Chandimal out injured; SL name 15-man squad for Zimbabwe Tests

Dinesh Chandimal, vice-captain of the Sri Lanka Test team, was not selected in the fifteen-man squad for the two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe starting October 29.

Chandimal had injured his thumb during a domestic game last monthand needed anoperation on the injured finger. He failed to recover sufficiently from the blow and has missed out on the series against the African nation.

Niroshan Dickwella, the wicket-keeper batsman, who last played a Test for Sri Lanka in December 2014, was named in the side. Kasun Madushanka, who was part of the Sri Lanka Development side for their tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe earlier this year, was named in the side as well, and will make his Sri Lanka debut if picked in the starting XI. Madushanka is a right-arm pacer who has played 48 first-class matches.

Lahiru Kumara, a 19-year-old pacer from Kandy, has been fast-tracked into the Test squad following some impressive performances in under-19 cricket. Kumara has only played two FC matches till date.

Another new face in the side is pacer Lahiru Gamage. Gamage last played for Sri Lanka in a One-Day International in July 2015.

The squad bears a fresh and inexperienced pace attackand will be led by their captain Angelo Mathews and Suranga Lakmal. The leader of the attack will be their left-armer Rangana Herath, who will be partnered by Lakshan Sandakan, the chinaman bowler, who impressed in the home series against Australia.

Amongst the batsmen, 30-year-old Asela Gunaratne, a veteran of 66 FC matches, has been picked in the side. Gunaratne has played one Twenty20 International for Sri Lanka, against India earlier this year.

Squad – Angelo Mathews (C), Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis, Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Kasun Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara, Lahiru Gamage, Suranga Lakmal, Asela Gunaratne

Imran’s team or Misbah’s: which was greater?

It’s difficult to compare eras at the best of times. To do so with Pakistan, the most un-analysable team in the history of sport, would seem to be an impossibly big ask. Yet comparing the two Pakistan teams that have topped the Test rankings is helped by the obvious similarities between the two sides – especially the fact that, in some ways, they are not Pakistan sides at all.

Imran Khan‘s team, which was No. 1 for two months in 1988 according to the backdated rankings, and Misbah-ul-Haq‘s current side – which will receive the mace on Wednesday – are not so much cornered tigers as streetwise foxes. They could destroy teams with irresistible, rabid cricket, but the majority of their games were won through patience and stealth. That is especially noteworthy with Misbah’s team; in the current climate of Test cricket, their tactics are almost monastic.

Both teams lend themselves to being judged over a six-year period: from Imran resuming the captaincy in 1986 to his final Test in January 1992, and from Misbah taking over in 2010. Imran missed three home series between 1987 and 1990, through temporary retirement (England 1987-88), a protest against the timing of the tour (Australia 1988-89), and snobbery (New Zealand 1990-91). His replacement as captain, Javed Miandad, was more locum than successor at the time, and it still feels like the story of Imran’s team.

Misbah’s team won nearly twice as many Tests – 22 out of 47 as Imran’s 12 out of 43. But Imran’s side lost less than half as many, five to Misbah’s 14. Those numbers reflect the times, with a much lower percentage of draws in the 2010s. A comparison of win-loss ratio, though not perfect, is more instructive: in Test matches, Imran’s team leads slightly, 2.20 to 2.00, and in overall series they had a much higher win-ratio: 6.00 to Misbah’s 2.67.

Imran and Misbah are so different as to make chalk and cheese seem like twins, yet they had a similar impact on their teams with their backstage charisma – both showed you don’t need to channel Churchill to inspire people

Both sides were extremely difficult to beat in comparison to their peers. Imran’s team lost only one series in ten, in Australia in 1989-90, and Misbah’s have lost three in 19. At home, or in the UAE in the current team’s case, they were almost unbeatable. Neither lost a series; Imran’s team lost only two matches, both to West Indies, and Misbah’s just three.

Imran and Misbah are so different as to make chalk and cheese seem like twins, yet they had a similar impact on their teams with their backstage charisma – both showed you don’t need to channel Churchill to inspire people – and their example on the pitch, not least in the series that took them to No. 1. Both set the agenda with match-winning performances in the first Test: Misbah’s century at Lord’s, and Imran’s 11 wickets against West Indies in Guyana in 1987-88. Overall, in that six-year period, Imran averaged 50.44 with the bat and 23.63 with the ball. Misbah has averaged 54.93 since taking over.

Each team was more than the sum of its parts, with a number of good but not great cricketers. They also had players who – superb though they were in a broader sense – will not be remembered by many in a pub challenge to name an XI for a specific Test. The Pakistan teamthat drew in the Caribbean in 1987-88 included Aamer Malik, Ijaz Faqih and Saleem Jaffar. The names of Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed and perhaps Rahat Ali might be Pointless answers in the future.

Abdul Qadir and Yasir Shah will not be. The teams of 1988 and 2016 both had match-winning leggies, in the best Pakistan traditions, even if Qadir and Yasir went about their work very differently from each other: Qadir classical and mischievous, with a googly to die for; Yasir interrogating the front pad like an homage to Anil Kumble. Misbah’s team has been more dependent on the spin of Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and then Yasir, partially because their best fast bowlers were banned. The 1980s team had all-time-great fast bowlers in Imran, Wasim Akram, and at the end, Waqar Younis. The fantasy attack of Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Qadirplayed a few Tests together, though Imran and Qadir were past their best by then.

They were all superstars at their peak, alongside Javed Miandad, the rascally lieutenant whose batting had a level of anarchic genius almost beyond comprehension. Misbah’s team are a humbler, less starry collective, though Younis Khan and, before his ban, Ajmal could claim superstardom, and Mohammad Amir has infinite potential. Younis has averaged 59.09 since Misbah took over: Imran could depend equally on Miandad and the massively underrated accumulator Shoaib Mohammad, who both averaged over 50 in that six-year period.

Bravo fights, but Pakistan pull ahead

Having enjoyed the first two days of their 400th Test, piling on the runs on another Dubai featherbed, Pakistan were made to toil for their gains for much of the third day. Those gains came gradually in the first two sessions, before a hostile spell from Wahab Riaz after dinner helped Pakistan make quick inroads into West Indies’ middle order. Darren Bravo‘s resolute 87 and Marlon Samuels‘ attacking 76 led the resistance, but Pakistan’s bowlers were able to maintain control and ultimately leave West Indies on 315 for 6 by stumps, trailing by 264 runs.

Starting the day on 14, Bravo was content to proceed at a stately pace, exhibiting patience, determination and a very solid defensive game. He brought up his fifty off 176 balls and showed no inclination to accelerate thereafter. His concern was in occupying the crease as long as possible. While he occasionally took his eye off the bouncer and edged a full-blooded cut shot past first slip off Yasir Shah, Bravo’s knock was largely chanceless. He provided a fine counterpoint to Samuels and was barely ruffled by the fall of wickets either side of the dinner break. It was only within half an hour of stumps that Bravo’s long vigil ended, when debutant Mohammad Nawaz had

Bravo, Samuels fight but Pakistan in control

Another gripping day of Test cricket. Five wickets fell for 246 runs, and Pakistan will be the happier team going into the dressing room. They threw everything at West Indies, but the pitch gave them little assistance. Wahab Riaz was the pick of the bowlers, as he removed Blackwood and Chase with short deliveries. The amount of effort he put on this dead wicket alone should be an inspiration for all his teammates. With six overs to go, debutant Nawaz gave his captain the most important breakthrough by dismissing Bravo who looked well set for another overseas century. Dowrich has looked solid in his stay at the crease. The Windies need another 65 runs to avoid the follow-on, which will be their first target tomorrow and then take it session by session. With not much of batting remaining, the visitors will look for quick runs. What do Pakistan have in store? Catch us tomorrow…

Sixty-four years, 400 Tests, many milestones

First win

The swiftness with which Pakistan bounced back in the second Test made it seem like they were playing possum in the first. India were missing three of their players – including Vinoo Mankad, who had picked up 13 wickets in Delhi – and the visitors capitalised. A mere 15 minutes into the fourth morning in Lucknow, they had wrapped up victory by an innings and 43 runs.

First centurion

Nazar Mohammad faced Pakistan’s first ball in Test cricket. Eight days later, in the Lucknow triumph, he had completed their first century. “He carried his bat for 124 not out in eight hours 35 minutes and set up an innings victory,” the Wisden Cricket Almanack says. “He was the first player to be on the field throughout a Test. A domestic accident damaged his arm and ended his career. He became a coach, selector and one of Pakistan’s best cricketing raconteurs.”

Tahir fined for verbal exchange with Warner

Imran Tahir, the 37-year-old South African leg spinner, has been fined 30 percent of his match fees and also received two demerit points for breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) code of conduct during the fifth One-Day International against Australia in Cape Town on Wednesday (October 12).

“Tahir was found to have violated Article 2.1.1 which relates to ‘conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game’,” an ICC release stated.

“In accordance with Article 7.3 of the revised Code, which came into effect on 22 September, in addition to the sanction imposed for his breach of Article 2.1.1, two demerit points have been added to Tahirs disciplinary record.”

The demerit points which came into existence from September 22, will remain with a player for a period of 24 months. In addition to it, four more demerit points within the stipulated period of next two years would translate into at least two suspension points and a ban for two matches. The governing body’s rules indicates that two suspension points would result in a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two Twenty20 Internationals.

In the 38th over of the fifth ODI, David Warner survived a close shout for LBW from Tahir. The leg spinner then had a verbal exchange with Warner and also showed disrespect to the on-field umpires. His conduct was therefore, considered as contrary to the ‘spirit of the game’.

Meanwhile, Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s incumbent captain in the shorter versions of the game, was fined 20 percent of his match fees, while his team-mates were levied with a fine of 10 percent for slower over-rate.

“In accordance with Article 2.5.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount,” the release said.

“As such, du Plessis has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee, while his players have received 10 per cent fines. If South Africa commits another minor over-rate breach in an ODI within 12 months of this offence with du Plessis as captain, it will be deemed a second offence by du Plessis and he will face a suspension,” the release concluded.

Azhar double piles on misery

The misery continues for West Indies. Five sessions into the match, and they have been walloped in all these. After scoring three tons in as many matches in the ODIs, Babar Azam’s love affair with the West Indies’ bowlers continued as he brought up his maiden Test fifty on debut. He eventually perished looking to up the scoring rate. Azhar Ali has been at the crease the whole match – goes into the break unbeaten on 272. We can expect a declaration in the final session – as the scoring rate was substantially increased in the final hour of the post tea session. With Misbah still at the crease, and Sarfraz to come, we can expect the Asian giants to come out all guns blazing. Poor Windies bowlers. They need to come out again! Final session in a while..