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Kane Richardson will play his first cricket since the England tour having missed the IPL and series against India

Alex Malcolm10-Dec-2020Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch is fit and available for the Renegades’ first two BBL matches this weekend but could be rested during the tournament in order to spend some time at home.Finch missed Australia’s second T20I against India in Sydney after suffering a minor glute strain in the first match in Canberra last Friday. He returned for Tuesday’s final T20I in Sydney and Renegades coach Michael Klinger confirmed Finch would lead the side in Saturday’s opener against the Perth Scorchers in Hobart.”He’s definitely going to be playing,” Klinger said. “He came into Hobart last night and obviously played the last T20 game for Australia and has been passed fit. He’ll have his hit out tomorrow with us leading into the game so he’s ready to go and he always comes to the Renegades set up with a fantastic attitude.”Finch hasn’t been home to Melbourne since leaving for Australia’s UK tour in August due to international duty and the IPL.ALSO READ: ‘I’m feeling like the luckiest cricketer in the world’ – Noor AhmadThe unusual nature of this season’s BBL means that players will be hubs for at least the first part of the season prior to the new year. The Renegades are keen to allow Finch to head home at some stage which means he could miss a couple of games during the tournament.”There may be periods where we give him time to go home,” Klinger said. “We’re quite lucky in our first period where we’ve got two blocks where we’ve got six-day breaks after our back-to-back games on the 12th and 13th so there may be a period there where we can get Finchy home.”There are complications at the moment with Covid and how many days you can be away and then isolating before you get back into the hub here in Hobart or elsewhere. If there’s an opportunity to give him some time off then we definitely will because I think it will definitely help him but also help us when comes back refreshed.”Experienced paceman Kane Richardson has joined the squad after opting out of the IPL and Australia’s limited-overs series with India in order to remain in Adelaide and spend time with his wife and new-born son.”Kane joined the group two days ago,” Klinger said. “The good thing is he’s had a lot of bowling. He had a good hit out yesterday where he played in a couple of practice games and he’s raring to go on Saturday.”Aaron Finch plays one off the back foot•Getty Images

The Renegades haven’t been so fortunate with the availability of their two Afghanistan recruits Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad for the first two games. The pair had their initial flight to Australia cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Adelaide in November which delayed their arrival to Australia by nine days. As a result, they are still in hotel quarantine and won’t be available this weekend.”They come out of the quarantine on the 15th so they’ll be with us game three,” Klinger said. “It’s certainly exciting to have Nabi with his experience and ability but also such a young raw talent in Noor Ahmad.”I had a good chat with Rashid Khan yesterday when we played the Strikers in a practice game and he speaks so highly as a young player, not only with his skill but also with his control as well. I’m really excited to let him loose, to be honest, and see how he goes. A lot of Australian players have struggled in the past against wristspin so he could have a big impact on the tournament.”Klinger was able to call upon former Gloucestershire team-mate Benny Howell, who was already in Victoria, to come into the squad.”I played with Benny for seven years at Gloucester so I know all the tricks he has and how talented he is,” Klinger said. “He’s been extremely successful in the UK and the Bangladesh Premier League. I’d probably describe him as a shorter version of an Andrew Tye. He’s got all the slower ball, knuckleballs, and he’s a fantastic finisher with the bat as well.”The Renegades won’t have South African legspinner Imran Tahir until the New Year. They are hopeful he will arrive just before Christmas in order to be out of quarantine for at least the five matches and finals if the Renegades qualify. Imad Wasim will join the squad on Boxing Day after Pakistan’s T20I overs series in New Zealand is complete.Nabi’s absence from Saturday’s clash with the Scorchers has opened the door for one of Jake Fraser-McGurk or Mackenzie Harvey to play. The two young batsmen were unavailable last season due to the Under-19 World Cup but Klinger was keen to give one of them an opportunity this week after both had impressed in the Renegades practice matches.

Gunathilaka and Sandakan make ODI comebacks after missing Bangladesh series; Rajapaksa and Banuka uncapped members in tour party

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2019Lahiru Thirimanne and Dasun Shanaka have named Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I captains respectively for the limited-overs tour of Pakistan.The announcement comes two days after Dimuth Karunaratne and Lasith Malinga, the incumbents, informed the Sri Lanka Cricket of their unwillingness to tour Pakistan, along with eight others, citing security concerns.Minod Banuka, the 24-year old wicketkeeper-batsman, is the only uncapped member in the 15-man ODI squad. Banuka along with Bhanuka Rajapaksa are the two uncapped names in the T20I squad. Banuka has been part of Sri Lanka’s Emerging squad while Rajapaksa was on Sri Lanka A’s tour of India in June.Danushka Gunathilaka, who was dropped for the home ODIs against Bangladesh along with left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan have also been included in both squads.Thanks in part to the withdrawals, batsman Oshada Fernando also finds himself back in the ODI squad, following an encouraging start to his career in South Africa earlier this year. He’s been picked for the T20s as well.The attacks will ostensibly be led by Nuwan Pradeep, as well as left-armer Isuru Udana, who is missing the Caribbean Premier League to be available for this tour. Younger quicks Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha are also in both squads.Sri Lanka and Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs in Karachi on September 27, 29 and October 3 before they move to Lahore for the T20I leg that concludes on October 9.By hosting the limited-overs series first, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hoped to convince Sri Lanka Cricket that the nation was secure enough to host Test cricket, starting with the teams’ World Test Championship matches, presently scheduled for December.ODI squad: Lahiru Thirimanne (capt), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru KumaraT20I squad: Dasun Shanaka (capt), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

A clash with the Test schedule was expected to rule players out of the new tournament but ESPNcricinfo understands space will be made

George Dobell14-Jul-2018Leading England players look likely to be available to play in some games in English domestic cricket’s new tournament The 100.There had been fears that England’s best-known players – the likes of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Joe Root – would be unavailable for the ECB’s flagship new tournament as they were likely to be on duty with the Test team.But ESPNcricinfo understands that, such is the desire of all involved to find some space in the busy schedule, they are likely to be available for the first couple of games in the tournament’s first year – 2020 – and the final.That is a significant boost for the ECB. They had previously faced the prospect of either not being able to use the players for marketing purposes or being accused of cynicism if they used them in the knowledge they would not be available. While they have long stated the aim of the competition is to attract a new audience to the sport, the availability of the best – and probably best-known – players can only be an advantage.Details of plans for The 100 remain unclear. The ECB hopes that a new working party – chaired by Clare Connor, the director of England Women’s cricket, and meeting for the first time in Loughborough next week – will be able to finalise them in the coming weeks. Among the issues to be discussed is how the 100-ball innings can be divided into overs without complication and in a way that is acceptable to players. The possibility of a 10-ball over appears to have diminished following player resistance.It is understood, however, the group will only consider proposals built on the 100-ball principle. So while the Professional Cricketers’ Association maintain their hope that the new tournament could be played in the T20 format, it seems a majority of the counties and the ECB executive are adamant it should not.

The Pakistan batsman told a news website that he could be open to the idea of extending his Test career if the team management requests him to do so

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2017Pakistan may not have to suffer the double whammy of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan exiting at the same time if they do not want to. The latter is open to the idea of extending his international career, but only if the Pakistan board and team needs him to do so. Younis raised the possibility ahead of Pakistan’s Test in Jamaica, having hinted at it during the announcement of his retirement in Karachi two weeks ago.”Yeah, I will think about it,” Younis told before the first Test. “It all depends on if my team needs me. If they request me or people want me then why not? But it all depends on my team.”Given his experience and recent Test form, and given that a tour to Bangladesh this summer will provide a far sterner test of their batting than tours past, a case can be readily made for wanting Younis to stay on. If he scores runs in this Test series, that is likely to increase calls for him to stay on though Younis has said he would prefer to leave with people wanting more from him, rather than overstaying. The selection committee, headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq will also play a role – Inzamam is known to have been keen to move on beyond both Misbah and Younis after the Caribbean tour.Younis announced his decision to retire at the end of the West Indies tour earlier this month, only two days after Misbah did. Together the two batsmen brought close to 190 matches worth of experience to the side, with Younis on the verge of becoming the first Pakistan batsman to score 10,000 Test runs.An example of the influence the pair had on the side came during their tour to England last year, when the side drew the Test series 2-2 and briefly gained the No. 1 ranking. Misbah scored a crucial first-innings hundred at Lord’s in the first Test, while Younis’ 218 in the fourth Test at The Oval, helped Pakistan cling on to the series after two defeats. Their contributions earned them places on list of Five Cricketers of the Year.In a column for ahead of the first Test, Misbah also made public his feeling that the team still needed Younis and that he could continue playing for a year or two.”I talked to him about it in Australia and told him that ‘You can play on’,” Misbah wrote. “Even though we have some very good youngsters in the team, the gap left by Younis’ absence will be difficult to fill.”The Pakistan team will not just miss him as a batsman, they’ll also miss him as a mentor. He has been a terrific role model for everyone and it will be very tough to replace him. Every member of this team, including myself, has learnt a lot from him. He has changed our dressing room culture. If one wants to be successful in professional life, one only needs to regard Younis Khan’s organised and punctual lifestyle from breakfast to bed.”The speculation around Younis’ retirement after the tour of Australia was not as intense as it had been for Misbah, who battled poor form on the tour and came away with a 0-3 series defeat. After scoring an unbeaten 175 in the third Test in Sydney, Younis had said his future plans would depend on what the team needed from him. In April, while announcing his intention to retire, Younis said: “No player always remains fit, the motivation never remains the same, so this is the time when Younis should leave the field after the upcoming series in West Indies.”One of Pakistan’s modern batting greats, Younis’ 17-year-long Test career saw him play 115 Test matches with 9977 runs and 34 Test hundreds, the most by a Pakistan batsman. Younis’ personal best of 313 – against Sri Lanka in 2009 – is the third-highest score by a Pakistan batsman, after Hanif Mohammad’s 337 and Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 329.

Australia have arrived as a force at the World Twenty20, just in time to wave goodbye to Pakistan, as they completed a 21-run win in Mohali

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Faulkner took his maiden five-wicket haul to help Australia to a 21-run win•Getty Images

Australia have arrived as a force at the World Twenty20, just in time to wave goodbye to Pakistan, as they completed a 21-run win in Mohali. A storming display with the bat was followed by an improved showing with the ball, setting up what will be effectively an elimination match against India in the final match of the Super 10s on Sunday.The captain Steven Smith chose Mohali as the venue where he found his rhythm, in turn modulated then audacious in an innings that controlled the tempo of a strong total. He was helped in large part by Shane Watson, who batted with the air of a man freed of tension by his retirement announcement on match eve. Together, their stand left Pakistan with a total too steep despite friendly batting conditions.In the field, Adam Zampa again bowled with considerable intelligence and character for Australia, winning a duel with Shahid Afridi that Pakistan’s captain could not afford to lose if he wished to stay in contention for the semi-finals. James Faulkner’s over-the-wrist slower balls then cut a swathe through the latter part of the innings as the run rate climbed, leaving him in possession of Australia’s best T20 bowling figures.Pakistan’s chase began firmly, as Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Umar Akmal all played with considerable flair. Nathan Coulter-Nile was subjected to some particularly harsh treatment, and at 85 for 2 in the 11th over the match was overmuch open to Afridi’s men.However, Zampa showed his nerve by finding a way past Akmal, and two overs later followed up by coaxing Afridi down the wicket. The stumping was completed without fuss by Peter Nevill, who has provided a steadying presence behind the stumps in this tournament even though he is not in the batsman-wicketkeeper mode that has become dominant in the 21st century.From there the required rate climbed with increasing steepness, too much even for Shoaib Malik, who hit out firmly at the end. Australia’s lack of a second spin bowler to support Zampa has been a point of some contention, but Faulkner’s past as a left-arm wrist spinner has helped him assemble a strong array of change-ups that flummoxed the lower order. Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell also contributed tidy overs to the cause.Smith had named another reshuffled Australian side with the soon to retire Watson dropping down the order to make room for the return of Aaron Finch at the expense of Mitchell Marsh, while Hazlewood was included ahead of John Hastings. Pakistan recalled the fit-again Wahab Riaz in place of Mohammad Irfan, who was described as resting by his captain Afridi.On an excellent pitch offering some sort of help for batsmen and bowlers alike, Mohammad Amir fought a fascinating early duel with Usman Khawaja. Amir’s pace and movement unsettled Khawaja in ways seldom seen over the past few months, and while the opener scored swiftly, it was without his customary assurance. When Wahab replaced Mohammad Sami at the other end, Khawaja remained fretful, and was yorked giving himself room – Amir had undoubtedly played a part.Finch and David Warner did not linger, but Maxwell produced one of the strokes of the tournament with a pure off-driven six that left many wondering why he seems compelled to resort to the outlandish so often. Even so, there was still much work to do when Smith was joined by Watson, on a ground where in 2010 he made one of his two Test hundreds.Smith’s concentration had been fierce, with Warner and Maxwell’s blows allowing him to hustle into an innings without trying anything too lateral. Watson’s arrival had Smith taking his tempo up several notches, as they charted a course to a total near 200. Initially, Watson looked a little unused to the middle order, but after scrambling to 10 from 10 balls, he detonated.Watson’s sheer power was shown when he muscled Amir over long-on and underlined once more with a glorious six inside out over cover from Sami. Meanwhile Wahab’s efforts to stop Smith from levering the ball through the leg side reached a memorable extreme when Australia’s captain took guard well outside off stump. Wahab followed him wider, yet Smith was still able to flip a boundary over midwicket that will make all the tournament highlight reels.In all, Watson and Smith added 74 in 38 balls. Amir and Sami conceded 92 between them without taking a wicket, figures that appeared unlikely when Khawaja had been groping unsuccessfully at the left-armer’s new-ball swing. Australia grew in strength from there, much as they have in this tournament. The meeting with India looms large.

Ravi Bopara warmed up for England’s two-match Twenty20 series against Australia later this week, and the NatWest series to follow, with 130 against Lancashire at Old Trafford, his highest List A county score since June 2008

26-Aug-2013Essex 297 for 4 (Bopara 130, Smith 78) beat Lancashire 227 (Smith 97, Phillips 5-42) by 70 runs
ScorecardRavi Bopara found his best form ahead of England’s limited-overs matches against Australia•Getty Images

Lancashire and Essex both failed to reach the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-finals after Essex won a high-scoring contest by 70 runs at Old Trafford, underpinned by a superb 130 by England’s Ravi Bopara ahead of the one-day series against Australia.Tom Smith hit an excellent 84-ball 97 but the home side’s task was too stiff. Tim Phillips nipped in with 5 for 42 from 7.4 overs with his niggardly left-arm slows as Lancashire lost their last eight wickets for 41 runs, slipping from 186 for 2.Bopara warmed up for England’s two-match Twenty20 series against Australia later this week, and the NatWest series to follow, with his highest List A county score since June 2008, including nine fours and three sixes in 102 balls.After James Foster elected to bat, Bopara and Greg Smith ensured an impressive recovery from the early loss of India international Gautam Gambhir as they shared 159 inside 23 overs for the second wicket.Bopara hit Ashes-winning left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan, who was playing in the fifth Test at the Oval 24 hours earlier, for six over long-on in the 18th over before hitting off-spinner Steven Croft straight down the ground for his second maximum. He later hit his third off Kabir Ali over square-leg, taking 22 off the former England man in the 36th over.After Kerrigan had Smith stumped for 78 off 77 balls, Bopara shared 61 in 5.1 overs for the fourth wicket with Ryan ten Doeschate before he top-edged Kyle Hogg to short third-man in the search for quick runs. Ten Doeschate also hit three sixes in 46 not out off 23 balls, helping to take 76 runs off the last six overs.Smith and Stephen Moore gave Lancashire a good platform with an opening stand of 79 in 11 overs for the first wicket, and despite Reece Topley getting Moore caught at long-leg and bowling Ashwell Prince inside four overs, Lancashire had
wickets in hand.An accumulative partnership of 95 inside 15 overs for the third wicket between Smith and Paul Horton kept Lancashire in the hunt. But when Smith was bowled by Topley to leave the score at 186 for 3 after 29 overs, things started to go downhill quickly.Phillips had Horton, Croft, Karl Brown, Arron Lilley and Kerrigan all caught playing expansively. Horton was brilliantly caught by a diving Bopara running towards the sight-screen from long-on to start the run of wickets and add further lustre to his magnificent day.

This time, the rain was kind to Yorkshire, rescuing them from a position which by no means had them staring at a defeat but was not likely to lead them into anything but an anxious final afternoon

Jon Culley at Northampton04-Aug-2012
ScorecardThis time, the rain was kind to Yorkshire, rescuing them from a position which by no means had them staring at a defeat but was not likely to lead them into anything but an anxious final afternoon. Three down in their second innings and still 29 behind when a forecast thunderstorm arrived just after lunch, they were less than downcast at the sight of groundstaff fighting a losing battle to cover the square.It is the 10th draw of their soggy season, of which only four matches remain. The next three are at home, including one at Scarborough, with their pursuit of a top-two finish and an immediate return to Division One concluding against Essex at Chelmsford. Jason Gillespie, their ever-optimistic Australian coach, reckons Yorkshire need to win three of those matches, which would be asking a lot if it did not rain again between now and the middle of next month. In reality, they will probably need some help.Gillespie’s first season has seen Yorkshire advance on one front, reaching their first finals day in Twenty20, but 2013 marks the club’s 150th anniversary and there is a sense of pride to be satisfied. A gallant near-miss in this year’s promotion race may not go down well in the committee room.”Look, everyone is in no doubt that promotion is our big goal for the season,” Gillespie said. “We are confident that we have the game to succeed on that front but we need the weather to allow us to play.”We were outplayed by Northamptonshire here, there’s no doubt about that. Although the weather played a part, we did not play the cricket we know we can play. But I would like to win three of the four remaining games – or all four, preferably – and I think we are good enough to do it.”Yorkshire are where they want to finish as the table stands, in second place, ahead of Kent and Hampshire, but have played a match more than all of their rivals and are obliged to sit out the next round. By the time they take on Derbyshire, the leaders, at Headingley on August 15, the table will give a more realistic picture of their chances.By then, in their favour, they should have Ryan Sidebottom back, provided a run-out with the Second XI confirms his recovery from a calf injury. His return would restore some confidence in the Yorkshire attack’s potency as a wicket-taking force, as would a little more of the promise shown by Adil Rashid in this match.Rashid’s first five-wicket return since the beginning of last season suggested the leg-spinner’s omission from the side since the middle of May, in Championship cricket at least, has had the effect it was hoped it might.”Adil bowled really well,” Gillespie said. “He was disappointed to be left out but his attitude had been spot on and the way he has responded has been brilliant.”He could have gone the other way and been quite negative but he has been positive, gone out and played some second team games and shown a good attitude to training and preparation. He has tinkered with his action a bit and has come back, bowled 31 overs and taken five wickets. We are delighted he has done so well.”Rashid found some encouragement in the pitch here, which was one reason why the final two sessions, had they gone ahead, could have been an ordeal for Yorkshire. James Middlebrook, too, was beginning to enjoy himself.The offspinner had claimed one wicket and was bowling with four fielders around the bat until play was called off. He had dismissed Phil Jaques and there was pressure at the other end, too, mostly exerted by David Willey, who conceded only 10 runs in as many overs from the Wantage Road end following a similarly disciplined spell by Oliver Stone, the 18-year-old, who picked up his second wicket in the match when Adam Lyth sliced him to point. Willey had Joe Root caught at second slip during a sequence of seven consecutive maidens.

Nottinghamshire were denied the opportunity to take advantage of Hampshire’s poor four-day form after heavy rain washed out day one at the Rose Bowl

20-Jul-2011
ScorecardNottinghamshire were denied the opportunity to take advantage of Hampshire’s poor four-day form after heavy rain washed out day one of the Championship Division One clash at the Rose Bowl.Nottinghamshire, currently sixth in the table with three wins from nine games, were unable to get on the field after steady rain began in earnest just after 11am.The start of play had already been pushed back to 11.30am to allow the ground to recover from Hampshire’s one-day game with Durham the evening before, but the weather stepped in to further delay proceedings.Umpires Nigel Llong and John Steele made numerous trips to the middle throughout the day in a bid to get the game under way, but after a final inspection at 5pm, the persistent drizzle around the ground forced them to abandon play for the day.The sides did announce their teams, however, with Hampshire – still searching for their first win in the Championship this season – without influential skipper Dominic Cork due to an illness in his family and deciding to bat first. Fellow former England quick bowler Kabir Ali was also rested for the hosts, with Chris Wood and David Griffiths drafted in.Nottinghamshire made three changes, bringing in one-cap England seamer Darren Pattinson, Charlie Shreck and spinner Graeme White. Stuart Broad could yet figure if he is left out of England’s XI for the Test Match with India at Lord’s.

Ireland have been rewarded for their successful WCL Division One defence by having four of their players named in the team of the tournament

Cricinfo staff11-Jul-2010Ireland have been rewarded for their successful WCL Division 1 defence by having four of their players named in the team of the tournament.Ireland defeated Scotland by six wickets to seal the title on Saturday and their leader, Trent Johnston, was chosen as captain of the combined squad. Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien, and George Dockrell, the 17-year-old left-arm spinner, were the other members of Ireland’s team chosen. Mark Jonkman, the Netherlands paceman, was also included despite being reported for a suspect bowling bowling action.The side was chosen by a panel of experts that included Adrian Griffith, the former West Indies batsman, and Kumar Dharmasena, the Sri Lankan off-spinner who featured in the 1996 World Cup winning side.Team of the tournament 1 Paul Stirling (Ireland), 2 Ashish Bagai (Canada) (wicketkeeper), 3 Tom Cooper (Netherlands), 4 Nawroz Mangal (Afghanistan), 5 Kevin O’Brien (Ireland), 6 Neil McCallum (Scotland),7 Thomas Odoyo (Kenya), 8 Samiullah Shenwari (Afghanistan), 9 Trent Johnston (Ireland) (captain), 10 George Dockrell (Ireland), 11 Mark Jonkman (Netherlands), 12th man Gordon Drummond (Scotland).

Bangladesh made just one change to the squad that sealed a 2-0 series win in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2024Bangladesh made one change to their Test squad for the upcoming tour of India from their historic 2-0 series win in Pakistan, with uncapped batter Jaker Ali replacing fast bowler Shoriful Islam. Shoriful had suffered a groin injury during the first Test against Pakistan, and did not play the second.Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed make up Bangladesh’s pace attack in Shoriful’s absence.Yet to play a Test and ODI, Jaker has represented Bangladesh in 17 T20Is since making his debut at the Asian Games in 2023. He has played 49 first-class games, and averages 41.47 with four centuries.Selector Hannan Sarkar said that it was Shoriful’s groin injury that kept him out of the side, and the extra batter was included keeping in mind the Indian conditions.”Shoriful isn’t 100 per cent fit for Test matches. He would be required to bowl 15-20 overs so we didn’t want to take a risk,” Sarkar said. “Shoriful missed the second Test against Pakistan due to his injury. The physios and trainers are looking after him. He remains within the system. He is an important member of our white-ball team. We have a T20 series coming up against India.”Jaker’s recent good form, which included a 174 against Pakistan A in Islamabad, helped his cause. He was picked ahead of Shahadat Hossain, who has been Bangladesh’s go-to middle-order batter in the recent past in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan or Mushfiqur Rahim.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We picked Jaker Ali as a middle-order batter. We considered the conditions and opponents for this decision. We had taken five pacers in Pakistan, but we are taking four to India,” Sarkar said. “We had taken Dipu [Shahadat Hossain] in place of Shakib or Mushfiqur previously. I wouldn’t say he played really well, but he also didn’t do badly.”We have taken into account recent performance. Dipu played four-day matches in Australia and Pakistan. He isn’t in rhythm. His form is very important when he is going to play international matches. Dipu is part of our future plans. He is now preparing to play in the NCL.”Jaker can be a useful player in the longer version if you consider his record in domestic first-class cricket. He played a splendid innings in Pakistan recently, batting for a long time. This is what kept Jaker a step ahead.”Opening batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who missed the Pakistan Tests due to a groin niggle suffered during the four-day games between Pakistan A and Bangladesh A in the lead-up to the Test series, retains his place in the squad. However, Shadman Islam’s impressive showing in the first Test in Rawalpindi could see him keep his spot at the top alongside Zakir Hasan.The first Test against India begins on September 19 in Chennai, with the second one from September 27 onwards in Kanpur. Both games are part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, where India are currently placed on top, while Bangladesh are at No. 4 on the points table.

Bangladesh squad for India Tests

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Nayeem Hasan, Khaled Ahmed