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Selectors need to go

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Do the selectors have an axe to grind with Angelo Mathews? Or are they being used as cats’ paws?

Rex Clementine in Trivandrum

One-day cricket has been played for more than 50 years now and there have been over 4500 matches in this format and Sunday in the southern Indian city of Trivandrum we witnessed history as India bowled out Sri Lanka for a paltry 73 runs. The 317-run defeat is the heaviest in the history of the game by any team. This is no more an embarrassment. This is beyond repair.

The national selection panel’s flawed strategies have led us into this mess. Sri Lanka are unlikely to qualify automatically for this year’s World Cup and they could even miss out on playing the World Cup later this year if they have a horrible run in the qualifiers.

If that were to happen it would be a crying shame for a team that had reached three 50 over World Cup finals in the last 25 years winning it once.

The selectors should have stepped down when their decision to retain the injured Danushka Gunathilaka backfired in Australia and the player ended up in jail bringing shame to the entire nation. But they carried on regardless and Sunday’s result is further proof that their policies have doomed the sport that we all love.

In the last two years, there has been a lack of transparency and maybe this is an effort to target certain players.

When Dimuth Karunaratne was called back to play ODI cricket in 2019 having not played that format for more than four years, there was sound reasoning. It was explained that batting had too many collapses and the team needed someone to hold one end up. Then when the current panel came in they blamed Karunaratne saying that he was slowing down the innings conveniently forgetting why he had been brought in in the first place – to play the anchor role.

The selectors’ could be acting as cat’s paws of some individuals and they may not necessarily be board officials. Someone who doesn’t have the guts to call the shots directly may be using the national selection panel to settle scores.

Don’t forget that Karunaratne and other senior players were in the midst of a contracts row for bringing down salaries. All of a sudden you find them exiled from white ball cricket and we are told that there are concerns about fitness and that 50 and 20 over formats are a young man’s game.

Yes, 20 overs you can accept that argument but 50 overs is a different kettle of fish and you need some experience in your side.

Then, having flaunted so much on fitness being paramount and non-negotiable we find that fitness is no more a yardstick for selection. Unfit players are tolerated and the much-hyped fitness regime had been thrown out of the window. It’s a cock and bull story and secretly scores have been settled.

The fact of the matter is players like Dimuth and Angelo have not failed any fitness tests but the younger ones who have failed have found slots in the national cricket team. That’s simply not cricket!

Selectors behave like petty thieves retaliating to certain actions of players. You need a wise head of a Sidath Wettimuny who took on bigger boys aftermath of the 1999 World Cup campaign but didn’t burn bridges and took them to Pakistan because the Wasims and Waqars aren’t for the faint-hearted. In the end, a veteran helped Sri Lanka over the line with a broken finger and blood on the pitch.

Even Michael Tissera, Ashantha de Mel and Aravinda de Silva who have headed selection panels in recent years have diplomatically solved many a delicate issue. During their tenures, there was good communication and transparency. Players were challenged but never ever harshly treated. The current selection panel has not addressed a single media briefing to explain their policies. They are simply groping in the dark and the sport suffers.

We follow England’s blueprint for the 50-over format that they used in 1990s. The results have been horrible. England depended on too many all-rounders, in Sanjay Manjrekar’s words ‘bits and pieces cricketers’. There’s no way that in a playing eleven you can have four all-rounders. Despite this strategy backfiring time and time again they stick to it and it’s time that fresh thinking is brought in to take the game forward.



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Tamim Iqbal elected new BCB president

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Tamim Iqbal attended a press conference after being appointed BCB president [Cricinfo]

Tamim Iqbal has been elected as the new BCB president following the elections held in Dhaka on Sunday. Tamim was the only candidate, and he will serve a four-year term in total, having already completed two months as the ad-hoc committee’s head.

The Bangladesh government called for BCB elections under the interim body in April, following the dissolution of the previous elected body under Aminul Islam.

The day-long election, including physical votes and e-ballots, were held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, which is also the board headquarters. A total of 23 directors were elected in three categories and two government representatives were announced later to form the 25-member body.

Tamim is one of the most prominent cricketers to have played for Bangladesh, having appeared in 391 internationals across three formats. He led Bangladesh to 21 wins in 38 matches across formats, including the 2-1 ODI series against South Africa in 2022. After his international retirement in early 2025, Tamim continued to play domestic tournaments but a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match that year put an abrupt end to his playing career.

The election commission said 88 votes were cast to elect 23 directors in two out of the three categories. The first category includes all the divisions and districts of the country, the second is the Dhaka clubs that participate in the league system, while the third consists of former cricketers, captains, education boards and others. Tamim was one of twelve directors elected from the second category.

The new 25-member body held an election among themselves to choose the president and two vice-presidents. After Tamim was elected as board president, Fahim Sinha was elected as one of the two vice-presidents. The other vice-president hasn’t been selected.

The previous board elections were held on October 6 last year. Aminul was re-elected BCB president under controversial circumstqnces when Tamim, leading one of the panels, withdrew from the polls alleging Aminul of “bias and malpractice”.

Category 1 directors: Sayeed Bin Zaman, Abdullah Al Fuad, Minhajul Abedin, Moyeen Uddin Chowdhury, Shantanu Islam, Shafiqul Alam, Mizanur Rahman, Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Shakrul Alam, Faisal Amin

Category 2 directors: Tamim Iqbal, Fahim Sinha, Asif Rabbani, Israfil Khasru, Dr Sarkar Mahbub Ahmed, Masuduzzaman, Rafiqul Islam, Sakeef Ahmed, Shanian Taneem, Syed Ibrahim Ahmed, Yasir Abbas, Yasir Faisal

Category 3 director: Sirajuddin Alamgir.

Government representative directors: Ruhul Amin, Sarfaraz Ahmed

[Cricinfo]

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West Indies look to level series in rainy Kingston

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Wanindu Hasaranga takes off after striking [Cricinfo]

With no play possible in the second ODI, both teams go into the third game well-rested. Perhaps this is a chance for the IPL returnees in particular to have caught their breath. The rain, though, may not have cleared in Kingston completely. According to the forecast, showers are likely in the afternoon and also possible in the evening, though there may be dry spells in between. There is a chance this will be a stop-start match in which DLS calculations come into play.

With a series win now beyond them, West Indies will be especially motivated to avoid being blanked at home. There is also the matter of their current 10th-placed ranking, which is not enough for them to gain automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup (cut-off is end of March next year). They need every ranking point they can get over the next two months. Sri Lanka are slightly more comfortable, at sixth position, and about 12 points clear of the current cut-off. But they’ll want to build more of a cushion themselves.

In the first ODI, Sri Lanka’s dominance in the middle overs is what had won them the match. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga were economical on a helpful surface, where West Indies’ frontline spinner Gudakesh Motie had been hit out of the attack. And Sri Lanka’s top six also showed serious hustle, picking up the tempo and keeping the runs flowing after Sri Lanka had had a poor powerplay with the bat.

These remain two relatively evenly-matched teams, however. With a little more discipline from their bowlers, West Indies are capable of leveling the series.

Although his Test average remains outstanding, Kamindu Mendis is yet to find a home in limited-overs cricket. Partly this is because his batting is so versatile, coaches and selectors have tended to yank him up and down the order as the team’s needs evolve. So far in ODIs, he has done his best work at No. 7 and 8, but he has now been asked to open the innings alongside Pathum Nissanka. His first innings at the top of the order brought only 12, but Sri Lanka are unlikely to ditch the strategy after one game. Can batting in the powerplay be the change he needs to kick his white ball career into high gear?

Over a fledgling international career, Keacy Carty has demonstrated promise at No. 3, where he averages 45.18. What he doesn’t have, so far, however, is the kind of body of work a long-term No. 3 should ideally built. So far, he has two tons apiece against England and Ireland, but is yet to put up serious numbers against other oppositions. Runs against an attack of Sri Lanka’s quality would add to his confidence.

Rain will potentially dictate conditions on Monday. If there’s rain around, teams tend to prefer to chase. Not only do they prefer to be batting while DLS calculations are in play, but a wetter ball is also more difficult for bowlers to grip, particularly spinners.

West Indies may think about bringing Shimron Hetmyer into the XI to shake up the batting a little.

West Indies (possible): John Campbell, Justin Greaves,  Keacy Carty,  Shai Hope (capt.)(wk),  Shimron Hetmyer/Sherfane Rutherford,  Roston Chase, Matthew Forde,  Gudakesh Motie,  Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph,  Jayden Seales

Sri Lanka may keep their winning XI, but with so many quicks to choose from, may be tempted to give Eshan Malinga a run, especially if it’s a shortened match.

Sri Lanka (possible): Pathum Nissanka,  Kamindu Mendis,  Kusal Mendis (capt.)(wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage,  Wanindu Hasaranga,  Milan Rathnayake,  Dushmantha Chameera,  Asitha Fernando/Eshan Malinga

[Cricinfo]

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Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up: Kapp, Wolvaardt take SA past Ireland

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Laura Wolvaardt scored 65 off 37 balls (Cricinfo)

South Africa successfully defended 136 in an 18-over game against Ireland in the Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixture in Loughborough . The experienced Marizanne Kapp led the way with the ball, her 4 for 24 helping South Africa dismiss Ireland for 120 in 17.4 overs. Shabnim Ismail,  who had recently reversed her retirement, picked up 1 for 25 in her four overs.

Leah Paul was the only Ireland batter to pass 20 in their chase. Apart from Paul, only four Ireland batters got to double figures.

After South Africa were asked to bat first, they posted 136 for 8 on the back of captain Laura Wolvaardt’s 65 off 37 balls, including seven fours and three sixes.

SCORES:

South Africa Women   136 for 8 in 18 overs (Sune Luus 17, Laura Wolvaardt 65, Annerie Dercksen 26, Nadine de Klerk 11, Aimee Maguire 1-13,  Arlene Kelly 3-29, Cara Murray 2-13, Ava Canning 2-08) beat Ireland Women  120 in 17.4 overs   (Rebecca Stockel 19, Leah Paul 29, Alice Tector 17, Louise Little 13,  Arlene Kelly 15; Marizanne Kapp 4-24, Shabnim Ismail 1-25, Tumi  Sekhukhune 2-18, Nadine de Klerk 1-16, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-25)   by 16 runs

(Crickinfo)

 

 

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