Stats preview of the fourth Test in Centurion, where South Africa and England both have impressive records to protect

Bharath Seervi19-Jan-20160-1 South Africa’s win-loss record against England at SuperSport Park. The teams have played four Tests at this venue, of which three were drawn. South Africa lost the 1999-00 Test by two wickets after forfeiting their second innings. The first three Tests were interrupted by rain – no play was possible on three days in the first two matches and in the third Test there was no play on the first day. Only in the last Test between the teams at this venue, in 2009-10, was uninterrupted play possible on all five days, with England hanging on to a draw on the final day.15-2 South Africa’s win-loss record at this venue in 20 Tests; their win-loss ratio of 7.5 at this venue is the best, by far, among the 11 venues where they have played ten or more Tests. Their two losses here have come against England and against Australia, in 2013-14. Among all teams who have played 20 or more Tests at a venue, only Pakistan have a better ratio – 10.50 at the National Stadium in Karachi.8 Number of Tests at this venue that South Africa have won by an innings margin. Each of the last six wins for the hosts in Centurion have been by an innings. The 53.33% innings-win ratio (8/15) for the hosts at this venue is the highest for any team that has won at least ten Tests at a venue. The next highest is India’s four innings victories out of ten (40%) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.1-6 Win-loss record of overseas teams fielding first at this venue in eight Tests. The only time a visiting team won while fielding first at this venue was in 1999-00 when England won after the match was reduced effectively to a one-innings affair. South Africa, though, have a good record while fielding first in Centurion, having won nine out of 11 Tests. The only time they lost while fielding first here came recently, against Australia. While the hosts have managed to post first-innings totals in excess of 400 runs six times in ten innings after fielding first, the highest score visiting teams have managed while batting second in the first innings is 359.48 Spinners’ average at this venue – second-worst for any venue where spinners have delivered at least 2500 balls. There have been four five-wicket hauls here by spinners, two of those in the same Test between England and the hosts in 2009-10. Fast bowlers have done much better at this venue in comparison, having averaged a fraction over 19 runs less per wicket. They have taken 23 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls for the match in 20 Tests here.21.25 Average opening stand per dismissal by visiting teams at this venue – the worst at any venue where there have been a minimum of 15 partnerships. In the 39 opening stands against the hosts in Centurion, there has been only one century partnership and two others stands of fifty-plus. England’s average opening stand has been just 27.00 in the six innings of this series, with two stands of 50 or more; one of those was the 64-run stand in the fourth innings of the last Test, chasing 74 to win.85.27 Hashim Amla’s average at SuperSport Park – the highest by a South Africa batsman at any venue from ten or more innings. He has made 50 or more runs in eight of the 12 innings he has batted at this venue, including a double-hundred in his last Test here, against West Indies in December 2014. His 208 is also the highest individual score here. His aggregate of 938 runs is the third-highest behind Jacques Kallis (1267 runs) and AB de Villiers (1157). De Villiers himself has amassed 640 runs at 106.66 in his last six innings at this venue. His scores in these innings read: 129, 99, 121, 91, 48 and 152.1 Centuries by England batsmen in Centurion – 141 by Graeme Hick in 1995-96. There have been 11 other scores of 50 or more, though, four of those in their last match here in 2009-10. None of the players from this England squad have a 50-plus at this venue; Alastair Cook, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are the only ones to have previously played a Test here.5-20 Morne Morkel’s best figures in Tests at home, which came against India at this venue in 2010-11. This is one of the two five-fors he has taken in South Africa; the other being 5 for 75 against England in Cape Town in 2009-10. The 5 for 20 he took in Centurion is currently his second-best overall in Tests. He averages 26.39 runs and 48.8 balls per wicket at the venue – both his second-best at a home venue after Port Elizabeth.121 Runs required by Jonny Bairstow to go past England’s record for the most runs by a wicketkeeper in a Test series. Alec Stewart’s tally of 465 against South Africa in 1998 is the highest. The highest any keeper has made in a series against South Africa is the 473 by Adam Gilchrist in 2001-02. Bairstow needs 129 runs to go past that.713 Runs by England batsmen at No. 6 and No. 7 in this series so far – 368 by Ben Stokes and 345 by Bairstow. This aggregate is just 131 runs short of the highest for England from those batting positions in any Test series. The highest for England is 843 in the 1934 Ashes. The highest for any team is 949 by West Indies in the 1966 Wisden Trophy, when Garry Sobers alone scored 722 runs.

Shahid Afridi looks back on his two decades in international cricket, the burden of expectations, and battling coaches who tried to change his game

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi19-Mar-2016Thirty-four minutes with Shahid Afridi. A younger Afridi would have hit hundreds for fun in that kind of time.Sitting with both legs tucked under him on the leather sofa settee in the living room of his hotel suite in Dubai, he is still but not still. It is the day of the final of the inaugural Pakistan Super League. His room, on one of the higher floors of the hotel, overlooks the marina, and the soft light of the late afternoon sun gleams on his handsome, bearded face.Afridi’s youngest daughter paws around the room like a curious cat, while he talks about his 20 years in cricket. Among all the feats he has managed, surviving two decades in Pakistan cricket is the most incredible. There’s a strong feeling in Pakistan that this World T20 could really be his swansong. You get the feeling that Afridi wants to go, but he says he is being forced to rethink retirement.In this interview Afridi talks about his battles with coaches bent on changing him, why he never managed to become an established Test cricketer, and how Pakistan need to adapt to the changing demands of international cricket.When you made your debut 20 years ago, did you ever think you’d be playing 20 years later?
Playing for Pakistan was such a huge dream. I never thought I would play this long. At the time I thought, I’ve got an entry, a little more will be fine. But I kept going from there. Seniors like Wasim [Akram] and Moin [Khan] really pushed me. I needed that. I was performing at a young age, with all that fame, the world record. I got the strength slowly, got support from my seniors and elders, but I never thought I’d play this much.Back then many thought that you wouldn’t last, that you were just a slogger. Did you ever doubt yourself?
I began as a bowler and batting at No. 8 or 9 at Under-14, U-16 and U-19 levels, so to change myself was really difficult. At the start, the expectations people had was from my batting – that he will come and hit out. To change myself was really difficult. I couldn’t focus enough on my bowling, through which I had got into the team. People wanted to see my batting.I think, at that time I would have improved had the coaches worked on my skills rather than trying to change me. I would give credit to Bob Woolmer [the former Pakistan coach], because he didn’t try to change anything in me, unlike the Pakistan coaches, whose effort was to make me play the way they played in their time. That wasn’t possible, because everyone has a different kind of talent.

“The only talk I have with my team is that I want 100% effort on the field, so people say, ‘Pakistan today has really given it all, they have given their lives to this display'”

Can you give some examples of how they tried to change you?
In the first 15 overs of an ODI, with field restrictions, they would want me to run singles and doubles, to hit fours along the ground, and not go aerial and attempt sixes. I didn’t have that in me in the first place, so how was I going to bring it about?I was trying to become a batsman from a bowler – and maybe I’m still trying () – but if the coaches had given me more support, I might have been different. How difficult was it for you to make them understand that that was not your game?
I used to get very frustrated, and whenever I went in to bat, I was in two minds. Any shot I played, I would do with fear in my heart, that if I get out to this shot, the coach will ask me, “What kind of shot have you just played?” With that pressure, I batted for five to seven years. But eventually I took a call and said: if I play, I will play the way I want to, not how anyone else tells me to.Once I didn’t get the kind of consistency that I wanted, I switched my attention back to my bowling again. My elders said: what did you start cricket with – your bowling, right? Now make that a weapon.What was Woolmer’s effect on you? Did he work on you technically?
I don’t think in international cricket there is a need for coaching. The real coaching is to recognise your players’ strengths and weaknesses. You always remain positive with your players. In Pakistan, if you don’t score runs in two matches, the coach does not even respond to your . Woolmer was totally the opposite of that. He would go to the kid who didn’t perform and talk to him. He would remind him of his old innings. If you see my performances and that of the team in his era, they have been great.That was the real difference and key to Woolmer: he used to make me remember those great innings I had played and remind me that I played those without pressure, with freedom. He’d encourage me to play as often as possible like that, and say that he would never tell me off for it.”The real thing I have is drift. When I don’t bowl well, I can see I’m not getting that drift, because the body is not being put into it”•Getty ImagesAre you saying you don’t need a coach in all forms of cricket?
I think in international cricket, your management is about motivating players. You need coaches at the U-19, A team, U-14 or U-16 level. In international cricket you need to get a guy to perform.In these 20 years what challenges have you faced to evolve as a batsman and as an allrounder?
In our culture and in the west, there is [a huge difference]. They enjoy the day, then forget about it and think of a new day. Our problem is that we have media pressure, public pressure, your own individual performance pressure, pressure of making a place in the team – we focus on too much of these things in Asia.The real player is one who is strong inside, who can accept challenges. Allah gave me a little strength, I was strong inside to not fall apart in the face of some big challenges. I mean, if you don’t perform then even the people in your house, family sometimes, don’t support you. There have been many days when I thought I’ll stop playing cricket, it’s too much, it’s enough. I’ve cried in dressing rooms, have broken bats, have broken TV sets.But you find people who motivate you, who tell you that failure is an opportunity. There was one very difficult time I was going through when Shoaib Malik was captain and I wasn’t performing in bowling or batting. I went to a very respected elder I know and told him what was happening. He talked to me about our prophet and said the difficulties he faced in his entire life, your troubles are nothing compared to his. Once he said this, from top to bottom, I just completely relaxed. To hell with everything, I thought, I’m just going to enjoy my game and relax. This was in 2008.

“School cricket is dying. When we went to school, I had a passion and talent for the game, and in school there was opportunity, so I got into it”

Not many players have played for 20 years. Sachin Tendulkar said he did because of his dedication, discipline, focus on the game and priorities in life. What things did you focus on to survive?
When you start playing, cricket is a passion of yours. After you keep playing, you get to a stage where it becomes a business for you. Then it depends on you – many don’t do social work; as a player I started to do it. Then the responsibility increases. You need to manage family expectations.You get stronger. You are recognised, you have a fan following, so you want to keep those guys happy. Challenges come, but your own respect is very important. When you want to finish with cricket, you want to do it with respect.How do you survive Pakistan cricket with its controversies, not playing at home, corruption, captaincy issues, the board? You were even banned.
I went to court as well…()I’ll tell you something from the heart. My father and family have really given me a lot of support. They have never let me fall. Their prayers have been with me throughout. My real strength is my [public]. My , in every difficult time, has supported me, whether I took a [picked a fight] with the board or anyone. I’ve always stood for my players and the truth when I was captain, whether I had issues with Vicky [Waqar Younis] or Ijaz Butt [former PCB chairman].The has always given me such support that I can never forget them. They have been my strength. I think inside I have remained strong, even though people have been against me. I have had performances with which you can slap critics back on their faces.”Woolmer used to make me remember those great innings I had played and remind me that I played those without pressure. He’d encourage me to play as often as possible like that”•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesThat support from the people can also be a burden, right?
That pressure of expectation is the thing. .In the past, when you’d get out, the stadium would empty. Did you feel disappointment at getting out and then watching the crowds disperse?
Until I hit a boundary, I feel restless. That pressure stays with me. Some players can feel confident taking singles and doubles. I spoke to a couple of others, like [Virender] Sehwag, who also said, “Until I hit a boundary I don’t feel settled”. The pressure from the , the pressure of expectation, is huge – that is international cricket, after all, because we play with the same bat and ball in domestic cricket.I think, batting or bowling or fielding, I don’t want to become a burden on the side, so that the doesn’t say: get rid of him, take him out. Before hearing that, I want to go myself.There have been two big captains in Pakistan recently – Misbah-ul-Haq in Tests, you in ODIs and T20s. Misbah is a cricket obsessive. He doesn’t switch off. Are you like that?
I can never get to the level of Misbah, ever. His talking, thinking is completely cricket – day and night. That is his personality. I am a little different, a little aggressive. The only talk I have with my team is that I want 100% effort on the field, so people say, “Pakistan today has really given it all, they have given their lives to this display.” As a captain, that is a big thing for me. You win and lose, sure. But when you leave the ground you don’t want to think that I could’ve done a little bit more today.An aspect of your captaincy not discussed often is your on-field tactical thinking.
My effort is to keep things as simple as possible and make plans according to situations. I take decisions by myself, but I always try to listen to the seniors around me, to be able to call on them during a match and ask: what do you reckon here, what should be done? They give me their plan and I decide from that. There are very few decisions I take by myself. It is a team game. My senior players have also been ex-captains.

“The has always given me such support that I can never forget them. They have been my strength”

How much has not playing Test cricket affected your career?
If I had played Test cricket right from the start, I would have had a chance to improve a lot. But I got a Test debut after 60-70 ODIs. I did well early on, but if I didn’t perform in one series, I would be dropped from the Test side. Then I used to come back, perform, not perform, get dropped. In two innings if I didn’t do anything I would be dropped. So I thought, better than this, side [step aside from Test cricket] and, in truth, I wasn’t enjoying Test cricket at the time.Did you look at yourself as a Test cricketer?
Yes, . But I don’t think I ever had a plan to play it for a long time. When I made a comeback [in 2010], that was only because of the chairman [Butt]. There was a lot of politics in the team at the time. The chairman knew I was doing well with the ODI and T20 sides, and the dressing room was good under me, so he thought of me.When he offered it to me, I said no, initially. Then he requested, along with two or three other people. I said, if I don’t enjoy it, I will leave. We went to England and the incident there [spot-fixing at Lord’s] – the management wasn’t listening to me when I said there are some people who need to stay away from the team, they are spoiling the atmosphere. We lost the match and when they didn’t listen, I decided I can’t play Test cricket if things stay like they are.Did you have an idea at that time of how bad the atmosphere was in the side?
Yes. I had spoken to the management at the time about some people trying to get close to the team and that I was not happy with them. I found out that these guys are involved in these things and I needed to be moved far away from them.If you had debuted in 2006, not 1996, in the age of T20, how different would you have been?
! If 2006, and I was 18 to 20 years old… I think I wouldn’t have lasted 20 years. And the stars, the big names I played with and in the opposition, in West Indies, India and Australia – that I would’ve missed.Now cricket has become difficult for cricketers. There is so much of it, and too many injuries because of that. In this age, playing 20 years is impossible, no way.”As captain, my effort is to keep things as simple as possible. I take decisions by myself, but I always try to listen to the seniors around me”•AFPAlso, I would’ve missed the freedom that was there [when I made my debut in the late 1990s]. No media, no social media. Now cricketers can’t enjoy cricket like that. That life has finished. That respect has gone. There were 15 to 16 stars then, now there are two to three.On the field, too, the game has changed so much. You held the record for the fastest one-day hundred for so long. Now AB de Villiers looks like he may score the fastest hundred in every game.
T20 has really changed cricket. If you take Test cricket, you get results in four days, three and a half days. It has changed a lot. It should too, with time. You enjoy that change – the crowd you get at a T20, you do not get that even in an ODI anymore.What mindset did you play your first innings with? Is it different to how batsmen feel now?
I went out there with the mindset of a No. 8 or 9, like a tailender. Now, skills are very important for a batsman. Talent everyone has, but the skills to play these crazy shots… even fast bowlers get reverse-swept, which didn’t happen in the past. It is difficult for bowlers but it’s entertaining for fans. What shots have you added to your game?
I still play [the straight path], . The sweep, I play sometimes, off a good yorker. A yorker is difficult to hit straight. I never thought about reverse-sweeping, not even against a spinner. I think the guy who hits a reverse shot, maybe isn’t able to hit straight. If you have the strength and power to hit a straight six, then if two fielders are standing back [behind square] why should I take such a chance? A lot of players play a lot of these shots – Misbah plays it as his opening shot and does it well. [Abdul] Razzaq never hit a sweep, let alone a reverse. So those guys who have the belief that if they can hit straight, why take a chance?How different is the first bat you used in an international match to the ones you use today?
That was Sachin’s [Tendulkar] bat. But if I look at that now, there is a huge difference between bats of today and those ones. They are longer now. Sachin’s bats have also changed. They are much stronger now. The wood they use is great and your Indian bats are very famous.

“There have been many days when I thought I’ll stop playing cricket, it’s too much, it’s enough. I’ve cried in dressing rooms, have broken bats, have broken TV sets”

Do you reckon the game favours batsmen?
Yes, too much.Is that good or bad?
It depends a lot on the pitches – if it is a fast bowler’s pitch, then the fast bowler survives. If you look at cricket, spinners and batsmen are surviving. For fast bowlers, especially because of the circle [field restrictions], it has become difficult. But the two new balls help, especially if the pitch is conducive. If not, then [they are not spared].If you saw the Australia-India matches [India’s ODI tour of Australia in January], even on the Perth pitch, there were 300-315 runs. Pitches everywhere are runs pitches.Have you brought a lot of change to your legspin over the years?
As such I haven’t tried to change too much with my legspin. The real thing I have is drift. When I don’t bowl well, I can see I’m not getting that drift, because the body is not being put into it.Where does the drift come from?
When your whole body is going to go into it [the action]. It comes from the hip, the side, the shoulder, the follow-through. Unless you are 100% with these, you will not get that kind of drift. You will get it, but not a consistent one.Is it something you have improved over the years, or did you always have it?
You can say that after playing lots, after watching a couple of series where I bowled outstandingly, seeing that the body was like this and it wasn’t in that game, and what is the difference, with our analysts, you look at yourself. A man can learn best from himself.”The PSL will make a difference to Pakistani cricket in three to four years. I am very happy with it, it was “•PSLYou’ve never bowled fast?
I started cricket by bowling fast.In that Faisalabad Test where you opened the bowling…
[VVS] Laxman helmet [I hit VVS and others on their helmets].I started as a fast bowler in street cricket. One day, we were practising, I was 11 or 12 maybe, the batsman was probably the same age. Mohtashim Rasheed [the former first-class left-arm spinner] saw me bowling fast. The ball hit the other kid pretty hard, so Mohtashim said: Why don’t you bowl spin? In those days, Abdul Qadir was pretty huge, so I bowled in his style. It was so good, Mohtashim said, “From today you should only bowl spin”. I used to chuck anyway as a fast bowler.Why don’t Pakistan have power-hitting modern batsmen?
One, cricket has become really modern. Our board, our management, they should be thinking about these things now. They have to get rid of these old-fashioned views, bring in new people, with new thinking, so that they can create something new with these kids.Until you have schools cricket, you will not produce that level of talent. School cricket is dying. When we went to school, my father thought I will be a doctor or an engineer, but I had a passion and talent for the game, and in school there was an opportunity, there was an atmosphere for it, so I got into it.There were grounds. Now schools are businesses. Sports have finished. In every neighbourhood there are one or two schools as businesses. If you want to become a player, you have to start from school. That is one place, if you have the facilities, to become a doctor or engineer, or a cricketer or footballer.

“If I had played Test cricket right from the start, I would have had a chance to improve a lot. But I got a Test debut after 60-70 ODIs. I did well early on, but if I didn’t perform in one series, I would be dropped”

We need to change our thinking and provide facilities. With just with one cricket academy we shouldn’t think that we can start beating Australia, New Zealand or England. Okay, fine, on a given day you can beat them, but overall, until your base is strong you cannot do it consistently.Look at Australia. Shane Warne, [Glenn] McGrath retired together. But they didn’t have problems, because their system, their base, is strong. Look at India – why has cricket improved so much, why has [MS] Dhoni been able to bring out new players? In every ground they have academies. The board has used their cricketers well and they have taken younger guys along.With us, our former guys only want to work with the Pakistan team coaching [set-up]. The PCB should get the top cricketers to U-14, U-16 level to share experiences with them in those academies.Not playing in the IPL and the Big Bash, does it make a difference?
Of course. Or you raise the standard of domestic cricket to such a high level that they play. Many guys who are here [in the PSL] right now, top cricketers from Pakistan’s domestic cricket, have struggled in a bigger crowd of players. They couldn’t perform.If you take the India [IPL] example, a new kid comes, he plays in front of such big crowds, in a dressing room with such big names, he faces no pressure in international cricket. And international cricket is all about the pressure and how to handle it.Do you reckon the PSL will make a difference to Pakistan cricket?
Of course it will. Not right now, but in three to four years. I am very happy with it, it was . The credit goes to the PCB for it. I would thank those overseas players who came and played with our younger kids. I would thank those franchises who took part for Pakistan cricket.What was your favourtite moment in the PSL?
Just that it happened was a big moment, given it was cancelled twice before this. Probably the biggest moment was our youngsters were coming out of Pakistan for the first time, sitting in a dressing room with such big stars. That was a huge thing for me. I didn’t worry about our results. I didn’t even hope to win so many matches.

Rod Marsh and his panel have reasons for picking Peter Nevill, Adam Zampa, and Ashton Agar for the World T20, but they are less about performances than impressions

Daniel Brettig09-Feb-2016Jackson Pollock said this in 1950 of his art, which confounded the opinion makers of the day by abandoning the conventions of the easel and observation for something less empirical, more personal. Others worked from the outside world, whereas Pollock’s vision came from within.A similar sense of shock pervaded Australian cricket on Monday at the announcement of Australia’s World Twenty20 squad. Rather than carefully drafting and sketching, Rod Marsh’s panel had seemingly chosen to throw paint at the wall in their final effort to pick a winning combination. There are Pollock-esque hunches all over this squad, including as it does three players yet to make their T20 debuts for Australia.The last time Australia gambled so brazenly in an established format was ahead of the 1987 World Cup, when Tim May, Tom Moody and Andrew Zesers all made their international debuts at the global event. Twenty-nine years later and the 2016 choices include Peter Nevill, Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar. Marsh and his panel have reasons for choosing all of them, but they are less about performances than impressions.Were the selectors to have simply chosen the best performing T20 players available in these positions, they would have chosen Tim Paine, Cameron Boyce and Michael Beer. Instead, Nevill, Zampa and Agar are set to fly to India to try to win a tournament that, as was the case in 1987, Australia have never won. Marsh ran through the panel’s logic behind each choice, and it can be said that cricketing instincts were strong factors in every case.On Nevill: “I think we needed the best wicketkeeper for India. With our depth in our batting — particularly the fact we’ve got three allrounders in the squad — if we were to play those three all-rounders then it gives us very big depth. In T20 cricket if your top five or six don’t get them then you’re not going to win the game anyway usually. It’s different from 50-over cricket in that regard.”This selection made sense on a wicketkeeping level. Nevill is an outstanding gloveman, even if his returns in T20 are decidedly modest – his greatest contribution to the BBL this summer was arguably the moment where as non-striker he was run out from a rebound off the face of Zampa. Matthew Wade has struggled in India before, and in the case of Paine he has been away from the national set-up for a long time, and also bats in the top order.On Zampa: “Cameron Boyce was unlucky. He was very close and it was a very tight call between those two. But we couldn’t take both of them. That’s the thing, we were never going to take two leg spinners. [Zampa] bowled well. He’s shown good temperament throughout the Big Bash, he’s bowled very well to good players and he’s been pretty consistent in that format. But Cameron was unlucky, he bowled beautifully in Sydney, so a very tight call.”Unlucky is putting it mildly for Boyce. Very little separated him and Zampa during the BBL in terms of wickets, and their gap in economy closes when Boyce’s excellent T20 international record is taken into account. Add to that the fact that Boyce has often bowled to wicketkeepers inferior to Nevill and there is more reason for the Queenslander to feel at least somewhat aggrieved. Zampa is considered a competitor, and a lower order batsman of some ability – that is probably all that squeezed him ahead at the final selection meeting.On Agar: “We thought the 15th player should be another spin bowler, and we thought that Ashton was the best package as a spin bowler. I know he didn’t bowl a lot during the Big Bash, but we’ve been tracking his progress and we’ve had him since 2013. He’s coming along nicely and he’ll continue to develop. Maybe at the end of the tournament, if we get that far and the pitches are turning, maybe it’ll prove to be a wise decision, maybe he won’t play.”Marsh’s mention of 2013 was telling. The two weeks of Agar’s burst to Ashes prominence – via his batting not his bowling – remain a vivid memory for many, though not everyone was impressed by how the selectors and Cricket Australia as a whole handled the left-arm spinner who was then still very much a teenager. The Western Australia coach Justin Langer is one of many who believe Agar will be a major player in Australia’s future, and Marsh is hoping the future arrives next month.Recent form lines for the Australian T20 team have been difficult to track, largely because the team seldom plays together – only once in the 12 months prior to the January series against India. That is as big a factor in Steven Smith’s elevation to the all-format captaincy as any, offering continuity that the T20 leader Aaron Finch simply could not have. Smith at least has a record of success as a T20 leader, having helmed the Sydney Sixers’ inaugural BBL victory.What he has been bequeathed by the selectors is a squad full of hunches, and also full of top- order batsmen. Apart from the hyperactive Glenn Maxwell, Smith has a galaxy of top-three talent in David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Shane Watson and Finch. Knowing this, Smith may have to drop himself down the order after the fashion of George Bailey, another who might have made the team.History shows that Allan Border’s 1987 team went on to win the tournament, though that had more to do with a rigorous preparation and strong displays from more experienced players than the cameos of May, Moody and Zesers. Smith’s group has been thrown together a little more haphazardly, and the selectors will wait with some trepidation to find out whether their hopeful work will eventually be as celebrated as Pollock’s has become.

Relentless ambition, achievements at the state level, political clout, and proximity to the powers that be are some of the factors that have propelled his ascent

Nagraj Gollapudi22-May-2016″.” [Come, let us chit-chat.]With that one line, uttered after he had finished his first press conference as BCCI president, Anurag Thakur walked away from decades of well-established board culture that had treated the media with distrust and as outsiders.When a journalist handed him a paper cup of tea, Thakur wondered why no one else had been served. Over the next half hour, he spoke patiently and as openly as he could, without letting out too many secrets.Before the chat, Thakur had spoken as if he was a politician at a rally, not a BCCI president. He detailed the numerous social welfare initiatives the board planned to invest in. He did not play the defensive hand. Each time he was asked about the Lodha Committee, he reiterated his point of view that some of the recommendations would tear apart the fabric of the BCCI and damage the interests of the players as well.In Indian political circles, Thakur’s has been a well-known name and face. On Sunday he was unanimously elected BCCI president, one of the most powerful positions – some would argue most powerful – in world cricket. The BCCI has only had one president younger than Thakur – Fatehsingh Rao Gaekwad was 33 when he led from 1963 to ’66.Thakur’s climb to the top of the BCCI might appear unusually swift, but he has always been ambitious. He captained Punjab and North Zone at the age-group levels, and also played a first-class match for his native Himachal Pradesh in the 2000-01 Ranji Trophy season. Thakur reportedly played that match only because he wanted to become a junior national selector. The BCCI administration at the time, under the leadership of Jagmohan Dalmiya, had made it mandatory for selectors to have first-class cricket experience. Thakur made a seven-ball duck in Himachal’s only innings, and picked up two wickets in the nine overs he bowled.In the same year he became the youngest ever president of a state association, when he took the reins of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association at 26. The jury might be out on his cricketing talent, but there is no doubting his clout as an administrator. According to seasoned BCCI officials, Thakur worked hard to turn a “backward state” like Himachal around, and establish one of the most impressive venues on the world cricket map. Thakur created modern cricket facilities not just in picturesque Dharamsala but also in smaller towns like Bilaspur and Una.”I inherited only seven chairs, one iron cupboard and a typewriter,” he said of those early days. “But within five years, we built an international stadium in Dharamsala – not only a cricket stadium but one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world, and also built around five-six other stadiums in the state.”As president of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, Thakur created modern cricket facilities not just in picturesque Dharamsala but also in smaller towns like Bilaspur and Una•ACCPeople who have observed Thakur’s progress are not surprised. “He has age and experience, a unique combination, in his favour. He has a contemporary perspective,” a BCCI official says. “If you look at his development projects in Himachal, that is the classic example of what he has done for cricket. Because he knows what the cricket requirements are at the state level, he has been hands-on as an administrator, which is a big advantage.”A senior East Zone official described Thakur’s rise as “tremendous”, from the time he began attending BCCI meetings around 2004. This official had no doubt that being a politician has helped Thakur immensely. According to him Thakur’s biggest punt, which played a crucial role in his swift rise to the top rung of the BCCI, was his decision to run for the post of secretary during the acrimonious 2015 BCCI elections.Thakur became a BCCI office-bearer for the first time in 2011, when he was elected joint secretary in the N Srinivasan administration. Srinivasan’s not stepping down during the 2013 IPL corruption scandal did not sit well with Thakur, who was one of the few BCCI officials unafraid to express his grievances in public at the time, when he said institutions were bigger than individuals.”He was just a joint secretary, which is not anything big in the BCCI,” the East Zone official said. “But he showed the guts to stand for the secretary’s position two years back, which changed things. That he could do that was only because he was a politician. No one else could have dared.”Thakur won the secretary’s post by a single vote when he defeated the incumbent, Sanjay Patel, in the elections in Chennai, where Jagmohan Dalmiya returned for his second stint as BCCI president. Srinivasan, the East Zone official who was present during the 2015 election said, had in fact approached Thakur and offered to support his nomination for the president’s post. “By the time Thakur arrived, he had decided to be part of the Dalmiya camp,” the East Zone official said. “When Srinivasan offered him the president’s post, Thakur did not ditch the Dalmiya camp.”Thakur was perhaps aware that he had more to gain if he was loyal to the men he had originally teamed up with to defeat Srinivasan’s lobby. “He is the face of the next generation,” the official said. “For the last 20 years BCCI has had presidents who have come from the old school of administration.”As a politician, Thakur knows the importance of reaching out to people who matter. A BCCI vice-president said he received a call from Thakur a couple of weeks ago, when he expressed his desire to run for the board presidency. “He is a man of few words,” the vice-president said. “He is a straightforward guy. He likes to interact with people like us. He might be younger to me, but there is a chemistry between him and the young people in the board. Normally in the BCCI, people are very reluctant to open up because they don’t want to antagonise somebody. But Anurag is open and makes his opinion very clear – whether somebody likes it or not, he is not worried about.”In 2015, Thakur rejected N Srinivasan’s support to become the BCCI president, and instead joined the Jagmohan Dalmiya camp•PTI Veterans and young board members alike say Thakur’s biggest strength is his proximity to influential people. Power and positioning are the planks on which he has raised his solid platform. Thakur has been on the right side of both the government and the power brokers within the BCCI.Thakur is capable of taking independent positions on issues, but as president he will need the support of his key lieutenant. He and secretary, Ajay Shirke, whom Thakur nominated on Sunday, have grown close during these difficult times for the BCCI in the Supreme Court. Shirke was the treasurer when the IPL corruption scandal broke in 2013. He, along with the secretary at the time Sanjay Jagdale, stepped down from their positions in protest against Srinivasan.”Ajay Shirke has been his biggest advisor,” a Thakur critic within the BCCI said. “Shirke’s man RP Shah has been a consultant to Thakur since he became secretary.”Shashank Manohar might have been the architect of most reforms the BCCI carried out since last October, but Thakur also played an important role in endorsing those changes. Officials say Thakur was involved closely in preparing the BCCI’s initial document on conflict of interest, which was sent to all members last year, and that he also had a say in appointing the global consultancy firm Deloitte as an independent regulator. Thakur also stressed the need to release the domestic cricket schedule in July, well before the start of the season.Another important decision taken at Thakur’s behest was drawing up contracts for India’s women cricketers. The news also surprised the players. When India Women beat New Zealand, the BCCI announced an award. One of the players said then that it must be “some five lakhs [approximately US$7500] to be distributed among the team”. The actual reward was Rs 20 lakhs ($29,700), which left the player and her team-mates speechless.Thakur has also earned the respect of his critics. A high-ranking board official is willing to allow him time to grow in his new job. “It is a fresh start, a new innings [for Thakur]. We have disagreed on things, but now that he is taking on a new role, I am actually welcoming it.”All the officials ESPNcricinfo spoke to for this story were sceptical about whether, as an active member of a national political party, Thakur will have enough time for the BCCI’s affairs, at a critical time when the board is involved in a tussle with the Supreme Court over the Lodha Committee recommendations. “It takes a lot of effort to get in touch with him,” the critic quoted above said.Other political heavyweights have served as BCCI presidents in the past: SN Wankhede, NKP Salve, Madhavrao Scindia and Sharad Pawar have juggled the job with their political roles.Thakur’s most immediate challenge will arrive in July, when the Supreme Court issues its order on implementing the Lodha Committee reforms. Last Saturday, Manohar revealed that his conscience did not allow him to continue as the board president, because he did not agree entirely with the Lodha recommendations.Thakur’s responsibility as president will be to ensure that things are put in place not only at the BCCI level but also at all the state associations, while having them on his side. Having served as secretary, he is aware of the hurdles he will face. “Now it is about handling challenges the BCCI faces in a unified way,” a Thakur critic said.Despite the challenges, Thakur’s camp is confident he is the right man to lead the BCCI in these fragile times. “He is sharp,” an official said. “He is not an in-depth man. Not a man of great details. But he has understanding, has a grasp and has an intuitive feel for what should be done.”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2016Gautam Gambhir had a couple of reprieves, including the one handed by Praveen Kumar when he dropped a catch at mid-on in the second over•BCCIBut the Knight Riders captain wasn’t third-time lucky as Shadab Jakati ran him out with a direct hit from short midwicket•BCCIDwayne Smith struck with his second ball when he had Manish Pandey dabbing a catch to Raina at slip•BCCIKnight Riders promoted Piyush Chawla to No. 4, but he crawled to 11 off 16 before being bowled by Smith•BCCIShakib Al Hasan holed out to IPL debutant Eklavya Dwivedi at third man to leave Knight Riders at 61 for 5 by the 12th over•BCCIYusuf Pathan hit three fours and one six during his run-a-ball 36•BCCIDwayne Bravo removed Jason Holder for 13 off 8 balls and celebrated the wicket with the dance. Knight Riders finished with 124 for 8•BCCISmith claimed career-best T20 figures of 4 for 8•BCCIHe, however, nicked behind for a golden duck in the chase. Brendon McCullum was then trapped lbw by Sunil Narine for 6•BCCIMorne Morkel bowled Dinesh Karthik through the gate to leave Lions at 38 for 3 by the fourth over•BCCIRaina and Aaron Finch put Lions back on track with a 59-run partnership for the fourth wicket•BCCIRaina stayed unbeaten on 53 to seal Lions’ six-wicket win and help lift their net rate from -0.747 to -0.479•BCCI

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2016Quinton de Kock kept Amla good company and they put on their second fifty-plus stand of the series•AFPAmla brought up his half-century off 37 balls and soon passed 1000 ODI runs against West Indies•AFPAmla extended his fluency and brought up his 23rd ODI century off 89 balls …•AFP… before the 182-run opening stand ended when Kieron Pollard had Amla slicing a loft to long-off for 110 at the start of the 34th over•AFPSix balls later, Jerome Taylor castled de Kock for 71•AFPHaving been promoted to No.3, Chris Morris slammed 40 off 26 balls•AFPFaf du Plessis unfurled scoops and went on to score his second successive half-century …•AFP… while AB de Villiers contributed 27 in a 64-run stand for the fourth wicket as South Africa finished with 343 for 4•AFPJohnson Charles got West Indies’ reply off to a strong start with a flurry of boundaries•AFPAndre Fletcher added 69 for the first wicket with Charles before Imran Tahir had him holing out to deep midwicket for 21•AFPCharles fell two short of a half-century when he was undone by a googly from Tabraiz Shamsi. The left-arm wristspinner then dismissed Denesh Ramdin to reduce the hosts to 121 for 4 by the 22nd over•AFPMarlon Samuels survived a couple of run-out chances before becoming Tahir’s 100th ODI victim•AFPFrom 169 for 5, West Indies were dismissed for 204 in 38 overs•AFPTahir finished with figures of 7 for 45, the best by a South African in ODI cricket•AFP

Stats and records from the Royal London Cup match at Trent Bridge where Nottinghamshire beat Northants in a record-breaking run-fest

Bharath Seervi07-Jun-2016342 Runs added by Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels for the first wicket, the third-highest partnership in List A cricket and the highest in List A matches in England. They fell 30 runs short of the record stand of 372 runs, between Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels against Zimbabwe in Canberra in the 2015 World Cup. The previous highest partnership for any wicket in England was 318 shared by Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid against Sri Lanka in Taunton in the 1999 World Cup.1 Number of higher innings totals in List A matches than Nottinghamshire’s 445 for 8 – Surrey scored 496 for 4 against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007. Click here for the highest innings totals in List A cricket.870 Aggregate runs scored in this match, the second-highest in a List A match. With Northamptonshire falling 20 runs short of Nottinghamshire’s total, the match aggregate fell just two runs short of the record 872 runs between Australia and South Africa at the Wanderers in 2005-06. This was only the fourth time that both teams scored 400 or more in a List A match.35 Number of sixes hit in the match, the second-most in any List A game. Nottinghamshire’s batsmen hit 18 sixes while Northamptonshire hit 17 in reply. The record is 38 sixes between India and Australia in Bangalore in 2013-14 where Rohit Sharma alone hit 16 sixes in his innings of 209 runs.184 Lumb’s score in this match – highest by a Nottinghamshire player in List A matches beating Paul Johnson’s unbeaten 167 against Kent at Trent Bridge, back in 1993. The previous highest List A score at Trent Bridge was Graham Gooch’s 171 for Essex against Notts in 1985.3 Number of faster List A centuries while chasing than Rory Kleinveldt’s in 45 balls. He made 128 off 63 balls with ten fours and nine sixes to get to his maiden List A century. The fastest century while chasing in List A matches is Yusuf Pathan’s 40-ball effort for Baroda against Maharashtra at Motera in 2009-10.330 Aggregate runs by Nottinghamshire’s openers – Lumb (184) and Wessels (146) – which is the fifth-highest by any team’s openers in a List A match. The highest aggregate also came in England when Alistair Brown scored 268 for Surrey against Glamorgan at The Oval in 2002, the highest individual score in the format. His partner Ian Ward made 97, which added up to 365 runs from the openers.6 Number of bowlers who conceded 80 or more runs in this match, which is the most in any List A match. The next best is four bowlers with 80 or more runs, which had happened a few times. In the Wanderers ODI between South Africa and Australia, six bowlers conceded 75 and above.1 Number of higher all-out totals in List A matches than Northamptonshire’s 425 in this match. Glamorgan were all out for 429, after falling nine runs short of Surrey’s 438, in 2002.

Stats from South Africa’s 31-run win over Australia, which helped them sweep the series 5-0

Bharath Seervi13-Oct-20160 Instances of Australia suffering a whitewash in an ODI series before this one against South Africa. They had lost the Natwest Series by 4-0 in 2012 with one match abandoned.4 Clean sweeps by South Africa in an ODI series of five or more matches, including this series. Incidentally, their previous three sweeps were all against West Indies.1 Individual score against South Africa in ODIs higher than David Warner’s 173. Sachin Tendulkar’s 200 not out in Gwalior in February 2010 is at the top of the list. The previous best by an Australia batsman against South Africa was Ricky Ponting’s 164 at the Wanderers in 2006. Warner’s 173 is also the highest ODI score to end with a run-out.1 Individual score in an unsuccessful chase higher than Warner’s 173. Tendulkar had made 175 in Hyderabad in 2009 chasing Australia’s 351 and India lost by three runs. Overall it is the fourth-highest score in a losing cause.178 The fourth-wicket partnership between Rilee Rossouw and JP Duminy is the third-highest stand for South Africa in ODIs against Australia for any wicket. It is also the second-highest for any wicket at Newlands.6.88 South Africa’s run rate in this series – their best in a series with five or more matches. It is also the highest run rate conceded by Australia in any series of five or more matches.58.44 Percentage of runs scored by Warner in his team’s innings – second-highest for Australia in a completed ODI innings. The highest is 60.72% by Damien Martyn, who scored 116 in Australia’s total of 191 against New Zealand in Auckland in 2000.386 Runs scored by Warner in this series – the most by an Australia batsman in a series of five or fewer matches. Warner surpassed Geoff Marsh’s 349 runs against West Indies in 1990-91.311 Runs scored by Rossouw in this series – his best in an ODI series. He was also South Africa’s highest run-getter of the series.4 Wickets picked by Australia’s opening bowlers in the first four ODIs of the series, in 73.2 overs. However, in this match, their opening bowlers, Chris Tremain and Scott Boland, managed five wickets between them in their 20 overs.3 Australia batsmen who have scored five ODI centuries in a calendar year. Warner became the third Australia batsman to achieve it with his 173. The previous two were Ricky Ponting, who did so in 2003 and 2007, and Matthew Hayden in 2007. Warner also became the first batsman to aggregate over 1000 runs in this calendar year.

Also: the highest unbeaten individual aggregate in a five-match series, and a mystery Sobers duck

Steven Lynch13-Sep-2016I have a memory of being at an Essex game when my Dad said, “Son, this is the greatest batsman in the world coming in to bat!” Result: Sobers c Smith b Boyce 0 – and me wondering what the fuss was about. Did I imagine this? asked Will Elsom from England
I’ve looked back at all Garry Sobers’ appearances against Essex, and they include two ducks – both at Chelmsford in the Sunday League, in 1969 (on the first day of its first season) and in 1971. But I’m afraid Sobers was run out both times, in 1971 from the first ball he faced. Keith Boyce played in both matches – he also made a duck in the first one – but Neil Smith wasn’t with Essex then (his first games for them were in 1973), and the only time he faced Sobers for Essex was in 1974 … he didn’t catch him then either. I suppose it’s possible that you went to some sort of benefit match, in which case we wouldn’t have the scores on record – but I think it would have been a disappointment to the crowd (and the beneficiary!) if Sir Garry had got out for a duck in such a game!I noticed that Ken Higgs, who died recently, had a very good Test bowling average. Where does he stand among England players? asked Chris Budgett from England
The former Lancashire and Leicestershire seamer Ken Higgs, who died last week aged 79, took 71 wickets in his 15 Tests, at an average of 20.74. Of bowlers who have taken 70 or more wickets for England, only two who played after the First World War have better averages: express bowler Frank Tyson took 76 wickets at 18.56, and slow left-armer Johnny Wardle 102 at 20.39. The overall list, on which Higgs is eighth, is headed by the Surrey fast-medium bowler George Lohmann, who took 122 wickets at just 10.75 runs apiece in 18 Tests between 1886 and 1896. Higgs was remembered by David Hopps in this affectionate tribute after his death.How many batsmen have been part of two Test hat-tricks? asked James Cooper from England
The most notable name on this particular list is that of the South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward, who completed a king pair by being the third victim in both of the Australian legspinner Jimmy Matthews’ hat-tricks at Old Trafford during the 1912 Triangular Tournament. Oddly, those were Matthews’ only six wickets in the match! Two other people have been part of two separate Test hat-tricks. Stuart MacGill was the middle victim of both Darren Gough’s for England in Sydney in 1998-99, and Jermaine Lawson’s for West Indies in Bridgetown in 2002-03. And the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana was the first to fall in Wasim Akram’s hat-trick in Karachi in 1998-99, and in Abdul Razzaq’s in Galle, also for Pakistan, a year later. I recently read about a double near-miss on this front: in Auckland in 1954-55, in the match in which New Zealand were all out for 26 – the lowest total in all Tests – their legspinner Alex Moir came in on a hat-trick in both innings, after Bob Appleyard had inflicted a king pair on Ian Colquhoun. Moir survived both, so Appleyard never did perform the feat. For the full list of Test hat-tricks, complete with the victims, click here.MS Dhoni scored 212 runs without being dismissed in an ODI series in 2011 – a record for a series involving five or more games•Associated PressImad Wasim scored 153 runs without being dismissed in Pakistan’s recent one-day series against England – was this a record? asked Shaon from Bangladesh
Imad Wasim, who missed one of the matches through injury, did indeed score 153 runs in four not-out innings in Pakistan’s recent one-day series against England. The record for a series involving five or more matches, though, is 212 runs – by MS Dhoni for India at home to England in October 2011, when his scores were 87, 35, 15 and 75, all not out (he did not bat in one match). The Australian batsman Damien Martyn scored 158 runs in five not-out innings – rounding it off with 116 not out in Auckland – in a six-match series in New Zealand in 1999-2000. Aravinda de Silva scored 334 runs without being dismissed in Sri Lanka’s four matches of a quadrangular series at home in 1996, while Javed Miandad made 234 without getting out – including two centuries – in Pakistan’s four-match home series against India in 1982-83.Virender Sehwag scored 55 in both innings in a match against West Indies in November 2011. Is this the highest such double? asked Dineshwaran from India
Virender Sehwag’s double in that match in Delhi in 2011-12, while quite unusual, is not the highest in a Test – it’s actually 13th on the list. On top is Duleep Mendis, who made 105 in each innings for Sri Lanka against India in Madras (now Chennai) in 1982-83, while Misbah-ul-Haq followed 101 with a very rapid 101 not out for Pakistan against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014-15. Alvin Kallicharran comes next, with twin 80s for West Indies against England at The Oval in 1973. One of the most famous such doubles was performed by the West Indian captain Frank Worrell in the Tied Test against Australia in Brisbane in 1960-61: he was caught by Wally Grout off Alan Davidson for 65 in both innings. In all there have been 22 instances of a batsman making two identical scores of 50 or above in a Test. Sehwag’s is the highest such double for India, though: next comes Sachin Tendulkar’s brace of 52s against Pakistan in Kolkata in 2004-05. Sehwag also made 47 in both innings against Australia at Adelaide in 2003-04.I remember Inzamam-ul-Haq getting out for obstructing the field against India. How many such instances have there been? asked Vinod from India
The instance you’re referring to occurred in Peshawar in February 2006. “He blocked a return from Raina with his bat while standing a couple of yards out of his crease,” reported Wisden, which added: “Afterwards Inzamam wrote indignantly: ‘Such not very common laws need to be explained properly and in detail,’ but after more than 100 Tests and 350 one-day internationals, he might have known about this one.” At the time Inzamam was the third batsman to be given out obstructing the field in a one-day international; there have been three more since, most recently Ben Stokes, for England against Australia at Lord’s last year. There was also one such dismissal in a Test – by England’s Len Hutton against South Africa at The Oval in 1951. For the full list of unusual dismissals in Tests, click here, and for a similar list for one-day internationals, click here.Send in your questions using our feedback form.

Bangladesh’s break from Test cricket came as their top order was starting to show encouraging signs of solidity. The same top six will be on show against England. Can they find their groove again?

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong19-Oct-2016If England are to be given a fight over the five days in Chittagong, Bangladesh’s top six batsmen will have to be the ones at the forefront. They will have to attack, consolidate and defend whenever necessary and leave very little to do for the rest of the line-up that is filled with newcomers, those still raw at the top level and returnees.Since the first Test squad was announced earlier this week, there has been much discussion about the lack of experience among the four – Mehedi Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Nurul Hasan and Kamrul Islam Rabbi – who never played Tests, and the other four – Soumya Sarkar, Shuvagata Hom, Shafiul Islam and Taijul Islam – who played so few. But the story should be about the six who have given this team the backbone by developing into the strongest batting line-up in their history.The initial thrust will be provided by Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s leading scorer in each format, who will renew the country’s most successful batting partnership for any wicket with the born-again Imrul Kayes. The talented but hardly used Mominul Haque comes at No. 3 to press on and consolidate with Mahmudullah, Bangladesh’s most versatile batsman. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan will be expected to take advantage of their overall experience to push on from a good start or if things go wrong, stop a top-order collapse. They will also have to guide the middle to lower order for the rest of the innings.Both Tamim and Imrul are in good form, with Tamim now the leading scorer for Bangladesh in Tests and the first to reach 5,000 ODI runs. Over the last two years, his highlight has been a more mature approach off the field which has led to a fitter body and a freer mind. His 206 against Pakistan was a masterpiece in concentration as he pulled Bangladesh out of a potential defeat.His 312-run stand with Imrul in Khulna was the first 300-plus opening stand in the second innings of a Test. The pair has averaged nearly 50 per innings, and as much as it has to do with Tamim’s effervescence, Imrul has lately become a forceful character.Long known as the meek half of the batting pair, Imrul has come of age since that Khulna Test in which he kept wicket for 132 overs (in his first ever stint as a wicketkeeper after Mushfiqur had been injured) before hitting 150 in nearly six hours. He still lost his place in the limited-overs format with the emergence of Soumya but kept making runs in Tests and after the 2015 off-season training regime, Imrul has become a completely different batsman. He now tries to pose trouble to bowlers every ball, and found success against England during this tour with a century in the one-day warm match then another in the first ODI. It will be interesting to see how Tamim and Imrul can now go against England’s Test attack.Mominul, the left hander whose Test average hasn’t dropped below 50 since making his debut in 2013, should be provided some cushion as this will also be his first international cricket in 14 months, having now become a Test regular (or limited-overs outsider). He will have the hardest time among the top six given that he has only played 15 first-class matches during this time, though he has averaged 45.91.After Mominul comes Mahmudullah. In the gap between Bangladesh’s Tests, he has become the team’s main big hitter in T20s and in the last two years he has also made himself into the ODI side’s chief accelerator in the middle overs, in addition to his role of calming down the middle order in Tests. It is unlikely that Mahmudullah will confuse his roles in the three format, rather it could boost his run-making in Tests.His brother-in-law and the Test captain Mushfiqur will once again have a lot in his plate but he is the most experienced player in this squad. The burden of being the captain, wicketkeeper and middle-order dependable could weigh down on him but to keep the team on the right track, in the most challenging of situations, is what Mushfiqur trains so hard for, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he thrives on the workload.Shakib will be the other senior player with a lot on his plate. He is the team’s only bowler of note, be it in a wicket-taking role or in restricting the scoring rate. It will not be possible for him to do both at the same time, but for most of his Test career, he has had little time between a marathon bowling spell and a batting stint. He would certainly hope to have less to do but that is unlikely given the make-up of the team.There won’t be any let-up in their responsibilities when they are not batting or bowling, too. Mushfiqur being the captain, will need to take extra care of all the youngsters. Tamim is known to take them under their wing while Shakib will remain the figurehead, the one they would be awed by, but someone whose one word of encouragement could spark something out of a debutant.All six of Bangladesh’s top order will have to play their part in seizing the key moments – passages of play, sessions or entire days if they can – if the team are to take control, but it is within their ability. They have always relished Test cricket, although hardly get play any these days. This series against England is a chance for them to show their development as cricketers and characters.