ball duck was typical of another poor Lancashire batting display•Getty Images

It may only be their third home match of the summer but already there are worrying signs that Lancashire’s fragile batting may undermine their hopes of an immediate return to Division One. Having strengthened their top-order during the winter, their inability to post a competitive first-innings total has allowed Essex to take command at Old Trafford.Their relegation summer last year was plagued with disappointing batting performances, with Lancashire dismissed for under 300 on 15 occasions. They were bowled out for fewer than 200 in eight matches. That record prompted Lancashire to secure the return of Ashwell Prince and persuade Simon Katich, the former Australia Test batsman, to help improve their batting options.They also signed Wayne White, Leicestershire’s promising allrounder, and provided with slow wickets on their opening two home matches, against Worcestershire and Kent, the recruitment policy appeared to work after they recorded first-innings totals of 448 and 395. Given a wicket with more pace and bounce, however, and the familiar failings returned.Resuming 219 runs adrift, Lancashire were always facing a tough start to the day against Reece Topley and David Masters with the new ball and failed the test by slipping to 22 for 4. Once conditions eased, however, they were little better and were dismissed for 177 in 58.3 overs.The consequences of another first-innings failure were laid bare by Alastair Cook battling through the new-ball spell to reach an unbeaten 57, with sights set on securing an emphatic Essex win on his final appearance before resuming England captaincy duties in next week’s opening Test against New Zealand.”It is a very disappointing day for us,” Lancashire coach Peter Moores said. “We’re not out of it yet but we certainly haven’t helped our cause. Essex used the new ball well and put balls in the right areas and there were a couple of shots where the lads would think they could have done better.”It’s frustrating for us because the goal was to see off the new ball and build a decent platform to get up with them and then go on and get a decent first innings lead. We didn’t do that and we’re going to have to play very well second innings, but there is work to be done first in bowling them out.”None of Lancashire’s batsmen showed the application demonstrated by Cook, or Graham Napier during his opening day century, and paid a heavy price as a consequence. Katich contributed an aggressive 23 off 26 balls but from the moment he fell lbw shuffling across his stumps to earn Sajid Mahmood his first Championship wicket for Essex, their hopes of reaching parity seemed remote.Mahmood enjoyed the extra bounce generated from the Pavilion End on his Old Trafford return, but it was Tim Phillips, Essex’s left-arm spinner, that secured their useful 49-run first innings lead. Gareth Cross showed signs of playing with a resolve required and added a promising 44 for their eighth wicket with White.In sight of his first half-century of the season, however, Cross fell lbw five runs short attempting to sweep. That gave Phillips the first of three wickets and, with Cook’s experience, Essex finished the day firmly in control.

Preview of the match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria24-Apr-2013

Match facts

Thursday, April 25, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)X-factor: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting is in need of some verve•BCCI

Big Picture

How did they do it? Sunrisers Hyderabad were at best predicted to be spirited also-rans, but despite their supposed weaknesses, they are near the top end of the table. Their run until now has been as unexpected as Delhi Daredevils’ rut and the surprise is visible in Dale Steyn’s smirk every time he is interviewed after a tight win. In Chennai, where they will be without their in-form allrounder – Thisara Perera, against a home team that has enough ammunition in their batting to raze their bowling attack, Sunrisers’ pluck is going to get seriously tested.Sunrisers’ balance is going to take a hit in the absence of Perera who has been their top run-scorer and has picked up nine wickets. With Steyn, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra, they still have bite in their bowling, but it’s their batting which continues to be a headache. They left out Kumar Sangakkara in the last two matches to allow Quinton de Kock time to settle in preparation for this match, but that move has had zero results. With Perera missing, they are in serious need of some good news on the batting front. One came yesterday – Shikhar Dhawan took part in training on Tuesday evening and could feature in Chennai.Chennai Super Kings have no such issues. After a scratchy start to the tournament, they have had three wins a row. Their bowling strangled the opposition in two of those games and their batting rose to the occasion in the third. Suresh Raina, who had a quiet start to the tournament, also showed signs of returning to form with a half-century in the last match. Faf du Plessis is also available for selection. No question then who starts this match as a favourite. However, Sunrisers can take encouragement from the fact that Pune Warriors sneaked out a win in Chennai too.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings WWWLW (most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad WWLWL

Players to watch

While Amit Mishra has been hogging the limelight, Sunrisers’ other legspinner Karan Sharma has quietly cemented his place in the side. In the three matches he has played, he has picked up four wickets and has been miserly with an economy of 5.62. It is because of support acts like Karan that Sunrisers haven’t had any loose ends in their bowling. In the absence of Perera, Karan would be expected to step up against Super Kings’ big-hitting left-handers.Michael Hussey is in the middle of a productive run and his last five innings read – 88, 40 65*, 6, 86*. The solidity he has provided at the top of the order has helped in laying the platform for the power hitters, who could be susceptible in situations that need them to graft. If he can keep Steyn and Co at bay early, a big chunk of Super Kings’ job would be considered done.

Stats and trivia

• Super Kings have scored less than 130 just once this season. Sunrisers, on the other hand, have crossed 130 two times in seven attempts.
• Only four Sunrisers batsmen have a strike-rate of more than 100 this season – Mishra, Perera, Steyn and Ashish Reddy.

Quotes

“The batsman is already struggling against Steyn and then he has to face a ball delivered by Ishant from eight feet high.”

The BCCI will implement several measures targeted at players, support staff and team owners to curb corruption in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2013The BCCI has announced its first set of proposals to “clean up” the IPL, measures ranging from financial disclosures by players and team owners to curbing the tournament’s controversial “entertainment” quotient, including putting a stop to cheerleaders and after-match parties.The measures are part of “operation clean-up,” announced by acting BCCI head Jagmohan Dalmiya at the end of a working committee meeting in Delhi on Monday. It aims to curb corruption and remove “sleaze” in the IPL by enforcing a “strict code of conduct” for players, support staff and owners, after the 2013 season was hit by charges of spot-fixing against players and by allegations that team owners were involved in illegal betting.Players will be required to reveal sources of their earnings, and owners will have to furnish details of payments and their contractual obligations with players and support staff.Access to the players’ dug-out and dressing room has been tightened once again, with Dalmiya saying that team owners will be restricted from these areas during matches. Owners were allowed in the dug-out and dressing room during the first season in 2008, but following complaints had been prevented from entering those areas thereafter. They now have seating arrangements close to the dug-out. Top officials of two teams, Gurunath Meiyappan of the Chennai Super Kings and Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals, have confessed to taking part in illegal betting, according to the Mumbai and Delhi police.Dalmiya also said that “no selector will be allowed to get associated with any franchise in any capacity.” No member of India’s current selection panel is attached to any franchise, but former selection chairman Kris Srikkanth was brand ambassador for the Super Kings for a period at the start of the IPL.Players and support staff will need to provide their telephone numbers to the BCCI before the IPL, and there will be a larger number of officials from the BCCI’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit at grounds and hotels during the tournament. It was also said that cell phone towers at the ground could be jammed during matches.No decision was taken on the strategic time-out, which accounts for five minutes of every IPL match and came into being in 2010. The two intervals of two and a half minutes each in every innings allow teams to strategise with support staff, and commercially it creates 300 seconds of advertising space. However, according to police investigations that led to more than 25 betting-related arrests in Delhi and Mumbai, the time-out was also an ideal period for the syndicates to adjust their session and spot odds. When Dalmiya was asked about this, he said: “We have not thought about it, it was just a financial exercise.”On Tuesday, BCCI’s secretary Sanjay Patel was quoted in the saying that cleaning up the IPL was an “ongoing process” and doing away with the strategic time-outs had “financial implications.” He did not rule out any future change, however, saying that the strategic time-out could form a part of “additional measures in our programme. We will discuss all other issues, including strategic time-out in our future meetings.”Operation clean-up is a work in progress, Dalmiya said, and IPL captains will be called for a meeting and franchises will also be consulted before a blueprint could be finalised at another working committee meeting.By Sharda UgraThe BCCI’s 12-point “Operation Clean-Up” should, in a twisted way, look like a giant leap for Indian cricket. It is the first formal, even if disguised, admission of errors, misdemeanours and lapses in governance that Indian cricket has made since it became the game’s financial behemoth.It was official acknowledgement that the dirt whirling around the IPL could not possibly be brushed under a carpet of delusion. It involved three players, two IPL team owners, the police of two cities, an umpire who was yanked out of the Champions Trophy by the ICC, two dozen illegal bookies and time in prison.Operation Clean-Up addresses IPL’s corruption issues at two levels. Putting an end to cheer leaders and after-match parties and planning to jam cellphones during matches is at worst a cosmetic change, at best tangential. Cheerleaders are not responsible for cricketers being lured by bookies or owners falling prey to gambling. After-match parties have been off limits in the post-Modi IPL world anyway. Jamming cellphones during matches serve no purpose if deals have already been done.The more serious aspect of the BCCI’s plans involve asking cricketers to spell out their financial investments and partnerships, and for IPL owners to come clean with the details of their payment structures with players and support staff. While it may not uncover ‘black’ or ‘grey’ money dealings but it is the most you can do. It must be hoped that these will be early steps towards financial transparency in the BCCI, signaling a departure from the IPL’s very smelly ‘secret tie-break’ culture.Whatever may have been included in the 12-point list, what stayed off it were the unmentionables. Whether BCCI officials would be willing to have their own financial backgrounds so thoroughly examined. To reveal the channels through which they make profits through cricket. Whether the BCCI would consider re-amending their constitution, rolling back the clause that gave N Srinivasan the latitude to buy an IPL franchise. Whether officials fighting misappropriation of funds cases against them could possibly continue in office.Operation Clean Up is a very small first step. It is the follow through that will tell us whether the BCCI has responded to perhaps the worst crisis in its history with a thorough overhaul of its governance structures, or mere window dressing.

Rohit Sharma, the India batsman, has said his team’s victory against Sri Lanka in the tri-series final, despite the pressure of the last over, came as no surprise to the dressing room, as they always had confidence in captain MS Dhoni

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2013India batsman Rohit Sharma has said his team’s victory in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka came as no surprise to the dressing room, despite the pressure of the last over, as it always had confidence in captain MS Dhoni, who has “done it over and over for us”. Dhoni said that he wasn’t panicking either, using his “good cricketing sense” to deal with the situation.”I think I am blessed with a bit of good cricketing sense. I thought 15 runs was something that I could look for [in the final over], the reason being the opposition’s bowler was not someone who is very experienced,” Dhoni said after the match. “So I thought, rather than taking on a Malinga or a Mathews, I’d take it to the end, and it really worked in our favour.”India were on course in their chase of 202 while on 139 for 3 in the 32nd over. But Sri Lanka fought back with a flurry of wickets, mainly through Rangana Herath, leaving India tottering at 167 for 8. Dhoni, returning from a hamstring injury for this match, turned down a few singles, and was content to play out Mathews and Malinga. That left India needing 15 runs off Shaminda Eranga’s final over and Dhoni, after a change of bat, won it with two balls to spare.Dhoni said he was looking for a heavier bat to get those final hits away. “That was a 2kg bat, a very heavy bat, it was needed at that point of time. Apart from it being a very good bat, I think the weight of the bat was perfect also.”Rohit, who set up the innings with a battling 58, said the pitch was quite tricky: “The wicket was not easy to play shots on, so I just wanted to delay my shots [and] bat till the end, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. But it came out really well in the end.”Dhoni has done it over and over for us, so we were all positive in the dressing room. We’ve seen him doing it for many years now. This wasn’t any surprise.”Sri Lanka’s captain, Angelo Mathews, said his team did well to stretch India as much as they did. “Our bowlers showed a lot of character, especially Herath. He brought us back into the game [and] almost helped us defend 200.”Herath had dealt India a double-blow in the 38th over, trapping Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin lbw off consecutive deliveries. But, in the end, it was another loss for Sri Lanka in a one-day tournament final. Mathews said his batsmen should have done better, after being 171 for 2. “To get to the finals, once again we showed heart, played positive cricket, but once again we couldn’t cross the line.”After Sangakkara and Thirimanne got out, we just panicked and kept losing wickets. We didn’t have the momentum to go at the end. We kept taking wrong options. If we had batted through the 50 overs, we would have got to 230-240.”

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, has said he is enjoying the success with the ball, but he is “desperate to score some runs”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2013Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder who is playing for the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League, has said he is enjoying the success with the ball, but he is “desperate to score some runs”. Shakib bowled a destructive spell of 6 for 6 in the match against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, but is yet to taste success with the bat and has scores of 5, 1 and 1 from his three innings.”If you told me I could take five wickets or score a hundred, I would take the hundred any day,” Shakib said. “I am more satisfied getting runs than wickets. I am an allrounder, but I always prefer scoring runs more than my bowling so I am more desperate than anyone else right now I guess.”Shakib’s poor form with the bat has followed him from England, where he was part of Leicestershire team in the FLT20, and managed 146 runs from nine innings with a best of 43. In his last match, Shakib’s bowling spell skittled T&T out for 52, but he managed only 1 in the chase, playing on a Fidel Edwards delivery, and his wicket left the team in a precarious position at 36 for 5.”In that situation I needed to bat. The plan was to see off Fidel because he was getting wickets and I played a rash shot,” he said. “I could have left that ball easily because we were not chasing 150, 160 runs so I was frustrated with myself, not anything else.”Shakib, however, was happy with his bowling after registering the second-best T20 bowling figures. “I guess I was a bit lucky because you can’t get six wickets every day in a T20 game,” he said. “Bowling four overs, getting six wickets, once in a blue moon you may get it but I’ll take it.”Barbados Tridents have not been affected by Shakib’s lack of form with the bat and have registered three wins out of three in the tournament.