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Gloucestershire have signed Steve Adshead, a wicketkeeper/batsman, on a one-yearcontract as cover for Jack Russell.Adshead, 23, was on the Leicestershire staff 2000 to 2002 – he played one first-class match in 2000 and a handful of one-day games – and moved to Worcestershire, the county of his birth, for 2003. He played two Championship matches last season after Steve Rhodes was injured, scoring 63 against Glamorgan at Cardiff, but then lost his place to James Pipe.

Titans 184 for 5 (Rudolph 46, Kemp 48) beat Eagles 94(Bosman 42, Thomas 3-20, Reddy 3-27) by 90 runs
ScorecardThe Titans demonstrated how much they had learned from their first match of the Standard Bank PRO20 series, as they compiled 184 for 5 second time around, against the Eagles at Bloemfontein. After winning the toss and batting first, Jacques Rudolph anchored the innings with 46 from 45 balls, allowing Justin Kemp to crack 48 from 24 deliveries, including three boundaries and four sixes. Gerald Dross then added 35 from 20 and right at the end of the innings Daryll Cullinan had a ball, belting 16 off only five balls.The Eagles stumbled at first, as they lost three wickets in four overs, all to Alfonso Thomas. Loots Bosman briefly looked as though he might repeat his efforts at the weekend, but he was running out of partners when he was bowled for 42. Brendon Reddy then wrapped up the tail, taking 3 for 27 in his four overs to help the Titans to the bonus point.

Over the last eight years, anyone who has followed Pakistan’s cricket team has seen selectors run around in circles. Now, despairing over the performance of their senior players, youngsters have been inducted and this move given all sorts of fancy names, promising an ‘unprecedented’ entry into a ‘new era’.Yet again such an ‘unprecedented’ step has been taken. Observers are apathetic that PCB has now set a ‘precedent’ of taking these ‘unprecedented’ moves time and time again. I would, therefore, advise fans not to get too carried away with this latest hype of preparing a team for next world cup, because PCB has a habit of blowing hot and cold.In Pakistan cricket there are countless examples of injustices done to young players, they are tried for a game or two and if not an instant success, discarded for the seniors to come back in. How things will be any different this time only time will tell but assuming that to be the case I would like to mention a few areas where I disagree with Rashid Latif.First is the inclusion of Naved Latif – very strong through the leg-side but can hardly drive to the off, thus an incomplete batsman at the international level. Such is his emphasis on the leg-side that I’ve even seen him slog sweep at times from outside off in 4-day FC cricket. So, to what extent his game has changed after appearing in only 3 matches in the recently concluded FC Quaid-e-Azam trophy is yet to be seen.Second is the apparent emphasis on ‘bowling all-rounders’ – bowlers who can bat. I mentioned in my previous article that Pakistan actually needs batsmen who can bowl, not the other way around. Among the new comers there is only one batsman who can bowl and that is Mohammed Hafeez, a welcome addition but I do not understand the inclusion of Shoaib Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan for the following reason:When I last saw Shoaib Malik play in an ODI he did not seem capable of bowling more than 4-5 overs in a match. He has had to remove the controversial delivery that moves away from a right-hander after the ICC took action. As a result his effectiveness is questionable as I cannot see him included in the side as a specialist spinner or an all-rounder.If included, then he must be as a batsman, but would you prefer him ahead of Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Bin Nasir, Farhan Adil and others is open to question. He did do well in the domestic one-day NBP Patron’s Cup with bat recently, and I do not doubt his credentials but he should not be considered an all-rounder when it comes to team selection.Naved-ul-Hasan did debut in Sharjah and bowled a good spell. The only real previous outing he had was in Hong Kong sixes. He is very much an orthodox all-rounder, someone who can do a decent job with both bat and bowl. How effective he is in either of the two roles is yet to be seen but I do not understand the inclusion of orthodox all-rounders in the side. I firmly believe that in one-day cricket you either need a specialist batsman who can bowl or a specialist bowler who can bat. This to me is the new definition of an all-rounder.Every team in the world has tried orthodox all-rounders but then reverted to specialists. India used Ajit Agarkar who now sits out on the bench and instead Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag bowl the replacement overs. Australia tried Ian Harvey who is now mostly a reserve, Darren Lehmann and Andrew Symonds bowl 10 overs as the fifth bowler. Symonds’ case is interesting – started as an orthodox all-rounder but then developed his batting a lot. Similarly, South Africa has time and time again unsuccessfully tried out Nicky Boje who has not found a permanent place.There is a lesson to be learned here, for a player to be able to do a bit of both is not enough. Such ‘bits and pieces’ players can do well in one or two games but cannot be consistently relied upon with both bat and ball. Pakistan’s problem is more with batting and we should address that by including specialist batsmen who can bowl as well.Third area where I disagree with Rashid Latif is the exclusion of Saeed Anwar – gradually coming into his own in the world cup to be dropped only on the basis of not being around for the next one is beyond comprehension. Perhaps a decision taken in haste because I feel that the young openers could have learned a lot from him. Having an experienced batsman at non-striker’s end relieves a lot of pressure off young shoulders. Saeed could have easily been retired in a couple of years after helping prepare a new opening pair for Pakistan.

The great Indian dream of a series win on foreign soil starts all overagain as Sourav Ganguly and his men prepare to take on Sri Lanka inthe first of the three Test match series at Galle on Tuesday.India’s last series win on foreign soil came against Sri Lanka in1993-94, and they would be hoping that the island nation proves alucky destination for them again.The task is extremely tough though, with the absence of SachinTendulkar and VVS Laxman severely affecting the batting strength ofthe Indians. Ashish Nehra, who has been the most effective of Indianbowlers in the last two series, is also out due to injury.Besides, the Sri Lankans have developed into a very balanced side inthe last couple of years and are a formidable force on their hometurf.The young Indian side will also have to leave behind thedisappointment of the recently concluded triangular one-day serieswhere they were defeated in the final by the hosts for their eighthconsecutive loss in a final match.The onus will obviously be on the senior members of the team to notonly lead by example but also motivate the youngsters to play to theirpotential.Ganguly has been under fire for his dubious performances on and offthe field but the captain will need to put aside all controversies tofocus on the goal. In the absence of Tendulkar, he is probably themost charismatic member of the team and his performance will be vitalfor the team’s chances.Also crucial would be the showing of his deputy Rahul Dravid who hasbeen the most consistent of Indian batsmen in recent times. Dravid isa totally transformed batsman after that magical knock in the KolkataTest against the Australians. He has proved he is quite capable ofplaying the big knocks and he would be required to come up with somemore of these on this trying tour. The 40s and 50s just may not beenough.Apart from Ganguly and Dravid, the most experienced batsmen in theIndian side are openers Shiv Sunder Das and Sadagopan Ramesh. The duo,who till the other day were being seen as part of the young brigadeand getting the benefit of doubt for their mistakes, suddenly findthemselves shouldering a lot of responsibility with their performanceunder more critical watch than ever.The youngsters in the team have a godsend opportunity to prove theircredentials and seal a permanent berth in the side. Hemang Badani,Mohd Kaif, Dinesh Mongia and Jacob Martin will be under watch as theytake on the likes of Muthiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. Andtherein would lie the test of their skill and patience.With the veteran duo of Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad back inbusiness, the Indians should not have many worries in the bowlingdepartment despite the absence of Nehra. They bowled beautifully inthe only warm-up game against the Board President’s XI thus provingthat they hadn’t rusted during their absence from internationalcricket.The pitch in Galle is reported to be favourable to fast bowling andwith Zaheer Khan also in the side, the Indian attack seems quitepotent.Harbhajan Singh has become India’s main strike bowler in the last fewmonths and has led the spin attack admirably in the absence of AnilKumble. With Muralitharan leading the charge for Sri Lanka, Harbhajanshould be the ideal inspiration and the battle royale between two ofthe finest exponents of classical off-spin promises to be one of thehighlights of this series.The Sri Lankans have a more balanced side with a fine blend of youthand experience. Sanath Jayasuriya has been an inspiring leader and hisperformance is enough to spur on the youngsters in the side.The veteran left-hander Hashan Tillekaratne, who has been recalled tothe national side after two years, is expected to lend the much neededsolidity to the middle order in the absence of Aravinda de SilvaSri Lanka are likely to play with a debutant opener Michael Vandort.The left-hander has shown a lot of promise and cracked a century forBoard President’s XI in the three-day match.With Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold and Mahela Jayawardene certain toplay, the hosts have a strong batting line-up. It will be a toss-upbetween Romesh Kaluwitharana and Kumar Sangakkara for thewicketkeeper’s slot with the former being the front-runner because ofhis batting capabilities.Their bowling has been boosted by the good performance of DilharaFernando who is the quickest of the Sri Lankan medium pacers. Fernandois almost a certainty to pair Vaas as the new ball bowler.There is a three-way fight for the third seamer’s slot between SureshPerera, Ruchira Perera and Dulip Liyanage and a final decision isexpected only tomorrow.The teams (from):India: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, Jacob Martin, ShivSunder Das, Hemang Badani, Sameer Dighe, Mohammed Kaif, JavagalSrinath, Zaheer Khan, Sairaj Bahutule, Rahul Sanghvi, Harvinder Singh,Sadagopan Ramesh, Dinesh Mongia, Venkatesh Prasad and Harbhajan Singh.Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, AvishkaGunawardena, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene,Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillekaratne, Romesh Kaluwitharana, ChamindaVaas, Suresh Perera, Dilhara Fernando, Ruchira Perera, Dulip Liyanage,Muthiah Muralitharan and Thilan Samaraweera.

Scoreboard and ball-by-ball detailsNasir Jamshed made the highest score on either side (file photo)•PCB

Dhaka Dynamites made hard work of beating Comilla Victorians by six wickets in the second match of the BPL’s opening day. The match was played in the same pitch as the high-scoring Chittagong-Rangpur fixture, but Comilla’s batsmen simply imploded in the face of mostly disciplined bowling.Dhaka took their time finishing the 111-run chase, as they stretched it to the final over, winning with four balls to spare.Not until the eighth-wicket partnership between Mashrafe Mortaza and Krishmar Santokie did the Comilla innings look to be going anywhere. They lost their top and middle-order in the first 13.3 overs, slipping to 67 for 7. Openers Imrul Kayes and Liton Das were caught at mid-off and mid-on in the first two overs before Shuvagata Hom and Marlon Samuels were undone by good deliveries. The top five didn’t get to double-figures.Darren Stevens’ run out in the eighth over made it 36 for 5 and though Ariful Haque and Mahmudul Hasan stemmed the constant flow of wickets, they could only add 23 runs before Ariful was stumped off Mosharraf Hossain, who also took Mahmudul’s wicket.The best bowler on show was the Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah who, despite going wicketless, played around with the Comilla batsmen with his flight and change of pace. Hasan took three wickets while Mosharraf Hossain picked up two.Santokie struck three fours in one Mustafizur over before Mashrafe smoked sixes off Farhad Reza and Mustafizur, the second one landing in the second tier over midwicket. He top-scored with 25 but a total of 110 for 8 was never going to be enough to challenge a batting line-up like Dhaka’s.Shamsur Rahman made 19 off 17 balls before giving mid-off a catch off Mashrafe but Nasir Jamshed and Dhaka captain Kumar Sangakkara kept the short chase in control. Sangakkara swung but missed to give Abu Hider his first wicket.They added 55 runs for the second wicket, before Jamshed fell for a run-a-ball 44 to Sunil Narine.

Match facts

Sunday, April 13, 2008Start time 15:00 local time (10:00 GMT)

The Big Picture

Pakistan are predictably 2-0 ahead in the series following comprehensive wins in Lahore and Faisalabad. A win in Lahore tomorrow will seal the series, so the pressure falls on Bangladesh to pull off a surprise victory and stay alive in what has been a woefully one-sided series so far. The Pakistan batting has a solid look to it, with Salman Butt, Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik piling up 50-plus scores and setting up the wins.Bangladesh had a few positives in the previous game, the most significant being the lower-order revival led by Mahmudullah. The application on show was an improvement on their previous outings against other Test-playing nations as they managed bat out their quota of overs without being bowled out. Unfortunately, the bowlers failed to back that effort and apply any pressure during Pakistan’s chase.

Form guide – Pakistan

Last five matches – WWWWWPlayer to watch: Shahid Afridi is hungry and itching for more action. In Lahore, he belted 27 from 11 balls towards the end of the innings, and was the most effective Pakistan bowler with figures of 3 for 33 in the following game. He remains a crowdpuller wherever he goes and the spectators at the Gaddafi Stadium will hope for a longer stint at the crease. A promotion in the batting order would help.

Form guide – Bangladesh

Last five matches – WWWLLPlayer to watch: A livewire with the bat, Mohammad Ashraful remains infuriatingly unpredictable. His last few scores have been ordinary despite the fact that he has mostly got off to starts. In Faisalabad, he got off to a terrific beginning, unfurling an upper cut and following it up with three boundaries in an over. Though his cameo ended at 22, there’s no doubt he will be keen to buckle down and make a better contribution.

Team news

With Younis Khan pulling out of the remainder of the series, Pakistan will be forced to make at least one change. Bazid Khan, the right-hand middle-order batsman who’s making a comeback after three years, is one of the options. However, the captain Shoaib Malik spoke of playing an extra bowler, and that could give an opportunity for Fawad Alam, the allrounder who bowls left-arm spin. Umar Gul, back in the squad after recovering from a back injury, could be rested in favour of Sohail Khan, the promising right-arm seamer. For Bangladesh, Shahriar Nafees will be under pressure to retain his place after two failures.Pakistan (likely) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Bazid Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Shoaib Malik (capt), 6 Misbah-ul-Haq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Rao Iftikhar, 10 Sohail Khan, 11 Sohail Tanvir.Bangladesh (likely) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shahriar Nafees, 3 Aftab Ahmed, 4 Mohammad Ashraful (capt), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mashrafe Mortaza, 8 Farhad Reza, 9 Dhiman Ghosh (wk), 10 Syed Rasel, 11 Abdur Razzak.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is expected to play similar to the one from the first match. The batsmen should enjoy the conditions early on, with the surface likely to take turn as the match progresses. However, there is rain in the air in Punjab and the weather could intervene, just as it had in Faisalabad.

Stats and trivia