T20 is still arguable due to Boundaries Variations

June 7, 2016
By index
in Bangla Stars

It’s really arguable how fair it is to play Twenty 20 Cricket on small grounds with 60-metre boundaries.


Yes, to say that the Twenty 20 format is for sheer entertainment is a valid point and it is also acceptable that the main source of entertainment in Cricket is fours and sixes.

But, at the same time, you want the skill factor to remain in the game as well and don’t want the mishits to carry to the fence which they often do at most of the venues these days.

Also, from the bowlers’ point of view, it’s so harsh. The game is already unfairly tilted against them with the rules and a lot of other things which include the flat pitches and massive bats and now, to have the boundaries so short as well, it’s like demoralizing them.

Yesterday in Bangalore in the first qualifier game of the Indian Premier League 2016, the batsmen were defeated so many times with spin and bounce, but, still the splices or the half hits as they call them, they all flew over the ropes and there was a smile on the bowlers’ face every time it happened because it was ridiculous.

Ideally, the game should always be balanced where every player can feel he will get the rewards of executing his skills well.

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Chris Morris is quickly becoming the all rounder that South Africa had been searching for a long time

March 3, 2016
By index
in Bangla Stars

Chris Morris is quickly becoming the all rounder that South Africa had been searching for a long time.
Morris, at a young age itself, was identified as someone who could take the place of Jacques Kallis as the genuine all rounder in the South African line up.
But, he couldn’t quite convert his batting potential into performances in the early stages of his international career.
However, recently, the manner in which he has finished a couple of games for South Africa batting at no. 8, it would have given a lot of encouragement to the team management.
If he had not been there, South Africa would probably have lost the One Day International series against England.
In the 4th game which was a must-win for them, the Proteas had got only two wickets left in the shed and they were still 50 odd runs short of the target.
It was almost all over for them, but, only for Morris to come up with an absolute master class from nowhere and just run away with the chase.
And, that innings was special because it was played in tricky conditions.
The ball was seaming around that night in Centurion and hitting through the line was not the easiest job in the world.
And, to prove those people wrong who were of the view that the Centurion knock was a mere fluke from Morris, the 28-year old did it again in the first twenty 20 game against England in Cape Town.

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Mashrafe Mortaza made Bangladesh more Stronger

November 30, 2015
By index
in Bangla Stars

Since the time Mashrafe Mortaza has been appointed the captain of the Bangladesh limited over teams, the Tigers have gone from strength to strength.
There were quite a few who had dismissed the World Cup showing of Bangladesh as a mere fluke, but, in the ongoing home season, Mortaza’s boys have shown that they have actually raised their game and they deserve each and every win that they have secured in the recent times.

After clean sweeping Pakistan, they downed India 1-2 and that too quite dominatingly.

Now, they are up against South Africa and though, South Africa is a better team than Pakistan and India at the moment, they might as well end up rolling over them.

Mortaza has actually made these young Bangladeshi players believe that they are good enough to fight against any team in the World.
The Bangladeshis always had talent, but, what they lacked was the self belief.

They did not have an aggressive and thoughtful leader who would ask them to think about victory every single time.

The way Mortaza’s field settings and bowling changes have been, it has impressed everyone.

In the games against India, at times, he had 7 fielders in the 30-yard circle. He was not ready to give the batsmen easy singles at all and was virtually challenging them to go over the top if they could.

Also, the all pace attack that he went with, India would surely have not expected that.

Bangladesh’s strength has always been spin bowling and it was assumed Mortaza would go with three-one combination with himself, Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed as the three seamers and Arafat Sunny the spinner.

But, the 31-year old brought in the surprise package Mustafizur Rahman and that guy made all the difference at the end.

Mortaza, the bowler, might be on decline, but, Mortaza, the captain, is certainly on the rise and he is taking the Bangladeshi team to another level.

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Aussies might have been much higher in the test rankings than Bangladesh

October 4, 2015
By index
in Bangla Stars

The Aussies might have been much higher in the test rankings than Bangladesh, but, they must be ready to face some challenges on their coming tour to the subcontinent nation.

The Bangladeshi side has improved immensely in the last couple of years in all formats of the game.

They are no longer a side whom you believe you would just turn up and sink.

Towards the end of the last season, they beat the likes of India and South Africa in One Day Internationals.

They had South Africa under huge pressure in one of the test matches as well and had it not been for rain, they perhaps would have emerged winners.

So, they have been giving big teams a run for their money and there’s no reason why they wouldn’t be able to push Australia to the limits.

Especially, at this point of time when the kangaroos have to go through a bit of a transition following the retirements of their prominent faces.

The heroes of Australia’s 2013 Ashes win i.e. Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson have all retired and the batting line up is far from being settled.

David Warner will also not be there in Bangladesh as he fractured his thumb during the England One Day Internationals and has been ruled out of Cricket for a couple of months.

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Bangladesh Cricket Team has won two out of the two One Day International matches

April 23, 2015
By index
in Bangla Stars

The Bangladesh Cricket Team has won two out of the two One Day International matches that they have played against Pakistan in the ongoing series and by doing so, they have taken an unbeatable lead of 2-0.

After the memorable World Cup that they had, the spirit of the Bangladeshi Cricketers has gone sky high and they are playing with a lot of confidence now.

Yes, you can say that this Pakistani team that they have beaten, it’s a new look side, but, that’s not Bangladesh’s fault.

They have confronted the team that is sent by Pakistan and have beaten them.

It would be a little unfair to talk about the inexperience of the Pakistani team and thus, undermine the achievement of Bangladesh.

The hero for Bangladesh in this series victory has been the left handed opener Tamim Iqbal who has scored hundred in both the matches.

The wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim as well, he too has scored heavily, a hundred in the first game and a fifty in the second.

For Pakistan on the other hand, this is a little bit of an embarrassment despite the fact that they have a young team which is playing under a new captain.

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Bangladesh crushed Afghanistan in WC 2015

February 24, 2015
By index
in Bangla Stars

Bangladesh avenged the Asia Cup defeat versus Afghanistan as they beat the minnows hands down yesterday in the World Cup.

Batting first under seaming conditions, the Bangladeshi openers were not too eager to score runs.

The focus was more on not to go fishing outside the off stump and let as many balls go as possible and it was a pretty good idea actually. To see off the early part when the ball is moving is very important in New Zealand.

Bangladesh never really cared about the low run rate. They had done their homework on the conditions. They knew the rate could be achieved later if there were wickets in the kitty and that’s what exactly happened.

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