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Gary Kirsten’s tenure in charge of South Africa will end on July 31 after he decided not to renew his contract for a further two years. Kirsten, who was appointed in 2011, cited the needs of his sons, Joshua and James and daughter, Joanna, who are all under the age of 10, as the only reason for him opting not to continue to be in charge of the team he took to No.1 on the Test rankings. His last assignment will be the Champions Trophy in England before he settles in to spend more time with his family.”I feel I can no longer cope with the lengthy periods of separation from my family that this job demands,” Kirsten admitted. “Last year, I had 250 days away from Cape Town, my home. I believe my absentia as a father is compromising my responsibilities to my family. I’ve just had five weeks at home now, which is the longest period I have had there for a few years and I began to realise the impact my absence as a father has had on my family.”When Kirsten took the job as South Africa coach, he made it plain to his employers, CSA, that his first priority was to his family. His contract included terms relating to the amount of time he could spend at home, even during the season and on tours, because he did not want the job to rob him of his primary role of husband and father.At the time, he and his wife, Deborah had a policy in place about the maximum number of days they would spend apart – 21. Kirsten also assured her if the separation ever became “unbearable”, he would not continue as coach. He has now decided it has reached those levels and Deborah was among the most surprised by that conclusion.”I don’t think she believed me when I said I was not going to renew,” Kirsten said. “But that’s how I feel about the importance of the institution of family. I don’t want to be a statistic so that when my kids are grown up, they say they didn’t see their dad. Right from the outset of my contract, it was a concern – how I would be able to manage the time apart. I even considered doing only one format of the game but we felt it would be unfair on many people. The last five weeks at home have made me more aware of my responsibilities.”Kirsten denied that political reasons pushed him, although there was some suspicion he was under pressure for a slow transformation rate, especially in Test cricket. Although South Africa has not had a quota system in place for several years, it was widely frowned upon that no black African played in the longest format for South Africa during Kirsten’s time in charge. “No, that has nothing to do with it. I’ve given my reasons and those are 100%,” he said.Kirsten leaves South African cricket in a healthy state at Test level, where he had the best record of all past coaches. The team won 63% of the Tests they played and Kirsten was the only coach who took them to No. 1 in the world with victory over England. “The Test team moved to new heights,” he said. “We’ve got an incredibly strong senior player base. They are the heartbeat of the team and they drive the values and the culture of the team, so I move away very comfortable that that is in place.”His limited-overs returns were not as striking. So far, Kirsten is the third-worst performing coach in the fifty-over game with a win percentage of only 56%. He conceded, “performances in ODIs and Twenty20s haven’t been where we wanted them to be. But we’ve built a good base of players.”After winning the World Cup with India in 2011, Kirsten was widely thought to be the man who would help South Africa finally lift that trophy. But he said that was never part of his plans. “It was not my intention to go to the World Cup. My work is part of a process to help the players and South African cricket reach the goals they want to reach,” he said, although he did have some advice for the man who takes South Africa to the 2015 event. “Going into the World Cup in two years, we don’t have to shift the team around too much.”Kirsten has one more chance to achieve success in the fifty-over format with the team in a month’s time. He pledged to approach the Champions Trophy with “renewed vigour,” but after that family will have him around almost full-time.Kirsten confirmed he will not seek any other employment immediately although he will not rule out contributing to South Africa in a consultancy role. “I like to think my time is not done. I don’t think I will ever leave coaching but it would have to be in a way that suits my needs,” he said.CSA will appoint a committee to handle the appointment of the new coach, who will take over for the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka in July and August. Kirsten himself could be involved in the process and hinted his assistant, Russell Domingo may be best placed to take over.”My relationship with Russell has always been a close one. He is passionate and clinical and he has done a lot of coaching. I have no doubt that he is very capable of doing high-level coaching jobs,” he said. Domingo and bowling coach Allan Donald’s contracts also expire at the end of July and they will only know if they will continue in their roles after the new head coach has been appointed.Donald appears interested in continuing. He is currently coaching Pune Warriors in the IPL and told ESPNcricinfo that if it was up to him, he would stay on. “I spoke to Gary personally a couple of days ago and I respect his decision 100%,” he said. “At the moment we are very focused on the Champions Trophy and I’m sure that this team needs no motivation to go and win this tournament for Gary. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve just got to let this whole thing take its course and, for me, there is no decision to be made about my future with the Proteas.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHiral Patel’s heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup. Patel struck a doughty 93 on the fourth day, scoring more than half of his side’s second innings total, as the other batsmen fell to Nehemiah Odhiambo’s pace. Canada folded for 175, leaving Kenya a target of 128 for victory.Kenya’s chase was hardly confident; they lost Irfan Karim in the first over and then Patel made inroads with his left-arm spin. It was left to Tanmay Mishra, who followed his first-innings half-century with a calm, unbeaten 38, to steady the Kenya innings and then guide the side to a win.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kushal Janith Perera brought back memories of Sanath Jayasuriya•Associated Press

Bangladesh’s first ODI of the year should be remembered for several events, including a Tamim Iqbal century, but the assault on their bowlers by the Sri Lanka openers overshadowed all that. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kushal Janith Perera, playing only his fifth ODI, took less than an hour to decimate an already feeble pace attack and demoralise the spinners, Bangladesh’s strength. Sri Lanka eased to an eight-wicket victory, giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Bangladesh’s score of 258 for 9 was supposed to test Sri Lanka, especially in Hambantota where the previous highest successful chase was 211. The added advantage for Bangladesh was the 85-minute delay in-between innings due to a power failure in two light towers, which gave Sri Lanka a revised target of 238 in 41 overs.Sri Lanka’s task had been made more difficult, but Dilshan and Perera responded ruthlessly. They added 106 in just 12.1 overs, hammering 13 boundaries and a six. Seven of those fours came off the first 14 deliveries that Abul Hasan and Rubel Hossain served up. It was one of those games the late Tony Greig would have loved to call; one of those carving the bowling, Kushal, was almost a copy of Sanath Jayasuriya.Save the superstitious touches of the pad, helmet and bat, the stance and the shots of Kushal were reminiscent of Jayasuriya’s style of play. The first square cut threw you back to the mid 1990s, when Jayasuriya gained the reputation for being a destroyer of bowling attacks.As the fours poured in, there were signs of more similarity. Kushal’s grip tends to stay towards the bottom of the handle as well, but his attacking instincts almost led to an early dismissal when he swept one straight to deep square leg. But Abdur Razzak parried the chance over the boundary ropes.Kushal took a lot of the limelight, being the younger batsman, but it was Dilshan who was the wrecker-in-chief. Dilshan contributed 56 to the opening partnership, and later consolidated on the start with Kumar Sangakkara. It appeared as if the pair had slowed down considerably but they scored at a fair clip, though the Bangladesh bowlers bowled better with an extra fielder outside the 30-yard circle. Sangakkara made 63 off 68 balls, adding 128 runs for the second wicket. He was caught at the third-man boundary, five runs short of victory.Dilshan reached his 15th ODI century*, his second against Bangladesh, in the 31st over. He was severe on anything overpitched, and there were several offerings from Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan and Abdur Razzak, who were unable to stop the flow of boundaries.The other century of the day came from Tamim’s bat, but Bangladesh suffered a setback as he was ruled out of the series after injuring his right thumb during the chase. The century, his fourth in ODIs, was his first in international cricket in almost three years. It was also the first hundred in the format against Sri Lanka by a Bangladesh batsman in 31 matches between the teams.Tamim’s 112 off 136 balls, and an unbeaten 73 off 59 balls by Nasir Hossain, was undermined by the others’ failure to make a significant contribution. Sri Lanka’s bowlers showed patience to induce Anamul Haque, Mohammad Ashraful and captain Mushfiqur Rahim to play ordinary shots, and get out against the run of play. One dragged it on, the other fell to a lobbed drive, and Mushfiqur fell to an ugly hoick – the Bangladesh top and middle-order collapsed in the space of 31 deliveries.Tamim held the innings together till the 44th over, being involved in key partnerships with Mahmudullah (for the fourth wicket) and Nasir (for the fifth). He played some of his favourite shots, especially the cuts and drives, as he found different angles and enough height to clear the fielders. Whenever the bowlers pitched it up or provided him width, he was at it quickly. Each of the twelve boundaries was well thought, while the six off Lasith Malinga was a calculated loft over long-on late in the innings. After he was run out, Nasir took over the baton to give the innings a final flourish. He smashed six fours and three sixes, as Bangladesh added 90 runs in the last 10 overs.Sri Lanka picked up those 90 runs in the first 9.3 overs, without losing a wicket, facing two new balls and against bowlers who represent Bangladesh’s “best available options” at the moment. The home side, too, has to fare better with the ball, but their challenge in this department is going to be much easier.08:22am GMT, March 24: Article has been updated to reflect actual number of ODI centuries Tillakaratne Dilshan has scored

ScorecardMominul Haque (left) and Mohammad Ashraful shared a 178-run stand for the third wicket•AFP

Mohammad Ashraful and Mominul Haque firmed up their chances of playing the first Test with significant innings on the last day of the tour game in Matara. The Bangladesh batsmen made best use of a sunny, windy day as their three-day game ended in a draw.Ashraful made 102, his 17th first-class century, and Mominul fell on 99, but missing the landmark wouldn’t deter the young batsman because he made his case for selection for the Galle Test. Mominul batted more than three hours, scoring 99 off 138 balls, and went through phases that were Test-like.He took time to settle down but latched on to anything that made him comfortable. Early on, he used his feet well against the spinners. Mominul was picky against pace, square cutting or driving Lahiru Gamage. He started the second session with a clipped boundary off Kasun Madushanka, and followed up with a cover drive in the same over. He got to his 50 off 74 balls, and then hit a huge straight six against left-arm spinner Dulanjana Mendis. He was batting freely as he neared a fourth first-class century but perished to the pull shot, giving mid-on a simple catch in the final session.Mominul needed to score after a lean BPL to justify his position ahead of Marshall Ayub in this line-up. He was picked to replace Shakib Al Hasan in the side, and thankfully for the selectors the other replacement, Ashraful, also did well.Ashraful left more than he played at in the first session, letting Mominul have a lot of the strike. After lunch he was a different batsman, racing past Mominul to reach 50 when the left-hander was on 47. He moved quickly to his century, off 144 balls, hitting 11 fours and a six. He fell a few minutes later to a terrific catch by Ashan Priyanjan, diving high to his right at first slip.Mahmudullah, the captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Sohag Gazi got some batting practice, making the best of the limited time in the final session. Mahmudullah made a quickfire 56 off 49 balls with three fours and three straight sixes. The fall of his wicket, though, started the fun-phase for Mushfiqur and Gazi as the two added 112 runs in 12 overs. Mushfiqur scored 81 off 69 and Gazi hit 13 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 82.Opener Jahurul Islam had earlier made a good start but fell for 29 off 74 balls, edging Ishan Jayaratne. Jahurul had been more assured at the crease than Anamul Haque, who struggled to get the ball through the inner circle, and fell for 6.The bowling attack provided less of a challenge to the Bangladesh batsmen, especially on such a good batting pitch that offered almost no lateral movement to the young pace bowlers Madushanka and Gamage. The main spinner, Mendis, is at an early stage in his career and found little assistance in the wicket to challenge the batsmen.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Mohammad Irfan’s four-wicket haul was chiefly responsible for restricting South Africa to a below-par total•Associated Press

Pakistan’s decision to include an extra pace bowler paid off as they levelled the series against South Africa in a rain-affected match, reduced to 44 overs a side, in Centurion. Mohammed Irfan was chiefly responsible for dismantling South Africa’s top order and contributions from all of the top six ensured Pakistan’s chase was comfortable in the end.South Africa lost the match when they slumped to 62 for 5, even though Farhaan Behardien and the bowlers gave them some chance of fighting back. Behardien stoically clambered out of trouble and featured in two important partnerships while achieving his career-best score but the total was still less than satisfactory. South Africa defended aggressively and it was not until the 33rd over that the contest was truly decided.It was then that Shoaib Malik slammed four boundaries off Lonwabo Tsotsobe to seal the advantage Irfan had given them upfront. Irfan extracted significant bounce from the Centurion surface in an extended seven-over spell.His incision began when he removed Hashim Amla and Colin Ingram in successive balls in the eighth over. Amla thrived briefly against the short ball but then inside-edged through to Kamran Akmal while Ingram was out on review, adjudged caught-behind by the third umpire even though Hot Spot did not confirm an edge.The best example of the impact the extra bounce had on batsmen was in AB de Villiers’ dismissal; he was undecided and edged to second slip. By the time Irfan had swooped on Faf du Plessis’ leading edge, Graeme Smith’s dismissal was already forgotten and South Africa were in some trouble. Smith did not look comfortable against the back-of-a-length approach and mistimed an attempted hook to gift Akmal another catch.Behardien, who plays his domestic cricket at SuperSport Park, found himself in a situation that called for two qualities he is best known for: temperament and grind. He coped well against the spinners and managed not to get too tied down by lack of boundaries.Between the 19th and 35th over, the rope was only breached three times, largely thanks to Mohmmad Hafeez. He rushed through the overs and limited batsmen’s scoring options but Behardien and Ryan McLaren were still able to put on 44 before the latter was trapped lbw.South Africa went one better, though. Berhardien and Peterson put on 67 runs in 18 overs and although the going was slow, they worked on strike rotation until Gul was brought back. Peterson opened up against him, with some risk, and also notched up his highest ODI score.With the storm brewing and frustration building for Behardien, he tried to clear midwicket off Hafeez. He was caught on the boundary a ball before the Highveld thunderstorm arrived to lash his home ground and cause a delay of almost two and a half hours.On resumption, South Africa resorted to blocking and Pakistan conceded only 14 runs more runs, bowling the hosts out with four balls remaining.With a manageable required-rate of 4.36 facing them, Pakistan’s openers were more concerned with survival than speed, especially Hafeez. Dale Steyn, who dismissed him four times in the Test series, was back in the attack and Hafeez treated him with due respect. McLaren dropped a catch offered by Hafeez off Kyle Abbott, but bowled the next over and made up for his blunder when he had Nasir Jamshed caught at slip.Akmal was promoted to No.3 and it seemed a good decision. After a streaky opening, he built a stand with Hafeez and the pair scored briskly to push Pakistan along. Hafeez eventually fell to his nemesis as he chipped Steyn to midwicket. Steven gave him a five-finger sendoff to remind him of the number of times he has taken his wicket on this tour.South Africa were given a small opening when Kamran tried to smack Peterson over midwicket but the ball rolled onto his stumps. At 69 for 3, they hoped to force an implosion but Pakistan’s experienced hands were up for it. Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq batted together for most of the 10 overs in which Pakistan did not find a boundary and coped with good lengths from Abbott and McLaren. Misbah eventually broke the pressure with a six over long-off.Their partnership was worth 46 and looked good to go on for more but Younis fell to a full toss. After taking six off the first two balls of Peterson’s seventh over, he swept one straight to Amla at deep square leg.The match was in the balance again with Misbah and Shoaib Malik forced to lie low until Malik was ready to pounce. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who was brought back for a second spell, slid two down the leg side, and Malik helped himself to boundaries. Then he got two more, to third man and point off short and wide balls and the winner was evident.It still needed Misbah and Malik to apply final rites and the captain did so in particularly impressive fashion. He dispatched Peterson over midwicket for a six and and four and brought up a half-century to see Pakistan home and take an even contest to the Wanderers on Sunday.

There are some places Pakistan have not played cricket in for even longer than their home country. South Africa is one of them.Having last played a Test here in 2007, India is the only other place Pakistan have not featured in whites for the last six years although they played a one-day series in India recently. South Africa remains an uncharted territory for much of the squad. It has been so infrequently visited that none of the current Test bowling attack have played a Test in the country.They have missed out. Known for their pace and bounce, South African surfaces are among the favourites of quicks the world over and Pakistan’s pack cannot wait to get stuck in. “Junaid Khan would love to bowl in these conditions and Mohammed Irfan will do well if he can put the ball in the right areas,” Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, said after arriving in Johannesburg.The closest Junaid has got to South Africa is its neighbour, Zimbabwe, where he made his debut in September 2011. He played second fiddle to Aizaz Cheema in that match but has since overtaken Cheema with three five-wicket hauls from eight matches. Being a left-armer he may have half an eye on Graeme Smith with the South Africa captain having been susceptible to many southpaws over the years.At 7′ 1″, Irfan had caught the eye of the South African media well before Pakistan’s arrival in the country. Knowing the kind of bounce Morne Morkel can extract from surfaces, the hype around what someone eight inches taller may be able to do has grown.So has the expectation over how South Africa’s batsmen will deal with Saeed Ajmal. They have seen him once before, in a Test in 2010 in Dubai when he took three wickets but he has since developed into the magician that ran circles around the then No.1 ranked England. Facing Ajmal will be South Africa’s first significant test against spin since becoming the No. 1 team.Misbah suspects that Ajmal will also enjoy what South Africa has to offer. “Saeed Ajmal is the world’s top spinner and in these conditions you get turn and bounce especially on the fourth and fifth days,” he said.While the bowlers are looking forward to assistance, the batsmen are readying themselves for a much sterner examination. South Africa is regarded as one of the toughest places to score runs, especially for the top-order. Of Pakistan’s line-up, Taufeeq Umar, Misbah, Younis Khan and Mohammed Hafeez have all batted in South Africa before but the younger players such as Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Nasir Jamshed will have their first taste of these conditions.The pace of the pitches will take some getting used to. Shafiq has played in New Zealand, West Indies and the subcontinent while Jamshed, who starred in the one-dayers against India, has yet to make his Test debut. With limited touring opportunities because of their schedule, Misbah conceded that preparations have not been ideal although they have made the best of what they have.”We have to bat well. Whenever we go abroad, we try to practice against bounce and pace. We use different tactics for that and we make sure we get ready before the Test matches,” he said. “It’s really difficult when you are not playing a format on a regular basis. You really have to work hard. But that’s how it is. We are not playing more Test matches. But we have to adjust because we are professionals.”Dav Whatmore, Pakistan’s coach, suggested batting could be rewarding for those who employ some patience. “It can be difficult, because of the general consistency of the slightly higher bounce and the pace might be more than normal,” he said. “But if you get over that they’re pretty good batting conditions as well, a bit like Australia. Our young guys who get through that will be in for good times.”Pakistan will play a three-day warm-up match against a fairly strong South African Invitation XI in East London where the surface is traditionally sluggish. That could be South Africa’s way of softening the batsman up especially as historically the hosts have prepared seamer-friendly pitches against subcontinent sides and tried to scare their batsmen out. They may be wary of trying the same thing this time because Pakistan have a good attack of their own.While pre-series talk will rage about how competitive a less “unpredictable,” as Smith called them, Pakistan will be against South Africa, there is also an undercurrent of a campaign running through the visitors’ camp. It is both a drive to show off their consistency and resolve and to talk openly about promoting the return of cricket to their home.”Every stadium was full at the T20 tournament in Pakistan. There were no concerns and everyone enjoyed the game,” Misbah said. “Ten of the players in the current Test side played in the final and there were no issues. Pakistan is such a big cricketing nation and the world really has to think about bringing cricket back there. Stadiums are full and nothing is happening.”The former ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, who is a South African, has been doing some consultative work for the PCB on the matter as well.

The PCB’s response

“In order to put the record straight, it is stated that PCB received no request from Bangladesh Cricket Board regarding release of its players for the auction of BPL.
“It should also be noted that the tour of Bangladesh to Pakistan in April 2008 was an FTP commitment and in no way a favor to PCB. It is pertinent to mention here that just before that tour, Zimbabwe and South Africa also visited Pakistan in the same period.
“As far as the first edition of BPL (2012) is concerned, the PCB cooperated with the BCB after then president BCB Mostafa Kamal made long-term commitments and understandings and requested the PCB to support their league. The release of the players on part of PCB was intended to make the inaugural tournament of the BCB a success.”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has denied the PCB’s claims that it had not followed the correct procedure for approaching players for the Bangladesh Premier League. The Bangladesh board also said that the PCB’s last-minute refusal to give Pakistan players NOCs has caused it to be in a “difficult and embarrassing situation”.”On December 5, 2012, the BCB had formally written to the national cricket associations of all Full Members seeking support and cooperation for issuance of ‘No Objection Certificate’ to the cricketers under their respective jurisdiction who were interested in participating in the 2nd edition of BPL T20,” a BCB media release said.”The subsequent player auction, in which a good number of Pakistani players were bid for and picked up by different franchises, received worldwide media coverage. At no point during the continuous communication between the BCB and PCB on various matters since the BPL 2013 auction on December 20, 2012 did the PCB raise any concern about the NOC issue until January 16, 2013.”The PCB had claimed that the BCB bypassed them and approached the players directly. “This was regrettably felt by BCB when they approached PCB at the last moment for release of the players for their league,” a Pakistan board media release said.”As per practice and procedures in vogue, a home board has to approach the visiting players’ parent board seeking release of its players for their domestic cricket competitions. In BPL’s case, BCB, their representatives or the players’ agents were in contact directly with the Pakistan players and PCB was kept out of this process. Even the auction of Pakistan players at BPL was done without PCB’s prior permission or intimation.”The BCB also reminded Pakistan of their cooperation when Australia had refused to tour the country in 2008. Bangladesh had toured Pakistan in April that year, playing five ODIs and a Twenty20. But over the last year, the relations between the two boards have been poor, culminating in the PCB stopping their players’ participation in Bangladesh’s domestic Twenty20 competition.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNasir Hossain is mobbed by team-mates after he hit the winning runs•AFP

Bangladesh’s batsmen held it together, but only just. After failing to chase 211 last night, they overcame three difficult phases in their pursuit of a target of similar proportion, to win a series they had led 2-0 but almost let slip out of their grasp. Twenty-four hours after their fans exited Shere Bangla in despair, the stadium was a venue of riotous celebration, as Nasir Hossain carved the winning boundary to drag his team to a two-wicket victory and claim the series against West Indies 3-2.There was chaos at the finish. With one run needed, Nasir smashed the ball over cover and raised his arms in triumph as he completed the winning run. His partner, the No. 10 Elias Sunny, however, did not make it to the other end because he thought the ball had gone for four. The fielder in the deep returned it and Kieran Powell uprooted a stump amid the celebrations. Darren Sammy’s protests that a run had not been completed prompted the umpires to check. No run had indeed been completed; nobody had been run out either. Everyone took their positions again and Nasir’s slashing bat sparked off another round of celebrations.The confusion in those final moments was in contrast to the calm with which Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Nasir steered a tense chase, after Bangladesh’s bowlers had recovered admirably from a Kieron Pollard battering.Chasing 217, Bangladesh were 30 for 3 in the ninth over, the top order unable to withstand Kemar Roach’s pace and bounce. The previous evening, the collapse had ended only when the hosts were shot out for 136, but not in this deciding contest.The shift in momentum was immediate; Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah scored 29 runs off the 11 balls following Jahurul’s dismissal. West Indies’ bowling was poor: their lengths were too short and their lines were scattered outside off and down leg side, resulting in 18 wides. They had conceded 26 extras in each of the previous three ODIs; they gave away 27 today.Sammy, who excelled with bat and ball in the fourth match, leaked 16 runs in the tenth over. He conceded six runs in wides, bowled a long-hop that Mahmudullah pulled for four and a half-volley that was driven to the cover boundary. The change bowlers also struggled. Andre Russell pitched short and wide and was cut twice by Mushfiqur to the boundary. Sunil Narine bowled five tight balls in his first over before the sixth was loose and punished. Roach returned for his second spell in the 19th over and he too conceded two boundaries.Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah ran hard between the wickets, and cut and pulled forcefully. Only when they had added 91 at better than a run a ball did West Indies have any respite. Both batsmen were bowled by Narine in their 40s and Bangladesh were in front no more.After 30 overs in the first innings, West Indies had been 145 for 3. Bangladesh, at the same stage of their chase, were 148 for 5. West Indies had collapsed thereafter, though, while Bangladesh did not.Nasir, in the company of rookie Mominul Haque, added 53 for the sixth wicket. They consolidated at first, and,once the batting Powerplay was taken in the 36th over, they attacked. Nasir slogged Veerasammy Permaul over the midwicket boundary to bring the runs required to fewer than 40. And when Mominul was dismissed with Bangladesh close, Sohag Gazi took then closer with quick boundaries. He too fell, but Nasir stayed the course.That Bangladesh were not chasing a target closer to 250 was because their spinners took a clutch of wickets on either side of a 132-run stand between Pollard and Darren Bravo. They kept West Indies scoreless for 34 deliveries, between overs 2.6 and 8.4, and dismissed Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle during that period to leave the visitors on 17 for 3.The repair job was up to Bravo and Pollard, who had failed in three matches after saying he would smash the ball into another city. Pollard didn’t hit any into Khulna, but he hit eight balls for six between midwicket and long-off, punishing Sunny in particular.Mushfiqur needed to call on a fifth spinner to dismiss Pollard; Mominul got one to keep low and sneak past the bat to hit off stump to dismiss him for 84 for 74 balls. A real scrap was in progress as West Indies began the last ten overs on 188 for 5 and Mahmudullah struck twice in the 41st over; his first wicket was of Bravo for 51.West Indies were dismissed in 48 overs, and in a game of small margins, 12 unused deliveries and 27 runs concedes in extras was the largesse Bangladesh needed to achieve a momentous result. The victory took Bangladesh to No. 8 in the ICC’s ODI rankings, ahead of New Zealand.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has moved the second and third ODIs in the ongoing series against New Zealand from the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo to the Pallekele Stadium, because the Premadasa is under water after three weeks of monsoon rain.Bad weather is forecast for both venues over the next two days, but it is expected to clear in time for the second ODI. The matches will be played on November 4 and 6 as scheduled. 
”The lake near the Premadasa Stadium has risen considerably due to rain and the water isn’t draining away from the ground,” SLC chief executive Ajit Jayasekara said. “We had sent out a letter to Ten Sports and New Zealand Cricket explaining the situation, and alerting them to the possibility of a venue change.”Sri Lanka is in the middle of its northeast monsoon, and the north of the country has also been battered by cyclone Nilam. The last time a tour was scheduled for November, all three Tests ended in rain-affected draws and the ODI series was postponed until the end of January. Both matches so far on this tour have also been rained out, with the first ODI on Thursday having been abandoned without a ball bowled. After the matches in Pallekele, the action moves to Hambantota for two more ODIs. Two Tests will follow, in Galle and at the SSC in Colombo.

Overview
Only three hours could separate Zimbabwe from partying like the year 1999. That was their best showing in a multi-team tournament and one win in the World T20 could be enough to take them there again.There is one problem though. That victory will have to come against either the hosts, Sri Lanka, or one of the favourites, South Africa. Zimbabwe have beaten Sri Lanka’s A team and an experimental South Africa in the last few months but facing the full strength sides will be a different proposition.They have the skill they need but not as much of the self-assurance as they had 13 years ago, when the country’s cricket landscape was very different. Two of the current coaching staff, Heath Streak and Grant Flower, were players. The team consisted of mostly white players and the sport itself was considered an elite activity.A few years later, the nation was on the brink of change and cricket was pushed in that direction too. Aggressive transformation, the black armband protest, the worsening state of the economy and the crippling of the cricket structures all combined to bring the sport to its knees. When it started to walk again, it was a different toddler that stood up.Cricket is now a sport played by the majority and the squad reflects that. Talented players from high-density (and largely low-income) areas have been sought out, found and embraced into the system to work with the previously advantaged. Many of those who walked away have come back and are helping to rear Zimbabwe cricket.The results have been painstakingly slow. A successful Test comeback against Bangladesh waned into defeats at the hands of Pakistan and New Zealand. An almost entirely empty calendar in 2011 also did not help their progress.They may be undercooked and face a huge task but this tournament is one of the rare occasions Zimbabwe have to show off their talent and they have enough to want to make a point. Brendan Taylor is a capable leader, Vusi Sibanda has been playing for long enough to show what he has learned over years in the game as has Ray Price. It would be dangerous to say the stalwart is on the brink of his last tournament because if Price has it his way, he will play forever.Combined with the youth of Kyle Jarvis, Malcolm Waller and Foster Mutizwa, Zimbabwe are a balanced enough unit to play more than just two matches in the tournament but few expect them to. Quite simply: they will need everything to go their way for three hours to take back good memories from Sri Lanka.Key players
Experience will be Zimbabwe’s biggest asset with seven of their current squad having played T20 internationals from the 2007 edition of the tournament. Of those battle hardened players, Hamilton Masakadza will be expected to lead the batting line-up and Chris Mpofu will be tasked with the same job with the ball. Masakadza will hope that the form he found in the unofficial T20 tri-series in Harare is still with him. In that competition he was the top scorer, having scored more than a hundred runs than his nearest rival and compiling four consecutive half-centuries and a hundred in the warm-up match.Mpofu has recently been overshadowed by the pace of Kyle Jarvis and the swing of Brian Vitori but his skill is still much needed and valued by Zimbabwe. Having mastered the slower ball, a weapon that will come in handy on the surfaces in Sri Lanka, his variations will round off a dynamic attack.Zimbabwe’s surprise win against Australia in the 2007 World Twenty20 was among their rare highs in the past few years•AFP

Surprise package
Few international batsmen would have seen Richard Muzhange before this tournament but his reputation precedes him. A toe-crusher in the Malinga-mould, although with a far more traditional action, Muzhange will be difficult to get away and may inflict some pain as well. Jason Gillespie called him the best death bowler in Zimbabwe, having groomed and mentored him at the Mid-West Rhinos. He has risen through the ranks quickly and although he is only 21-years old, has proven maturity. Muzhange has yet to make his international debut and if the occasion does not overawe him, he could be Zimbabwe’s much needed level head when the situation calls for it.Weaknesses
Like many teams who hover at the bottom of the rankings, when Zimbabwe get it right, they’re spectacular but when they get it wrong, they get it considerably wrong. From middle-order collapses to an inability to haul back an opposition batting line-up, Zimbabwe’s main problem is that they struggle to recover when they are in trouble.If the top three don’t set a reasonable platform, Zimbabwe are more likely to be skittled than post a score worth defending. A full toss that get smacked for six is likely followed up with a short and wide delivery than a good length one. Lack of confidence, more than lack of skill or technique, is to blame. With little exposure to regular, high quality opposition, Zimbabwean players tend to question and then doubt themselves and their ability when facing top teams.Alan Butcher has placed emphasis on building self-esteem, a tactic that worked early in Zimbabwe’s Test comeback but has waned since then. Repeated defeats and small mistakes that compound have added to Zimbabwe’s woes and they will have to adopt a more carefree, nothing to lose attitude if they hope to overcome their mental block.World T20 history
Best remembered for their shock victory over Australia in the inaugural competition in 2007, Zimbabwe’s tournament form has been nothing short of dismal. Elton Chigumbura took three wickets and Taylor scored a belligerent 60 to give Zimbabwe an unexpectedly good start to what was then a new tournament. But, they went on to lose to England by 50 runs at the same event.In 2009, they did not participate. The tournament was held in England and political pressure over the worsening situation in Zimbabwe meant that they pulled out of the competition. By the next year Zimbabwe was back but their luck had not improved. They lost both matches of the group stage but the margins were small – 14 runs and seven runs.Recent form
International cricket is sparse for Zimbabwe and they have not played a series since January. Then, they were whitewashed in all formats in New Zealand, including the T20s, although they were most competitive in the shortest format.Zimbabwe’s last four T20 series, dating back to October 2010, have been home and away against New Zealand, home against Pakistan and away against South Africa. All the series have consisted of two matches and they have lost all of them 2-0. Importantly, though, Zimbabwe won an unofficial T20 tri-series which featured Bangladesh and South Africa in Harare in June.Statistics
Zimbabwe last won an official T20 in February 2010, when they beat West Indies by 26 runs. Overall, they have only won three of the 20 matches they have played. Theirs is the worst win-loss record of all teams who have played more than five T20s, including Kenya, Canada and Scotland. Only Bermuda have a worse record, having lost all of the three T20s they have played.