Thursday, January 10, 2019

Tamim Iqbal


Personal Information
Born                                         Mar 20, 1989 (29 years)
Birth Place                              Chittagong
Height                                      --
Role                                         Batsman
Batting Style                           Left Handed Bat


Career Information
Teams                                                                                                          Asia XI, Bangladesh,                                                                                                                                Nottinghamshire,                                                                                                                                      Chittagong Kings,                                                                                                                                    Pune Warriors, Wayamba                                                                                                                          United, Duronto Rajshahi,                                                                                                                        St Lucia Stars, Chittagong                                                                                                                      Vikings, Rest of the World                                                                                                                      XI, Peshawar Zalmi, Essex,                                                                                                                      World XI, Comilla                                                                                                                                      Victorians, Nangarhar                                                                                                                               Leopards, Bangladesh                                                                                                                            Cricket Board XI
Career Information

MInnNORunsHSAvgBFSR100200504s6s
Test561081404920637.84731855.33812549533
ODI1861848645015436.65825478.141104470482
T20I75755161310323.041380116.8810617541
Bowling Career Summary
MInnBRunsWktsBBIBBMEconAvgSR5W10W
Test565302000/10/14.00.00.000
ODI186261300/60/613.00.00.000
Career Information
Profile
When the world talks about the sub-continental openers, they talk about the aggression factor. Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar have ruthlessly destroyed the bowling over the years. However, an opener from Bangladesh soon joined that list and made the world take notice.

Tamim Iqbal was chosen in the Bangladesh team for the 2007 World Cup after playing just two matches against Zimbabwe. Against India, they were chasing a low score in tricky conditions. With the experienced Zaheer Khan bowling, it would have made sense for someone inexperienced to show respect and play him with caution. Tamim chose to disregard those factors and launched into the Indian bowling with brutal aggression. His six over deep mid wicket after skipping down the track to Zaheer was among the shots of the 2007 World Cup and ever since that knock, he hasn't looked back.

He scored his first century against Ireland, but it was his knock against Zimbabwe at Harare which got him top billing. Charles Coventry remained unbeaten when he equaled Saeed Anwar's highest ODI score of 194. However, Tamim launched a brutal counterattack to smash the highest score by a Bangladeshi batsman. His 154 included seven fours and six sixes as Bangladesh went on to win the match.

He has been a little inconsistent in ODIs, but his Test form has been remarkable. He started off his Test debut in style by scoring a pair of fifties against New Zealand in Dunedin in 2008. He scored his maiden Test century against the West Indies in 2009 at Kingstown to help Bangladesh record their first overseas test win. He smashed 151 against India at Dhaka, but it was the England bowling that he relished the most. In six Test innings against them, he has five scores of over fifty. His memorable moment came on the tour to England, when he got his name on the honours board at Lord’s by becoming the first Bangladeshi player to score a century. He scored another ton at Old Trafford to cap off a wonderful summer. His performances in that tour led to Wisden naming him as the Cricketer of the year in 2011. He is currently the second Bangladeshi to play for an English county when he joined Nottinghamshire.

The nephew of former Bangladesh skipper Akram Khan, Tamim has shown that he has the potential to achieve greatness. He was picked by Nottinghamshire as a short-term replacement for David Hussey as he was called up for the National duty. Tamim was not so successful with the bat and he scored just 104 runs with a highest score of 47. He was under immense pressure from the Bangladeshi media especially when he played against Worcestershire, who were fielding Shakib Al Hasan.

Bangladesh toured Zimbabwe in July 2011 for a single Test and five ODIs. Zimbabwe were returning from a six-year exile from Tests, although Bangladesh had not played in the format for more than 14 months. Despite claiming in a press confidence that Zimbabwe's bowlers posed little threat, Tamim managed just 58 runs in the Test as Bangladesh slid to defeat. Bangladesh also lost the ODI series against Zimbabwe 3–2. All Bangladeshi batsmen struggled early in the series, with Tamim managing just 157 runs from five innings at an average of 31.40. In the aftermath of the series, Shakib and Tamim were sacked as captain and vice-captain, with a BCB representative citing their poor leadership.

When West Indies toured Bangladesh in October 2011, he was the leading run-scorer for Bangladesh and he scored 186 runs from 4 innings including 2 fifties. When the BCB founded the Bangladesh Premier League, he was made the 'Icon Player' for Chittagong Kings. His appearance was limited to just 2 matches as he suffered a groin injury and scored just 8 runs. In March 2012 Bangladesh hosted the Asia Cup. Tamim, who was recovering from typhoid, was initially dropped from the squad on the orders of BCB president Mustafa Kamal. Controversy ensued as Kamal had overridden selection committee and Tamim was eventually re-added to the squad. He responded by striking four consecutive half-centuries, becoming the first Bangladesh player to achieve the feat in ODIs. Bangladesh progressed to the final against expectations, though lost to Pakistan by 2 runs. Later that month, Tamim signed with Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League, but did not play a single match for the team. In April his top-level central contract with the BCB was renewed.

In late October, Wellington Firebirds signed him for the New Zealand domestic HRV Cup, a T20 competition. Tamim is the first Bangladeshi to play in the New Zealand domestic league. Bangladesh hosted West Indies in late 2012, where Bangladesh won the ODI series, despite losing the Test series and the T20I. Tamim scored fifties in both ODIs and Tests and his unbeaten knock of 88 went in vain as Bangladesh lost the lone T20I. After the series, Tamim went back to New Zealand to play for Wellington Firebirds, where he scored 232 runs, including two half-centuries with an average of 38.66. He came back to Bangladesh in mid January to lead Duronto Rajshahi in the second edition of the BPL.

In March 2013, Bangladesh went to Sri Lanka, but Tamim was not selected for the first Test. But in the second Test he made 10 and 59 respectively. In the first ODI, Tamim became the first Bangladeshi to score a hundred against Sri Lanka, when he scored 112 off 136 balls. When Sri Lanka toured Bangladesh in February 2014, he had a quiet series and didn't play in the ODIs due to a neck sprain. Tamim came back into the squad for 2014 Asia Cup and World T20 but failed to score the runs which his team required. In July 2014, he was a part of the Rest of the World side in the Bicentenary Celebration match at Lord's.

After a decent series against Zimbabwe in Nov-Dec 2014, Tamim was diagnosed as a grade one tear on his left knee. He underwent a surgery in Australia and recovered in time before the 2015 World Cup. However, he didn't have a great tournament as he managed just 154 runs in six innings, with a best score of 95 against Scotland which provided the platform to chase down a target of 319.

He bounced back strongly against a visiting Pakistan team after the 2015 World Cup. With scores of 132, 116 and 64 in the three match ODI series, he was the Man of the Series and played an instrumental role in whitewashing Pakistan for the first time. He continued his good work in the Tests too, notching up a double century in Khulna in the second innings which helped Bangladesh secure a draw for the first time against Pakistan in Tests. He was also a key member of the Bangladesh set-up that tasted series victories against India and South Africa in the same year. Against Zimbabwe, he scored 132 runs in three games, thereby winning all the four bilateral ODI series at home in 2015.

Tamim opted out of the 2016 Asia Cup due to the birth of his first child. However, he was back for ICC WT20, 2016 held in India. Bangladesh had to play the qualifiers, where the opener was at his peak. He scored an unbeaten 83 Netherlands in his team's first match of the tournament. In a must-win encounter against Oman, he struck 103 off just 63 deliveries and became the first Bangladeshi to score a T20I century - thereby becoming the first from his nation to score centuries across all formats. He couldn't hold onto the same form in the Super-10 stage where Bangladesh couldn't win a single game.

His 80 and 118 in the first and third ODIs respectively ensured a 2-1 series victory against Afghanistan. Tamim became the first Bangladeshi batsman to reach 5000 ODI runs when he reached the milestone against England in October 2016. Carrying the good form into the longest format, Tamim slammed his eight Test ton at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium and backed it up with a fiery 40 in the second essay that helped Bangladesh post their first ever Test win against England and thereby drawing the 2-match series 1-1.

Barring his fifty in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand, Tamim didn’t contribute substantially early in the year 2017. However, he regained his touch in Sri Lanka, where he scored 207 runs in two matches. He received the Man of the Match in Bangladesh’s 100th Test match for his matured 82 in the second innings that saw Bangladesh chase down a target of 191. He continued his good form by notching up his eighth ton in the 50-over format that blew away Sri Lanka in the first ODI.

Tamim continued to churn in runs in the tri-series featuring Ireland and New Zealand where he amassed 199 runs at an average around 66. He set the Champions Trophy in England ablaze with a scintillating 128 in the tournament opener and followed it up with scores of 95 0 and 70. Although Bangladesh lost to India in the quarter-finals, they surpassed expectations of many by knocking both Antipodean nations out of the tournament.

2016 - 2017 - a season that saw Bangladesh rise in Test cricket. Test wins against Sri Lanka, England and Australia. All of those wouldn't have been possible sans the supremacy of senior players. And most importantly Tamim Iqbal, the vital cog of Bangladesh's batting for over a decade. 

Monday, January 7, 2019

Sakib Al Hasan

personal Information
Born
Mar 24, 1987 (31 years)
Birth Place
Magura, Jessore
Height
--
Role
Batting Allrounder
Batting Style
Left Handed Bat
Bowling Style
Left-arm orthodox
ICC Rankings
Test
ODI
T20
Battig
23
33
37
Bowlig
20
26
7
Batting Career Summary
MInnNORunsHSAvgBFSR100200504s6s
Test551037380721739.66615061.9512447019
ODI19518324557713435.08686381.26704050438
T20I7271814718423.351195123.100815232
IPL6045117376621.68579127.290027020
Bowling Career Summary
MInnBRunsWktsBBIBBMEconAvgSR5W10W
Test55931277464142057/3610/1243.0131.2962.31182
ODI195192989973332475/475/474.4429.6940.0810
T20I727115711774885/205/206.7820.1617.8510
IPL605912631557573/173/177.427.3222.1600
Career Information
Profile
Shakib Al Hasan is without a doubt the biggest name to have emerged from Bangladesh cricket circles. Being a genuine all-rounder, Shakib is a vital cog in Bangladesh's line-up. He has been a consistent performer for his country, over the years. Shakib first came into notice when he played cricket for several villages near his hometown of Magura. He spent time honing his skills at a government run sports facility and was picked for the Under-19 squad for the tri-series featuring England and Sri Lanka. He scored a 86-ball century and picked up three wickets in the final to help the team defeat Sri Lanka. This earned him selection for the series against Zimbabwe.

He cracked his first ODI ton against Canada in the tri-series played in the West Indies, just before the 2007 World Cup. He scored a composed fifty and bowled 10 tight overs for 44 runs without a wicket as Bangladesh secured a big win over India. His consistent performances enhanced his reputation. He went on to score a century against Pakistan, later in the year.

In the Test arena, Shakib continued in the same vein as he had done in the ODIs. His major breakthrough came in the Test against New Zealand in Chittagong in 2008. He picked up 7/36, which till date is the best figures by a Bangladeshi bowler. Shakib also contributed with a fifty in the second innings to set New Zealand a challenging 317. However, he got no support from the other bowlers and New Zealand won the match.

Shakib was ranked No. 1 among the all-rounders by the ICC thanks to his consistency. He took over the captaincy from Mohammad Ashraful and led from the front. He picked up five wickets and went on to score an unbeaten 96 in the second Test in Grenada against a depleted West Indies side. Bangladesh eventually won the Test series 3-0.

Shakib's stint with Worcestershire made him even better. He took 35 wickets in a single season, including his best figures of 7/32 against Middlesex to help the County get promoted to Division 1 of the championship. Along the way, he was the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer when Bangladesh achieved a whitewash over New Zealand in 2010.

Despite leading Bangladesh to wins against England, Ireland and Netherlands in the 2011 World Cup, the team crashed out and many people blamed Shakib. He put aside all the criticism and performed well for Kolkata in the 2011 IPL.

Shakib was sacked as captain before the tour of West Indies in 2011. However, he yet again proved his worth as he was Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in both the ODI and Test series in the West Indies. His bowling was backed up by 168 runs he scored in two Tests. He scored 79 from two innings in the ODIs. Bangladesh lost both series. Later in the year, Shakib was Bangladesh's top run-scorer and wicket-taker in the home Test series against Pakistan in December 2011. In the second Test of the series, he became Bangladesh's first player to score a century and take five wickets in an innings. After the series, he was ranked No. 1 in the ICC's ranking of Test allrounders.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board launched Bangladesh Premier League in 2012, a Twenty20 tournament to be held in February that year. The BCB made Shakib the 'Icon Player' for Khulna Royal Bengals. Under his captaincy, Shakib's team progressed to the semi-finals of the competition, where they were beaten by Dhaka Gladiators. In 10 matches, he scored 280 runs and took 15 wickets, and he was his team's leading wicket-taker and later he was named Man of the Tournament.

In the 2012 Asia Cup, Shakib scored 237 runs, including three fifties and also took six wickets. Bangladesh progressed to the final of the tournament for the first time, where they lost to Pakistan by two runs. Shakib's performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award and he reclaimed the No.1 ODI allrounder spot from Australia's Shane Watson. Later that year in the 2012 edition of the IPL, Shakib played in eight of Kolkata's 18 matches and won two Man of the Match awards as the team won the IPL for the first time.

During the home series against West Indies in 2012, Shakib became the second Bangladeshi player to take 100 Test wickets, making him the leading wicket-taker in Tests for Bangladesh. He also achieved the feat of becoming the fastest allrounder to take 100 wickets and score 1,000 runs. He achieved the milestone in just 28 matches. However, he was ruled out of the ODI and T20 series due to a shin injury.

In the 2013 BPL player auction, Shakib was snapped up for a whopping amount of USD 365,000 by Dhaka Gladiators, making him the most expensive player of the tournament. He led his team to victory, getting 329 runs and 15 wickets in 12 matches and emerging as the Man of the Tournament for a consecutive second time in the BPL. Shakib signed up for Leicestershire County Cricket Club as their second overseas player for T20 matches. In the Caribbean Premier League 2013, Shakib played as an allrounder for Barbados Tridents. In a match against Trinidad and Tobago Steel, he recorded the second best T20 bowling figures by taking 6/6 from his four overs.

During the series against Sri Lanka in February 2014, he was punished by the BCB for making an inappropriate gesture on live television during the second ODI against Sri Lanka. He was also fined 300,000 Takas (3800 USD) and was suspended for the next three matches, which included the first two matches of the 2014 Asia Cup. He was their best bowler in the World T20 2014 and also scored a fine 66 against Australia, but still couldn't help his side win a single contest in the Super 10s. A few months later in June 2014, Shakib was allegedly involved in a brawl with a spectator, who was reportedly harassing his wife in the grandstand of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, during the first ODI against India. His 'severe attitude problem' over the months forced the BCB to ban him for six months from all forms of cricket. The ban was reduced to three and a half months, allowing him to be available for selection from September 15.

In November 2014, Shakib joined Imran Khan and Ian Botham, becoming only the third player in the history to have scored a hundred and taken 10 wickets in the same Test. He achieved this feat against Zimbabwe. He performed admirably in the ODI series that followed, as well. In December 2014, the BCB finally ended the restriction on non-objection certificate, leaving him free to participate in overseas tournaments. In the same month, he was signed by the Melbourne Renegades to play in the Big Bash League.

Post the successful World Cup campaign in 2015, Bangladesh continued their good form in the 50-over format. The consistent Shakib played a huge factor in his team’s hat-trick of ODI series victories - against Pakistan, India and South Africa - all at home. Barring his unbeaten 50 against Pakistan, Shakib didn’t have a great WT20 held in India in 2016 and that didn’t help his team’s cause as they failed to register a single win the Super 10 stage. He terms the one-run defeat against India in Bengaluru and the 2012 Asia Cup final loss as two of his major cricket regrets he would like to erase.

Although Shakib didn’t contribute much with the bat, he played the perfect foil to debutant Mehedi Hasan. The all-rounder picked 12 wickets in two matches and helped his team square the 2-match Test series 1-1, that also involved Bangladesh’s first Test victory against England. The tour to New Zealand saw Shakib reach greater heights when he amassed 217 runs in the first innings at Wellington. He was involved in a record 359-run stand with Rahim. But, he followed it up with a duck before Bangladesh collapsed and lost the game posting a gigantic score of 595 in the first essay.

After a decent outing in the one-off Test against India, Shakib had a superb tour of Sri Lanka. Shakib notched up his fifth Test ton in Bangladesh’s historic 100th Test match. That knock proved to be instrumental in Bangladesh winning the match and squaring the series 1-1. He was the Man of the Series for scoring 162 runs and taking 9 wickets. He was the standout player in the shortest format as well as his all-round performances helped Bangladesh level the T20I series 1-1. After Mortaza announced his retirement from the 20-over format, the BCB appointed Shakib as the T20I skipper.