Sophia Dunkley and Katie George added to T20 World Cup squad

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2020Georgia Elwiss has been ruled out of England women’s five T20Is against West Indies due to a back injury, with Sophia Dunkley and Katie George included in a 16-strong squad for the series.Head coach Lisa Keightley has largely stuck with the squad knocked out of this year’s T20 World Cup thanks to a semi-final washout against India, with Elwiss the only member of that group not selected. Allrounder Bryony Smith and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith are both on standby.Some 24 women’s players had gone into the biosecure bubble at Derby ahead of the series, and the seven not selected will be available for the final round of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures and the final (if their teams qualify). Those seven players are Lauren Bell, Alice Davidson-Richards, Kirstie Gordon, Emma Lamb, Bryony Smith, Linsey Smith and Issy Wong.West Indies arrived in the UK on August 31, and both teams have been playing intra-squad warm-up matches in Derby over the past two weeks. The series starts on September 21.”It’s been a challenging summer for everyone and we are privileged to be in a position to play an international series, and to get the chance to showcase the women’s game,” Keightley said.”We have worked hard since the group came back together in preparation for this series and we’re in a great place going in to the Vitality T20Is against West Indies.”England squad to play West Indies: Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Katie George, Sarah Glenn, Heather Knight (captain), Amy Jones, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt.

Batsman Mark Chapman reported feeling ill on Monday and was awaiting results of a test

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2020Auckland seam bowler Ben Lister became the first Covid-19 substitute called into action as a replacement for batsman Mark Chapman before the start of the Plunket Shield match against Otago.Chapman reported feeling ill on Monday and underwent a Covid-19 test with Lister being designated his replacement until the result is known. The match started a day later than the other two first-round Plunket Shield games, so the switch was made before the toss rather than in-match.The ICC approved Covid-19 substitutes for Test cricket in June and various domestic competitions that have started since have followed similar guidelines. New Zealand coach Gary Stead, who was watching the match at Eden Park’s outer oval, said: “I wasn’t aware until I got here this morning, that Mark Chapman had been feeling ill and had to get a Covid test. But from my perspective, it’s great that he’s not penalised for doing the right thing in what is obviously different times we face in the world.”Just shows that we and cricket aren’t immune to that either, so following the right protocols is definitely the right thing to do.”Lister claimed Auckland’s first wicket of the season when he had Cam Hawkins caught behind, finishing with 1 for 40 from 12 overs as Otago were bowled out for 186 with Michael Rippon’s century lifting them from 33 for 6.

Players hail Mumbai’s ‘hunger’ and the support staff for their success

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-20203:38

What makes the Mumbai Indians franchise so special?

Jasprit Bumrah: It means a great deal [us playing this tournament amid a pandemic]. As we know, it is a difficult time and everyone’s stuck at home. We are few of the privileged ones. We are grateful we can always play cricket and come back and do what we love to do. It is a big thing and we can entertain those who are watching us as well. It is a big thing in this difficult situation if you can give a bit of entertainment for people watching at home and you know facing difficulties. If we could bring smiles to their faces, that’s the best we can do. Hopefully we were able to do that.Very happy [to win the title]. We have worked very hard. We started preparing much earlier than the other teams and we were working hard towards the process. All the processes have got us results. As he [Suryakumar] said we had decided we were winning tournaments every alternate year, so this year’s goal was that we had to break that jinx and that aim has been successfully achieved. That’s the best feeling ever.Suryakumar Yadav: I think it’s an amazing feeling. Before coming here we had a chat in the bus and even in the team meetings that we have won tournaments in alternate years and odd years and we wanted to break that jinx and create history. So here it is, very happy with it. I think they [coaches and support staff] have been amazing throughout the tournament. Preparations, process are all important. They just said one thing, we will take care of all this you guys just go out there, express yourselves, enjoy and do what you do the best. I think he [Rohit] was batting really well at that moment [when I sacrificed my wicket]. Most importantly, he has been anchoring the innings since the first game. And I don’t mind sacrificing my wicket for him at all.Ishan Kishan: I think, to be honest, I wasn’t looking in good shape before this season. I had a chat with Hardik and Krunal , so they actually asked me to improve my fitness and keep working on my off-side game. I think that overall worked good for my batting and that was the plus point for me this season to score big runs.Krunal Pandya: I guess it’s the hunger to stay at the top always. We’ve never taken any season or any game lightly though we’ve we’ve played good cricket this season as well. The way we went about all the games – there was 100% effort from all the boys and a lot of credit goes to how we prepared before the season as well. Back in Mumbai for two months, everyone was training hard and from hereon, one month before we came, everyone knew their roles very clearly. Then, when the tournament started, everyone was in good shape and going out and executing what they’ve been doing at the nets.There has never been doubt at Ishan’s talent and the No.1 thing I liked about him this season was he was ready to improve. The moment you know you’re lacking something and accepting you have to work hard. All credit goes to him…the way he came back this season. He was not there in the first playing XI and he got his opportunity and capitalised on it. It’s not easy batting at 4, then again opening the batting, and again batting at 4.Mumbai Indians – five-time winners of the IPL now•BCCI

Hardik Pandya: To be honest no [was this IPL difficult because you could just execute one skill?]. For me it was about opportunity, whether batting or bowling, for me bowling this year I wasn’t able to do. But, it’s just about backing myself and as Krunal mentioned it’s all about preparation. On that bracket, we did pretty well and we focused on improving our game day-by-day, and that’s what we were able to implement in the ground.Nathan Coulter-Nile: Ah, I think, Patto [James Pattinson] was bowling beautifully, so I was just quite happy to sit on the sidelines and wait [for] my turn. I got my chance at the end and [I was] lucky enough to kick him out of the side. He’s a very good bowler, and he’d have done the job just as well today, so happy I got the chance.Quinton de Kock: “Obviously it helps that Mumbai have a great set-up, so we’ve been able to move with the gym work and training and stuff. Missing the family has obviously been difficult for everyone, some of our families couldn’t come with us, but we held in and we’re reaping the rewards today for it. You can see how much it [winning] means to everyone in the Mumbai team – staff and the owners. I think this year because there were questions around Mumbai team in general whether we can win back-to-back. I think the guys really did the extra work to make sure we can hold on to the title for the second time in a row. I think everybody worked extra hard. You can see it’s paid off. Congrats to all the guys who worked extra hard on all the nitty-gritties.

Former Kent stalwart was member of famous family dynasty

George Dobell11-Nov-2020Graham Cowdrey, the former Kent batsman who was part of one of the sport’s best known family dynasties, has died at the age of 56.Cowdrey enjoyed a long career as an aggressive middle-order batsman for Kent, before going on to work for the ECB as a Cricket Liaison Officer; a role well-suited to his good-natured and gentle bonhomie. Both his father, Lord Cowdrey, and his brother, Chris Cowdrey, captained England, while his grandfather and nephew also played first-class cricket.He was a key part of the Kent side which won AXA Equity & Law League trophy in 1995 – he was the club’s top run-scorer in the competition that year, hitting two centuries and averaging 53.90 – and made it to the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup. He also helped Kent finish second in the 1992 County Championship; a season in which he scored 1,291 runs in the competition at an average of 53.85. His stand of 368 made with Aravinda de Silva against Derbyshire in 1995 remains the club’s highest fourth-wicket stand and was, until broken by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly in 2017, Kent’s highest partnership for any wicket.While he was unable to follow his father and brother into the England side, he represented Young England as a teenager, made his first-class debut aged 20 and was awarded a county cap in 1988. After being awarded a Benefit Year in 1997, he retired from the game in 1998 having played 440 first team games and amassed exactly 14,000 runs for the club. He just missed out on the advent of the T20 format which would, you suspect, have well suited him.”I am numb with shock and sadness that the brilliant, generous, funny and complex friend who lit up so many cricket grounds, on and off the pitch, has slipped away,” said Cowdrey’s former team-mate and captain, Matthew Fleming. “‘Van’ as he was universally known because of his love of all things Van Morrison, was an instinctive cricketer, a game changer, who won matches with his prowess as a batsman and a fielder.”However, it was his deep love of cricket and Kent, his commitment as a team-mate, his integrity and his wicked sense of humour, his loyalty as a friend and the ‘twinkle in his eye’ that shaped almost everything he did that we will also remember with the greatest possible affection.”Kent cricket have released a statement expressing “its deepest sympathies to Graham’s family and friends at this difficult time, especially his children, Michael, Grace and Alexander.” It went on to say the club was “devastated to learn of the passing of our much loved former player… after a short illness.”The statement continued: “More than his facts and figures, Graham will be remembered for the way he played the game: his vibrant personality at the wicket or in the field, with his sense of fun as clear as his competitive passion.”Graham recently appeared on the Club’s ‘Spitfire Sessions’ alongside his brothers Chris and Jeremy earlier this year, where he discussed his “happy memories of all those days down at Canterbury, Maidstone and everywhere we used to play”.”During the live forum, his brother and former Captain Chris, highlighted Graham’s outstanding talent in one-day competitions. Stating that if he were to select his all-time Kent T20 XI, ‘there’s one person that I would pick first, and that would have been Graham Cowdrey. He was the most devastating striker of the ball and could turn a match in four overs.'”

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.

Bangladesh are likely to leave for New Zealand on February 24, nine days after the Dhaka Test ends

Mohammad Isam11-Feb-2021Shakib Al Hasan will miss Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand later this month as the BCB granted him paternity leave for the duration of the entire tour. According to BCB cricket operations chairman Akram Khan, board president Nazmul Hassan spoke with Shakib before the decision was made.”Shakib is not going [to New Zealand]. He applied [for leave] to stay with his [expecting] wife. After talking to the board president, we granted him leave,” Khan said.

New Zealand vs Bangladesh 2020-21

• March 20, 1st ODI, Dunedin

• March 23, 2nd ODI, Christchurch

• March 26, 3rd ODI, Wellington

• March 28, 1st T20I, Hamilton

• March 30, 2nd T20I, Napier

• April 1, 3rd T20I, Auckland

Shakib’s thigh strain forced him out of the ongoing Dhaka Test against West Indies. He is currently recovering under the BCB’s medical team.Khan said that the Bangladesh touring party is likely to leave for New Zealand on February 24, nine days after the Dhaka Test ends. The players will not have a training camp in Dhaka, as they will only have a short time with their family before getting into a hard quarantine in New Zealand.”The chances of holding a camp in Bangladesh are low. It’s very difficult to keep players in quarantine or bio-bubble all the time. After this series we will send them on vacation. After that, we might take them from here to there [New Zealand] and train.”

He picked up the injury while fielding at short leg on the third evening of the second Test

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2021Shubman Gill, the India opening batsman who copped a blow in his left forearm while fielding at forward short-leg on the third evening, has been taken for a “precautionary scan”, the BCCI confirmed on Tuesday, the fourth morning of the second Test in Chennai.It was the last ball of the 18th over of the England second innings, bowled by R Ashwin, and Dan Lawrence stretched out to get to the pitch of the ball and swept with power. Gill tried to take evasive action at the close-in position but the ball still hit him in his hand.Only one over was bowled on the day after that incident, and the BCCI said via a tweet on Tuesday: “Shubman Gill sustained a blow on his left forearm while fielding on Day 3 of the 2nd Test. He has been taken for a precautionary scan. The BCCI Medical Team is assessing him. He won’t be fielding today.” The fourth day started with England at 53 for 3 chasing 482 for victory, and a 2-0 lead.Gill made his Test debut on the recent tour of Australia, and scored 45, 35*, 50, 31, 7 and 91 in his three Tests there as India won the series 2-1. He finished the series with an impressive average of 51.80, only behind Ravindra Jadeja’s 85.00 and Rishabh Pant’s 68.50 among Indians. Then, in the first Test against England, also in Chennai, Gill scored 29 and 50 even as India lost by 227 runs to fall 1-0 back in the four-Test series, and he had scores of 0 and 14 in the ongoing game.

New Zealand will be without Kane Williamson and Trent Boult among others, as Bangladesh look for turnaround

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2021

Big Picture

Bangladesh will hope a change of format can bring a change in their fortunes in New Zealand after they were swept 3-0 in the ODIs. The three-match T20I series begins in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon, with the home side likely to present a very new look.New Zealand will be without their regular captain Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert, who have all been rested to prepare for a grueling IPL schedule. But they will have the experienced Tim Southee, who is leading the side in Williamson’s absence, as well as Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi.Bangladesh too are in a similar situation now that they are without Tamim Iqbal, who is not available due to personal reasons. Already without Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s squad has only Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah as experienced players. They will be hopeful that Mohammad Mithun can continue his good form from the ODI series, while Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar can recover from the lean patch. Bangladesh have the likes of Mohammad Naim, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Afif Hossain among the young batsmen who didn’t play the ODIs.Their bowling has also looked sharp at times, particularly pacer Taskin Ahmed and offspinners Mahedi Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. But Mustafizur Rahman wasn’t his old self during the ODIs, while Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin and Hasan Mahmud played only one game each.Bangladesh, however, will be most worried about their fielding. They dropped five catches in the second and the third ODIs, while looking lackluster at the back-end of both matches.New Zealand are a much better fielding side by comparison, and with the injection of newcomers, can expect the standard to rise a bit more. Finn Allen is the most exciting of all the youngsters after his productive Super Smash tournament earlier in the season. Fireworks will also be expected from Guptill, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman, who will be batting in the top five.Southee will have Hamish Bennett, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne in his pace attack. Legspinners Sodhi and Todd Astle will also be wicket-taking options for the home side.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches)
New Zealand WLLWW
Bangladesh WWLLLTaskin Ahmed has been Bangladesh’s most impressive bowler on the tour•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Daryl Mitchell has given a major glimpse into his capabilities with a breathtaking century in the third ODI against Bangladesh. He can be termed as a 360 degree batsman and a bowler who can be relied upon in critical situations.Taskin Ahmed has been Bangladesh’s most impressive bowler on the tour. He is fitter and tougher, especially mentally, but will need wickets to spruce up his return to the national side.

Team news

Adam Milne and Todd Astle look likely to start the series for New Zealand. Daryl Mitchell could continue on his ODI role in the T20I side as well, particularly after his maiden ODI hundred in the previous innings.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Finn Allen, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Mark Chapman, 6 Will Young, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Todd Astle, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Adam MilneFor Bangladesh, pace bowler Hasan Mahmud will be returning home having not regained fitness in time for the T20Is. He has not trained or played due to a stiff back following the first ODI in Dunedin. Thus, they may field a similar XI to the last two ODIs, with the addition of Mohammad Naim – who could replace Tamim Iqbal – and Mohammad Saifuddin being the only likely changes.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Mohammad Mithun, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Seddon Park usually dishes out flat batting pitches, with the side batting first averaging 183 in T20I internationals. But during the 2020-21 Super Smash, that figure has come down to around 140. Despite that, mostly dry conditions on Sunday means it is expected to be a big-hitting affair in Hamilton.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh’s lowest total in any format in New Zealand was 78 all out at Seddon Park in 2010.
• New Zealand newcomer Finn Allen hit 25 sixes in this season’s Super Smash.

Quotes

“We have played a lot of T20 cricket this summer, so the guys know how to chop and change pretty quickly these days. It should be good fun.”

With ODI form still flying, batsman seeks permanent home at No. 4 for T20 World Cup, No. 3 for Ashes

Valkerie Baynes24-Mar-2021Jonny Bairstow’s “easy chemistry” with fellow opener Jason Roy was on show despite England’s heavy defeat to India in the first match of their ODI series in Pune on Tuesday – and Bairstow wants the chance to settle as comfortably elsewhere in the order for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.A 135-run partnership between Bairstow and Roy – their 12th century opening stand in ODIs – had England well on track to reach their target of 318 before a middle order sorely missing the resting Joe Root fell away to leave them short as they slumped to a 66-run defeat. Bairstow scored 94 off 66 balls and Roy 46 off 35 while no other England batsman passed 30.With his position as ODI opener firmly established, Bairstow is keen to convince the selectors to persist with him at No. 4 in T20Is, having been moved down to that spot in South Africa late last year, and at No. 3 in Tests, despite his struggles there earlier on this tour of Asia.Related

• Blaming Jonny Bairstow for England's defeat would ignore wider context

• Jonny Bairstow's middle-order success vindicates England's reshuffle

• Debutants Prasidh Krishna and Krunal Pandya star in India's 66-run win

• On show in Pune: England and India's differing methods of ODI batting

• Virat Kohli rises to No. 4 in T20I rankings for batsmen

Bairstow was unbeaten in both of England’s victories during their 3-2 T20I series defeat to India with scores of 26 and 40 not out.”I was happy in the T20s, the runs I scored there batting at No. 4 and contributing, being there at the end in two of the games was really pleasing to me,” Bairstow said on Wednesday. “If you take South Africa in, to be at the end at Newlands and the end in two of these games here, I’m pretty happy with how that’s going.”It’s a different role, but at the same time, it’s a good role to be in because you’ve got an opportunity to be there at the end, winning games.”And while 28 runs from four Test innings in India – including three ducks – and, before that, scores of 47, 35 not out, 28 and 29 in two Tests in Sri Lanka have Bairstow’s designs on the No.3 spot for the Ashes at the end of this year looking less secure, he made made his case verbally to be given a chance during the English summer to make it his own.Jonny Bairstow heaves one over the leg side•Getty Images

“I’m very keen to do that,” he said. “People will have spoken about the last two Tests here but, prior to that in Sri Lanka, to score the runs and come in at three, and previously at three for England I’ve been pretty happy. Hopefully I do get more than four games there… even with those lower scores in the last couple of Tests, average-wise, it was still okay.”There wasn’t anyone in those last two games that exactly lit it up, was there? So a pink-ball Test match at a new venue that nobody scored any runs at, and then obviously the last game, I thought, an umpire’s call decision that didn’t necessarily go my way in the first innings, but to be honest with you, I’m happy with where my game’s at and how I’m striking the ball.”I do hope that that is the case and I do get an opportunity to be batting at three going forward, because I do feel that my game’s in a good enough place. Having four games in the winter on the subcontinent, which is never going to be easy, full stop… but going back home in the summer to England and then moving forward with the experiences that I’ve had over in Australia. I think going to Australia with a wealth of experience, as we know when you’re entering a major tournament, gives you a better chance of having success over there.”So yeah, that is something that I do want to do, want to pursue, and hopefully I am given the opportunity.”Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow had England in control of the run-chase•BCCI

Bairstow’s most pressing task, however, is to help England win their next ODI, also in Pune, on Friday to keep the three-match series alive.He took the lead role in the first match, moving from 6 off 18 at the end of the fifth over to 28 off 24 by the end of sixth as he plundered 22 runs off debutant Prasidh Krishna, which he said was indicative of his understanding with Roy.”It’s an easy chemistry,” Bairstow said. “There’s no great shakes to it. We speak about very simple things out in the middle and keep things very simple. It’s a very go-with-how-the-game-pans-out approach.”It wasn’t a crash, bang, wallop start. People might think, ‘they’ve gone from ball one’, but in actual fact we hadn’t. There was probably three overs, four overs at the start where it was very much toned back and we went a different route.”Understanding each other enough to know that and not putting pressure on each other to have to go after it because we’ve got complete trust in each other’s games in order to know that one over and you’ve caught it up. I think that runs throughout the side, but having that trust in each other’s games to just go right, let’s stay calm, stay relaxed and not pile pressure on each other is the important factor of it.”

Bangladesh might field three pacers, and Najmul Hossain Shanto is likely to continue batting at No. 3

Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2021Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam has been included in Bangladesh’s 15-member squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka – the announcement came less than 24 hours before the start of the game on Wednesday, midway through the visitors’ only practice session in Pallekele.

Squad for first Test

Mominul Haque (capt), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam

Although it was not clear if Bangladesh would opt for his left-arm pace in the first Test itself, captain Mominul Haque has made it clear that pace would be crucial for Bangladesh in the series opener.”I think our batting and pace bowling will be crucial. The pace bowlers with experience and those who are playing regularly, like [Abu Jayed] Rahi, Ebadot [Hossain], and Taskin [Ahmed] are more dependable,” Haque said. “We will have a pace-dependent bowling attack but it doesn’t mean we will lose the sting in our bowling.”The big-built Islam shot into prominence last year after Bangladesh won the Under-19 World Cup, where he took nine wickets at an average of 15.77. He also did well in the domestic white-ball tournaments last year – 16 wickets in ten games in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup and four wickets in three matches of the 50-over President’s Cup – before being handed a T20I debut in New Zealand last month.Related

• Nissanka and Mominul in focus as struggling Sri Lanka and Bangladesh eye revival

• Mickey Arthur's picks: Hasaranga, Nissanka, Oshada, Embuldeniya

• Three questions for SL, three questions for Bangladesh

• Uncapped Mukidul, Shohidul in Bangladesh 21-player Test squad that will travel to Sri Lanka

The six players from the 21-member preliminary squad who didn’t make the cut would remain in Sri Lanka, given that Bangladesh have a strict nationwide lockdown in place because of the Covid-19 situation, and no international flights are allowed to land the country until the end of April. In this group of six is offspinner Nayeem Hasan, who played both Tests against West Indies in February.Hasan’s exclusion, though, was on expected lines as Bangladesh already have Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam in the squad. Given the greenish tinge on the Pallekele pitch, the visitors may opt for three pace bowlers, with either Shadman Islam or Saif Hassan opening with Tamim Iqbal.The inclusion of Najmul Hossain Shanto suggested that he would continue to get chances at No. 3 despite poor numbers recently against West Indies.Apart from Hasan, Bangladesh have also dropped Mustafizur Rahman, who is away playing in the IPL, and Soumya Sarkar for form, while Hasan Mahmud is out with injury. The others not considered for the first Test, but who are part of the 21-member squad, are Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam, and Nurul Hasan.