Sports Bulletin

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's Roshan Abeysinghe and South Africa's HD Ackerman are the part of the commentary team for the two Test matches in Bangladesh, it is learnt. According to the sources in Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), six names are approved for the commentary panel. They are : Athar Ali, Shamim Ashraf Chowdhury, Samonnoy Ghosh, Mazhar Uddin, HD Ackerman and Roshan Abeysinghe. Ghosh and Mazhar are assigned to commentate in the first and second Test respectively. Roshan Abeysinghe and HD Ackerman are regular faces for the Sri Lankan viewers as they are regulars in Sri Lanka for the international and the LPL (Lanka Premier League) matches. Both are scheduled to reach Bangladesh on Saturday. South African-born Ackerman now lives in Australia. Abeysinghe will also be a key member at the presentations. The first of the two Tests begins at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram on Sunday. The second Test match (May 23-27) will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), Mirpur Dhaka.

BIPIN DANI Neutral match officials have been appointed for the two Test matches between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the two officials from England (one umpire and one match referee) and one umpire from West Indies will officiate in the two Test matches in Chattogram (May 15-19) and Dhaka May 23-27).  "The ICC will be sending England's Chris Broad as match referee (for both Tests) and for first Test Richard Kettleborough (England) and for 2nd Test Joel Wilson (West Indies) as umpires", a source in Dhaka confirmed. The ICC had recently said that more neutral match officials should be utilised as travel restrictions are lifted while building on the success of the use of home umpires. Also, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid will officiate in both the Tests as an on-field umpire and Masudur Rahman Mukul and Gazi Sohel will be the reserve umpires. The duty of the third umpire will be shared between Joel Wilson (1st Test) and Richard Kettleborough (2nd Test). The home team will also have the knowledge of a Sri Lankan expert. The 44-year-old off-spinner Rangana Herath has again been hired by the BCB. Besides Herath, Sri Lanka's ex-fielding coach Shane McDermott will now sit in the opposite camp. He is the fielding coach for the Bangladesh team.

BIPIN DANI Delhi Capitals' David Warner was lucky enough on Wednesday when he survived despite the stumps lighting up but the bails did not dislodge in the bowling of Rajasthan Royals' Yuzvendra Chahal. Two years ago in the ICC World Cup also, he had a similar luck reprieve. It has been a practice of using the Zing bails at all international and IPL matches. With both wooden and Zing bails a snick of the outside of the stump sometimes results in the force not being sufficient to dislodge the bail to the ground.  Here's what David Lighterwood, the Director of the company has to say on bails and whether is it a good idea to eliminate the concept of having bails on stumps. "The way the Zings work, if a Zing bail lights, it means that both spigots have lifted from the groove.  So at that point the wicket is 'put down' by the laws of cricket. But if the bail subsequently reseats (when the Zings will turn off) by the laws of cricket it is not out, as a rider to the relevant law also requires a bail to fall to the ground. So theoretically when the Zings are being used, a playing condition could stipulate this rider doesn't apply, so the wickets are 'put down' upon the flash", explains David Ligertwood, the Director of the company. "Importantly this would still be 100% definitive.  Just like the current law has been through history, by requiring a bail to fall to the ground. If the wickets only had to be touched by the ball to be out a whole range of problems are triggered", he adds. "One problem you would have if the ball only had to touch the stumps is that deciding if and when it took place would often not be definitive.  And in games without TV cameras you often couldn't adjudicate it.  So bails would have to remain in non-TV cricket.  And it would be a real negative if such a cornerstone of the game was different in amateur and grass roots cricket to that on TV". "Even in TV games the technology to determine if stumps were hit would likely never be black and white, and decisions would at times therefore take a long time to assess, and could only be determined when there were TV umpires.  The Zings flashing is 'in front of camera' and can be determined on the field of play".  "With the Zings indicating the instant the bail is dislodged, stumping and run out decisions can be made definitatively in an instant.  If replays and other technology had to be used to determine in which frame the stumps were first touched it would be very difficult, and become more difficult the higher the frame rates of the cameras become". "Another big downside to the ball only having to touch the stumps for a dismissal is that Bails, which are a quirky, interesting and historical part of the cricket, would be lost to the game".  "Bails not dislodging is relatively rare, and is simply a factor in the 'size of the wicket'.  It is a lot rarer than other pieces of luck in the game, like playing and missing etc.  So although there may be emotion around such an occurrence at times, it does not undermine the integrity of the game.  The wicket is always the same for both teams".  "However, when Zings are being used a playing condition could theoretically be introduced so the wicket is 'put down' upon the flash (ie both spigots lifting, but not requiring the rider that they fall to the ground).  This would then capture the vast majority of situations of when the stumps are hit and the bails reseat.  It would be very rare indeed that a bail doesn't flash if the wickets are hit.  So such a playing condition could apply when the Zings are being used, with no real downside". "But like I say, the current law is factual/definitive, historical, entertaining, and always the same for both sides (so fair).  Plus occurs rarely.  And moreover, we have the Zings to tell us the precise definitive moment the second spigot lifts for run outs and stumpings". "So I would say with so much at stake, if it ain't broke why look to change an element of the game that has subsisted for centuries?", Lighterwood concludes.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced today that it has appointed Brendon McCullum as England Men's Test Head Coach. McCullum, 40, will be in place to start his role for next month's LV= Insurance three-match Test series against New Zealand, which gets underway at Lord's from 2 June, subject to obtaining the necessary work visa. The ECB's selection panel of Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison, Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, Strategic Adviser Andrew Strauss and Performance Director Mo Bobat unanimously agreed that he was the outstanding candidate for the role, having impressed during the competitive interview process. New Zealand born McCullum currently works as Head Coach of Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and previously coached Trinbago Knight Riders to the 2020 Caribbean Premier League title. He also had an exemplary playing career that saw him earn 101 Test caps and was Test captain of the Black Caps from 2012 to his international retirement in 2016. Rob Key said: "We are delighted to confirm Brendon as England Men's Test Head Coach. It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and vision for the game. I believe his appointment will be good for England's Test team. "He has a recent history of changing cricket culture and environments for the better, and I believe he is the person to do that for England's red-ball cricket. "We were incredibly fortunate to have a seriously strong list of quality candidates for the post, with Brendon demonstrating he was our number one choice. "I'd like to thank Tom Harrison and the ECB Board for their support in this process. "I believe in Brendon and Ben Stokes - a formidable coach and captain partnership. Time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride." Speaking about his appointment, McCullum, added: "I'd like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England's Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era. "In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we've confronted them head-on. "I've enjoyed several robust conversations with Rob Key about the direction of travel for the team and have found his enthusiasm contagious. I'm no stranger to bringing about change within a team environment, and I can't wait to get started. "Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us." McCullum is due to arrive in the UK later this month. The Knight Riders have two matches left in their IPL group campaign on Saturday against Sunrisers Hyderabad and complete their season on Wednesday 18 May against Lucknow Super Giants.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's touring cricket team which was supposed to play its first two-day practice match in Chattogram will now play in Dhaka. The visiting team was scheduled to play the inaugural tour game on May 11 & 12 at MA Aziz Stadium, (the first Test match is to be played in  Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) but the same has been shifted to the BKSP (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan) ground in Dhaka. The home team to play the practice match against Sri Lanka will be known as the BCB XI and will be led by Md. Mithun.   "The request to change the venue was received from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)", one of the sources in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said exclusively over the telephone from Dhaka on Sunday. "No specific reason was given for this change", the source further added. The Lankan squad comprising 18 players and 12 support staff including the tour selector Pramodya Wickramsinghe reached Bangladesh on Sunday morning will stay in Dhaka till the training and the practice game are over. Whereas, the home team was scheduled to reach the first Test venue on Sunday, i.e. a week before the Test, which is to begin on May 15.   "Maintaining the protocol, there was no thread ceremony held at the SLC office", the source in Colombo confirmed. The opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who, on Saturday scored 36 runs in his last match (of the first half season) for Yorkshire is scheduled to leave for Bangladesh immediately after the Sunday match. He is believed to have had chats with the coaching staff.

BIPIN DANI Former Sri Lanka captain and ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Roshan Mahanama met a young cricket enthusiast Arsalaan Akhtar at his home in Mumbai recently and shared with him the experience as a cricketer and in life as well. This was revealed by Arsalaan's father Talha Mohsin. "My 11-year-old son, Arsalaan Akhtar, is a budding cricketer and his only dream is to play for India. The last two years were really tough for him as his cricket academy was shut due to Covid. He was extremely tense and worried as he was losing out on all the training", the father explains. During his father's recent visit to Sri Lanka, he met the 1996 World Cup winning team member Mahanama. "I told him about my Arsalaan and asked him if he could record a video message for him. He promised me that whenever he’s down in India next, he’ll meet him personally instead of just recording a 10-15 second video message. He told me that it would be far more motivational".  "I thought such a big man would naturally forget about it, especially when he’s busy helping people of Sri Lanka during a state of great disturbance, confusion, and uncertainty. But I was wrong. Now, something I never expected happened. I got a call from Roshan Sir to inform me that he’s in India for some important work but he will try to take out time to meet my son. We met and he spent a good 2 hours talking about cricket with my son. He shared his childhood stories. The lessons he got from his coach. The sacrifices he made to become an International Cricket player. He also spoke about how important proper cricketing shots are and it’s not just about playing the ball in the air".  Father adds, "It was like a master-class on cricket and also on how to be a better person. From the basics of cricket to leadership skills and from the importance of discipline to passion. He heard all his questions patiently and answered each one of them. Not only my son, even I learned a lot in those 2 hours". In the end, when we were saying goodbye, my son told him how he still can’t believe that he got so many lessons from a World Champion like Roshan Mahanama. To this, Roshan Sir said, “This is one more leadership lesson, son. Always stay true to your word. I promised your father so I had to fulfill it.” "My son is feeling extremely pumped up after meeting a great man and an even better human being. He’s practicing even more, all thanks to Roshan Sir!", the father concluded.

BIPIN DANI Nicholas Pooran who has been appointed new white ball captain for the West Indies team will benefit from playing in India now. This was opined by his father Lawrence Pooran.  The 26-year-Nicholas Pooran has been playing the IPL in India for the SunRisers Hyderabad team. "Definitely, Playing in the world's biggest men's league will immensely help him to succeed", his father Lawrence, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Trinidad said on Wednesday morning. "My son is playing the IPL with and against world's leading cricketers and the experience he has been getting there will help him in long run. Only the renowned cricketers from Caribbean islands and other foreign countries are selected to play in the IPL". The father was not surprised with the decision of the West Indies selectors to promote him as a new captain. "He was already the vice captain of the team and we are not surprised with his elevation", he added. Kraigg Brathwaite will continue to lead the West Indies team in red ball format, confirms Ricky Skerrit. "The Test captain was changed a year ago from Jason Holder to Kraig Brathwaite. Only change is white ball to replace Pollard who has retired representing the West Indies", Skerrit said.  

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatuinga is in India now. Late last week, he addressed about 200 Indian students in Mumbai. "I was invited by the former Indian spinner Nilesh Kulkurni to share my experience and knowledge with his students at the International Institute of Sports Management (IIMS)", the 58-year-old Ranatunga said exclusively over the telephone. "I spoke about the mind game and several other issues. It was like a motivational lecture".  "My 30-minute lecture was followed by a question and answer session, in which the students asked about how I handled Muralitharan's no-ball issue (1996, Australia tour). They were also keen to learn how such issues can make sure that the game is not distracted".      "The students were also told about discipline and attitude to be maintained. They have been guided to respect the elders and worship the parents, which is our old custom", added the former captain. Interestingly, Ranatunga also stated that the next time he visits this institute it would be as the President of Sri Lanka. Ranatunga will spend a few more days visiting Trivandrum, Cochin and Bangalore before returning to Sri Lanka.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's former top order batter and manager of the national team Asanka Gurusinha has resigned as coach for the Nigerian team. In December 2020, Gurusinha, who was a member of the 1996 World Cup winning Sri Lankan team was signed by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) as their head coach and high performance director.    "Gurusinha has resigned due to his health issues", Musa Ehizoje, the PRO of the NCF said over the telephone. Gurusinha is believed to have been carrying a shoulder injury. The injury is unlikely to have occurred during his coaching or training stint but has aggravated recently, it is learnt. "He needs surgery and if not done at the earliest, it may worsen", one of the sources in Nigeria confirmed. "It is not known whether he will return to his birth country or may head to Australia, where he has been living for the last so many years. Chances are that he may prefer to go to Australia", the source further added. "He submitted his resignation recently and the directors have had to accept it with a heavy heart", the PRO added. "We have not yet decided on a new coach yet. Gurusinha has not recommended any name also",  Musa Ehizoje confirmed, adding, "Gurusinha, in his short time with us, made significant impact in the game in this country, notably bringing in more discipline to players’ approach to the game and establishing a coaching development template that had been rolled out for coaches also".

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Durham’s Ben Stokes has been appointed captain of the England Men’s Test team by the England & Wales Cricket Board. He succeeds Joe Root in becoming the 81st captain of the England Men’s Test team. The ECB Interim Chair and Chief Executive Officer approved the appointment on Tuesday evening following the recommendation by the Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key. Rob Key said: “I had no hesitation in offering the role of Test captain to Ben. “He epitomises the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket. I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honour. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity.” Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted that Ben has agreed to become England Men’s Test captain, which is another great achievement in his extraordinary career in an England shirt. “He cares deeply and passionately about what it means to represent England and he will lead us into a new era with great pride. It’s an important summer for our Test side and Ben will I am sure relish the challenge before him and his team.” Stokes made his Test debut in December 2013 and has represented his country on 79 occasions at this level. He was named vice-captain in February 2017 and also stood in as captain when Root was absent for the birth of his second child in the summer of 2020. The Durham star currently has 5,061 Test runs at an average of 35.89. He has taken 174 wickets with the ball and is amongst the best all-rounders in the world. Test Captain, Ben Stokes, added: “I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I’m excited about getting started this summer. “I want to thank Joe (Root) for everything he has done for English Cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”