'Spirit of cricket won't be curtailed by such prejudice' - Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain, has said the decision to exclude Sri Lankan players from the IPL matches in Chennai will not "curtail" the spirit of cricket. The players, he said, continue to feel "very welcome" in other parts of India.

"Politics in this case has restricted our presence, our belief to play in every part of India. But I don't think sports and spirit of cricket is ever going to be curtailed by such prejudice," Sangakkara told PTI. "The build-up has been different and difficult for Sri Lankan players. But at the end of the day they are here to play IPL."

"The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has made it clear that no Sri Lankan players will be [playing] in Chennai. [But] India is much more than Chennai and Tamil Nadu, and I think the rest of India has been very welcoming of us."

The IPL's governing council decided that the matches in Chennai will not feature any Sri Lankan cricketers or match officials, following growing political tensions, stemming from the treatment of certain ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Responding to comments from former players stating that the Sri Lankans should boycott the IPL due to the restrictions, Sangakkara said: "It has been a divisive issue back home as well. But this is not a nation versus nation issue. It's only a state... and I don't think it is the entire state [Tamil Nadu].

"So, we've got to put it in the right perspective. Foreign policies are not going to be dictated by that and had it been a nation versus nation issue then Sri Lankan players would not have been here."

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Yorks hampered in bid for Miller

Yorkshire's bid for another successful Friends Life t20 campaign looks set to be hampered by visa rules with their chance to sign South African batsman David Miller disrupted by the regulations.

A deal to sign Miller, a powerful left-hander, has already been agreed but he currently does not meet the visa criteria for an overseas player.

Without an EU passport, overseas players need to have played a minimum of one Test match or 15 one-day internationals and/or Twenty20 internationals in the two years prior to the visa application. But Miller, yet to make his Test debut, has played only 13 times for South Africa in the past two years.

South Africa's next fixtures are not until the Champions Trophy in June, with a warm-up ODI against Netherlands before three matches in the group stage of the tournament.

Two appearances in those four matches - and potentially two more if South Africa reach the final - would make Miller eligible to play for Yorkshire. But he could then travel to Sri Lanka on South Africa's ODI tour, which is scheduled for July and clashes with the Flt20.

Miller is Yorkshire's premier target having scored 390 runs at 48.75 for them in last year's tournament, including 72 in the final against Hampshire. They are likely to only make one overseas signing all season due to financial constraints.

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire director of professional cricket, said at the club's AGM that they would hold out to try and sign Miller after admitting there was very little chance of Australian fast-bowler Mitchell Starc being available.

"With an Ashes tour, the Champions Trophy and an ODI series, Starc's just not going to be available," Moxon said. "David Miller's is not a straightforward situation. He's agreed to come back and we want him back. But he's two matches short.

"If he plays in the Champions Trophy, he could conceivably fulfil those two games to make him available. But we've recently been told that there's a South Africa tour in July now.

"If he doesn't play for South Africa in the Champions Trophy, he can't play for us because he has not played enough games. If he does play in the Champions Trophy, he's likely to be picked for Sri Lanka. Having said that, there is still a chance that the tour could be cancelled."

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Australia keep probables list secret

Cricket Australia will not disclose its list of 30 probables for the Champions Trophy in England this June, breaking the norm followed by all countries ahead of ICC tournaments. It is understood that CA approached the ICC for clarification over the rules about squad announcement and then requested that the 30-man squad, which will be pruned to 15 in a month's time, not be made public.

"Custom and practice is that countries announce their provisional squads 60 days before the first ball is scheduled to be bowled in the tournament," an ICC spokesperson said. "But this isn't compulsory."

Pakistan have already released their list of 30 probables, and other countries are expected to do so by the end of the week. Australia have been grouped with England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and play their first game on June 8, against the hosts.

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Daniel Marsh to coach Tasmania

Daniel Marsh, the former Tasmania captain, has been entrusted with maintaining a dynasty he played a large part in starting by taking over from the highly successful Tigers coach Tim Coyle for next summer.

Sheffield Shield Champions Tasmania named Marsh after he beat other contenders, including the Victoria assistant coach Simon Helmot, for the role of guiding the Tigers in Coyle's wake.

Widely credited with helping Coyle to build the state's successful team culture and consistently high performance levels when he was captain, 39-year-old Marsh has recently worked as an assistant with the Tigers, replacing Michael Di Venuto when he was called up to mentor Australia's batsmen earlier this year.

Marsh has also spent time at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, and was employed on the 2012 Australia A tour of England as a batting coach.

Coyle's decision to retire from the Tasmanian coaching job at the conclusion of the 2012-13 summer ended a fruitful eight-year tenure that reaped three Sheffield Shields, two domestic one day titles and numerous international call-ups - among players and coaches - for a state that was once defined by the batting of David Boon and Ricky Ponting.

While Coyle's exit will leave a considerable gulf, the choice of Marsh to replace him should ensure a continuation of the same sound principles that have guided cricket in the state. Under Marsh's captaincy, Tasmania lifted their first Shield in 2007 and also won domestic limited overs finals in 2006 and 2008.

Marsh gave up the leadership in 2009, and his successor George Bailey has often spoken of his predecessor's influence. "Dan Marsh is someone that has had a profound influence on my cricket," Bailey said last year. "I will forever be trying to emulate how he thought about the game and how he analysed it, and I think I'll fail dismally. But he was someone who I always enjoyed talking with about cricket.

"He made people feel very comfortable about the cricketer they were, understood the game to the nth degree. He was very level-headed and never got ahead of himself, never got too up when we were winning or too down when we lost - all pretty great characteristics."

The appointment maintains the Marsh family's considerable influence over Australian cricket. Daniel Marsh's father Rod Marsh is a national selector and overseer to all domestic coaches, while another son, Paul, is chief executive of the Australian Cricketers Association.

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The 'care factor' will be key for Pune - Donald

Despite being around for two years in the Indian Premier League, Pune Warriors - the most expensive franchise in the event - seem to be struggling to find their feet. In both the editions they have featured in, they have finished near or at the bottom.

No wonder then that their third successive season will see a new captain and coach going into the tournament. While both their previous coaches - Geoff Marsh in 2011 and Sourav Ganguly as captain-cum-mentor last year, when they participated without a head coach - were diplomatic ahead of they stints, Allan Donald, who has been elevated from bowling coach to head coach this year, spelled out his expectations from the players in no uncertain terms.

Referring to his new role as "intimidating" in a tournament that moves "at a million miles per hour", Donald, the former South Africa pace spearhead, urged the players to "care" for one another.

"I am going to have a meeting with our overseas players on their own to explain their commitment to our cause for the next two months. Every one of those players wants to play. I would be disappointed if I wasn't picked. But what is important for Pune Warriors is for everyone to be swimming up one stream, [and] not every way and direction like it went last year," Donald said, referring to a disgruntled unit in the latter half of last year's IPL.

"And negativity spreads cancer. It does because it gets people talking, players talk among each other. And my message to the team is [to] be up front and honest. [This] is going to be the key. I am not here to make anyone promises.

"That's what this format requires. You just can't be pleasing cricketers for the sake of it. I just want guys to be part of the team and helping each other out. The care factor for me is huge. I want guys to look after each other. That creates that relaxed environment that I talk about. That's pretty much what I look for. How we gel as a team, how we grow as a team and how we care as a team is going to be the key for us."

In a season in which Pune Warriors tried out 23 players during the season, not many players were given a long rope. It led to team harmony going for a toss as the tournament progressed, and affected the team both on and off the field. Donald seems to have learned the lessons from the disappointing previous outing: "[I] don't think last year was a great example for me. That was my first year, and I felt that at times, we were a bit gung-ho with our selection.

"At times, [we tried] quick fixes, which didn't work. I see that the teams that have been successful in the IPL have stuck with a certain group of players for a long period of time. And that's what I intend to do.

"Why fix [something] if it's not broken? All coaches and teams are looking for early momentum and confidence, and we have to earn the right to do that first of all. The hard part about this competition is to get your nose in front. I am not looking far ahead. I am not looking at the semi-finals or anything like that. I just want to concentrate on every game, and on what we do in every game. If it doesn't work and we go down fighting, so be it. To try and stick to certain processes is the key."

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'Excited to be back for IPL' - Ponting

Mumbai Indians captain Ricky Ponting has said he is excited to be back for the IPL after a gap of five years. His retirement from international cricket, he said, has allowed him to focus on domestic leagues such as the IPL and the ones that follow.

"I am very excited to be back in IPL," Ponting said. "The way things have worked out - with my retirement from international cricket and finishing off the domestic season for Tasmania and playing well - they have given me the opportunity to be back here.

"The reason I did not come back for IPL 2 and 3 was because I had too much international cricket on at that time. And now that I don't have international cricket, the opportunities for me to play in these domestic tournaments are really opening up."

After the IPL ends in May, Ponting will head to England for two months to play for Surrey and then to the West Indies for nearly five weeks to play in the Caribbean Premier League which begins on July 29.

Ponting said his experience of leading Australia will play a crucial role in captaining Mumbai that already has some big names, such as Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, with whom he has had "great battles" over the years.

"I have got a really good idea of what makes good teams successful," Ponting said. "And they are all the things I will be bringing to the table in Mumbai. To think that I will be playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, some of the guys I have had great battles over the years, and some of the young local Indian talent I have come across in the last couple of days is great.

"With Mumbai now, we have John Wright, a successful ex-India coach, and Anil Kumble, a successful Indian captain and a very very good Indian player and leader. Obviously me coming into the set-up, we have put together a really strong leadership group."

Mumbai finished third in the points table last season and lost to Chennai Super Kings in the elimination final by 38 runs. The closest they came to winning the title was in 2010 when they lost to Super Kings again in the final.

"Mumbai Indians have a pretty proud tradition in IPL of finishing up the top and being in the semi-finals," Ponting said. "We obviously haven't won the tournament yet but hopefully this year is our year."

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Younis Khan left out of Champions Trophy squad

The limited-overs career of Younis Khan, the senior Pakistan batsman, hangs in the balance after he was left out of a 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy to be held in June. The Pakistan board announced the pool of players unexpectedly early, and there had been speculation over Younis' future after a poor one-day series in South Africa earlier this month.

Younis, 35, was among several Pakistan batsmen who floundered in the series which South Africa won 3-2. Younis collected 116 ODIs runs at 23.20 as Pakistan's fragile batting struggled through much of the tour. He has had a difficult ODI run in recent years - his last century came as long back in 2008, and in three of the previous four years he has averaged less than 25.

The other major exclusion from the squad was of 20-year-old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who is looking to make his comeback after suffering a spine injury last December. Hasan had made an impact during the World Twenty20 last year, playing in four matches in that campaign.

The experienced allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who hasn't played an ODI since November 2011 continued to be ignored by the national selectors.

The Champions Trophy features the top eight ODI sides in the world, and is scheduled to be held in England in June. Pakistan are in Group B along with India, South Africa and West Indies. All teams have to announce their preliminary squad for the tournament before April 6.

Squad: Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umer Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Imran Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan

More to follow

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Kusal Perera sets up Sri Lanka's win

Sri Lanka 198 for 5 (Kusal Perera 64, Mendis 37) beat Bangladesh 181 for 7 (Ashraful 43, Mushfiqur 39, Thisara Perera 2-25) by 17 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A marauding Kusal Perera set the platform for Sri Lanka's 198 for 5, which proved 17 runs too many for the valiant Bangladesh batsmen, in the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele. His 64 from 44 balls saw Sri Lanka travel at nearly 11-an over during the Powerplay, before their middle-order allrounders exploited generous bowling to close the innings at a gallop. Though three Bangladesh batsmen threatened to rally a forceful response, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah all fell before their side could mount a serious challenge.




Kusal's onslaught began from the second delivery which he whipped aerially off his pads behind square, before he picked up the fifth ball and deposited it in the stands and then blasted the next behind point for four. Like a young Sanath Jayasuriya with a ballet coach, Kusal flitted about the crease - venturing swiftly out of it on occasion - before sending the ball hurtling, with a rapid swing of the blade.

At 25 for no loss at the end of the second over, Mushfiqur introduced Sohag Gazi to change the pace of the game, but Kusal welcomed him into the attack with a mighty slog-swept six over cow corner. When Abdur Razzak came on to bowl, he was spared first ball, but slammed into the grass bank behind deep midwicket next delivery.

The fours flowed too: over cover, through point, behind square on the leg side - five in total, to go with four sixes. Kusal reined in the big shots when the field spread, rotating the strike first with Dinesh Chandimal, then Lahiru Thirimanne, and the first shot he mishit in the game was the one that brought his demise. He top-edged a cut shot off Mahmudullah, three balls after having sent him high over deep midwicket. When he departed at 100 for 4 after 12 overs, only a middle-order collapse would have restricted Sri Lanka to an average total, and the Bangladesh bowlers' generosity ensured that would not eventuate.



But despite the tall Sri Lanka total, Bangladesh batted so well, they might justly feel aggrieved at the officiating. The match was marred by contentious decisions - at least two of which had the potential to change the game's narrative dramatically. The clearest of these was Ashraful's lbw, which came off a thigh-high Thisara Perera full toss. Ashraful had struck two sixes and a four off the three previous deliveries, signalling an imminent sustained barrage, but it was cut short when the umpire ruled him out despite the ball having struck his thigh pad outside the line of the stumps.

Earlier, debutant Shamsur Rahman had been given out to his first ball in international cricket, after being struck above the knee roll, some way outside the popping crease. The first ball of the match, however, had been a close call for Kusal, and two more marginal decisions in Sri Lanka's innings went the hosts' way.




Bangladesh began their innings more slowly than Sri Lanka, hitting only 45 from their Powerplay overs, for the loss of Shamsur and Jahurul Islam. When Ashraful fell in the seventh over, Mushfiqur assumed the aggressor's role, but soon after, Mahmudullah also began scoring quickly. Mushfiqur first struck two fours in three balls off Sachithra Senanayake, before lifting a low full toss from Shaminda Eranga over the long-on fence two overs later. Angelo Perera had not had a chance to bat on debut, but his part-time left-arm spin disappeared for 17 off Mushfiqur's blade in the 13th over, to complete a six-over stretch that saw Bangladesh maul 72.



But in two balls in the fifteenth over, Bangladesh lost both set batsman, and with them, their hopes of a triumphant end to the tour. Mushfiqur top edged a gentle full toss from Senanayake to deep square leg, and next ball, a mix-up while attempting a third ended with both batsmen stranded mid-pitch, and Mahmudullah eventually given out, having not crossed his partner. With six wickets down, Mominul Haque then faced a required run-rate of 12 with five wickets to go and the tail for company. He finished unbeaten on 26 from 16, having hit three boundaries that made the end result perhaps seem closer than it was.

During Sri Lanka's innings, Bangladesh's spinners combined through the middle overs to force several setbacks, but a dropped catch off Angelo Mathews in the deep, borne from miscommunication between long-on and midwicket, cost the visitors a chance to keep Sri Lanka to a manageable score. Next over, with six wickets remaining and only four overs to go, Jeevan Mendis felt it appropriate to throw his bat early in the over, sweeping Razzak over midwicket, then blasting him over cover, to herald Sri Lanka's final charge.

The fast bowlers' indiscipline hurt Bangladesh further, as they continued pitching too short throughout the final overs, with several wayward deliveries served up as well. Mendis pulled Rubel Hossain high into the stands early in the 17th over, before murdering a short wide one through point next ball. When he got out, Thisara completed a sorry night for Shahadat Hossain, when he launched his over of criminally poor bowling into the night for 24, to leave the bowler with no wicket for 54 from four overs. Mathews, who had held the innings together after Kusal fell, finished on 30 from 27 deliveries.

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Pressure on SL to end on high - Chandimal

Sri Lanka's new Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal has admitted there is significant pressure on the hosts to finish the home series against Bangladesh on a high note, ahead of the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele on Sunday. The hosts had been expected to win each series comprehensively, but could only draw the ODI series 1-1, and allowed Bangladesh to draw a Test against Sri Lanka, for the first time.

Chandimal is now set to lead a young, inexperienced side, which will feature at least one debutant, as six uncapped Twenty20 players have been named in the 16-man squad. They will likely play four top-order batsmen with less than 15 matches' experience, and two specialist bowlers who have each played less than five Twenty20s.

"Bangladesh won the last match and will be in a good mental state. But our players have got a big chance here and they will hopefully take that opportunity," Chandimal said. "It's a lot of pressure, but I like to play with that pressure. As a cricketer, there has to be pressure when we play, because that's when we can truly overcome challenges. We never underestimated Bangladesh, because they are an improving side in world cricket.

"I have to be content with this team, because as youngsters, this is the kind of tour that they should be given opportunities in. When you are playing your first or second match, it's better if you play teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and then get the confidence to play big matches against Australia and England. It's good if they can learn from their time with the seniors and take their cricket forward."

Chandimal has never captained a national team at age-group level, but he had had a superlative season as captain of Ananda College, in Colombo, where he led his side to an unprecedented 13 outright wins in 2008. He was one of several candidates for Test captaincy as well, despite his youth, but eventually Angelo Mathews was given the role, and Chandimal made vice-captain.

"I was captain in Under-19 and U-15 teams as well, in a few provincial matches. This is a great challenge, because captaining the national team is not something everyone can do. We need to talk to all our players, of every level of experience and figure out how we are going to improve and win more matches for our country.

"We don't have the experienced players like Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who played well in the last two series. But I think there are great young players like Dilshan Munaweera and Kusal Perera. This is a great opportunity for the young players." Chandimal singled out Nasir Hossain as a particular threat among the opposition batsmen, and said Sri Lanka had grown wary of his strengths during the tour. Nasir walloped 33 runs from 27 deliveries in the third ODI, to propel his side to victory, and had struck 73 not out from 59 deliveries to close out the innings in the first ODI as well, in addition to the Test ton he scored in Galle.

"Bangladesh's batsmen have improved a lot from how they were before. Nasir Hossain has been the batsman who has batted the best in the ODI series, and he's been consistent throughout the tour, so we've got a plan for him. We've got plans for all the others as well. We're hoping that tomorrow we can come through in those situations, and showcase our talent."

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Bangladesh fancy chances against experimental Sri Lanka

Match facts

March 31, 2013 Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)

Big picture

Whatever happens on Sunday night, Sri Lanka will look back on this tour and feel it has not gone as they would have liked. Bangladesh had never taken a Test to the fifth day in Sri Lanka, but they bettered even that achievement by keeping the hosts to a draw. Sri Lanka were made to fight hard in the second Test, and though they triumphed handsomely there in the end, they were embarrassed in the ODI series, when Bangladesh stormed home in Pallekele. Sri Lanka may have been missing Mahela Jayawardene, who has made home series a specialty, but Bangladesh have been without their star player in Shakib Al Hasan throughout the tour, and lost Tamim Iqbal after the first ODI.

Twenty20 is supposedly Sri Lanka's strongest format, but they will put the top ranking they earned during their World Twenty20 campaign on the line, in the final match of the tour. If Sri Lanka lose to ninth-ranked Bangladesh, they drop five ratings points, and will slip behind West Indies.

Sri Lanka's selectors have approached this match as a development game, and as such, Sri Lanka's ranking seems especially insecure. Of the 16 players in the squad, six have never played an international Twenty20, and among the uncapped, only Kithuruwan Vithanage has played at the top level in any format.

They also have a young, new leader, who for all his talent, had been unable to establish a place in any of the three national teams four months ago. Throughout the Tests and ODIs, Dinesh Chandimal was often in Angelo Mathews' company during talks on strategy, but although he holds a coveted school cricket record as a captain, his leadership qualities are burgeoning, rather than refined. Bangladesh are soaring after their last win, and are now faced with a significantly weaker Sri Lanka team. If there was any match against Sri Lanka in which they began as favourites, it is this one.

Critical to their chances is their bowling, which, despite the team's results, has been unconvincing throughout the tour. The fast bowlers in particular have been wayward in their opening spells - though they will not have Tillakaratne Dilshan to contend with in this match - and too much has been required of Sohag Gazi, whose own career is still in its infancy. If Bangladesh's attack can prevent a quick start, and put pressure on Sri Lanka's inexperienced batsmen, they will go a long way towards securing a heartening victory to cap off a terrific tour.

Form guide

(completed matches only, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WWLWW
Bangladesh: LLLLW

In the spotlight

Dilshan Munaweera arrived in the Twenty20 side after an impressive Sri Lanka Premier League tournament, but was unable to produce the sustained assaults at the top of the innings through which he established his reputation. He is coming off a first-class 104 from 87 deliveries however, and will be keen to translate that form into his first notable international innings.

The man who has suddenly become the centre of attention on this tour is Nasir Hossain. His unbeaten 33 has become the most valuable innings for Bangladesh in the ODI series as it helped them grab a win and draw the series. Even the Sri Lankans are talking about him, so he would be one to look out for.

Teams news

Angelo Perera is the likeliest young batsman to debut in the match, though Kithuruwan Vithanage, who played in the Test series, may also be close to selection. The biggest conundrum for Sri Lanka will be how to replace the rested Nuwan Kulasekara. There are a slew of young allrounders in the squad, and among them, fast bowler Ishan Jayaratne and left-arm-spinner Chaturanga de Silva are the likeliest of the freshers to play. Sri Lanka may opt for a little more experience however, in which case Shaminda Eranga will play.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Kusal Perera, 2. Dilshan Munaweera, 3. Lahiru Thirimanne, 4. Dinesh Chandimal (capt & wk), 5. Angelo Perera/Kithuruwan VIthanage, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Jeevan Mendis, 8. Thisara Perera, 9. Shaminda Eranga/ Chaturanga de Silva/ Ishan Jayaratne, 10. Sachithra Senanayake, 11. Lasith Malinga.

There could be a temptation for Bangladesh to bring in Mosharraf Hossain as the third spinner and cut down on one batsman from the top-order. In that case, Mominul Haque - who has not done well in Twenty20s recently, may be chopped. A debut for Shamsur Rahman also beckons, especially after his BPL performance this season. But team sources have said that Mominul will continue to play while there is a high likelihood for Shamsur to make his international debut with Mosharraf's wait to return to international cricket set to be extended.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Ashraful, 2 Shamsur Rahman, 3 Jahurul Islam, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Mominul Haque, 8 Ziaur Rahman, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shahadat Hossain.

Pitch and conditions

Sri Lanka's south-west monsoon rains appear to be making an early appearance, and with Pallekele quickly gaining a reputation as one of the wettest grounds in cricket, the match may be affected by the weather once again. The surface itself looks identical to the one used for the ODI, which had a little something for bowlers of all inclinations, but was far more favourable for batsmen.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have not dismissed Nasir in a limited-overs match, in three innings. He hit 36 not out during the Asia Cup last year, and has was unbeaten on 73 and 33 in the ODI series. He has never played a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.
• In 12 innings, Chandimal's Twenty20 average is 14.83 and his strike rate 97.26
• If Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh, they earn one rankings point and extend their lead at the top of the table.
• The game will be played on the 27th anniversary of Bangladesh's debut international match

Quotes

"As a team we are at number one, and everyone is looking to keep that. We've trained really hard in the last few days, and hopefully that will pay off with a win."

Chandimal feels he has a responsibility to maintain a hard-won ranking

"Bowling in the Powerplay and the death is very important for us. We have to do well in these two periods. The bowlers are confident after not having a great tour."

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim on Bangladesh's weaker suit on this tour

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