ICC WORLD CUP 2011: BANGLADESH ANNOUNCES WORLD CUP SQUAD

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced its 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin in the sub-continent from 19 February.

The declaration of the 15 member squad did not bring about any surprises with Shakib Al Hasan being named captain, while Tamim Iqbal will be acting as his deputy.

However, former captain Mashrafe Mortaza will not be taking part in the event that will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh, as the injured fast bowler was left out of the final squad. The squad was announced at Mirpur's Grameenphone-BCB Academy Complex by Chief Selector Rafiqul Alam.

Mashrafe, Bangladesh’s most cherished all-rounder, has been out of international cricket due to injuries which have threatened his career. His recent injury caused panic in the Tigers camp. He suffered a blow to his right knee while playing club cricket in Dhaka in December 2010.

He strived hard to recover from the injury in time for the World Cup preparations however, the selectors decided against including him in the team. The 27-year-old had begun bowling off a short run-up during net sessions for the past few days. However, the selectors reckoned that he is not 100 percent fit for the World Cup.

“Mashrafe is our most experienced and best bowler. But very sad to say he is nowhere near to fitness at this moment,” Alam told the crowded press room.

He further stated that that the all-rounder needs another month to fully recover from the injury. Alam added that medical reports suggest that although he can start “unrestricted bowling” from February, yet there are many issues to consider before he is fully fit.

Alam said, “There is a question of his cricketing fitness which includes bowling fitness, rhythm, match practice and confidence.” The chief selector said that it was a difficult decision to drop Mortaza for the coveted event, but after consulting head coach Jamie Siddons and bowling coach Ian Pont, they decided against picking him.

Mortaza’s exclusion from the 15-man squad is a big blow to Bangladesh, as he was one of the most experienced campaigners in the Tigers camp.

However, Shakib has always remained the favourite of the selection panel for the captaincy, as Bangladesh has enjoyed a string of successful results under his tenure. The highlight of 2010 was when a relatively younger Tigers side stunned New Zealand in a one-day series 4-0 in October, and then beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in December 2010.

Mortaza’s absence means that pace-man Nazmul Hossain will get a chance to shine. He has performed fairly well in the domestic circuit and has taken 146 wickets in 118 One Day matches.

The squad has been loaded with spinners as expected, since the home ground is known to produce spinning-friendly decks. Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak along with captain Shakib will provide effective slow-bowling options whereas Mohammad Ashraful will support the bowling attack with his leg-spin.

Bangladesh World Cup Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Junaid Siddique, Tamim Iqbal (vice-captain), Suhrawadi Shuvo, Imrul Kayes, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan,  Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam,  Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain,  Nazmul Hossain.

Joyce returns to Ireland cricket squad

Sussex batsman Ed Joyce was on Wednesday named in the Ireland World Cup squad, despite having played for England at the 2007 edition.

The 32-year-old Joyce played 50 times for Ireland between 1997 and 2005 before qualifying for England on residency grounds.

He made 17 appearances for England, the last of which came in the World Cup in the Caribbean against Sri Lanka in 2007, but failed to break into the Test side.

Ireland's squad includes nine players who featured four years ago when the team sensationally dumped former champions Pakistan out of the tournament on their way to the second round.

Captain William Porterfield, Trent Johnston, the O'Brien brothers Niall and Kevin as well as John Mooney and Andrew White and Joyce will form the experienced backbone of the team.

Making their World Cup debuts are teenager spinner George Dockrell along with Middlesex's Paul Sterling who will probably be in contention with Joyce to open the batting with Porterfield.

"I like the balance of the squad," said Ireland coach Phil Simmons, the former West Indies international.

"As with most Irish teams of the past few years, there are quite a few all-rounders, and that gives us plenty of options in all departments.

"This squad contains a lot of experience with nine having played in the 2007 competition - I am sure that is more than most teams.

"What is different this time from 2007 is that 13 of the 15 earn their living from cricket - that's practically a full-time squad."

Simmons said that the win over Pakistan in Jamaica in 2007 has meant that the Irish are no longer an unknown quantity.

"We may have lost the surprise factor, but we have earned the respect of the cricketing world through our efforts," he said.

"We've reached the Super Eight phase of both the World Cup and the World Twenty20 - there's no reason why we can't make the latter stages yet again."

Ireland will travel to Dubai on January 28 for a pre-World Cup training camp, and have scheduled warm-up games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Nagpur.

Their first game in the competition proper is against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 25.

Ireland have been drawn in Group B at the World Cup, which runs from February 19 until April 2, alongside Bangladesh, India, England, the Netherlands, South Africa and West Indies.

Ireland squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, Niall O'Brien (wkt), Kevin O'Brien, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, John Mooney, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Gary Wilson (wkt), Andrew White, Ed Joyce.

Vettori Test captaincy comes to an end

Daniel Vettori's three-and-a-half year reign as captain of the New Zealand Test cricket team was not supposed to end this way.

With his team chasing a series-levelling win on the fifth day of the second Test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve in Wellington today, the situation was set up for Vettori to bowl New Zealand to victory.

The hosts had 92 overs to bowl Pakistan out on a wearing pitch but they could not do it, the tourists ending on 226 for five chasing 274 and winning the two-match series 1-0.

For Vettori, 31, who will step down as captain after the upcoming one-day World Cup, this was his last Test in charge.

Figures of one for 57 from 34 overs on the final day when he had an opportunity to help win a Test for his country were not what he would have wanted, or expected, but he was the first to acknowledge Pakistan had batted superbly.

"There's always regrets, you always want to perform better, to do better, but ... I can walk away from captaincy thinking that I gave it everything, particularly with my performance," he said.

There was no chance he would change his mind on the captaincy, but he intended to play Test cricket for as long as he could.

"Test cricket is a part of the game I love. I want to play it as long as I can and there are still things I want to achieve, there's no way that I want to finish with Test cricket Asked for the highlights, Vettori simply replied "Test wins".

"The Test win against England (at Hamilton in 2008) and against Pakistan (at Dunedin) last year.

"We had the chance to win that series (against Pakistan) last year and we unfortunately got rained out in the last Test in Napier, where we probably would have been able to bring that home.

"Also, to see just a whole new group of young guys come into the team. It's a vastly different squad to what I started captaining four years ago and I think there are some really talented players there.

"If we can get the most out of (Ross) Taylor, (Jesse) Ryder and (Brendon) McCullum in the years to come and with (Martin) Guptill and (Kane) Williamson, I think there is an exciting team there.

"We still need to find fast bowlers coming in, you always want those guys who can penetrate as much a possible and if they come along it'll be great."

Pakistan coach Waqar questioned over World Cup comment

KARACHI: Pakistan team coach Waqar Younis has been asked to explain himself to the national cricket board after criticising it for a delay in naming their captain for next month's World Cup (Feb 19-April 2). 

A spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that a notice had been sent to Waqar over his comments made from New Zealand following their 2-1 Test series win there. 

"We have asked him to explain his statement over the captaincy," media manager Nadeem Sarwar said. 

Former Test captain Waqar, who guided Pakistan to their first Test series win since 2006 by winning the two-match series in New Zealand on Wednesday, had told Geo Super channel that he was surprised by the board decision. 

"I am surprised that the board has delayed announcing the captain. I don't know the reasons for this but personally I think the captain should have been named with the team," Waqar said. 

The PCB on Tuesday announced its 15-member World Cup squad but said it would name the captain later although all-rounder Shahid Afridi has been given the responsibility of leading the team in the forthcoming one-day series in New Zealand. 

Former Test captains and ex-selectors have criticised the PCB decision to delay announcing the captain, claiming it would lead to internal problems in the team and make players insecure. 

Sarwar said that all team officials and players were contracted with the board and had to follow certain policies and regulations
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Shahid Afridi or Misbah-ul-Haq? Pakistan delays announcing captain to ICC for World Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board has sprung another surprise by delaying announcing its captain for the World Cup.

Pakistan is the only team so far to have told the International Cricket Council that it will nominate its captain at a later stage. When that will be isn't certain, but it has to be before the jointly hosted event by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh begins Feb. 19.

The main options look to be Shahid Afridi, a veteran of three World Cups, or Misbah-ul-Haq, set to play in the tournament for the first time.

Misbah led Pakistan's test team in the drawn series against South Africa and the 1-0 victory over New Zealand, but will be Afridi's deputy in the six-match, one-day international series against the Kiwis, starting Saturday.

Misbah, who has made six half-centuries in a row in tests, played only two ODIs last year. He was dropped after scores of 14 and 17 against South Africa.

"It's a mind-boggling decision," former test captain Rashid Latif said. "If Afridi is not to be the captain for the World Cup why is he made captain for six ODIs against New Zealand?

"I simply failed to understand what's the logic behind not naming the World Cup captain. Where is the PCB planning?"

Former legspinner Abdul Qadir and swing bowler Sarfraz Nawaz are in favour of Misbah being captain.

"He has led from the front in the test matches and my advice to the PCB would be to name Misbah as World Cup captain," Qadir said of a player who has 442 runs in the last four tests."

Nawaz said the PCB made the right decision by not announcing Afridi as the captain.

"Afridi plays for the gallery (spectators) and doesn't play for the team," Nawaz said. "He always falls to a false shot and I don't think his bowling has enough venom now."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is left out from the playing 11 at the World Cup. He has to perform against New Zealand."

Experienced batsman Mohammad Yousuf was left out of the 15-player squad on Tuesday that includes four specialist fast bowlers, three allrounders, two spinners and six batsmen.

Former captain Younis Khan and Misbah form the backbone of the middle-order batting lineup, along with Kamran and Umar Akmal. Afridi and Abdul Razzaq then come in and have the potential to torment any bowling attack on their day.

India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and England are the favoured teams for the 14-team competition, but Pakistan's win in the World Twenty20 in 2009 shows its players cannot be underestimated in limited-overs cricket.

"Not many cricket pundits are giving our team a chance with so many things happening in our cricketing setup, but I think we have the ability to go all the way — even to the final," former test spinner Iqbal Qasim said.