All posts by h716a5.icu

Shane Warne has stepped up his criticism of Alastair Cook’s captaincy, insisting that his leadership of England at Headingley represented the worst day of international captaincy he had witnessed in 25 years

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2014Shane Warne has stepped up his criticism of Alastair Cook’s captaincy, insisting that his leadership of England at Headingley represented the worst day of international captaincy he had witnessed in 25 years.In an outspoken column in the Telegraph, Warne dismissed Cook’s suggestions that his criticism was somehow personal and suggested that it would be “a miracle” if he ever became tactically astute.Cook had suggested ahead of the Headingley Test, which Sri Lanka won in the last over to take the series, that “something should be done” about Warne’s trenchant criticism. He has insisted that he has no intention of resigning as England captain ahead of the Test series against India. He has received support, among others, from India’s coach Duncan Fletcher, the man who first introduced him to Test cricket.”There are three ways to go with Alastair ‘Cooked’ Cook,” Warne wrote. “Everyone sticks their head in the sand and just allows things to keep going as is and hope he finds form with the bat and by a miracle discovers some tactical brains from somewhere. Two: he steps down from the captaincy to concentrate on his batting. Three: the most radical of all, he has a complete break away from the game.”His captaincy at Lord’s was terrible, then on Monday at Headingley I witnessed the worst day of captaincy I have ever seen at international level in almost 25 years in the game. It was horrific, and I am not the only one singing that tune.”This column is not a personal attack and never has been Alastair. Mate, you need to improve tactically or England need someone else in the job. And I am not the only one saying it. Please speak to Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain and other successful captains who were tough, ruthless and got it.”With Cook as captain England will always be conservative and get confused about what to do when games are in the balance because he retreats so quickly … If a game is in the balance with Cook at the helm then I am here to tell you, England will lose.”

The pursuit of the money shot nearly cost West Indies what should have been an easy win, and it took a 10-run stand for the last wicket in front of a nervous full house

The Report by Sidharth Monga30-Jun-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kemar Roach and Tino Best saw West Indies through in a tense finish•AFPThe pursuit of the money shot nearly cost West Indies what should have been an easy win, and it took a 10-run stand for the last wicket in front of a nervous full house to end India’s nine-match winning streak in international cricket.With balls remaining in the chase of 230 out of equation, Kemar Roach and Tino Best, who had taken two wickets each previously, showed the more accomplished batsmen how to finish the chase off – they added 10 in 4.2 overs and still had 14 balls to spare – but it can also be argued that it was the free-flowing approach that put West Indies in comfortable positions in the first place in a chase that oscillated between the ridiculously easy and the plain ridiculous.If West Indies kept India down to 229 for 7 through sustained pressure with the ball on a damp pitch, their response with the bat knew no caution: six of the nine wickets they lost were followed by boundaries immediately after, and five of their wickets were a result of extravagant shots when all they needed was 15 more minutes of sensible batting. The result was a thrilling finish where dot balls were cheered on vigorously, where three men around the bat became a regular sight, the annoying horns were almost all put away, and advice flowed freely from the engrossed crowd.The teams could do with advice: they were both missing their captains. West Indies lost Dwayne Bravo to a groin injury before the match, and Kieron Pollard left behind three former captains to make his leadership debut. MS Dhoni injured himself while batting, and didn’t take field. India’s loss turned out to be more crucial: stand-in keeper Dinesh Karthik’s gloves were visibly late to an R Ashwin offbreak with Johnson Charles stranded down the wicket.What should have been a stumping to make it 198 for 8 now went for what was adjudicated four runs. Replays didn’t show an edge, and even if there was one it was not significant enough for Karthik to be so far away from the line of the ball. It shouldn’t take away from Charles’ 97, though, who scored 60 in his last match against India.Charles is not the most orthodox batsman, but he tends to put oppositions off. He has a low back lift, and decides late, almost too late, whether to move forward or back, and which shot to play. Somehow, though, he makes the best decisions on his day, which it was today. For company for most of his effort, Charles had Darren Bravo, who can be quiet the opposite: high back lift, a certain flair, a reliance on the early picking of the length, and a tendency to get better with the length of the innings.Charles broke away early. His response to Chris Gayle’s wicket, caught at short cover in the second over, was three straight fours hit straight down the ground off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the third over. His response to the next two wickets – Devon Smith and Marlon Samuels – in the next two overs was to cart Bhuvneshwar and Umesh Yadav for three more fours. Some time later, he took his first single. It took him to 25, and West Indies to 42 for 2 in ninth over.With the pitch easing out, India were now reliant on spin, but Charles and Bravo attacked India’s magic man, Ravindra Jadeja, immediately. Each of them hit a six in Jadeja’s first two overs, and it was down to Ashwin now, who was introduced in the 15th over. He troubled the batsmen immediately, but they both broke free, and brought up their fifties.However, in what was to become the trend, Bravo fell to Ashwin when West Indies were headed towards an impregnable position. He went to hit a short ball, was done in by the stopping of it, and ended up dragging it to leg, leaving the last six 88 to get. Charles responded with his fourth six, this one brought up with an inside-out six hit off an Ashwin carrom ball that he picked early. West Indies were now 155 for 4 in the 30th over.Johnson Charles was fluent in his 97, but he fell with the win in sight•AFPWickets kept falling at the other end, with West Indies possibly looking for a bonus point. Pollard followed one wide delivery, Denesh Ramdin swung wildly, and India had been let back in at 161 for 6. Darren Sammy now launched a counterattack – 29 off 26 laced with three sixes – but he, too, left the job unfinished when he tried to hit Ishant Sharma for a third boundary in 37th over.Soon, Charles was reprieved. He even tried to farm the strike, but on 97 with mid-off up, he couldn’t hold himself back, and left the game open once again. West Indies still needed 19 runs, India sensed the win now, but Roach and Sunil Narine knocked nine of those runs. Time, then, for another rush of blood to the head. Narine, this time, drove uppishly, and straight to mid-on. All India had to do was keep the field and hold on to their catches. West Indies were throwing this game.Not with Roach and Best, though. They batted like their lives depended on this knock, and drop by drop they took West Indies home. Looking at the celebrations from the crowd, it seemed all that preceded was forgotten. It wasn’t.West Indies crowds can be deceptive that way. They had seen a near professional performance with the ball earlier in the day. On a pitch that provided some variable tennis-ball bounce for the quicks and turn for the spinners, they bowled with hostility and aggression to keep India down. Roach and Sammy set the agenda with four wickets for 82 runs in their 20 overs, but they were aided well by the spinners, and Best, who was replacing the injured Ravi Rampaul.Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina fought hard, but both fell short of damaging their reputations. Rohit is known to not convert starts and form into runs, and here he threw his wicket away after struggling through to 60. He is yet to score an international century outside the two he did inside three days in 2010. Raina’s average, and his ability, diminish when he goes outside Asia, and just when he looked like he was en route to a special innings under pressure, he edged a wide ball for 44 of 55.Outside these two, batting seemed a long struggle for India, and they also lost Dhoni when they were looking for the big push. West Indies needed all these riches considering they were going to bat like millionaires for whom the next hour didn’t matter.

L Balaji has been replaced by Vinay Kumar in the Twenty20 squad to play England, following Balaji’s stress injury on his toe

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2012India seamer L Balaji has been ruled out of the Twenty20 squad against England due to a stress injury to his right big toe, the BCCI has said. Vinay Kumar, the Karnataka seamer, will replace him.Vinay has played eight Twenty20s internationals, and made his last international appearance against South Africa in Johannesburg in March this year. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy, he has taken 17 wickets in four matches at an average of 20.58.India play England in two Twenty20s later this month before a five-match ODI series.

Zeeshan Maqsood’s unbeaten 86 powered Oman to a seven-wicket win with 10 balls to spare against Canada in a Group B match of the World T20 Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Nitish Kumar’s 25-ball 52 for Canada went in vain•ICC/Helge SchutzZeeshan Maqsood’s unbeaten 86 powered Oman to a seven-wicket win with 10 balls to spare against Canada in a Group B match of the World T20 Qualifier.Set a target of 134 in a game reduced to 13 overs a side, Oman’s openers Maqsood and Khawar Ali set the tone with a 65-run partnership in 4.2 overs. It was largely a Maqsood show as his 41-ball innings included nine fours and five sixes. Nitish Kumar, Jeremy Gordon and Cecil Pervez picked up a wicket each for Canada.Canada’s innings, after Oman opted to bowl first, was propped up by a 25-ball 52 from Nitish, who scored four fours and three sixes. He raised 69 runs for the third wicket in the company of Navneet Dhaliwal, who scored 28 off 20 balls. Rajeshkumar Ranpura, debutant seamer Mohammad Nadeem and Aamir Kaleem took a wicket each.

Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra has confessed to betting on IPL matches, including matches involving his own team, Delhi’s police commissioner has said

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2013Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra has confessed to betting on IPL matches, including matches involving his own team, Delhi’s police commissioner has said. Kundra and his friend and business partner Umesh Goenka were called in for questioning by the Delhi Police at their Special Cell office, which lasted 12 hours.”Raj Kundra has confessed to betting,” Neeraj Kumar, the Delhi Police commissioner, told reporters. “He would place bets through Umesh Goenka, who is a bookie.” Kumar also confirmed to newspaper that Kundra and Goenka’s passports had been impounded in order to, “ensure that they are available to join the probe as and when found necessary.”Later in the day Jagmohan Dalmiya, appointed to run the BCCI’s affairs, said the board’s working committee would discuss the issue at its meeting on Monday.Kumar’s statements came a day after the police interrogated the two intensively.The questions pertained to the operations of the Rajasthan Royals team, ownership patterns, security measures and processes in place. Goenka made a statement before a magistrate which can be treated as evidence in court, while Kundra submitted a written statement in front of a police officer.Though Goenka doesn’t have anything directly to do with the Royals management, he and Kundra, who bought a 11.7 per cent stake in the Royals ahead of IPL’s 2009 edition, are partners in a steel business unit.According to , Goenka’s name cropped up during Royals’ bowler Siddharth Trivedi’s statement in front of a magistrate at the Delhi Police special cell last week. Trivedi, the report said, had told the magistrate that Goenka had sought information related to team formation from him.SN Srivastav, special commissioner of police, Delhi Police special cell told news channel that Kundra had told interrogators that “he had lost a lot of money on betting, but we need to verify that. We are not taking everything at face value.”When asked why Kundra was allowed to leave, Srivastav added: “Our focus of this case is fixing and not on betting. At this stage, the evidence we have against RK and Goenka is that of betting. We are still in the process of collecting more evidence. And we’ll take a call as we proceed.”Following the questioning, Kundra lashed out at the media via his twitter account for its coverage of the story. “Good morning woke up to news raj kundra faces the heat. yes it’s very hot in Mumbai. Media has misconstrued everything using unreliable sources. Try speaking to the Main guys at crime branch. Why does media hype things and make such stupid claims to sell news. Is there an arrest warrant? I am back home in Mumbai. Kindly let Delhi crime branch do their work. media stop using derogatory statements,” he tweeted.The interrogation was part of the investigation into the arrests of threeRajasthan Royals players allegedly for spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League’s sixth edition. The arrests of S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were followed by those of several bookies and Chennai Super Kings’ team management member Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI chief N Srinivasan who was later released on bail.It was followed by former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale, who had signed the tripartite player contracts involved between the BCCI, franchises and players and IPL chief operating officer Sundar Raman visiting the Delhi police headquarters for providing requisite information.The corruption scandal has overshadowed the on-field performance of Rajasthan Royals during the sixth edition of the IPL, which concluded on May 26. The Royals finished third this season, their first top-four finish since their triumphant campaign in IPL’s inaugural edition in 2008. Since the 2008 triumph, Royals have been embroiled in various controversies.The team – owned by a consortium of four business conglomerates – was often accused of having been given by soft corner by founding chairman Lalit Modi. Suresh Chellaram, whose family owns the largest stake in the Royals, is Modi’s brother-in-law. As a result, Modi’s ouster from the BCCI and IPL was soon followed by the BCCI expelling Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab for a breach of the franchise agreement. However, Royals took the legal recourse and were reinstated into the IPL well in time before the 2011 auction.The Royals have also been under the scanner for their monetary flow, with the Enforcement Directorate having issued multiple notices to them for an alleged breach of regulations. With the ownership pattern and monetary transactions being questioned time and again, the moneyball team of the IPL has been in the news more for off the field activities than on it since the inaugural season.

Stuck on 14 points, Rajasthan Royals need a win against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali to avoid a must-win situation in their last match against Mumbai Indians

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria22-May-2014Match factsFriday, May 23, 2014
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:17

Guha: Royals should stick to their trusted XI

It’s been a while since Maxwell-Miller combine fired for Kings XI Punjab•BCCIBig PictureRajasthan Royals looked like they were breezing to the playoff stage along with Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings a few days back. After the loss against Mumbai Indians, however, they are feeling the squeeze. Stuck on 14 points, they need a win against Kings XI in Mohali to avoid a must-win situation in their last match against Mumbai Indians.Kings XI have no such problems. They are sitting pretty with 18 points. The question is, can they make sure they end the league stage at the top too so that they get the cushion of an extra chance to make it to final? A lot will depend on their batting to achieve that goal since the pitch in Mohali is not likely to aid their bowlers. On Wednesday, against Mumbai Indians, their best bowler this season – Sandeep Sharma – was neutralised as he couldn’t get any swing or seam on a greenish surface. That Mumbai Indians’ slower bowlers were hard to hit would mean that Pravin Tambe and Rajat Bhatia could play decisive roles.Form guideKings XI Punjab: LWWLW (completed games, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals: LWLWLWhere they standKings XI Punjab: First, with 18 points from 12 games
Rajasthan Royals: Fourth, with 14 points from 12 gamesPrevious encounterThe two teams met in Sharjah last month in a high-scoring match in which Kings XI Punjab prevailed by seven wickets. Royals put up a seemingly watertight total of 191 after everyone in their batting order chipped in and struck a couple of early blows. But then the Maxwell-Miller show happened and Kings XI chased down the target in the 19th over.Watch out forTeam selections. It can be argued that one reason for both teams’ reverses in their respective previous matches was the changes they made to their XI. The absence of David Miller in Kings XI not only meant the loss of a batsman in form, but it also meant that the batting order had to be tinkered with, disturbing their usual approach. Royals’ tactics of benching three first-choice players was even more unusual given they were still not through to playoffs.It’s been a while since Glenn Maxwell’s last deadly assault on bowlers. He has scored 98 runs in his last five outings with a highest of 43, a drastic dip from the 435 he scored in the first seven matches. In this period, he has also been pipped by Robin Uthappa as the leading run-scorer in this edition. Has the Maxwell phenomena run out of steam already? Hope not.Stats and trivia Six times out of 12, Maxwell has been dismissed by a legspinner in this IPL. Pravin Tambe, take note. Kings XI have six of the top 10 team totals in this edition of the IPL. Royals are the only ones to appears more than once – twice Royals have beaten Kings XI eight times in 12 IPL matches. In Mohali, they have won three matches out of five

On Wednesday, Nigel Hilliard, the Essex chairman, said that the prospects of Monty Panesar remaining an Essex cricketer next year will be dependent on how well he fits into the dressing-room for the remainder of the season

Ivo Tennant at Colchester22-Aug-2013On Wednesday, Nigel Hilliard, the Essex chairman, said that the prospects of Monty Panesar remaining an Essex cricketer next year will be dependent on how well he fits into the dressing-room for the remainder of the season.Given that he has been in the middle for most of his first few days at Colchester, bowling no fewer than 54 overs, he has hardly had time to converse with his new colleagues. Yet, according to James Foster, his captain, the signs are highly auspicious.”I had been with him on an England Lions tour and I knew him to be a quality guy,” Foster said. “Monty has fitted in really well. He keeps himself to himself but he has shown great exuberance around the dressing-room and enjoys a bit of banter. It has helped that he has known other players from the past – he has played a lot of cricket with Ravi Bopara and against Gautam Gambhir.””I don’t know what has been agreed between Essex and Sussex and have no idea if he will be back next season – that is down to the powers-that-be – but there is no question he has gone down well. I thought his bowling was excellent on a good batting pitch which did not offer anything in the way of spin. His control was relentless. It does not look as if the pitch is going to break up, either.”The perception from the boundary was that Panesar was firing the ball in at the batsmen, striving for containment and maidens rather than enticing them into trying to hit against such turn as there was or over the top. Not so, felt Foster. “There was plenty of variation and he mixed his pace up nicely. The only way a spinner could get a lot out of this pitch was through control. He was bowling against good, in-form batters. That was what I, as a wicketkeeper, found to be exceptional.”Foster said the club had had to move smartly when they knew Panesar was being released by Sussex and was amused that Northamptonshire had arrived at Colchester at the start of this week anticipating that the England spinner would be turning out against Essex. “Monty could make the difference between us gaining promotion and remaining in the second division,” he said. “In theory, pitches take spin at this time of year and that is why we went for him. I am not sure whether he will play in our remaining one-dayers.”Panesar is staying in a Colchester hotel this week and will then move into the Chelmsford area. Foster said that as part of the agreement over his release from Sussex, he was not be permitted to join a Division One club – in other words, he would not be allowed to play against them for the remainder of the season. The Essex captain was unaware that Sussex had prevented him from speaking to the media during the Colchester festival.There was no play on the third day to test whether or not there would be anything in the pitch to encourage the spinners on both sides. The presence of Panesar has been well received by Essex members and supporters, but inevitably there has been the odd grumble over the wages that will be paid to him between now and the end of the season. He will remain on the same salary he was receiving from Sussex. After that, the club will be competing in a free market.

Inter Miami's sporting director Chris Henderson revealed the latest update on Luis Suarez's rumored transfer to the Herons this Winter.

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Suarez to Miami rumors keep popping upHeron's sporting director speaks on potential transfer for UruguayanWould be third ex-Barca teammate of Messi's in MiamiWHAT HAPPENED?

During Inter Miami's end of the year press conference, Henderson spoke on the possibility of bringing the Uruguayan stateside this winter. He admitted that the links to the club keep coming, but also addressed that he is still a Gremio player in Brazil. Him speaking on the matter gives Herons supporters a reason to be excited though, as Messi may be helping them recruit their newest striker.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Suarez and Messi played together at FC Barcelona for six years, where the Uruguayan net 198 goals for the Catalan side. The South American duo, alongside Brazilian star Neymar, formed the famed duo that haunted Europe for three years. Now, Messi is slowly recruiting his old friends in MLS, with Barca teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets already in South Beach. If Suarez were to join, he'd be the third ex-teammate to linkup with Messi in Miami.

WHAT HENDERSON SAID

“He's currently with Grêmio, so we don't want to comment on a player who's not on our roster,” Henderson said of Suárez. “He is another player that's always been linked with our team and it's great to have great players around the world connected with Inter Miami and wanting to come here.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LUIS SUAREZ?

The legendary Uruguayan striker is currently on international duty with his country, and they are coming off of a 2-0 win over Argentina last week. They take on Bolivia in their next FIFA World Cup qualifier Tuesday evening, before Suarez returns to his club Gremio. The Brazil side is back in action on Sunday against Atletico MG.

The Nice youngster has a famous surname, but he more than lives up to it, so much that PSG and Newcastle are also keen on him

It’s fair to say that when it comes to top-level footballers, the Thuram family is as well-stocked as any. Father Lilian, of course, was a World Cup winner with France, and a brilliant defender who represented Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona with distinction. Eldest son Marcus, meanwhile, is a forward of some note, good enough to play in a World Cup final himself last December, and tipped to play for one of Europe’s big boys when he leaves Borussia Moenchengladbach this summer.

And then there’s the youngest boy, the third of the golden trio. The one named after a pharaoh, who grew up around his dad’s mates, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, and who is quietly establishing himself as one of Europe’s most promising and in-demand midfield players.

And with several clubs circling, this looks like it could be a big summer indeed for Khephren Thuram…

Where it all began

He may only be 22, but Thuram has already seen plenty of the world. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy, while his father was playing in Serie A for Parma. Later, he lived in Turin and Barcelona, before the family returned to France once Lilian had finished his career.

Both Marcus and Khephren, who are separated by three years, were educated in Paris at an American school – hence their perfect English – and both trod the same footballing path. Both played for the same junior club, Olympique de Neuilly, and both eventually graduated to the youth ranks at AC Boulogne-Billancourt, a club located in the Parisian suburbs which is famous for producing Olympians and world champions in cycling, swimming and various other sports.

Marcus left Boulogne for Sochaux in 2012, while Khephren chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and join Monaco four years later, aged 15.

AdvertisementThe big break

It didn’t take long for Thuram to make his mark at Monaco. Having impressed at youth level, he was handed his professional debut, aged 17, in a Champions League game away to Atletico Madrid in November 2018. He played half an hour as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat, in a team which included the likes of Radamel Falcao, Youri Tielemans and Benoit Badiashile.

There would be two more further sub appearances that season, against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and at Guingamp in the French League Cup, but his most eye-catching moment came in the UEFA Youth League when he scored a fantastic long-range strike against a Chelsea side which featured the likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Tariq Lamptey and Marc Guehi.

Unsurprisingly, he was soon being linked with top clubs – Chelsea included – but to many people’s surprise, he chose to join Nice in the summer of 2019, and in August of that year he made his Ligue 1 debut against Nimes, the first of 16 competitive appearances that season.

Getty ImagesHow it's going

Thuram settled in well at Nice, following up a solid first campaign with an even better second one, as he made 33 appearances in all competitions and earned his first call-up to the French Under-21 squad.

The following season, 2021-22, he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award and was nominated as one of the best prospects in Ligue 1 at the Trophees UNFP awards, France’s version of the PFA awards.

In the season just gone, Thuram has continued his progress. He played 47 times for Nice, and in March made his senior international debut for France, appearing as a late substitute in their European Championship qualifying win over the Netherlands.

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

The first thing that stands out about Thuram is his size. At 6'4, he is a midfielder of considerable physical presence, and one who as a result is extremely strong in one-v-one duels.

Style-wise, he is something of an all-rounder, though he shows up better in the defensive metrics – blocks, tackles, interceptions – than in the offensive ones – chances created, shots. He is known as a player who can both win the ball and use it, and who is particularly good at pressing,.

Didier Digard, Thuram’s coach at Nice, is a huge fan, in particular emphasising the youngster’s mindset and mentality. "Khephren's fantastic," Digard told earlier this year. "He is very hardworking, very attentive. On rest days he's at the training centre. He recovers quickly for back-to-back matches and completes high-intensity training.

“He listens and applies himself. He has room for improvement and he's in demand. He simply eats up video analysis, additional sessions. He also advises others, because he takes on a leadership role. He's also discovering himself as a person.”

Not surprisingly given his family background, Thuram appears to possess an inner confidence which convinces of his desire and ability to reach the top level. His school in Paris, he says, taught him “not to be scared of being good,” and the competitive nature of his upbringing means there is no fear of taking on new challenges.

Mohammad Hafeez has said the new members in Pakistan’s limited-overs squad for the tour of Bangladesh are capable enough to dominate the home side

Umar Farooq07-Apr-2015Mohammad Hafeez has said the new members in Pakistan’s limited-overs squad for the tour of Bangladesh are capable enough to dominate the home side.Responding to Shakib Al Hasan’s statement that the series was Bangladesh’s best chance to beat Pakistan, Hafeez expressed confidence in the team and said they were looking to extend the 16-year winning streak over Bangladesh.”(What Shakib said) is confidence and it’s a good thing if they have a believe in them,” Hafeez said. “I have heard Mashrafe is not playing the first match and Shakib will lead the side. But if you recall the recent past, Pakistan have dominated Bangladesh lately and apart from the one game in 1999 we never lost to them.”The talent of Pakistan team can’t be under rated,” he said. “These players have proved themselves in domestic cricket and then selectors have picked them. It indeed is a new era as we are definitely going with lots of new players. But as a unit we will give good results and they (new boys) are ready for the series.”Since 1988, Bangladesh have played Pakistan 47 times across formats, but their only win came during the 199 World Cup in England. The Multan Test in 2003 was the only instance since that Bangladesh within a touching distance of a second win but an Inzamam-ul-Haq masterclass saved Pakistan the blushes. But Hafeez said that Pakistan was in no way under-estimating the home side, especially after Bangladesh’s performance in the World Cup.”I think its more than winning and losing in the World Cup, the good thing is how you showcase your cricket and Bangladesh won lots of heart through their performance,” Hafeez said. “Their qualification in quarter-final was never in doubt because they played good cricket. We are not under-estimating them as a team, as they are very good in their own conditions.”It might look easy to beat them but they never been as easy. For the last 2-3 years they have developed into a good team.”Hafeez, who has opened with 26 different batsmen since his debut in 2003, is set to open with a new partner again: the 19-year-old Sami Aslam, a left-hander. When asked, if instability in the opening slot causes any disturbance to him he said, “It’s difficult to get adjusted but whatever role I will be given I will play to my best ability. Pakistan team’s problem is not numbers, Pakistan’s main problem is ICC ranking and how to improve it. We are strong cricketing nation and should bring us within top 3 in the ranking. That should be our aim.”