Streak shaping Bangla pace

Dhaka, Mar 04, 2016, DHNS:

The cricketing world may be surprised to see a steady stream of quality fast bowlers in Bangladesh side but not Heath Streak. The former Zimbabwean captain and coach is the man who has tirelessly worked behind the scenes to bring about the transformation from their over-reliance on a clutch of left-arm spinners to producing fire-spitting fast bowlers.

 As Bangladesh made it to the final of the Asia Cup, the confidence of the young fast bowlers in raging down sides like Pakistan and Sri Lanka was there for all to see. And no one is happier than Streak, who was among the best fast bowlers in the 90s, and roped in by Bangladesh in June 2014.

Pakistan, India and South returned with defeats in 50-over matches from Bangladesh last year and it were the pacers who made the difference.

“I realized the players here had a natural ability and skill. It was more about assisting them tactically and helping them develop in understanding of the game and conditions. Like how to bowl in certain conditions, how to exploit the weakness of opposition batsmen, how to target a batsman,” Streak told Deccan Herald.

“We also worked on training. Like they used to train for long hours but it was of low intensity. We reduced the time but made it high intensity. We trained in match like situations, all this is now showing results”.

Streak on his arrival found that while the country had no dearth of talent, the fast bowlers were not getting the opportunities they needed. “The domestic structure and condition were in favour of spin. It was difficult for the talented bowlers to come up. The first thing we did was to identify the players with the ability and desire to improve,” he said.

 “Our first tour was to West Indies, we did miserably but we identified the areas to work on. It was only during the World Cup that some of our hard work started showing. The belief came in, and once that confidence came, they began to enjoy bowling.”

One of the finds of Bangladesh has been young left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman and Streak is excited about him. “When we found him, no one looked at him as a potential international player. We called him to bowl in the nets to international players. Seeing the senior bowlers bowl, he began to develop his potential,” he said.

“He is a very gifted individual. It is difficult for the batsmen to read him. His stock delivery and cutters cannot be made out by the batsmen. It was a blow for us to lose him for the Asia Cup but we will try that he is with us for the T20 World Cup.”

With World Cup T20 knocking at the doors, Streak is confident of his pace attack. “There is variation in our bowling attack. It makes it easier for me to have a captain like Mashrafe Mortaza who is also a bowler. 

“He can read a game very well, he has a lot of variety in his bowling. Then we have Taskin Ahmed who is a genuine quick and can extract bounce and Al Amin Hossain who has this nice top action. Then we have spinners in Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmuddullah, Nasir Hossain, so all in all it is very balanced. Asia Cup has been a good preparation,” he said.

Test cricket is one area Bangladesh still need to prove themselves and Streak believes that would only come by playing more matches. “What is happening now is that we play in one series and for the next 3-4 months we are waiting,” he said.

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Swastic Union CC (2) emerge champions

Bengaluru, March 5, 2016, DHNS

Half-centuries from Ashish Dhar and Yuvraj trumped Sahban Khan’s sparkling ton as Swastic Union Cricket Club (2) eked out a narrow one-wicket win against Modern Cricket Club on the last ball in the final of the KSCA Special Tournament (knock-out) for zonal champions and top six teams of Group I, Division II here at the Alur (1) ground.

Batting first, Modern CC posted a competitive 262 for eight in 50 overs. Sahban’s innings was the rock around which Modern built their total. The youngster’s 104 came off just 106 balls, including nine hits to the fence and three over it. Ankit Udupa (43) and Bhavesh Gulecha (40) made decent contributions.

Dhar (87) and Yuvraj (69 n.o.) shaped SUCC’s successful chase but not without its share of drama. That the win came off the final ball with the last pair of batsmen at the crease testifies the closeness of the contest. 

Brief scores: Modern Cricket Club: 262/8 in 50 overs (Ankit Udupa 43, Bhavesh Gulechha 40, Sahban Khan 104; CA Karthik 2-41, Sridhar 2-53) lt to Swastic Union Cricket Club (2): 263/9 in 50 overs (Aquib Khan 32, Shubhang Hegde 34, Ashish Dhar 87, Yuvraj 69 n.o.; Bhavesh Gulechha 2-41, Kuldeep Kumar 2-54).

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Clinical United beat CIL

Bengaluru: March 5, 2016, DHNS:

Nugrilal brace powers MEG past Income Tax 4-1

South United produced a dominant display to defeat CIL 2-0 in their BDFA Super Division League fixture at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Friday.

A fine free-kick from Manivanan in the first half and an accurate penalty from Subash in the second decided the outcome of the match. 

In the day’s earlier match, dominant MEG & Centre defeated Income Tax 4-1 and are placed second in the standings..

South United, who now have 17 points from eight games, move up to the third spot on goal difference while CIL with seven points are placed eighth after eight matches.

The United-CIL game began in a drab manner as both sides struggled to find any rythm in their passing. Against the run of play, the first real chance of the game came to CIL in the eighth minute. Midfielder RC Prakash slammed his shot over the bar from a rebound.

Four minutes later, United midfielder Solai could have given his team the lead but he smashed his shot horribly over the bar from the edge of the box, after receiving a perfectly weighted pass from Manivanan.

CIL midfielder Murali Srinivas then missed a good chance in the 20th minute when he directed his shot straight at the alert United goalkeeper Kabir, instead of squaring the ball to unmarked striker Stalin.

In the 40th minute, Solai won the ball just outside the opponent’s box and unleashed a curling effort that bounced off the bar.

United finally reaped the reward for their efforts in the 43rd minute when Manivanan scored off a good free-kick from the edge of the box. 

CIL could have equalised just moments before the break but Kabir tipped away a ferocious shot from Prakash from inside the box, which was headed into the top corner of the net.  United came out all guns blazing in the second period and forced a good save from CIL goalkeeper V Dilipan in the very next minute. 

Mani beat his marker on the left flank and sent in a fine pass for midfielder Santhosh, whose attempt was palmed away by the attentive Dilipan. The resultant corner in the 50th minute saw United winning a penalty. 

Prakash, in his desperate attempt to thwart the ball away, handed the ball. Striker Subash then stepped up and calmly struck it past the clueless Dilipan. United could have increased their tally through Manivanam in the 85th minute but the midfielder’s effort from few yards out was saved by Dilipan, who palmed it away.  

With a 2-0 lead in their hands, United then steadied their approach and kept the possession of the ball for the remaining period to walk out victors.

DH News Service

Results: Super Division: South United: 2 (Manivanan 41st, Subash 50th) bt CIL: 0; MEG & Centre: 4 (Christopher 14th, Nugrilal Hamar 58th, 86th, Ramu 70th) bt Income Tax: 1 (AD Kumar 46th).

Dissecting Pak batting

From Pragya Tiwari Dhaka: March 5, 2016, DHNS

The struggles of Pakistan batsmen in the ongoing Asia Cup made for an ungainly sight and batting coach Grant Flower, for one, is not ducking the reality. 

The former Zimbabwean traces the ills afflicting the Pakistan batting to its domestic structure and the tendency of the national players to crumble under pressure.  While the Pakistani pacers have done well, their batsmen floundered on the seaming conditions that hastened their exit from the tournament. Their shock defeat at the hands of Bangladesh would hurt them for long. Flower, who was known for his batting skills and left-arm spin, also feels that Pakistani batsmen can learn a lot from Virat Kohli. 

“In things we are lacking, dealing with the pressure is probably one of the biggest factors. I try and work on that, I try to speak with the guys. But once you are on the ground, it’s your own skill factor and whether you could negate the skills of the bowler,” Flower told Deccan Herald.
“In this tournament our top order has failed quite repeatedly but quite a few of the top orders have also struggled in these pitches. We have also been struggling to find all-rounders for a while now.”
During his tenure, Flower, 45, has found the pitches and balls used in the Pakistan domestic circuit as “second grade".  

“Batting is quite technical. Here the pitches they play on and the balls they used are second grade and not proper kookaburra balls. The type of cricket balls that are used in Pakistan domestic cricket is not nearly good enough for first class cricket which I don’t think lead to good technique and preparing the players,” revealed Flower, who is based in Lahore.

“If the ball is keeping low or bouncing unusually high and if you are playing on substandard pitches then I don’t think that is going to help. From what I gathered speaking to players and domestic coaches is that these things don’t get addressed.”

Pakistan will be returning home Saturday morning and after a three-day break would be reaching India for the World T20. How does he plan to motivate the side?  Flower states the example of Kohli. 

“I personally believe that it comes down to your preparations, practice and lifestyle. If you look at Virat Kohli, you will see how professional he is and how driven he is towards his fitness etc.. Everyone follow these things but Virat is the best player in world because he has taken everything he does to a new level. So he is a great example to follow,” he said.

“So it is up to our players to find their own motivations and ways to deal with their own pressures. If they get their preparations right, keeping in mind the above factors, then they have got a chance.”

He, however, vouches for quality in the side but feels the selection has been hampered due to politics in the system. “They are exciting players. We have Mohammad Hafeez who is hugely talented. Umar Akmal is very dangerous, he had a brilliant PSL and he was playing among a group of very talented players. Opener Sharjeel Khan is also good. However, due to politics and selection policies, a lot of players don’t know where they are. It is very up and down. But I am not a selector, so I can’t comment,” he said.

“But it is a very inconsistent selection. I don’t think our selectors see eye to eye, I think there is a lot of politics involved, but I suppose that happens in a lot of countries.”

When Afridi helped Pak climb the summit

Sidney Kiran, March 5, 2016, DHNS:

World T20 Flash back

A lot can change in two years. From being the toast of the nation after marshalling a group of determined youngsters to the pinnacle, MS Dhoni was forced to savour the bitter aftertaste of succes in 2009.

The 2007 triumph altered the landscape of Indian cricket, in fact world cricket. Staunch opponents to the shortest format, the BCCI, bowled over by the success of Dhoni’s men, created the Indian Premier League in 2008 that attracted the best in the world to its shores for a near two-month cricketing extravaganza.

Domestic players got a chance to go toe-to-toe with international stars and with the 2009 IPL being staged in South Africa owing to general elections at home, the Indians arrived in England for the World T20 as red-hot favourites.

However, what transpired was completely anti-climatic. Although the Indians won both their group games in fine fashion to further attest their favourites’ tag, that came at a certain price as off-field controversies saw them crash out at the Super Eights stage.

Reports of an alleged rift between Dhoni and Virender Sehwag over the former hiding an injury saw the skipper parade the entire team at a press conference much to the amazement of the scribes. The Indians failed to win a single game in the Super Eights, leaving plenty of their fans at the UK and home disappointed.

While the Indians took a massive tumble from the summit, Pakistan made up for their bitter loss in the 2007 final in the best manner possible --  clinching the title at Old Blighty. 

Under the leadership of Younis Khan and backed by a sensational all-round performance from the maverick Shahid Afridi, the Pakistanis conquered Sri Lanka in a low-scoring final to send their country into delirium. It was the perfect antidote for the anguish suffered two years back.

The tournament also witnessed some memorable moments. From Stuart Broad missing the stumps from close range that allowed the Netherlands steal a second run and complete a sensational victory over England, to Chris Gayle putting Brett Lee to the sword to Kyle Coetzer pulling off a sensational one-handed catch, the 2009 edition produced its share of fireworks as T20 continued to whet the appetite of fans.

Tennis ace Bopanna launches academy

Bengaluru: March 5, 2016, DHNS:

Ace Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna launched his tennis academy for children, Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy (RBTA), with a three-day clinic that began here on Friday.
The academy will cater to children aged between 4 and 14 with an emphasis on improving fitness.

Bopanna has also roped in former South African tennis player and Olympic silver medallist Pietie Norval, who will assume the role of mentor-coach, and fitness coach Yash Pandey.

Speaking at the launch, Bopanna discussed the idea behind focussing on fitness.
“If you have to compete at the highest level especially against the Americans and Europeans, fitness is a key factor to match up to them. Indians have good skill sets but our fitness needs to be improved. The physical development of the children is what we need to focus.”

While Bopanna was of the belief that RBTA could offer a little extra in terms of professional touch, he also made a call for various academies to work together, having a common goal of improving quality of players in the country.

“Having people like Piete and Yash really helps since they come on board with a wealth of experience. Right now in Bengaluru we are trying to involve everyone (other academies) and work as a team and improve tennis in general. Not really compete with each other.”

Norval, who will be assisting the coaching staff and overlooking the entire process, opined that there was a general responsibility for coaches to try and get the best information to help children.

“We definitely will be taking a more holistic approach towards coaching and ensuring that we help the kids play at whatever level they want to play.”

RBTA is located in Yelahanka and will start its operations from April 10. For details log on to rohanbopannatennis.com.

Bud Collins, long-time US tennis authority, dead at 86

New York, Mar 4, 2016, (AFP):

 Bud Collins, a veteran television commentator and newspaper columnist known for his flamboyant trousers and tennis expertise, has died at age 86, his long-time newspaper the Boston Globe announced today.
Collins, who died at his home in the Boston suburb of Brookline, made one of his final public appearances last September, when the media center at the US Open was named in his honor, and he wrote both an encyclopedia and history of tennis that became authoritative standards in the sport.

"No media figure in history in my mind has ever been as important to one sport as Bud Collins was to the sport of tennis," said Mike Lupica, the New York Daily News sports columnist and ESPN commentator who followed the path Collins pioneered from the print ranks to TV fame.

"You can't minimize it. He became the de facto ambassador to that sport as it was exploding in this country. He educated. He entertained."

The self-described "scribbler and babbler" was known sartorially for bow ties and custom-tailored pants that feature bright, vivid colors and often wild designs and unique as the man who wore them as he spent more than half a century covering major tennis events.

His tailor, Charlie Davidson from Harvard Square, used swaths of cloth Collins brought from as far away as New Zealand, Bangkok and the Himalayas. One pair of pants was made from Vietnamese flags.

Collins had his first byline for the Globe in 1963 from Australia covering the Davis Cup. His last came in 2011, a story about Serena Williams from the US Open.

He covered Wimbledon 44 times, the first of them in 1968, making "Breakfast at Wimbledon" his realm during the years when the sport enjoyed its greatest US interest.
Collins was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.

Collins also wrote Globe travel stories that includes looks at such exotic locals as Cambodia, China, India, Italy, Nepal, Tanzania, and Tibet.