**Official** Bangladesh in Sri Lanka

[JASON]

So your going to tell me that FC cricketer in Australia and grade cricketers in Australia play spin better then Test Cricketers. Actually i know some people that would agree with that, atleast playing leg spin.

No obviously I was referring to the Indians. I find it difficult to accept an excuse such as a cricketer not trying hard at Test level....

 

[chaminda_00]

No obviously I was referring to the Indians. I find it difficult to accept an excuse such as a cricketer not trying hard at Test level....

IMO he could have had an average in the low 20s if he wanted, but in a lot of matches when the games were done and dusted or Australia were in control he went into 2nd gear. I don't think Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were the only times at Test level he played at 2nd or 3rd gear. His always been one of those players that steps up when Australia needs him and cruises when they don't.

 

[JASON]

IMO he could have had an average in the low 20s if he wanted, but in a lot of matches when the games were done and dusted or Australia were in control he went into 2nd gear. I don't think Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were the only times at Test level he played at 2nd or 3rd gear. His always been one of those players that steps up when Australia needs him and cruises when they don't.

Thats clearly because he was not Australia's chief wicket taker...McGrath and others broke thru the top and he cleaned out the rest and Tail as the stats clearly show.

In Sri Lanka's case Murali is the chief wicket taker and he has had to break thru the top order ...which is also why he has to bowl a lot of overs ... He really has to work hard at the top order...something Warne has had others do for him...little surprise then that he didn't (to quote your words) try harder against Bangladesh last year .

 

[JBH001]

I sense another Warne vs Murali debate brewing. Maybe we should stop with the Warne comparisons in a thread that has nothing to do with him?

I think you find it cus he didn't try too hard, similar to when he plays grade cricket in Victoria. He generally gets hit around a fair bit and doesn't take a lot of wickets. His record over the last couple years since he retired from ODIs and played more FC and Grade Cricket, gets worse each level he plays.

I am not sure about that. I always saw that as a result of the fact that there is no Warne aura of invincibility and intimidation in Australia. The Aussie bats, being Aussie bats, are keen to take him on. However, if he was just not trying all that much well I guess its a little difficult to hold that against him - he, like all true greats, usually steps up on the big occassion when it counts.

 

[Nishan]

I dont thing Warnie found them cheap against Bangladesh last year..

Dude.. Warnie has never kept it as a secret, that he doesn't rate wickets taken against Bangladesh and Zim too highly but since both these teams have test status (in Zimbabwe's i should say they had test status) so he had no choice but to play test cricket against them but still in such a long test career Warnie has only played test cricket against both these sides three times.

Dnt think u got what i said "dude" jason pointed out what i meant he got hit around a bit thats what i meant. Please dont tell me did he forget his pills for that tour? so he couldnt try?

Neway i think Kapugedra needs game time dont see anyone dropping out in the top 6 PJ is not going to play in australia unless he scores another 2 centuries

 

[pup11]

Is that the same against India as well then...he just doesn't try hard enough against Teams that play spin well perhaps...

Now Warnie had bowled a lot overs before the the Bangladesh tour and at his age his body was bound to get sore and if you guys remember he suffered from some sort of an injury during the 1st test. And as for Warnie not doing well against India you have got to agree that the Indian teams he played against had a lot of superb players of spin. If Warnie would have played against the current Indian side his record would have been a lot better.

 

[shehanwije]

So your going to tell me that FC cricketer in Australia and grade cricketers in Australia play spin better then Test Cricketers. Actually i know some people that would agree with that, atleast playing leg spin.

Chaminda, yes, I do believe that Australian grade cricketers do play orthodox leg spin well....better than the English anyway. But playing spin in Australia on bouncing tracks is a darn sight easier than playing any type of spin on a sub contitental type low slow track where the pitch breaks up sooner than on the good batting tracks we see in Aus.....add the "mystery" element of a lot of the sub continental's "un-orthodox" spinners and its a lot more complex.

 

[Aritro]

Several months after the importance of this move became obvious to the rest of us, our selectors have finally picked Mushfiq ahead of Khaled Mashud

http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/slvbdesh/content/current/story/300351.html

Not sure I endorse the other two moves though. Mehrab is pretty erratic even at A team/Academy levels and Sharif is a club standard bowler.

 

[pup11]

Several months after the importance of this move became obvious to the rest of us, our selectors have finally picked Mushfiq ahead of Khaled Mashud

http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/slvbdesh/content/current/story/300351.html

Not sure I endorse the other two moves though. Mehrab is pretty erratic even at A team/Academy levels and Sharif is a club standard bowler.

Good move by Bangladeshi selectors to include Mushfiq ahead of Mashud, finally some common sense has prevailed.

 

[Perm]

Several months after the importance of this move became obvious to the rest of us, our selectors have finally picked Mushfiq ahead of Khaled Mashud

http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/slvbdesh/content/current/story/300351.html

Not sure I endorse the other two moves though. Mehrab is pretty erratic even at A team/Academy levels and Sharif is a club standard bowler.

Now Bangladesh are going to be playing with only one genuine spin bowler in Mohammad Rafique with Saleh, Ashraful and Mehrab to bowl a few overs. Poor choice by the selectors, Sharif is only a very average bowler. Dropping Saqibul is madness IMO, he has been a very good player for Bangladesh in the recent past and hasn't done too badly in Test cricket. Good to see Mushfiqur getting a run though.

 

[Nishan]

Vass is returning to england at the end of this game so we r likely to see Silva .S playing, With just 1 spinner its an intersting ploy we will have to see how the pitch plays i think it will be very slow as always at the sara.

 

[Aritro]

Now Bangladesh are going to be playing with only one genuine spin bowler in Mohammad Rafique with Saleh, Ashraful and Mehrab to bowl a few overs. Poor choice by the selectors, Sharif is only a very average bowler. Dropping Saqibul is madness IMO, he has been a very good player for Bangladesh in the recent past and hasn't done too badly in Test cricket. Good to see Mushfiqur getting a run though.

I think the arguement is that Sharif is capable of moving it around a bit (especially the old ball) so he'd be better suited to a green-ish pitch.

However, dropping Sakib was indeed madness. Not a bad option to throw on for short periods in order to stem the runs when the opposition gets on top. I've never seen Mehrab bowl but I'd be very surprised if he's any where near as good at that particular job.

As far as batting goes, Mehrab's the more compact of the two but Sakib's got it all over him in terms of temperment.

 

[chaminda_00]

Mehreb out bowled Sakib (or whatever he wants to call himself) in the last Youth World Cup. His more then handy bowler and not that far off Sakib.

 

[Aritro]

Hmm... didn't realise that.

 

[Nishan]

Sri Lanka bowling First looks good call so far Nafees gone to Malinga but i wanted lanka batting test them selves against the conditions at least if the bowling is int threatning

 

[Xuhaib]

Haha...Malinga what a superstar.

 

[Fiery]

Not great start to Ashraful's captaincy career. 3rd ball duck and his team in the poop.

EDIT: Not his debut. D'oh!! (Was thinking it was an ODI actually, and I'm sticking to that excuse)

 

[pup11]

A new test but the same old story for Bangladesh Malinga has had a blast having taken 4 wickets so far.

 

[Fiery]

A new test but the same old story for Bangladesh Malinga has had a blast having taken 4 wickets so far.

He needs to get that average under 30. He's better than that

 

[Perm]

Mehreb out bowled Sakib (or whatever he wants to call himself) in the last Youth World Cup. His more then handy bowler and not that far off Sakib.

I don't pay too much attention to Under 19 cricket, I think Prince EWS has given a fair few examples of players opening the batting in U19 cricket and turning out to be a FC bowler, or something similar.