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The former BCB general secretary had been battling with Covid-19 since late December

Mohammad Isam20-Jan-2021Raisuddin Ahmed, the former BCB general secretary who was instrumental in Bangladesh taking their first steps in international cricket, passed away in Dhaka on Wednesday. He was 82. Ahmed had battled with Covid-19, having been admitted to a hospital in Dhaka since December 25.Raisuddin Ahmed was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the 2017 Prothom Alo Sports Awards•Prothom Alo

Ahmed was the board’s general secretary from 1975 to 1981, a period during which the MCC toured Bangladesh for the first time – in 1977 – and the team gained Associate status and participated in the 1979 ICC Trophy. Ahmed was a central figure in regularly communicating with Lord’s in those days, ensuring Bangladesh were a presence in the cricketing landscape. As a director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the national carrier, Ahmed also roped in Biman as cricket’s first major sponsor in the country.During his time as the BCB’s vice-president from 1991 to 2001, Bangladesh took even more significant strides, as they won the 1997 ICC Trophy to qualify for the 1999 World Cup, as well as gain Test status in June 2000.Born in 1939, Ahmed went to the three most prestigious educational institutions in Dhaka – St Gregory High School, Notre Dame College and the Dhaka University. He played first-class cricket for Dhaka University in the 1957-58 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and was a regular in the Dhaka league during the East Pakistan period, regularly opening the batting and bowling legspin. Ahmed was also East Pakistan captain in basketball, and later served as the vice-president of Pakistan Basketball Federation.BCB president Nazmul Hassan paid respect to Ahmed, hailing his contributions to Bangladesh cricket at its formative stage.”Raisuddin Ahmed served Bangladesh cricket at a time when the game was struggling to take off. It is due to the selfless efforts of people like him that our cricket is where it is today. On behalf of the board, I extend condolences and sympathies to his family.”

Gus Logie remains interim head coach, while Rayon Griffith is also part of the support staff

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2019Former fast bowler Courtney Walsh is part of a new interim management appointed for the West Indies women’s team. Walsh will be assistant to Gus Logie, who has been head coach since last month. Cricket West Indies (CWI) is still looking for a for a full-time head coach.The interim management also includes former Guyanese batsman Rayon Griffith, who was an assistant coach with the West Indies men at the 2019 World Cup and during the subsequent home series against India. He was also with runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors at the CPL.”We’ve had some of the best minds and coaches in the region working with the players. Courtney and Rayon have been working really hard with the ladies at training and we are hoping to see the results on the field,” Logie said.CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams was also pleased with the composition of the team’s technical support unit. “I am confident that our entire support staff, under Gus’ leadership and direction, is capable of driving our women’s cricket forward whilst we begin the search for a permanent head coach,” he said. “Gus has been involved with the program for the past two years and both Rayon and Courtney bring with them a strong working knowledge of what it takes to be successful at the elite level.”Walsh was most recently the bowling coach of the Bangladesh men’s team and has also served as a West Indies selector in the past.”My function is to focus a lot more on the bowlers and the cricket in general to get the ladies together,” Walsh said. “I’m just happy to be able to work with Gus – we haven’t had a chance to be on the same team since we were players and we just want the women to play the type of cricket we know they can play.”The ladies have been very warm and receptive and listened to what I’ve got to say. They are not afraid of trying and implementing what I’ve been telling them. I think one of the advantages I have, is that I was involved in women’s cricket before as a selector and I was part of a couple of their training camps, so they know me and they’ve seen me around. They know I want the best for them and they appreciate that, so for me it’s a plus coming back into the fold of the women’s team now.”CWI also named Evril Betty Lewis as the team’s interim manager, who will lead the new team management along with Logie, according to a board release.

His decision came two matches into a loan deal with Derbyshire after his opportunities at Hampshire dried up and he led the team off at the end of their game with Kent

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2018Sean Ervine, the former Zimbabwe allrounder, has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect.His decision came two matches into a loan deal with Derbyshire after his opportunities at Hampshire dried up and he led the team off at the end of their game with Kent.”Yesterday I made the biggest decision of my life,” Ervine said. “After 14 years playing county cricket I have decided to hang up my number 7 shirt. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Rod [Bransgrove] & Hampshire for giving me the opportunity to advance my career, after having to retire from international cricket with Zimbabwe prematurely.”I’ve been lucky to play alongside some wonderful people along the way and made some fantastic friends. To the fans who have supported me all these years, I salute you. I’m extremely proud of what I’ve achieved, and I feel honoured that I got to achieve it at Hampshire.”I’ve always put the team first above everything else, and done it wholeheartedly. I’d finally like to thank my family for their phenomenal sacrifices and support over the years, of which my dream couldn’t be possible.”Ervine, 35, finished his international career in 2004 after five Tests and 42 ODIs amid the mass of players leaving Zimbabwe cricket and forged a highly successful career with Hampshire. He finishes with 11,390 first-class runs alongside 280 wickets, 5716 runs and 206 List A wickets and over 3000 T20 runs alongside 68 wickets.Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White, said: “Sean has been an outstanding player for the club over many years and will be greatly missed, not only on the pitch but also in the dressing room. He made an immediate impact upon arrival at Hampshire and has gone on to play an important role in one of the most successful periods in the club’s history, with seven major trophies won across all formats.”Billy Godleman, the Derbyshire captain, said: “Sean shared with the group today that he’s had a long hard think about his career and he’s decided to retire as of today from the game.”Although he’s only been with us for a couple of games, we’ve all played against him for many years and he’s been a fantastic performer and most importantly a really good solid cricket man and he’s one of the good guys in professional cricket.”When Ervine joined Derbyshire he said he was looking for an opportunity having not played in the Hampshire first team since June. “The aim now is to be as competitive as possible in the final run of games and see where that can take us.”However, in two Championship matches he made 2, 1, 26 and 22

A new-look Sri Lanka spin attack hit the ground running to dismiss Zimbabwe for 155 and set up a seven-wicket win in the second ODI in Galle

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Jul-2017Sri Lanka 158 for 3 (Tharanga 75*, Dickwella 35, Chatara 2-33) beat Zimbabwe 155 (Masakadza 41,Waller 38, Sandakan 4-52, Hasaranga 3-15) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLakshan Sandakan celebrated his return with his first four-wicket haul in ODI cricket•AFP

Two days after Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers were crashed around at Galle, two fresh spinners trussed up Zimbabwe’s middle order, before Sri Lanka’s batsmen completed a largely unflustered chase of 156. The heft of this seven-wicket victory – achieved with 19.5 overs remaining in the innings – will put some confidence back to into the Sri Lanka side, following their shock defeat on Friday.Nineteen-year-old legspinner Wanidu Hasaranga made the most dramatic contribution, becoming the third debutant in ODI history to claim a hat-trick, when he wiped out Zimbabwe’s tail with the 14th, 15th and 16th deliveries of his international career. But by that stage, Sri Lanka were already in command, thanks largely to Lakshan Sandakan, who was sidelined for long periods by the selectors but was deadly upon his return here.Zimbabwe’s batsmen tried to sweep him hard, and often, as they had done to Amila Aponso and Akila Dananjaya in the last match, but Sandakan, wise to this plan, switched up his lines when he saw a premeditated shot coming. And in any case, he enacted so many revolutions on the ball that his dip and bounce prompted fatal mistakes. He had Craig Ervine caught behind, before Sikandar Raza top-edged a reverse sweep, and Ryan Burl was bowled attempting one. Peter Moor then edged the ball back onto his stumps, and Sandakan claimed a final analysis of 4 for 52. To Angelo Mathews’ credit, he allowed Sandakan to bowl out early in the game despite a shaky economy rate. All ten of his overs were delivered between the 10th and 31st of the innings.Hasaranga, meanwhile, was required to deliver only 2.4 overs, but was nerveless in that spell, persisting with an aggressive length even when batsmen had hit boundaries off him. In fact, his hat-trick came immediately after Malcolm Waller crunched him down the ground for four. Waller was bowled off the inside edge by an arm ball, before Donald Tiripano and Tendai Chatara were both dismissed by googlies. Like the men who had come to crowd the bat, the packed banks of his home ground also went into a frenzy at the hat-trick wicket. Hasaranga became the fifth Sri Lanka bowler to claim an ODI hat trick, and the third to do so on debut, after Taijul Islam and Kagiso Rabada.Wanidu Hasaranga became the third bowler, after Taijul Islam and Kagiso Rabada, to claim a hat-trick on ODI debut•AFP

Zimbabwe had their moments in the match, but unlike on Friday, could not mount pressure on Sri Lanka for sustained periods of time. Tendai Chatara claimed two wickets in his second over, but Upul Tharanga soon becalmed the innings, and very quickly, Sri Lanka were steadily sailing towards the target – Tharanga 75 not out, to follow his unbeaten 79 on Friday.Hamilton Masakadza and Craig Ervine had earlier been involved in a promising 56-run second-wicket stand in Zimbabwe’s innings, but when Masakadza was caught and bowled sharply by Asela Gunaratne, a collapse followed. Zimbabwe lost five of their top six for 52 runs, in the space of 10.3 overs. Malcolm Waller offered the only resistance, slapping six boundaries in his 29-ball 38 – all but one of those boundaries coming off the spinners. While he and Peter Moor were at the crease, Zimbabwe would still have hoped for a score of over 200, but Hasaranga would wipe out the tail faster than anyone would have imagined.Gunathilaka played on attempting to pull Chatara in the third over, and Kusal Mendis edged a leg-side ball to the keeper, but though the early overs remained tense, Zimbabwe could not make enough headway in them to push the hosts. Tharanga was poised early in his innings, pushing gentle singles and twos while Niroshan Dickwella ventured more aggressive strokes, but when Sri Lanka passed 100, he began to flow. He hit two leg-side boundaries to go to his fifth fifty-plus score in his last eight innings, and continued to attack as Sri Lanka drew near the total. At the other end was Angelo Mathews, prodding his team towards their target with characteristic care.Zimbabwe will perhaps feel that they deployed the sweep shot a little too eagerly on this occasion, after that stroke brought them Friday’s success. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, may reflect on the benefits of deploying a wicket-taking spin bowler through the middle overs.

Leicestershire’s late assault proved decisive as Yorkshire, so disappointing in the Blast last season, lost heavily in front of only 6,000 at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2016
ScorecardBen Raine top-scored for Leicestershire and then took three wickets•Getty Images

Yorkshire Vikings were never in the hunt against Leicestershire Foxes who beat them by 54 runs with eight balls remaining in the NatWest T20 Blast at Headingley.It was a disappointing start to the campaign for Yorkshire, who are desperate to do well in the competition this season under a new young captain in Alex Lees, but who drew only 6,000 to Headingley.Leicestershire could feel delighted with the result after opening with a defeat to Northamptonshire last week.Chasing a 175 victory target, Yorkshire failed to put a substantial stand together in a game which was dominated by Ben Raine and the O’Brien brothers, Kevin and Niall.Raine top-scored with 48 before opening the bowling and capturing 3 for 7 in his 3.4 overs. Niall O’Brien powered his way to 39 while Kevin hit 21 and then took three for 27.Yorkshire lost wickets at regular intervals and openers Adam Lyth and new one-day captain, Alex Lees, were both out inside the first five overs, Lyth driving Raine to mid-off and Lees turning Kevin O’Brien to leg-gully.Only Will Rhodes showed any real form, coming in at 32 for 4 and smacking 45 with three fours and two sixes before departing at 109 for 9 by driving Neil Dexter to Tom Wells at long off, by which time the game was well and truly lost for Yorkshire.A late flurry of sixes had revitalised the Foxes’ innings with 102 coming off the final ten overs. It was off the fourth delivery of the 14th over that Niall O’Brien straight drove Lyth for the first six of the match but another eight were to clear the rope in the remaining overs for Leicestershire to close on a competitive 174 for seven.All four of Niall O’Brian’s boundary shots in his 39 off 21 balls came from six hits while Raine included two fours and two sixes in his 48 from 43 deliveries.But Lewis Hill was responsible for the final flourish with three mid-wicket sixes in the last over from Ben Coad who gave away 22 runs, Hill ending unbeaten on 24 from just nine balls.Yorkshire did not have their best night in the field as three catches were put down, the easiest being when Raine, who had just pulled Adil Rashid for two sixes, survived a simple chance to Liam Plunkett on the mid-wicket boundary.Things began encouragingly for Yorkshire as Tim Bresnan, in his first appearance of the season after being sidelined with a calf muscle tear, started with a wicket maiden, Pettini forcing his fifth ball straight into the hands of Rhodes at point.Bresnan’s new ball partner, James Wainman, also enjoyed an early success on his T20 Blast debut. In Wainman’s second over, Mark Cosgrove, who had struck 20 from 11 balls, was caught at deep square leg by Coad.Bresnan and Plunkett each claimed two wickets but Leicestershire kept battling away and their destructive hitting late on proved to be decisive.

Mohammad Amir’s possible appearance in the Big Bash League didn’t materialise as Sydney Thunder weren’t keen on signing the fast bowler

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2015Mohammad Amir’s possible appearance in the Big Bash League didn’t materialise as Sydney Thunder weren’t keen on signing the fast bowler. Amir’s London-based agents contacted Thunder to find out their interest in Amir, but the franchise’s general manager Nick Cummins said they were looking for an allrounder rather than a bowler to join Jacques Kallis as their second International player.”We approached the Sydney Thunder and at that point we thought they still had a spot left for a similar type of player,” Simon Auteri, whose company Insignia Sports International represents Amir, was quoted as saying in the . “With the World Twenty20 coming up early next year we thought it might have been a decent fit.””We appreciate with a lot of these teams abroad it will probably be a tough sell especially until he gets back playing at the highest level. He’s back fully playing and he wants to play abroad, and he’s still so young. We think that he does deserve another go and that’s what we’re trying to do.”Amir, banned for five years in 2010 for his role in spot-fixing, was allowed an early return to domestic cricket in January after he adhered to criteria stipulated by the new anti-corruption code. He picked up three wickets in a Grade-2 game, his first competitive fixture since 2010. Amir also turned up for Rawalpindi Rams in the Super 8 T20 Cup.

New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has been fined $750 for showing dissent towards the umpires during a Plunket Shield match

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2012New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has been fined $750 for showing dissent towards the umpires during a Plunket Shield match for Wellington against Central Districts in Napier late last month.New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed today that Ryder was reported by the umpires for a Level One breach of NZC’s code of conduct for using language that was offensive and insulting to the umpires Evan Watkin and Chris Gaffaney, after having an lbw shout off his bowling turned down.The incident marred Ryder’s stirring comeback to competitive cricket, having scored 117 and 174 in Wellington’s five-wicket win. In March, Ryder had taken an indefinite break from the game to resolve his personal issues, but in July committed to a full season of first-class cricket.

The BCCI and ICC have confirmed the DRS will not be in use for the upcoming one-day international series and one-off Twenty20 international between India and England

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2011

Domestic matches to use new playing conditions

At the June conference, the ICC had also made certain amendments to the playing conditions for international matches, including the use of two new balls for ODIs and the removal of runners, to come into effect from October 1. The BCCI has said that all senior-level domestic matches and tournaments organised by the BCCI will now be played under the amended playing conditions starting with the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, to be hosted by the Vidarbha Cricket Association from October 10 to October 13.

The BCCI and ICC have confirmed the DRS will not be in use for the upcoming one-day international series and one-off Twenty20 international between India and England. Warren Brennan, the chief executive of BBG Sports, the company behind Hot Spot, had told ESPNcricinfo on October 5 that they would not be making the technology available for the series. Since Hot Spot was made one of the minimum requirements for the DRS during the ICC’s annual conference in June, the ICC has said there will be no reviews for the India-England series.Brennan admitted BBG Sports was disappointed with Hot Spot’s performance during India’s tour of England and said he believed “it did not have BCCI’s support” for the technology following that series. “Following the comments by Mr Srinivasan on September 20 in relation to Hot Spot and the DRS process, BBG Sports believed it did not have the support of the BCCI and promptly decided not to bring the Hot Spot to India for their upcoming home series,” he said in an email to ESPNcricinfo. Srinivasan, the new BCCI president, had criticised Hot Spot after the board’s annual general meeting in Mumbai.Since the DRS will not be in use, the ICC do not require an umpire from their elite panel to be third umpire. Hence they have said Simon Taufel will not be required to officiate in the matches and Billy Bowden will be the only umpire from the elite panel to stand in the series.

Pakistan limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi is hoping his side can put the troubles of the recent England tour behind them

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2010Pakistan limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has said he hopes his side can put the troubles of the recent England tour behind them as they begin their build-up to next year’s World Cup.Pakistan lost both the Test and one-day series to England, and three of their players – former captain Salman Butt and fast-bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – were suspended by the ICC following their alleged involvement in ‘spot-fixing’ during the last Test at Lord’s.They now head out to UAE to meet South Africa for two Twenty20 games before a five-match ODI series which starts in November. A two-match Test series follows before the team sets off for New Zealand. Afridi feels his side has the talent to win the limited-overs series and hopes the upcoming World Cup can galvanize a side that has been beset by off-field troubles.”It’s all about confidence. We can improve our World Cup chances by boosting our confidence and should do that by winning matches against South Africa and later against New Zealand,” he said. “We have to forget what happened during the tour of England. What the team desperately needs is some good results and I’m sure that if we play to our potential we can do that against South Africa.”Shorn of the services of the suspended players, Afridi refused to condemn the trio and insisted that his spinners could prove to be Pakistan’s biggest weapon. “We are going to miss the three because they are our key players,” he said.”But we can’t just sit back and cry over it. We have to focus on the upcoming assignments and thankfully, we still have several match-winners in our side. Spinners will certainly be playing the major role in UAE, the wickets there should give them a lot of assistance.”

Former Indian allrounder chosen for highest honour the BCC can bestow

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009Mohinder Amarnath, the former Indian allrounder, has been chosen for the CK Nayudu lifetime achievement award, the highest honour the Indian board can bestow on a former player. It will be presented to him later this month in Mumbai.The CK Nayudu award comes with a trophy, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh (approx. US$ 3w,000).Amarnath – or Jimmy as he prefers to be known – scored 4,378 runs at an average of 42.50. Yet he will perhaps most be remembered for winning Man-of-the-Match awards in the 1983 World Cup semi-final against England and in the final against West Indies, when India achieved one of the game’s most unexpected victories.A technically accomplished and orthodox right-hander, he saved his best performances for the fearsome West Indies pace attacks. He made 85 in Trinidad in 1975-76 as India made the highest ever fourth innings score to win a Test (406 for 4) and was the brightest start of the 1983 Lord’s final, scoring 26 and taking 3 for 12 with his useful medium-pacers.The preceding winter Amarnath showed remarkable consistency in making 1182 runs at 69.53 in 11 overseas Tests, five of which were in the Caribbean and none of which India won, although the following winter he made just one run in six innings as the West Indian fast bowlers wreaked their revenge.The son of the great Indian captain Lala, Amarnath also captained Delhi to the Ranji Trophy in 1981/82 – he scored 185 as they overhauled Karnataka’s 705 to win an extraordinary final – and made a century before lunch against Northants in 1986.