BD International Cricket S32 Discussion

[Zorax]

So ahead of our first friendly match, 20 year old allrounder Zakir Adeel has been called into the squad from the 'A' Team, replacing captain and senior seam-bowling allrounder Mubashar Obaid.

Zakir's got a big future ahead of him for BD, and will no double be in the squad by the time the next T20 World Cup rolls around, so it's great to have him in the squad now getting a taste of International cricket

We'll be calling up more youngsters from the reserves and 'A' Team in the coming days! Can only make 1 change after every match, otherwise I'd have made several changes already.

[Zorax]

A tough loss vs Zimbabwe, followed by a crushing win over the World Champions New Zealand!

One more change was made to the squad in between games - young spin allrounder Andy Li called up in place of veteran Mirza Uzair.

The Zimbabwe game was a bit gutting. We were outclassed, Zimbabwe are a very strong outfit, and they outrated us and put up much better BQ throughout the 2nd innings. We were maybe a bit lucky to keep them to the score we did, and frankly with 22 to win in 3 overs with two set batters we had every right to believe an upset was on the card. But the set batter was dismissed and the inexperienced lower-middle order collapsed under the pressure. Raun Shkorer could have still pulled it off - needed 10 off the last over - but credit to Mlotshwa for holding his nerve.

We bounced back superbly from that disappointing loss with an outstanding performance vs New Zealand today! Raun and Sami continue to churn out the runs, while Shams continues to impress in his new role as captain/finisher, hammering 42 off just 14 balls! Andy Li kept up the BD tradition of scoring a duck on debut, before taking 2 key wickets in the powerplay, after which Tauseef Blaoch celebrated his return on the XI with a five-fer! It's wonderful to be able to play 3 quality spinners on a dry deck - gone are the days where Mirza Uzair was a one man show!

Proper match reports/analysis in due course. Some youngsters have impressed in these friendlies so far, and we might look to call up another one ahead of our next match on the 24th!

[Zorax]

The next 'A' Team prospect called up to the squad is opener/wicketkeeper Shaukat Hakeem, replacing senior middle order batter Tin Yau

Unfortunately our two young 'keepers -Qasim and Zubair- have struggled to score runs this season, and we have also had difficulties finding a consistent opening pair. Vedanga has done well in his couple of stints, and so to partner him I've decided to call up Shaukat and give him a run. He's got a great stats opening the batting in T20s for his club (albeit at a lower standard), and I think he's got the right skillset for the job.

[Zorax]

Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, Friendly T20I, 17 Nov 2022 @ Lauderdale CG

Match ID: 1647047
State of Pitch: 87 Moisture, 32 wear, 94 speed
Weather: 13 wind, 68 cloud, 30 heat

Pre-Match Head to Head T20I Record: Played 9, Zim won 3, BD won 6

Toss: Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat
Result: Zimbabwe won by 7 runs

BD XI: V. Yeshonath, R. Baksh, R. Shkorer, S. Sami, N. Shams (*), Q. Bhatti (+), G. Ghani, Z. Adeel, A. Pasha, M. Khattak, I. Jamil
Zim XI: T. Msamkhulu, U. Mbatha, T. Gasela, N. Gcumisa, P. Johnson, T. Mkhulisi, V. Jamile (+), T. Mbuli, B. Austin (*), S. Mlotshwa, T. Chiliza

BD T20I debuts: Zakir Adeel
Zim T20I debuts: None

On to the friendlies, and a cracking match against a strong opposition. Our team of youngsters fought valiantly and were on the brink of an upset, but the pressure got the better of us and Zimbabwe emerged as worthy winners.

First let's talk about the playing XI. With the focus on building for the next WT20, the only 'senior' players selected were Shkorer (27), Sami (27) and Jamil (25). 20 year old Zakir Adeel made his BD debut, and Naveed Shams was given the captaincy in only his 2nd international match. Yeshonath, Pasha and Khattak were also playing their 2nd-ever matches, so a lot of exciting young talent on display. Qasim Bhatti had a go behind the sticks, while Baskh and Yeshonath paired up as openers. The pace and grass on the pitch meant that Pasha was our sole spinner, with 4 seamers to back him up, while Adeel's inclusion meant we now batted all the way down to 9.

We lost the toss and were put in to field, but I would have bowled first anyways. Ghani struck a couple of early blows in the powerplay, and Adeel picked up his first international wicket in the 9th over. At the halfway stage Zimbabwe were 69/3, game well poised. Msamkhulu and Johnson rebuilt, but Ghani returned to break the partnership, after which Khattak and Jamil picked up a wicket apiece as well. At 140/6 in 19 overs we had done pretty well, but Tarirai Mbuli smoked 22 runs off Ghani in the final over, ruining the young all-rounder's figures! 163 our score to chase - probably around par given the conditions, we would need a good platform from our top order.

Mbuli took the new ball for the Zimmers, and Yeshonath extracted some degree of revenge on Ghani's behalf, with boundaries off the first two balls! He hit the fence 3 more times within the powerplay, getting us off to a sparkling start, but played a poor shot to Chiliza in the 5th over. Baksh dragged on next over, and we ended the powerplay on 40/2.

Sami joined Shkorer in the middle, and the senior pros went about whittling the score down in efficient matter. At the end of the 13 overs, we were 100/2 - behind the asking rate, but ahead of where Zim were at the same stage. Together they added 60 runs in 43 balls, and we needed another 63 to win off the final 42. But that's when Sami fell, chopping onto his stumps as well, and with 60 needed off 6 overs the pressure was back on us. Skipper Shams joined Shkorer, and together the two of them counter-attacked superbly. 42 runs were added in just 25 balls, and with 21 needed off 17 we were ahead of the asking rate and sensing an upset.

Alas, that's when Zimbabwe dug deep and their quality showed. Shams gave them an opening by getting bowled after a loose attacking shot, and a few ball laters Bhatti was run out by Mbatha. Chiliza worked Ghani over in the 19th before dismissing him, leaving Raun on strike against Mlotshwa with 10 to win and Zakir to accompany him! Alas, the pressure was too much even for our veteran superstar, and the young paceman bowled an excellent final over. Two dots lead to the wicket of Shkorer, and Zimbabwe closed out a 7 run victory. So close but so far. Lack of experience did us there in the end - Ghani in particular struggling at the closing stages of both innings. But good effort overall and great to see the youngsters put up a fight!

Positives - Bowling was good overall - Ghani new ball wickets and Jamil's 4 overs for just 22 the standouts. Raun and Sami batted well with good cameos from Yeshonath and Shams.

Fitness Updates - Doesn't matter because it's a friendly game!

[Zorax]

Match Report - Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Friendly T20I, 20 Nov 2022 @ Stop Making Sense CG

Match ID: 1647052
State of Pitch: 0 Moisture, 51 wear, 73 speed
Weather: 63 wind, 71 cloud, 49 heat

Pre-Match Head to Head T20I Record: Played 9, NZ won 6, BD won 2, Tie 1

Toss: New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Bangladesh won by 56 runs.

BD XI: V. Yeshonath, R. Baksh, R. Shkorer, S. Sami, N. Shams (*), Q. Bhatti (+), A. Li, Z. Adeel, A. Pasha, T. Baloch, I. Jamil
NZ XI: F. Fisher, J. Sherwell, J. Rodgers (+), B. Standen, B. Driscoll, G. Gilbey, J. Sandiford (*), D. Mears, J. Lanigan, T. Bagley, S. Pitman

BD T20I debuts: Andy Li
NZ T20I debuts: None

A fantastic win over the reigning World Champions! Great to see our next gen spin attack emerge, and our batting stand up to some quality bowling.

We made two changes to the XI for this game - spin bowling allrounder Andy Li making his debut in place of Ghous Ghani, and Tauseef Baloch replacing Mushtaq Khattak. This meant three spinners, but with veteran Mirza Uzair sitting out. The conditions demanded it, and the plan was to bat first, get runs on the board, and then apply the chokehold. NZ won the toss, and sent us in to bat first! All according to plan. NZ were heavy on spin too, so they poised the challenge to us upfront and backed their long lineup to pull off the chase.

Vedanga got us off to another bright start, while Ramzan -suffering from low touch- struggled to get going again. Both of them were dismissed within the powerplay, the score 40/2 - identical to the Zimbabwe game! Once again Raun and Sami set about accumulating runs, and 8 overs later we were on 122/2. A really solid platform. Sami fell in the following over for 44 off 27, but Raun got to his 50 off his 32 balls. Naveed Shams joined him in the middle, and knocked it about while Raun kept the charge going. Shams tonked the last ball of the 17th for six, and we were at 158/3 with 3 overs to go. Pitman and Sandiford delivered those overs for NZ and picked up 4 wickets and 4 dot balls during it. Quality effort. However, Naveed Shams hammered 4 sixes as well, and finished on a fantastic 42 off just 14 balls! We ended on 195/7 - just short of 200, but a winning score.

NZ came out swinging hard against Jamil and 'Iceman' Andy Li, and the debutant -who scored a duck on debut, as is tradition now- delivered two big blows by dismissing Sherwell and Fisher inside the powerplay! Tauseef Baloch bowled the 7th over, and snagged the wickets of Standen and Discroll - NZ now 66/4 and struggling! Gilbey and Rodgers tried to rebuild, but felt the pressure of the mounting asking rate. Pasha broke the partnership, and what followed was a bit of a procession, with the odd boundary speckled amongst the wickets. NZ bowled out for 139 with 17 balls remaining. Outstanding effort! Tauseef Balcoh ending the game with remarkable figures of 5/19 in his 4 overs.

Positives - Shkorer and Sami consistent as ever, and Shams really stepping up and delivering on his destructive potential. Tauseef leading the spin attack superbly, with combined figures of 11-0-83-8. Just a great day out overall.

Fitness Updates - Doesn't matter because it's a friendly game!

[Zorax]

As I write the above report, we cop a 36 run loss to WC runners-up Sri Lanka. A flat deck and we were put in to bowl first, and got absolutely hammered . But the batters put in a spirited effort in the chase, with Hakeem impressing on debut. 188 is a great score vs 6.7 BQ, especially with Raun surviving just 3 balls. Reasonable performance overall!

In light of this result, Nathan Law has been summoned up to the squad to replace Hansh Magesh. The hope is he'll be able to do a job at number 6 - we've struggled to find a reliable performer in that slot. A useful fielder and with plenty of experience for man his age.

[Zorax]

Match Report - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Friendly T20I, 24 Nov 2022 @ Honest Hunks CG

Match ID: 1647057
State of Pitch: 48 Moisture, 17 wear, 55 speed
Weather: 0 wind, 67 cloud, 62 heat

Pre-Match Head to Head T20I Record: Played 9, SL won 6, BD won 3

Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat
Result: Sri Lanka won by 36 runs.

BD XI: V. Yeshonath, S. Hakeem, R. Shkorer, S. Sami, N. Shams (*), Z. Sheikh (+), G. Ghani, Z. Adeel, A. Pasha, M. Khattak, M. Rahman
SL XI: S. Alphonso (*), T. Wijeratne, R. Dissanayake, H. Nanayakkara, D. Senagala, R. Curgenven, S. Chengelpet (+), D. Muttukumara, S. Pethurupillai, A. Panditharatne, J. Mansoor

BD T20I debuts: Shaukat Hakeem
NZ T20I debuts: Rajitha Curgenven, Dilan Muttukumara, Shan Pethurupillai

A run fest against the World Cup runners-up and unfortunately we fell short. SL debuted some new faces as well, but it was their veterans who showed their quality once again. Good game with some positives to take from it.

Let's start with team selection. Destructive keeper/opener Shaukat Hakeem made his debut for BD, after having been on our radar for some time. Ramzan Baksh was left out, primarily due to his poor form, while Zubair Sheikh had another go behind the stumps, mainly because I wanted to have our best gloveman keeping wickets on a flat deck. The pitch dried out a bit more than I anticipated when I had locked in the XI, so perhaps going in with 4 seamers wasn't the right move, but SL fielded an all pace attack and bowled well so it wouldn't have made much of a difference. Khattak replaced Baloch, Ghani replaced Andy Li and Mustafizur Rahman came in for Idrees Jamil just because I thought it would be nice to get him some game time. The two young guns - Adeel and Pasha - were retained, while the rest of the batting lineup was unchanged too.

Unfortunately we lost the toss and were sent in to field first. Ideal conditions for batting first, and the SL batters came hard at our young and inexperienced attack. I will spare you the gory details - a scoreline of 224/5 says enough. An average BQ of 5.2 suggests we didn't bowl as well as we should. Rahman bowled at 7.7 but went for 44, Pasha's BQ didn't look great but he survived the onslaught with 1/32. Khattak probably didn't bowl badly enough to go at 15s, but that can happen to bowlers of his pace at this level. No SL batter struck at less than 137, and their debutant at 6 took us for 24 runs in 6 balls to end the innings in emphatic fashion. Yeshonath dropped a catch in the infield, but it probably didn't cost us too much, and overall I think we did fine. Just a young raw attack coming across a world class batting lineup on a flat pitch.

All you can ask after a pummeling like this is for your batters to dig deep and put up a fight, and that is exactly what we got. Shaukat Hakeem was terrific with 68 off 39 balls on debut, and Yeshonath, Sami and Sham all put up a fight. At 12 overs we were 117/2, while SL were 120/1 at the same point. Our undoing here was a lack of batting depth and experience. Shkorer managed to last only 3 balls, and both Sami and Shams couldn't sustain their assaults. Zubair fell for single digits yet again, Adeel got a first baller, and while Ghani and Pasha found the fence a few times we were always going to fall short. Credit to SL - they bowled excellently. Overall BQ 6.7, with three of their bowlers delivering at 7.5 or above. In the end, 188 a/o was actually quite a reasonable batting effort against that sort of quality. We just got outplayed overall by a better team. But we didn't embarrass ourselves, and maybe in a couple of season's time this side will be in a better position to win the game!

Positives - Hakeem's debut, Pasha holding his own with bat and ball. Sami and Shams continue to be destructive while Ghani also showed glimpses of his big hitting skills. Mustafizur bowling better than his numbers suggest.

Fitness Updates - Seems fitness hits are in effect after all! But nothing too significant. We should be raring to go vs Pakistan tomorrow!!

[Zorax]

Awesome performance today clinical with ball and bat, overturning another rating deficit to produce a victory. Jamil 6-fer and Vedanga 50 the highlights.

We've got an excellent combination brewing here, great signs for the future. Our final game is against Australia on 4 days time!

[Boxer]

[Zorax]

One change made to the squad - young Mustafa Mannan called up in place of Haroon Sattar, primarily so we can get a look at his skills. Unfortunately he's not quite ready for International cricket yet, but he's developing well and could be in the squad by the next T20 World Cup!