What makes this innocuous-seeming bowler so difficult to handle?

Aakash Chopra30-Jul-20152:47

Mustafizur and the art of the cutter

At the international level any bowler who operates in the mid-to-late 120kph range gets little respect. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see the Indians not take much notice of the wiry left-arm seam bowler who ran in during the first ODI of India’s recent tour to Bangladesh. That was Mustafizur Rahman range.If you don’t have pace, you must swing the ball prodigiously to make up for it, but Mustafizur didn’t have swing either. The odd ball would come back in to the right-handers, but not extravagantly enough to set warning bells ringing. The last thing that can save you in the absence of pace and swing is if you generate disconcerting bounce, but to get that on slow, low subcontinental pitches, you must be as tall as Mohammad Irfan, and Mustafizur is nowhere close. He should have been easy prey from the looks of him. Yes, he has a quick arm action and an effective slower one, but is that enough to succeed against top-quality international batsmen?No wonder it took everyone by surprise when Mustafizur took five wickets on ODI debut. I, for one, was convinced the Indians would figure him out in the following games. How wrong I was. Not only did he fox India through the three-match series, he also left the South Africans searching for answers in the one after, making everyone sit up and take notice.

The only feasible option to hit his slower ones is to go with the spin and target the off side, but that is difficult against a ball that’s not short and is turning away sharply and bouncing awkwardly

What makes him a difficult bowler to handle? Mustafizur is like any other left-arm seam bowler when the ball is new, for he tries to bring it back in to the right-handers, with the odd delivery holding its line and creating doubt. His speeds were worth noting in the matches against South Africa, where he began to clock close to 140kph. Now the speed guns are not exactly trustworthy, but there certainly was a visible increase in Mustafizur’s pace and he was hitting the bat a lot harder than he had done against India. The balls that clean-bowled Quinton De Kock in the last ODI and in the first Test said as much – de Kock was beaten by pace. It’s remarkable to see someone add nearly 10kph to his average pace in two weeks, as Mustafizur has done.His real strength, though, isn’t bowling with the new ball. The numbers suggest that while he might produce an early breakthrough every now and then, he comes into his own once the ball gets old. Mashrafe Mortaza has watched Mustafizur from close quarters, knows his strengths and uses him accordingly. He takes him off after a few overs at the top and then uses him in two or three more bursts once the ball gets a little old, which is when his slower ones start gripping the surface.His quick arm action and the fact that there is no change in arm speed while bowling the slower one make it difficult for batsmen to pick the variation. He does break his wrist at the point of release when it is the slower one, and the ball comes down with a scrambled seam like it would for a spinner, but the length he bowls and the spin he imparts make it tough for batsmen to adjust and, more importantly, to hit the big shots.The is little indication via his bowling action that Mustafizur Rahman is about to deliver one of his lethal slower balls•AFPMustafizur’s slower one is the offbreak equivalent for the left-arm pace bowler – it goes away from the right-hand batsman and somehow bounces a lot too. So much so that edges off his slower deliveries carry to the wicketkeeper. Playing a left-arm spinner bowling at 125kph isn’t an easy proposition.He also keeps his slower deliveries reasonably full, drawing the batsman forward, but never full enough for the batsman to smother the turn with a forward stride. Also, while bowling the slower ones he pitches around leg stump, denying the batsman the ability to freely swing his arms. The only feasible option to hit his slower ones is to go with the spin and target the off side, but all finishers will tell you how difficult that is against a ball that’s not short and is turning away sharply and bouncing awkwardly. No wonder 12 of Mustafizur’s 18 ODI wickets to date have come from offcutters.The only subtle change he seems to make while bowling the slower one is a change of grip at the top of his run-up. When bowling seam-up he keeps his fingers on the seam, but when he intends to change the pace, he holds it slightly cross seam.Another thing that has worked in Mustafizur’s favour is the kind of pitches dished out for the six matches he has played thus far. The ball has gripped the surface a lot more than it would have done elsewhere. Without this help from the surface, his wicket-taking ball might not be as effective. But then, surviving at the highest level is about evolving and staying a step ahead of your opponent.

Ricky Ponting has Matthew Hayden and Alastair Cook opening for his Ashes XI. Which two would be in yours?

12-Jul-2015

Targeted threats and murder instead of political street clashes posed new security threat

Mohammad Isam01-Oct-20151:47

Isam: Bangladesh without international cricket for over six months

Ultimately it was the killing of an Italian national in Dhaka by unknown perpetrators that is believed, within the BCB, to have led to Australia calling off their tour of Bangladesh. Cricket teams have in the past toured Bangladesh in the wake of street violence, but that has almost always been politically motivated and brought under control before the cricket started; the specific threat to foreigners by unknown groups, and the tragic murder in a high-security zone in the national capital, signified a new kind of violence to which there was no immediate counter.Authorities in Bangladesh still haven’t found out who killed Cesare Tavella, and why, and a militant group’s claims of carrying out the murder haven’t been officially confirmed.The murder came on a crucial day of meetings between the BCB and Cricket Australia’s security team when there were signs that perhaps there would be progress rather than regress. BCB named its Test team, sent out series accreditation forms for local journalists and then observed that two of the Australian team’s management staff were staying back, perhaps to receive the players in a day or two.On previous occasions that Bangladesh’s security had been questioned, cricket officials could see what was happening and react accordingly. Violence due to an impending election, for example, can be stopped through discussions with the political parties.In 1988, the BCB had to ask the political parties to stop their programmes to enable it to host the Asia Cup, the first international cricket tournament held in Bangladesh. The situation was far more complicated between late 2013 and early 2014.The touring New Zealand team saw some political violence during their tour in October 2013. Some of their players could only venture out to a coffee shop across the road of their team hotel while Dhaka experienced political strikes. But it soon turned into political violence which nearly derailed the Sri Lanka series, the Asia Cup and the World T20. The BCB had to go into discussions with all the major political parties and give assurances of state-level security to the SLC, ACC and the ICC before any of those international matches took place – and all of them went off without a hitch.Of course there were stringent security measures taken in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, where the matches were held. Entire hotel floors were blocked for the teams and all roads on which the teams travelled were blocked off at least 20 minutes before they set out. It became a problem for ordinary citizens but it was seen as a price worth paying to host major tournaments. The BCB in fact appoints hundreds of security volunteers in addition to the police and other armed forces who are routinely involved during bilateral series and ICC events.This time, too, the top-most officials were preparing a security apparatus to tackle the traditional threats of violence. The country’s home minister, the prime minister’s security advisor and the two top intelligence agencies met with the CA security team in the space of 24 hours. The BCB arranged all of these meetings, and the board’s president Nazmul Hassan said that he had to take the prime minister’s help to do that in such short notice.The BCB pulled out all stops but the threats from unknown attackers was something new to the country that no one was prepared for.

Stats highlights from the SSC where 15 wickets fell on the third day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and India

Shiva Jayaraman30-Aug-20152001 Last time an India fast bowler before Ishant Sharma took a five-for in Tests in Sri Lanka. Venkatesh Prasad had returns of 5 for 72 in the second innings of the Kandy Test in 2001. Ishant’s 5 for 54 are the best bowling figures by an India pacer in Sri Lanka and only the fourth five-wicket haul by an Indian in Sri Lanka4 Five-wicket hauls by Ishant in 12 Tests since 2014; in 53 Tests before 2014, Ishant had taken only three five-fors. Since 2014, he has taken 48 wickets at an average of 30.95 and a strike rate of 53.0. He had taken 149 wickets at 38.81 before that and had a strike rate of 69.7.154 Runs conceded by India to Sri Lanka’s last five wickets after they had reduced the hosts to 47 for 5 in their first innings. Including this innings, the last five times India have had their opposition 5 wickets down for less than 100 runs, they have allowed more than 100 runs for the last-five wickets each time – 586 and 108 v New Zealand in Wellington, and 272 and 123 versus Sri Lanka in the Galle Test.15 Wickets that fell on the third day of this Test – equal the third highest in a day’s play at the SSC. In a Test between the hosts and England in 2001, 22 wickets fell on the third day, which are the most in a day at this venue. In the last Test as well at this venue, 15 wickets fell on the fourth day’s play.3 Number of India batsmen to carry their bat before Cheteshwar Pujara in India’s first innings. The first India batsmen to do it was Sunil Gavaskar against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1983. Virender Sehwag did it against Sri Lanka, in Galle in 2008. The last one to do it was Rahul Dravid at the Oval in 2011. Click here for a list of batsmen who have carried their bat in Tests. Pujara followed up his first innings effort with a duck in the second innings thus becoming only the fourth batsmen to carry the bat in one innings and get out for a duck in the other innings of a Test. Bill Woodfull of Australia was the first, in the first Ashes Test in 1928-29. Geoff Boycott remained unbeaten on 99 in the second innings after getting a duck in the first in Perth in 1979-80. The last such instance was Saeed Anwar’s 0 and 188 in the Kolkata Test in 1999.6.36 Average runs scored by opening partnerships in this series – the second lowest in a series with ten or more innings. Sri Lanka and India’s first wickets have totally made just 70 runs from 11 innings with a highest stand of 15 between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva in the first innings in Galle.6 Number of times Pujara has batted on to make at least 135 runs out of his seven Test centuries, including his unbeaten 145 in India’s first innings. The only time he didn’t do that was against West Indies in Mumbai in 2013 when he got out for 113.8 Number of single-digit scores by Sri Lanka’s openers out of ten innings in this series. The three openers played by Sri Lanka so far have together scored 120 runs at an average 12 and a highest of 51 by Kaushal Silva in the second innings at P Sara Oval.1970 The last time three different openers made centuries in a series for any team before Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Pujara for India in this series. John Edrich, Geoff Boycott and Brian Luckhurst had made hundreds as openers for England in the 1970-71 Ashes. Including the latest instance by India, this has happened only five times.5 Number of Sri Lanka wicketkeepers to hit a fifty-plus score on debut before Kusal Perera in this Test. Including Perera Sri Lanka’s last-three wicketkeepers have made at least a fifty on debut. Niroshan Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal – Sri Lanka’s previous two wicketkeepers – had also made fifty-plus scores on debut.49 Runs by Rangana Herath in Sri Lanka’s first innings – the highest by a Sri Lanka No. 9 batsman at the SSC. The previous highest was Upul Chandana’s 40 against South Africa in 2004. Herath fell one run short of what would have been only the fourth fifty by a No. 9 on this ground. Amit Mishra had made 59 – the highest by a No. 9 at this venue – in India’s first innings in this Test.108 Runs by No. 9 batsmen in this Test – the second highest in Tests between Sri Lanka and India with two more innings possible in the match. Ajit Agarkar and Malinga Bandara had together scored 113 runs in the Ahmedabad Test in 2005, the highest by No. 9 batsmen in Tests between the two teams.

Stats highlights from a runfest of a first ODI between India and Australia at the WACA

Bharath Seervi12-Jan-2016171* Rohit Sharma’s score – the highest by a visiting batsman against Australia in Australia, and the fifth-highest by any batsman in the country. The previous top score against Australia in Australia was Viv Richards’ 153 not out at the MCG in 1979-80. Rohit’s is also the third-highest score by an Indian batsman outside Asia.19 Innings that Rohit needed to complete 1000 ODI runs against Australia – the fastest by any batsman. He bettered Tendulkar and Brian Lara, both of whom got to the mark in 20 innings. His average of 68.46 is the best by any batsman with 500 or more runs against Australia.77.37 Runs per wicket in this match – the fourth-highest in an ODI in Australia. The highest is 220.50, set in 1991-92, by Pakistan and West Indies at the MCG.1 Today was the first ever instance of more than one double-century partnership in a single ODI. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli added 207 for India, while Steven Smith and George Bailey supplied Australia with 242 runs.2 Centuries by Smith in two successive ODIs against India. He had made 105 when the teams met in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup, and now has 283 runs from three innings versus India.85 Bailey’s average against India in ODIs – the best for any batsman with 500 or more runs against them.3 Partnerships higher than the 242 between Smith and Bailey for Australia in ODIs. The highest also involves Smith – 260 with David Warner against Afghanistan, at the WACA again, in the 2015 World Cup.Australia’s 310 is the third-highest successful run-chase in ODIs in Australia, and the highest in Perth•ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 There have only been two higher targets than the 310 today that have been chased successfully in Australia – 334 by the hosts against England at SCG in 2010-11 and 321 by India against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2011-12. This was the sixth time a target of 300 or more was successfully chased in ODIs in Australia.2 Instances of Australia’s Nos. 3 and 4 scoring a century in the same ODI, with Bailey and India involved in both of them. Prior to today’s batting display, Shane Watson had struck 102 and Bailey 156 against India in Nagpur in 2013-14.1 ODI at the WACA which has had a higher match aggregate than the 619 struck today – Australia and New Zealand piled on 678 runs in 2006-07.149 Smith’s score in this match – the third-highest for an Australia captain in ODIs, also the third-highest in chases for Australia and his own personal best.176 Runs added by Australia between overs 16 and 40. In the same phase, India added only 138. This made Australia’s job a lot easier at the death, they needed 61 runs in the last ten overs, whereas India scored 93.3 ODI centuries for Rohit in Australia – the joint-highest by an Indian, along with VVS Laxman. This was Rohit’s fourth century against Australia; only Sachin Tendulkar (9) and Desmond Haynes (6) have hit more ODI tons against Australia.4 Scores of 150 or more for Rohit in ODIs, only Tendulkar is ahead of him with five such scores. Sanath Jayasuriya and Chris Gayle also have four scores of 150 or more.4 Centuries for Rohit in ODI defeats. Among Indian batsmen, only Tendulkar (14) has more hundreds in lost causes. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly also have four each that went in vain.7.36 Economy rate of India’s spinners in this match. There has only been five occasions have they been costlier in ODIs, under condition of bowling at least 15 overs. Their worst, of 9.05, was also against Australia in Australia at the MCG in 2011-12, though that was a rain-affected 32-overs-a-side game.207 The partnership between Rohit and Kohli for the second wicket – the highest second-wicket partnership against Australia in Australia, beating the 205 added by Haynes and Richards at the MCG in 1978-79.7 Times that Kohli has been involved in double-century partnerships in ODIs – the joint-highest along with Ricky Ponting and Upul Tharanga. Kohli went past Tendulkar and Ganguly, who had been part of six 200-plus stands.3 Wickets lost by India in their innings, equalling the fewest any team has given away in a completed, 50-over ODI innings against Australia. West Indies and South Africa are the others to manage this feat, but India are the first to do it in Australia. This was also India’s highest ODI total against Australia in Australia, and their second 300-plus score.4 India bowlers who, on their debut, dismissed both openers of the opposition, before Barinder Sran: Avishkar Salvi, Tinu Yohannnan, M Venkataramana and Eknath Solkar. None of them went on to play 10 ODIs though. Also Sran is the fifth India bowler to take three or more wickets opening the bowling in his first ODI.

Stats highlights from the Nagpur Test where India handed South Africa their first away-series defeat in nine years

Shiva Jayaraman27-Nov-20152006 The last time South Africa lost a Test series overseas, whitewashed 2-0 by Sri Lanka. Between then and now, they had remained unbeaten in 15 consecutive away series. That streak is only bettered by West Indies’ 18 consecutive series from 1980 to 1995.7/66 R Ashwin’s figures in the second innings. They are his best in both Tests – beating the 7 for 103 he took against Australia in Chennai in 2012-13 – and first-class cricket. JP Duminy, in South Africa’s second innings, became Ashwin’s 300th first-class wicket. He added three more to that tally and averages 26.90.15 five-wicket hauls for Ashwin – equalling the most taken by any spinner in their first 31 Tests. Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett had been the sole record-holder until today, while South Africa’s Hugh Tayfield is third on this list with 14.169 Wickets by Ashwin – the most by a spinner in his first 31 Tests beating Grimmett’s tally of 164. A broader search including all kinds of bowlers indicates only two have been better wicket-takers than Ashwin after their first 31 Tests. England seamer Sydney Barnes with 189 wickets (in 27 Tests) tops the charts while Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis took 180 wickets at 18.78.55 Wickets for Ashwin in 2015, the most by any bowler. It is also only the 12th time an Indian has taken 50 or more wickets in a calendar year, Harbhajan Singh was the last to the mark with 63 wickets in 2008. Ashwin’s six five-fors this year also equals the most by an Indian in a year.17.81 Ashwin’s bowling average in 2015 – currently the third-best for any spinner with at least 50 wickets in a calendar year. Only Muttiah Muralitharan, who averaged lower in two separate years, has done better. Muralitharan took 55 wickets at 17.80 in 2002 and 90 at 16.90 in 2006. Ashwin’s strike rate of 34.20 this year is the second-best for any bowler who has taken at least 50 wickets in a year. Only Waqar has done better: he took 55 wickets at 29.50 in 1993.1 Instance since 1900 when a Test ending with a decisive result had an individual top score lower than the 40 scored by M Vijay in this Test. And it had come quite recently: Rahul Dravid had top-scored with 39 in the Hamilton Test in 2002-03 that New Zealand won. Overall, this was only the 14th Test without an individual fifty to end in a result.1 Instance when a bowler has returned better match figures against South Africa since their return to Test cricket than Ashwin’s 12 for 98 in this match. Muttiah Muralitharan took 13 for 171 in Galle in 2000.1912 The last time South Africa’s batsmen averaged worse in a series involving three or more matches. Their average on this tour of India has been 14.32, with only two fifties from 55 innings, but they had averaged 11.30 in three Tests against England 103 years ago. Overall, batsmen from both teams have together have averaged just 16.90, which is also the third-worst in any series involving three or more Tests.8 Batsmen who were dismissed for scores between (and including) 30 and 40 in this Test. The last Test that had eight or more such scores was the Ashes Test in Sydney in 2010-11. Overall, there are only eight such instances.13 South Africa batsmen who were dismissed for single digits in this Test, which makes it the fourth time that at least 13 batsmen fell between 0 and 9 since their readmission to Test cricket. The last time was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2004.14.85 Runs conceded per wicket by India’s bowlers against South Africa so far – the best they have averaged in a series with more than one Test. Their previous best was against New Zealand in 1995-96, when they had averaged 18.51. India’s bowling average is also the fifth-best for a team in a series with at least two Tests since 1950. The last time a team did better was in 2012-13, when West Indies’ bowlers had averaged 14.47 against Zimbabwe, taking 40 wickets in two Tests.2012 The last time a South African pair lasted more deliveries in an away Test than the 278 by Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis in the Nagpur Test. Du Plessis was there again, with AB de Villiers in Adelaide, when they faced 408 deliveries for 89 runs. This was South Africa’s fourth-longest fourth-innings stand in away Tests (since balls faced information is available for partnerships). This was also the longest stand of the series bettering the 184 balls by Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in the second innings of the Mohali Test.

Plays of the day from the second T20 international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Jan-2016The swirler
Eden Park is a well-enclosed ground, but in the fifth over, Tillakaratne Dilshan managed to get a ball into the windswept higher reaches of the stadium. This ultimately worked to his advantage. Spotting a short-of-a-length delivery from Mitchell McClenaghan, Dilshan swung hard across the line and gave up a big top edge. The ball shot up in the direction of third man, and Trent Boult peeled off from gully to chase it. It looked like it would be a comfortable running catch, until the ball had risen enough for the wind to catch it. It’s descent was several metres to Boult’s right. He dived to intercept it, but managed only to get fingertips to the ball.The gate
Aiming a wild stroke over the legside, Danushka Gunathilaka left a gaping space between bat and pad in the second over, for Adam Milne to slip a length ball through. Gunathilaka’s bat was some distance from the ball that clattered into his stumps, but the dismissal was also a gate for other reasons. He was the first of several Sri Lanka batsmen to get out slogging.The spurned chance
When Martin Guptill top edged his own hoick across the line in the first over of New Zealand’s chase, Sri Lanka had an opportunity to dismiss the opposition’s form batsman cheaply. Perhaps due to a lack of confidence, the wrong fielder went for the ball. Thisara Perera sprinted in from long-on and had the ball fall just short of him, but it should have been Shehan Jayasuriya pursuing it from midwicket. The ball had dropped only about seven metres away from where he had been originally standing.The flamingo shot
Colin Munro blasted three sixes from four Jeffrey Vandersay deliveries in the eighth over, but his most memorable shot came against Isuru Udana soon after. Munro ran at the bowler and made room to swing the bat, but when Udana sent a full delivery wide of off stump, Munro had to manufacture a shot. He threw one leg backwards, in the air, and leaned over to strike the ball towards wide long-on, connecting well enough to fetch himself another six.

Sanjay Manjrekar has his say on day three of the Nagpur Test, where South Africa’s nine-year unbeaten run in away series finally came to an end

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2015 ‘Amla, du Plessis played Ashwin smartly’ Even though South Africa succumbed to an eventual series defeat, Manjrekar was impressed by the grit shown by Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla at the crease, as they resisted the Indian spinners for more than 40 overs.1:45

Manjrekar: Amla, du Plessis played Ashwin smartly

‘South African instinct got the better of AB’ Manjrekar, though, was less complimentary towards AB de Villiers, who he felt got out to R Ashwin trying to play unorthodox cricket.1:55

Manjrekar: South African instinct got the better of AB

‘Kohli studies opposition batsmen well’ While Manjrekar feels Virat Kohli can work on his bowling changes more, he is impressed with the India captain’s plans for different batsmen2:42

Manjrekar: Kohli studies batsmen well

‘Ashwin innovating even on turning tracks’ Ashwin is no longer a bowler dependent on pitch assistance as he constantly tries to deceive batsmen, irrespective of where he bowls1:47

Manjrekar: Ashwin trying to innovate even on turning tracks

What to expect from the Kotla pitch? Manjrekar believes that while India might want another turner, they shouldn’t be surprised if Kotla turns out to be the best batting pitch of the series1:53

What can we expect from the Kotla pitch?

South Africa saved their strongest statement for last – a crushing win in Johannesburg – and with these two sides meeting again early in the World T20 it could yet have even greater significance

Firdose Moonda22-Feb-20164:02

‘Series wins give us confidence before World T20’

From a wide angle, South Africa’s summer has not been as successful as they would have hoped. They lost the Test series against England and with it their No.1 ranking. But zoom in and you will understand why they smiling at the end.Whisper it, because of course a global event is looming, but in the ODI and T20 series, they have shown they can handle pressure. They came from 2-0 down in the ODIs to win 3-2 and won both T20 matches to finish England’s visit with five successive wins. That all of them were achieved chasing, the area of the game where South Africa are known to be soft, and two of them – the Wanderers ODI and Cape Town T20 – became nail-biters only makes it sweeter.South Africa now have reason to be confident they can do it again, when it really matters, at a major tournament. “From a mental point of view, it’s great,” Faf du Plessis said afterwards. And from an immediate point of view, it has allowed South Africa to rescue a summer in which they were dictated to by a team they may have felt they could have had the better off.”We felt if we could land a good punch on the English team, they might disappear – and that’s what happened,” du Plessis said, referring to England’s final match of a long tour.South Africa may actually have felt that way over much of the last two months but they have only really been able to land proper blows in the last two weeks when, perhaps jolted by the reality that they could lose a home Test and ODI series for the first time in 14 years, they made real changes.In the personnel department, South Africa have reinvested in genuine allrounders. Chris Morris, who featured across all three formats against England, has an opportunity to establish himself as a regular. David Wiese is also in the fray and JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien have been left to focus on their batting, which Duminy especially needs to do. As a result, South Africa have restored some balance to an XI that had become skewed.That’s not say South Africa have answered all the questions. Not everyone in the line-up is performing as they should. Apart from Duminy and Behardien, Rilee Rossouw, albeit with limited opportunities, also needs more consistency. Leaving it to Morris to perform last-minute, million-dollar-man heroics is exciting but not ideal and in the shortest format, there is still a conundrum over Quinton de Kock.Hashim Amla’s form against England means it could be difficult for Quinton de Kock to find a starting place•Getty ImagesHashim Amla is close to his best, after battling through a lean patch, and showed his ability to score as quickly and destructively as anyone else at the Wanderers. With AB de Villiers now being given the chance of a full 20 overs, de Kock, despite prolific form in ODIs, could miss out. Nonetheless, it’s a problem South Africa are happy to have.”It’s not a headache, it’s great to have options,” du Plessis said. “I’d like to have AB to the top so there is only one spot.”Who gets that one spot could depend on how things go against Australia early next month. Those three matches will also be crucial for solving another dilemma. Dale Steyn should return and if he does, fitting him into an attack that has done well without him could be tricky. Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada have shown their quality, particularly at the death, and with the two allrounders and a specialist spinner a necessity, one of them will have to be left out to get Steyn in.Given the praise du Plessis has heaped on his bowlers and the fact that not so long ago South Africa did not have someone who could reliably contain at the end of an innings, it is difficult to decide who that could be.”To bring it back like we did with those seven wickets is unheard of in Twenty20 cricket,” du Plessis said, referring to England’s decisive collapse. “That’s something we pride ourselves on now, having great options at the death.”The variation in their squad is why du Plessis believes they “are not weak in any area,” as they approach the World T20. South Africa’s recent record which includes eight wins in nine games and series victories over Bangladesh, India and England, makes it difficult to argue with that and easy to see why they may start to be spoken of as serious contenders for the title.Du Plessis was careful not get too carried away, especially as the T20s came at the end of a long tour for England but was equally calculating in reminding them when they will meet South Africa again – in just a few weeks time.”It’s always tough when you’re playing your last game, you’re already thinking about going home and you’re 1-0 down in the series,” he said. “But for us, you always want to imprint something on a team, so that when they meet you again, they will remember the result.”So for now, it’s goodbye England. Thanks for a great summer and see you again on March 18 in Mumbai.

The ICC has shifted the India-Pakistan match to Kolkata because of security concerns in Dharamsala, but the PCB has reasons for not yet clearing the departure of its teams

Umar Farooq09-Mar-20165:25

Ugra: Indian politics to blame for game moving

The PCB’s decision to defer the departure of its men’s and women’s teams to the World T20 in India pending “an assurance against specific threats to the Pakistan team from various political parties and groups during the tour”, is the end result of months of dissatisfaction over handling of India-Pakistan cricket ties in India.The PCB’s announcement came shortly after the ICC had conveyed its decision to shift the March 19 World T20 fixture between India and Pakistan from Dharamsala to Kolkata. The change of venue was expected to bring the controversy surrounding the match to an end; the PCB, however, said its teams would not travel unless they were given high-level assurances from India, following an adverse report by its security team which visited Dharamsala and New Delhi over the weekend. The three-man committee which assessed the security situation in Dharamsala described it as ‘unsatisfactory.’The delay of the Pakistani teams’ departures is not a trigger-happy response by the PCB to events of the last 24 hours. It has built up over several months, and reached tipping point when a scheduled meeting in October between the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and BCCI officials was cancelled due to anti-Pakistan protests in the BCCI’s Mumbai office. These talks had been arranged to discuss the possibility of a long overdue bilateral series, to be hosted by the PCB. Workers from the Shiv Sena, a regional political party, stormed into the BCCI office in Mumbai, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans. It led to an embarrassing departure for the Pakistani delegation led by Shahryar.

BCCI unsure of PCB’s demand for assurance

The BCCI has admitted to being unsure of the nature of security assurances sought by the PCB and said it wouldn’t play ball unless the Pakistan board approached it with its specific requirement. “[We are] not sure what they want,” a BCCI source told ESPNcricinfo. “Let them ask us.”
Asked if the BCCI was losing precious time by waiting for the PCB to make the play, with the prospect of Pakistan boycotting the World T20, the source said: “That is their call.”

The incident led to the PCB losing confidence in BCCI’s handling of what is always a delicate situation as well as public support against pushing for matches versus India. It made headlines in Pakistan, with the PCB being severely criticised by political and cricketing quarters. Taking note of the fiasco, the Pakistan government asked the PCB to adopt caution in travelling to India and to do so only after a favourable prior advisory from the centre. In the case of the World T20, neither India’s central government in New Delhi nor the Himachal Pradesh state government were able to give any clear assurances about the security that would be put into place for the Pakistan teams.The state government of Himachal Pradesh in fact categorically refused to assure full-fledged security to the Pakistan team in Dharamsala, citing protests by ex-servicemen’s families following incidents along the border. Following that, the Pakistan security delegation’s visit did not appear to be taken seriously by the Indian government either.While the ICC had indirectly assured the PCB of full security, it was not accepted because the only direct word from any government in India had come from the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, about being unable to protect the team. When the delegation got to Dharamsala, no security plan was presented to them and they had to insist on a meeting with the deputy police commissioner of the region. There, it is learnt, the delegation found that the deputy commissioner did not have any special instructions from the home minister around security for the Pakistan team.In Delhi, no attempts appeared to have been made by the BCCI to arrange meetings with senior authorities in the central government. The Pakistan delegation spent two days in the Indian capital but were unsuccessful in attempting to establish contact with the Home Ministry to set up a meeting with the Home Minister.These incidents have further soured cricketing relations between the two countries. The PCB’s last two major dealings with the BCCI have been unsatisfactory and led to increasing mistrust. Towards the end of 2015, there was a lack of clarity over playing the bilateral series, with the series abandoned and the BCCI not responding to communiqués from the PCB. India’s silent ditching of the bilaterial series, the PCB say had cost them US$40m.The list of Pakistan’s disenchantment over cricketing relations with India stretches back beyond cricket over almost a year. The Shiv Sena’s protest in the BCCI office was preceded by the cancellation of concerts in India by two Pakistani singers, Atif Aslam and Ghulam Ali, in April and October 2015. A launch of a book written by former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, also in October, was disrupted by right-wing activists attacking one of the organisers with black ink. After more Shiv Sena protests, which occurred during South Africa’s tour of India, Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar and commentators Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram did not travel to Mumbai for an ODI and left the country instead.All of these events have led the PCB to be more stringent about its security demands on the BCCI and the ICC about the World T20. In such a scenario, if these demands are not met, there is every possibility the PCB may consider pulling both squads out of the tournament.