Problem with West Indies cricket? What problem?

West Indies: masters at the hokey pokey© AFP

That was a good tournament, but it wasn’t a great tournament. There were no shock results, for a start. Call me old-fashioned but a tournament doesn’t come alive until there’s a proper honest-to-goodness, jaw-dropping shocker, of the kind that causes you to spit warm tea all over your copy of the Telegraph and immediately order the butler to gather everyone in the drawing room for an announcement:

“I’m afraid I have to inform you that earlier today, England were defeated by Ireland at cricket. Oh, do stop crying dear, we have to set an example for the staff.”

It was also a bit damp around the edges, but then this soggy corner of the Sri Lankan calendar was the only place where the thing could go, and so it was duly squeezed in like a modestly sized Georgian side table in an already well-stocked second-hand furniture shop.

If last year’s World Cup was a six-week safari, this was more of a rainy fortnight in Wales, but a rainy fortnight in Wales that left us with some memorable highlights. There was the spectacle of the English batsmen hacking away at thin air in the manner of short-sighted lumberjacks. There was Tony Greig bending down to interview Mahela Jayawardene like Santa Claus seeking clarification from a particularly shy little boy. And the image that will stay with me longest: the fearsome sight of Shapoor Zadran charging in, nostrils flared, arms pumping: like Fred Trueman doing a Waqar Younis impression.

And West Indies won, which was pleasing for three reasons:

1. They were the best team.
2. They were the best dancers.
3. I said they would.*

The triumph of West Indies also suggests that perhaps we’d all got it wrong. The problem with Caribbean cricket was not inter-island squabbling, the brain-boggling ineptitude of the WICB, the comic wrangling of TweedleHunte and TweedleRamnarine, or even the lure of basketball, baseball, croquet, macramé, or whatever else was said to be stealing away the nation’s youth from the true path of leather and willow.

No, it turns out all that was needed was a bit of boring old discipline and a spot of unimaginative hard work. So well done to Darren Sammy and Ottis Gibson for stripping the vehicle down, removing the alloy wheels, the expensive chrome accessories and the go-faster stripes, and putting together something altogether more reliable, which may not look as flashy but which doesn’t splutter to a grinding halt every five minutes.

Of course, the sun never sets on T20 cricket, and even before the final fireworks had fizzled to earth in Colombo, elsewhere, on a different continent, the place names were being laid out for the opening press conference of the next all-star extravaganza. On Sunday it’s West Indies versus Sri Lanka; on Tuesday, say hello Yorkshire and Uva Next, featuring Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacob Oram, Hilary Clinton, Yohan Blake, and Jay Z.

We need some excuse-making coaches here

"How do you expect me to play at my best when these raindrops keep fallin' on my head and turnin' my eyes red?"© Getty Images

The modern-day proliferation of backroom flunkies is often portrayed as a bad thing. Ex-pros who can remember a time when an international cricketer had to wash his own underpants sometimes appear bewildered by this state of affairs. Does Team England really need 27 chiropractors, a battalion of soup testers and a crack team of water-alkalinity troubleshooters?

Well, yes, they do. Thanks to this army of advisors, counsellors and hangers-on, the modern cricketer is able to sidestep countless traps and pitfalls, that, if left to stumble along without guidance, they would undoubtedly blunder straight into.

For instance, thanks to the work of nutritionists, the modern cricketer understands that eating three pigeon pies and a portion of battered chocolate for breakfast will not help him perform to his best. Thanks to integrity consultants he’s discovered that being paid to fix cricket matches is wrong. And thanks to the efforts of fashion advisors, he understands that tattoos make him look more manly and emphasise his individuality.

That said, there is still room for improvement on the media-handling front. The tendency for Australians to preface every comment with the phrase, “Ah, look…” has yet to be eradicated. Despite the best efforts of elocution coaches, the post-match interviews of many cricketers from the north of England remain unintelligible. And then there are the terrible excuses.

Excuses are as much part of the modern game as photo shoots, silly sunglasses and forgetting which franchise you are supposed to be playing for this week. Yet so many cricketers appear reluctant to put in the hard yards and improve their justificatory skills. Take Dimitri Mascarenhas. Under pressure to explain Hampshire’s one day one-day campaign at the Champions Thingy in South Africa, this was all he could come up with:

“When we saw the pitch yesterday, we thought there was no way we could play on that wicket.”

Really? Was it strewn with bear traps? Were tarantulas nesting in the popping crease? Were the wildebeest migrating via Centurion again? No. It turns out that the pitch was a bit damp.

"In 20-over cricket, you want a flat wicket.”

Speak for yourself, old chap. Personally, the only thing I want from a 20-over game is for the players to turn up, the seats to be relatively comfy and the music not too dated. Beyond that, I have no expectations pitch-wise. Soggy or dusty, it makes no difference to me. I don’t measure my enjoyment by the length of the affair; a 14-over wicket fest can be just as much fun as a 20-over six-hitting contest.

It seems the more you pay a sportsman the more fussy he becomes about the going. I can only imagine the horrified reactions of the modern cricketer if he were asked to play on an uncovered wicket. I suspect some of them might faint. It’s even worse in Test cricket. Slippery run-ups, a hint of fog, a bit of drizzle, a swarm of bees: there’s no end to the minor inconveniences that can be used as a pretext not to do the thing they are paid to do.

“The most disappointing thing is that it was all in the toss. It was decided on that.”

Well, not quite, Dmitri. It was decided on the fact that Auckland scored all the runs you got, plus two more, on the same unplayable pitch that you were complaining about an hour earlier. Never mind awards dinners, charity speaking engagements and winter nets, I suggest you spend this close season increasing your excuse-making repertoire working for one of England’s many splendid rail franchises.

South Africa relentless and ruthless

South Africa in England 2012

The era of undisputed supremacy went with the Australians, but of the recent claimants South Africa's status as No. 1 would seem the most legitimate

Sambit Bal

August 21, 2012

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In Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis South Africa have two of the giants in the modern game © AFP  Enlarge

Related Links Features : Smith's South Africa come of age Report : South Africa hold nerve to take No. 1 Features : Strauss has cause for self-reflection News : Strauss wants to map out future Sambit Bal : Steely Amla shows substance over style Players/Officials: Hashim Amla | Jacques Kallis | Dale Steyn |Andrew Strauss Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of England Teams: England | South Africa

In days and years to come, members of this wonderfully varied South African team will thank England for pushing them to the edge on the day oftheir coronation: the harder it is earned, the sweeter the victory feels. Sport can be cruel and England's inspired late charge threatened for a while to blur the differences between the sides - palpably stark over 12 out of 14 days in the series - to nothing. It would have been the most outrageous heist had England pulled it off, but it would have also been a travesty. The 2-0 in favour of South Africa was the most appropriate scoreline for the series.

How the wheel has turned. It was about this time last year that England were a picture of rapture and joy, having trounced the reigning No. 1 Test team. They had started at Lord's and ended at The Oval, gathering force and momentum as they went. The top order mounted big hundreds, the lower order blasted fifties on demand, the fast men had a ball, and England's spinner had the last laugh at The Oval. They looked commanding and complete, and set to rule the world for a while.

This time they started at The Oval and ended at Lord's, and like in 2011, they got better as the series went. The problem was that they had started with such a deficit that there was no catching up. The defeat in the opening Test was big enough, but even that did not truly reflect the true scale of their humiliation, so dragging the final Test to the last hour and then losing by 51 runs counted as a massive improvement.

The final Test provided the kind of contest he had been expecting all series, Andrew Strauss said, where one innings, one dropped catch, one good session, could decide the outcome. But even in the final Test, where England took a small first-innings lead, it was always apparent that South Africa had the match in their grasp. Throughout the game, England strained to break free, but the leash never loosened fully. South Africa were relentless and ruthless.

England's annihilation of India last year was far more comprehensive, and India were a broken side by the time the series ended, but South Africa's ascent to No. 1 must feel more satisfying, for they snatched the crown from their opponents in their own backyard. Gradually over the last few years England had acquired such mastery over their home conditions that, despite their series win here in 2008, South Africa entered this contest as slight underdogs. But by outbowling, outbatting and outsmarting England, they have left no margin for doubt. India have a chance of retribution against England this winter, but England will have to wait for three and a half years for theirs against South Africa.

The No. 1 spot in some ways is an outcome of pure mathematics. The era of undisputed supremacy went with the Australians; like the West Indians of the '70s and '80s, with them no rating system was needed. But of the recent claimants South Africa's status would seem the most legitimate.

India took the spot without ever winning a series in Australia and South Africa, and England did so without winning in the subcontinent. South Africa are the team with the most evenly distributed record in world cricket. They have lost only one Test series (of 18) in the last five years, at home to Australia in 2008-09, and though they haven't won in India in ten years, and lost to Sri Lanka the last time they played there, their record in the subcontinent has been the most impressive of all visiting teams.

More than the record, though, it is the manner in which they have been able to adapt that has distinguished them. In Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla they have two batsmen who are wonderful against spin bowling, and what separates Dale Steyn from James Anderson, who is a better swing bowler in favourable conditions, is the ability to persuade life out of slower wickets. His match-winning seven-wicket haul in Nagpur ranks among the finest performances on Indian soil in the last couple of decades.

They are led outstandingly by Graeme Smith, who, incredible as it may sound, is still getting better as a captain. As Ian Chappell pointed out quite astutely earlier during the series, perhaps having a legspinner in the ranks has brought out the aggressive streak in Smith. His declaration in the first Test, which left his side open to the possibility of having to chase a total, was refreshingly positive, and his decision to give Imran Tahir one more over on the last evening at Lord's when the new ball was available was decidedly bold and ran against given wisdom. Tahir almost rewarded Smith with a wicket. There is no doubt, unless he decides to give it up, Smith will captain South Africa in over 100 Tests, and that record will take some beating.

England's great strength during their rise to the top was the wonderful variety in their bowling. South Africa put them in the shade comfortably. The individual battles were won with almost ridiculous ease. Morne Morkel took care of Strauss, Vernon Philander hassled Alastair Cook, and Steyn came on to deal with Jonathan Trott. England's opening partnerships produced 122 runs in six innings, and three times the first wicket fell in the first two overs; the South African openers put on 307 runs and had two century partnerships.

It could be argued that England were below par - Stuart Broad was down on pace and spirit, Cook never got going after the first innings, and Trott had a middling series. In sport, though, there is also the truth that you are as good as your opponents allow you to be. Strauss came into the series with two hundreds against West Indies but ended it with a highest score of 37. His final stroke of the series was no stroke. It was a moment that captured England's despair.

That Strauss got away with the mildest of inquisitions at the post-series press conference was indicative of his stature in English cricket. But perhaps even the media was resigned to South Africa's superiority throughout the series.

Sambit Bal is the editor of ESPNcricinfo

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

SLPL slowly generates its own identity

Sri Lanka Premier League mid-season review

It loses authenticity by attempting to match the IPL for glitz, but at least by putting domestic players in the limelight and finally attracting interest from the public, its benefits to Sri Lankan cricket are becoming clearer

Andrew Fernando

August 21, 2012

A

	Akila Dananjaya has been given the exposure few could dream of, even with his first-class career yet to take off © Shaun Roy/SPORTZPICS/SLPL  Enlarge

Considering the sheer number of complications the SLPL has suffered since its inception, it may not be unfair to say that if the SLPL had been a baby, its parents would probably have put it up for adoption. If it had been a racehorse, it would already be glue. If it had been the Millenium Falcon, we may never have even discovered that that small moon was really a battle station.

The tournament's biggest overseas drawcardwithdrew before the commencement; the SLPL's website was hacked and defaced during the opening ceremony; a tape alleging corruption in one of the franchises had emerged; the tournament has failed to attract decent crowds, and has largely been boycotted by the local media who have opposed it for being 'too Indian'; and most recently, allegations of sexual misconduct between an employee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and one of the organisers have added yet another serving of tournament kryptonite. In just over two weeks, the SLPL has combined the criminality and scandal of The Sopranos, with the viewer interest of Halle Berry's Catwoman.

Yet, halfway through its 24-match schedule, the tournament rolls on, apparently unconcerned. The cricket, which has largely been watchable, even compelling, may as well be happening on a parallel universe untouched by the match-fixing allegations and media antagonism. The pitches have been sporting - spinners, swingers and dashers have all enjoyed success in equal helpings. Sides like the Nagenahira Nagas have strung together impressive results, despite the lack of superstars, homegrown or foreign. And though the catching has sometimes veered toward awful, Sri Lanka internationals, who seemed burnt out in the ODI series against India have contributed heavily, and seemed rejuvenated in fierce provincial clashes against their usual team-mates. Thilan Samaraweera even played two type-busting scoop shots that both flew to the boundary.

The overseas talent, which reads a little like a who's who of cricketers who have played for Pakistan in the last half decade, has perhaps been the most disappointing aspect of the tournament. Shahid Afridi and Brendan Taylor have failed to fire, and Kyle Mills and Scott Styris have not been at their best either. Brad Hogg is yet to even get a game. But amid a majority of underwhelming imports, there have been a few stellar foreign performers. Sohail Tanvir is swinging the ball as far as it's likely ever been swung in Sri Lanka, and has been the key to Kandurata Warriors' resurgence after a poor start, Kamran Akmal and Tamim Iqbal have formed a dangerous opening pair for Wayamba United, and Mushfiqur Rahim has been a crucial cog in the Nagenahira's success so far.

Even the crowds have finally begun to show. Hundreds of Wayamba fans, all in team shirts, amassed in two large blocks at Pallekele International Stadium on Sunday, before their noise and presence was taken up by a large group of Uva Next fans for the second match of the evening's double header. Some have even come hundreds of kilometres and taken time off work to partake.

"Where I live, we don't get much of a chance to see the domestic cricketers play," says Keerthi Jayatilleke, who has traveled from the coastal town of Wennapuwa to Kandy. "I can support my team (Wayamba United) who are doing well, I can see some of the promising stars for Sri Lanka like Dilshan Munaweera, (Akila) Dananjaya and Shaminda Eranga and I can have a good time."

Good times have indeed been had at the SLPL, even before he spectators arrived in numbers. The hired papare bands have helped create a sense of atmosphere, even if it is the canned version, rather than the real thing, and the few fans who have come have drunk, sung and danced their way to a good night out. The IPL-style cheerleaders (covered up to suit Sri Lankan sensibilities of course), have at times been outdone by hundreds in the stands, who lack the cheerleaders' choreography, but more than compensate in the limbs-flying-everywhere-spastically stakes. Large groups of teenage boys have even begun gathering behind the cheerleaders at each corner of the ground, and mass-mimicking the dancers' moves - seemingly in caricature, but partly, surely, in veiled adulation. Though plenty have moaned that Indian sponsors, Indian franchisees, Indian organisers and Indian gimmicks have rung false in a Sri Lankan domestic tournament, by yelling, partying and generally behaving like hyperactive maniacs in the stands, the public have restored some 'Sri Lankan-ness' to the occasion.

	Teams have started to generate a fan base, with some travelling from various parts of the island © Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPL  Enlarge

The expatriate reaction has also been good, if YouTube hits and internet forum buzz are any indication. Each match is being streamed with a 10-minute delay on YouTube, and the official channel is already approaching 200,000 hits. "Even if it's not a tournament that gets a lot of crowds in Sri Lanka, it gives the thousands of Sri Lankan cricket fanatics who live elsewhere the chance to actually see some of the young players coming through," says Dilan Silva, who has been watching the tournament online from Oslo. "Otherwise, we read these guys' names on websites and newspapers, but have never actually seen them in action. It's good to see them rubbing shoulders with international players from all over as well, and it's nice that even if it's just T20, that Sri Lankan domestic cricket gets this kind of exposure."

The SLPL has also taken on added significance not simply as a warm-up for the World Twenty20, for which R Premadasa Stadium (Colombo) and Pallekele are the two main venues, but as a proving ground for players on the cusp of selection for Sri Lanka's final 15, as acknowledged by the SLC when they requested an additional week to finalise selections. Akila Dananjaya has had four matches as good as can be expected for someone who has never played first-class or List A cricket before, and Ajantha Mendis has bowled himself firmly into contention as well. Others like Chathuranga Kumara (Wayamba) and Dushmantha Chameera (Nagenahira) are players to watch.

Whether the crowds will continue to improve when the SLPL returns to Colombo for its pointy end remains to be seen, and with the cloud of a corruption investigation hanging overhead, it may be that at least one more major difficulty is still in the works for the tournament. For the moment though, the SLPL appears to be gathering speed. It loses authenticity by attempting to match the IPL for glitz, but at least by putting domestic players in the limelight and finally attracting interest from the public, its benefits to Sri Lankan cricket are becoming clearer.

Andrew Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent in Sri Lanka

© ESPN EMEA Ltd

.

Mushfiqur carries Nagenahira home

Basnahira v Nagenahira, SLPL, Pallekele

The Report by Andrew Fernando

August 17, 2012

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Nagenahira Nagas (Mushfiqur 54*, Nannes 3-34) beat Basnahira Cricket Dunee 146 (Dilshan 35, Eranga 3-20) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Mushfiqur Rahim powered Nagenahira Nagas' chase © Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPL  Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Mushfiqur Rahim Matches: Basnahira Cricket Dundee v Nagenahira Nagas at Pallekele Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka Premier League Teams: Basnahira Cricket Dundee | Nagenahira Nagas | Sri Lanka

Another stellar bowling performance underpinned a third consecutive victory for Nagenahira Nagas, as they breezed past Basnahira Cricket Dundee's 146 with six wickets and one over to spare. Shaminda Eranga's three for 20 from four overs and an economical spell from Sachith Pathirana ensured Cricket Dundee could not launch a sustained surge at any stage, and Mushfiqur Rahim's cool unbeaten 54 guided the Nagas unfussily to the modest target.

Once again Eranga troubled batsmen with seam, on a pitch that retained enough spice to accommodate movement in both directions despite one match already having been played on it earlier in the evening. An away-swinger caught the outside of Dhanushka Gunathilleke's bat, his drive going to mid off, and Cameron Borgas fell in similar fashion to Eranga much later in the innings. Sachithra Serasinghe's bottom edge completed Eranga's haul, but the dot balls amid the breakthroughs were almost as crucial to his side's cause.

Dilshan was forced into reticence once again through early wickets and tight bowling, and his 35 took 31 deliveries. Dimuth Karunaratne and Borgas also got starts, but neither were able to spur the run rate to any great extent as the Nagas continued to get regular breakthroughs.

Imran Nazir retured hurt early for the Nagas, after he pulled a muscled playing a pull stroke, but Angelo Mathews and Mushfiqur combined to provide substance to the chase, with a measured third-wicket stand of 57. Both batsmen collected the runs on offer from the spinners, and scored heavily square of the wicket off the seam bowlers, while striking the odd boundary to keep up with the required rate.

Mathews' demise for 30 did not deter Mushfiqur, who found another solid partner in Angelo Perera, and the pair set about closing the game out quickly with a spate of boundaries. A six to Mushfiqur, off the last ball of the penultimate over, took him past fifty and secured the tournament top-spot for the Nagas, who appear to be the form side of the early stages.

Andrew Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent in Sri Lanka

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© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Cricket Fixtures

Tournament FixturesTournament Results

9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final: Afghan U19 v PNG U19 at Brisbane 
Aug 19, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

1st Quarter-Final: Aust U19 v B'desh U19 at Townsville
Aug 19, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

4th Quarter-Final: England U19 v S Africa U19 at Townsville 
Aug 19, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final: Scot U19 v Zim U19 at Brisbane 
Aug 19, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

3rd Quarter-Final: India U19 v Pakistan U19 at Townsville 
Aug 20, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final: Ireland U19 v Namibia U19 at Brisbane 
Aug 20, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final: Nepal U19 v S Lanka U19 at Brisbane 
Aug 20, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

2nd Quarter-Final: NZ U19 v W Indies U19 at Townsville 
Aug 20, 2012 (09:30 local | 23:30 GMT | 05:30 BDT)

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Bangladesh capable of beating any team - Anamul

Australia v Bangladesh, U-19 World Cup quarter-final

George Binoy in Townsville

August 18, 2012

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	Against Australia, the responsibility of steering Bangladesh to a competitive total, or controlling a chase, will rest largely on Anamul Haque © ICC/Getty  Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Anamul Haque Matches: Australia Under-19s v Bangladesh Under-19s at Townsville Series/Tournaments: ICC Under-19 World Cup Teams: Bangladesh

That Bangladesh have made it through to the quarterfinals of the Under-19 World Cup by finishing second in Group D may surprise most people, but it hasn't surprised them. They are a competitive team at this level and neither the captain Anamul Haquenor coach Sarwar Imran considered beating Sri Lanka to book their places in Townsville, where they will face Australia on Sunday, to be an upset.

"We are a capable Under-19 team," said Anamul after arriving in Townsville on Friday afternoon. "At Under-19 level, we aren't very different from other teams. We're equal. We beat Sri Lanka, it's not a big deal. We are capable of beating any other team."

Bangladesh were pooled in perhaps the toughest group of the tournament along with South Africa, Sri Lanka and Namibia. They played four warm-up matches in the lead-up to the group games and had positive results. Led by Anamul's century, Bangladeshbeat Sri Lanka in the first group match but lost comprehensively to South Africa. They then swept past Namibia to book their tickets out of Brisbane and relegated Sri Lanka to the Plate Championship.

They've got to Townsville by overcoming ongoing challenges both on and off the field. It hasn't been uncommon to see players carrying bags of groceries to their rooms during this tournament and that's largely due to the difficulty they've had in eating the unfamiliar breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. For all but one - Noor Hossain - of the Bangladesh players, this is their first trip to Australia and they took a while to adjust to the cold weather in Brisbane, the food, having to cook meals and do their own laundry. These may sound like menial concerns but every bit of discomfort is accentuated when you're in the environment of a global tournament for the first time. Some of them still haven't adjusted entirely, said the coach Imran, but they're getting there.

The higher hurdle has been the cricket and to their credit the Bangladesh players haven't let their off-field issues affect their performances too much. They knew the conditions in Brisbane, a world away from those in Mirpur, Chittagong and Fatullah, would demand that they adapt techniques and approaches.

"I'm happy we've reached the quarterfinal. The wickets we've played on, it hasn't suited us," Imran said. "The bounce is more in Brisbane; we don't have the kind of pace bowlers [to exploit it]. We aren't as good as the others as a pace bowling team. Some of the pitches had no turn, it was easy to go on the back foot even to good length balls [against spinners]. Here [Townsville] it is hot, and that might help us."

The Bangladesh batsmen were instructed too, to temper the approach they use at home. "On a subcontinent wicket, we go for power play in the first 15 overs, but in this tournament I said you play 50 overs," Imran said. "We told them to leave the ball early, when it is swinging. You keep wickets in hand as much as possible and go for it in the last ten overs. They did that against Sri Lanka."

Apart from the game against South Africa, a couple of top-order batsmen have performed. Anamul made a hundred against Sri Lanka, while Asif Ahmed scored a half-century, and the opener Liton Das made 70 against Namibia. Imran said Anamul, Das and Soumya Sarkar, who made a double-century against Qatar in the Asia Cup, could play the short ball well. But Sarkar, in his opinion, has a penchant for playing one shot too many, and hasn't performed in the group stages.

Anamul holds his team to high standards. According to him, Bangladesh were better than they had been. "Not too happy with batting, two or three batsman are scoring, but not everyone," he said. "I'm not fully happy with spinners, they try hard but are not yet up to the mark. Everyone can improve."

Against Australia, however, the responsibility of steering Bangladesh to a competitive total, or controlling a chase, will rest largely on Anamul. He is their most experienced batsman, having been part of the senior team during the Asia Cup and the tour of Zimbabwe, although he did not play. He's also had the experience of playing international bowlers in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he plays for Dhaka Gladiators.

"I am very positive, I go for big runs, I like to play long innings," Anamul says when asked how he approaches his innings. "I'm very confident and have a strong mind."

Stuart Law, who coached Bangladesh before taking up his present role with Australia's Under-19 side, knows Anamul and said he'd been one of his favourite players. "He's wonderfully talented, he made a big impression during the Bangladesh Premier League last year," Law said. "He's one to watch. He got a hundred in the first game against Sri Lanka, so he's definitely a player of class."

That compliment, however, will mean Australia's bowlers - and there are four fast ones - will go hard at Anamul, looking to strike the body blow early in the contest. Bangladesh have had one day to come to terms with Townsville, while Australia played all their group matches here, as well as a quadrangular series in April. If Bangladesh should get past Australia, it will most certainly be an upset.

George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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© ESPN EMEA Ltd.