Bangladesh will look for another spirited show against Sri Lanka in the second and final Test that begins on Saturday at Birsreshthha Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium in the port city.
The team management will expect the players to carry on the positive approach that helped the home side post their highest fourth-innings total of 413 against the Sri Lanka's potent bowling attack led by Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas in the first Test in Dhaka.
However, a common concern for the Tigers is that they are not consistent in both innings and after a good showing they often flounder in the next match.
Bangladesh went very close to their second Test win, against South Africa in Dhaka in March, but in the next match in Chittagong they were humiliated by an innings defeat. Neil Mackenzie and Graeme Smith put on a world record of 415 for the opening stand in that match.
Captain Mohammed Ashraful is confident of a turnaround this time round.
"The second innings of the first Test boosted the players' confidence and all of us are eager to play the final Test.
"We are getting better as a team and the boys believe that and this year we will have plenty of opportunities to show our improvement," said Ashraful after a two-hour practice on Friday.
He said they had played pretty well against New Zealand in the last match at this venue and that they were also taking inspiration from that game.
Ashraful emphasised the need for good contribution from the top-order to given the visitors a run for their money.
"I will want a couple of top-order batsmen to stay long on the familiar crease as we need to bat four sessions at least in the first innings. If they give us a good start, we will have a decent total on the board.
"That's the pre-requisite for us getting a positive result in the Test matches and a positive result can be a win also," said Ashraful.
Sri Lankan champion spinner Muralitharan has always been a worry for the Bangladesh batsmen, who are now thinking of sensational Ajantha Mendis, who joined the team after missing the Dhaka Test due to injury.
The Sri Lankan team management is yet to say whether Mendis will play on Saturday, but the Bangladesh batsmen are ready to face both spinners.
"We also have footage but it is important not to think of him or Muralitharan too much and just try to play them ball by ball," said Ashraful, adding they were reading Muralitharan better.
Bangladesh kept middle-order batsman Rajin Saleh and pacer Sajidul Islam out of the 12-man squad and left-arm spinner Enamul Haq Junior may replace pacer Mahbubul Alam Robin.
Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene wants to carry their 2008 performance to the 2009 season.
"We ended the year very well especially in Test cricket and it is another important year for us.
"We beat India, drew with West Indies where we for the first time defeated West Indies in West Indies in a Test match. It's start of another year, it's important that we start on a good note because we have lot of good cricket ahead of us in the year."
"Everybody is keen to start with a bang and it is nice to see Ajantha is back in the squad," said Jayawardene, who is set to play his 100th Test match on Friday with just 76 runs short of the 8000-run club.
The Sri Lankan skipper said they would decide the playing eleven on the match day.
Friday, January 2, 2009
BNP workers attacked in places
BNP has alleged the "criminals of the winning party " are assaulting its supporters across the country amid reports of continued post-election clashes between Awami League and BNP supporters in places on Wednesday, which left scores injured.
"The criminals of the winning party are attacking our leaders and supporters, they are keeping our supporters under lock and key, they are threatening our supporters in their homes," BNP office secretary Rizvi Ahmed said at a press briefing at party chairperson's Gulshan office.
"Such post-election incidents bear bad signs. On one hand, the leader of the winning party is saying that she would establish peace and the criminal activists of her party are attacking us, on the other," Rizvi said.
Defeated BNP candidate from Mirpur, Rafiqul Islam Mia, said his supporters came under attack on Monday night, but police refused to take the case when they had gone to file the case.
An activist of Pallabi Doaripara unit of BNP's youth front, Khokon, and Liton, a worker of the labour wing's Mirpur unit, were presented at the briefing with parts of their bodies wrapped in surgical gauge.
They did not speak at the briefing but the leaders said those two had been assaulted by the workers of AL's youth front, Jubo League.
Rizvi also alleged that the AL activists had stormed and occupied the BNP office at ward 90 in capital Dhaka.
BNP elected candidate Jainul Abedin Faruq, former MP Khairul Kabir Khokon, among others, were present at the press briefing.
Rizvi said the BNP supporters in Sonaimuri and Senbagh of Noakhali, Homna of Comilla, Sreepur of Munshiganj, Madhabdi of Narsingdi, and Doulatpur of Bhola districts came under attack.
PANCHAGARH
Our Panchagarh correspondent reports 10 supporters of the BNP and the AL sustained injuries in a clash in Shalbahan union in Tentulia Upazila.
Following the clash, police arrested some eight BNP supporters from the scene.
The injured activists have been admitted to Upazila health complex.
KISHOREGANJ
Kishoreganj-6 constituency's BNP candidate Shariful Alam alleged BNP leader Nitya Lal Das ha been stabbed and his house vandalised.
Officer-in-charge of Kuliarchhar Police Station Ahammad Hossain said Abul Monsur Rubel, the younger brother of local unit of AL president Abul Hossain Liton, led the attack.
Das was sent to Dhaka Pongu Hospital.
In some other incidents in Kuliachhar and Kotiadi Upazila, some 12 BNP supporters were injured and some of their houses vandalised.
However, Kotiadi police station officer-in-charge Shamsul Haq said personal conflicts also caused many of those injuries.
JESSORE
District BNP general secretary Kazi Moniurul Huda at a press conference on Wednesday alleged that supporters of the AL had swooped on their leaders and supporters in all the six constituencies of the district.
He claimed some 20 leaders and activists were injured.
The defeated BNP candidate for Jessore-6, Abul Hossain Azad, was allegedly attacked by the activists of the Awami League candidate at Bhatpara under Abhaynagar Upazila on Wednesday evening.
He had gone there to meet with the voters.
The AL adherents injured at least 25 others, including a 70- year-old man, loyal to the four-party alliance at several places in Jessore.
The alleged terrors, most of whom had gone hiding during emergency rule, carried out the assaults, the four-party allaince leaders alleged.
Azad told newsmen that a number of AL activists led by Dilip Goswami, Rabiul Islam, Abdul Kuddus and Abdul Azim assaulted him physically.
Seventy-year-old Kobad Ali of Ganganandapur village under Jhikargachha Upazila was seriously injured in an attack by the AL men at his home.
He is now under treatment at Jessore General Hospital for fractured legs.
He told journalists he was not an activist but a supporter of the BNP and its allies.
Kazi Shahjahan Sabuj, Benapole correspondent of private TV network Channel One, and Mashiar Rahman, Beanpole correspondent of Daily Sangram, came under attack at the port by the AL activists, alleged the journalists at Benapole.
Shamsher Alam, convener, Khulna- Jessore Master Roll Jute Mill Employees Association, was assaulted and injured at Nawapara industrial town.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists Raju and Ujjal were hit with hammer by the AL activists at Nawapara industrial town.
A number of four-party alliance leaders and activists supporters came under attack at several places under eight upazilas in Jessore.
Khaledur Rahman Tito, MP-elect for Jessore-3, in a press conference at Jessore Press Club asked the activists of his party not to swoop on their opponents.
He also urged the law-enforcers to strictly handle the rogue activists.
KHALEDA MEETS
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday separately met with pro-nationalist intellectuals, teachers and party leaders at her Gulshan office.
Justice Abdur Rouf, Prof Talukder Moniruzzaman, former vice chancellors of Dhaka University professors Emajuddin Ahmed and Moniruzzaman Mia, Prof Mahabubullah, DU Teachers' Association outgoing president Prof Sadrul Amin, Prof Rizia Akhter Banu, journalist M Mozammel Haq, Showkat Mahmud and other attended one meeting.
In the other meeting, M Saifur Rahman, Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, Moudud Ahmed, M Shamsul Islam, Mahabubur Rahman, Salauddin Kader Chowdhury and other senior leaders were present.
Party secretary general Khandakar Delwar Hossain attended both meetings.
"The criminals of the winning party are attacking our leaders and supporters, they are keeping our supporters under lock and key, they are threatening our supporters in their homes," BNP office secretary Rizvi Ahmed said at a press briefing at party chairperson's Gulshan office.
"Such post-election incidents bear bad signs. On one hand, the leader of the winning party is saying that she would establish peace and the criminal activists of her party are attacking us, on the other," Rizvi said.
Defeated BNP candidate from Mirpur, Rafiqul Islam Mia, said his supporters came under attack on Monday night, but police refused to take the case when they had gone to file the case.
An activist of Pallabi Doaripara unit of BNP's youth front, Khokon, and Liton, a worker of the labour wing's Mirpur unit, were presented at the briefing with parts of their bodies wrapped in surgical gauge.
They did not speak at the briefing but the leaders said those two had been assaulted by the workers of AL's youth front, Jubo League.
Rizvi also alleged that the AL activists had stormed and occupied the BNP office at ward 90 in capital Dhaka.
BNP elected candidate Jainul Abedin Faruq, former MP Khairul Kabir Khokon, among others, were present at the press briefing.
Rizvi said the BNP supporters in Sonaimuri and Senbagh of Noakhali, Homna of Comilla, Sreepur of Munshiganj, Madhabdi of Narsingdi, and Doulatpur of Bhola districts came under attack.
PANCHAGARH
Our Panchagarh correspondent reports 10 supporters of the BNP and the AL sustained injuries in a clash in Shalbahan union in Tentulia Upazila.
Following the clash, police arrested some eight BNP supporters from the scene.
The injured activists have been admitted to Upazila health complex.
KISHOREGANJ
Kishoreganj-6 constituency's BNP candidate Shariful Alam alleged BNP leader Nitya Lal Das ha been stabbed and his house vandalised.
Officer-in-charge of Kuliarchhar Police Station Ahammad Hossain said Abul Monsur Rubel, the younger brother of local unit of AL president Abul Hossain Liton, led the attack.
Das was sent to Dhaka Pongu Hospital.
In some other incidents in Kuliachhar and Kotiadi Upazila, some 12 BNP supporters were injured and some of their houses vandalised.
However, Kotiadi police station officer-in-charge Shamsul Haq said personal conflicts also caused many of those injuries.
JESSORE
District BNP general secretary Kazi Moniurul Huda at a press conference on Wednesday alleged that supporters of the AL had swooped on their leaders and supporters in all the six constituencies of the district.
He claimed some 20 leaders and activists were injured.
The defeated BNP candidate for Jessore-6, Abul Hossain Azad, was allegedly attacked by the activists of the Awami League candidate at Bhatpara under Abhaynagar Upazila on Wednesday evening.
He had gone there to meet with the voters.
The AL adherents injured at least 25 others, including a 70- year-old man, loyal to the four-party alliance at several places in Jessore.
The alleged terrors, most of whom had gone hiding during emergency rule, carried out the assaults, the four-party allaince leaders alleged.
Azad told newsmen that a number of AL activists led by Dilip Goswami, Rabiul Islam, Abdul Kuddus and Abdul Azim assaulted him physically.
Seventy-year-old Kobad Ali of Ganganandapur village under Jhikargachha Upazila was seriously injured in an attack by the AL men at his home.
He is now under treatment at Jessore General Hospital for fractured legs.
He told journalists he was not an activist but a supporter of the BNP and its allies.
Kazi Shahjahan Sabuj, Benapole correspondent of private TV network Channel One, and Mashiar Rahman, Beanpole correspondent of Daily Sangram, came under attack at the port by the AL activists, alleged the journalists at Benapole.
Shamsher Alam, convener, Khulna- Jessore Master Roll Jute Mill Employees Association, was assaulted and injured at Nawapara industrial town.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists Raju and Ujjal were hit with hammer by the AL activists at Nawapara industrial town.
A number of four-party alliance leaders and activists supporters came under attack at several places under eight upazilas in Jessore.
Khaledur Rahman Tito, MP-elect for Jessore-3, in a press conference at Jessore Press Club asked the activists of his party not to swoop on their opponents.
He also urged the law-enforcers to strictly handle the rogue activists.
KHALEDA MEETS
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday separately met with pro-nationalist intellectuals, teachers and party leaders at her Gulshan office.
Justice Abdur Rouf, Prof Talukder Moniruzzaman, former vice chancellors of Dhaka University professors Emajuddin Ahmed and Moniruzzaman Mia, Prof Mahabubullah, DU Teachers' Association outgoing president Prof Sadrul Amin, Prof Rizia Akhter Banu, journalist M Mozammel Haq, Showkat Mahmud and other attended one meeting.
In the other meeting, M Saifur Rahman, Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, Moudud Ahmed, M Shamsul Islam, Mahabubur Rahman, Salauddin Kader Chowdhury and other senior leaders were present.
Party secretary general Khandakar Delwar Hossain attended both meetings.
Sri Lanka in Pakistan 2009
SL itinerary to be finalised next week
A final decision on the details of the itinerary of Sri Lanka's trip to Pakistan is expected early next week. Sri Lankan officials have confirmed again to Pakistan, however, that their team will be the first country to tour for a Test series since October 2007.
"We have already confirmed to our Pakistani counterparts that we will be touring their country. We will definitely honour our commitment. Reports of our possible pullout from the tour are not true," Duleep Mendis, the Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Cricket told Geo News. "There are few things which we're discussing with the PCB and our players and then we'll finalise the itinerary, may be in few days ... I would say in a couple of days .... But the tour is definitely on."
Sri Lankan officials have asked for a short tour including two Tests, three ODIs and a T20I which begins mid-February. Pakistan are keen on the original itinerary - also suggested by Sri Lanka - of three Tests and five ODIs which begins late January. That ends earlier than Sri Lanka's proposal, thus avoiding a clash with Pakistan's tour to Bangladesh, for which they depart on March 3.
But the change of mind in Sri Lanka has come from their players, who are keen to have a break after their tour to Bangladesh.
"We were in contact with SLC this morning and they have told us they will get back to us with an itinerary on Sunday," Salim Altaf, chief operating officer, told Cricinfo. "We will respond to that the day after and hopefully the itinerary will be finalised then."
That the tour is going ahead at all will be of great relief to the PCB, who have struggled without top-flight cricket for much of the last year. This contest itself is a replacement for the Pakistan-India series after India pulled out following the Mumbai attacks.
Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina to take power by Jan 6: officials
DHAKA (AFP) — Bangladesh prime minister-elect Sheikh Hasina Wajed is expected to take power in the impoverished country by January 6, following her landslide election victory, officials said Friday.
The Awami League party leader crushed her rivals in Monday's general election, which signalled the end of two years of rule by an army-backed caretaker regime.
Party campaign manager H.T. Imam said new MPs were likely to be sworn in within the next two days.
The party with the biggest majority will then elect a leader of the house who will then form a government, he said.
"Once the leader of the house, which will be Sheikh Hasina, is elected, the president is notified and he will ask the leader to send a list of ministers to him," Imam said.
"To my reckoning we should be able to hold a final swearing-in at the latest by January 6," he said.
Presidential spokesman Sirajul Islam said Sheikh Hasina would most probably be sworn in on Tuesday.
The Awami League won 230 of the 300 parliamentary seats in Monday's ballot. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Sheikh Hasina's arch rival Khaleda Zia won just 29.
Held under tight security, the first polls since 2001 attracted a turnout of 87 percent and saw none of the deadly unrest that forced the last scheduled vote to be cancelled and the army-backed administration take control.
A nationwide ban on political activity -- in place during voting -- was lifted from Thursday, since when there have been 13 "minor" incidents, national police chief Nur Mohammad said.
"There have been a couple of minor incidents but nothing out of the ordinary and security is completely under control," he said.
"Things are going fine and we expect it to stay that way."
After alleging election fraud in the immediate wake of the results, the BNP on Thursday accepted defeat, but stood by its charge of vote rigging.
"We want to give the Awami League party the opportunity to run the country. We want to see them keep their promises to the people," BNP spokesman Khondaker Delwar Hossain said.
Independent observers, including a team from the European Union, have declared the election free and fair.
Upbeat Bangladesh look to scare Sri Lanka again
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AFP) — Bangladesh hope to continue the promise they showed in the first Test against Sri Lanka when the second match starts here on Saturday.
The hosts gave the formidable Sri Lankans a fright in the Dhaka Test when chasing an improbable target of 521, scoring a creditable 413 before falling 107 runs short.
Skipper Mohammad Ashraful's 101 and Shakib Al Hasan's 96 on a wearing wicket helped Bangladesh record the 11th-best fourth-innings total by any team in the history of the game.
Sri Lanka won the Test for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series due to spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan's 10-190 -- his 22nd haul of 10 or more wickets in a match.
Ashraful was confident of another good showing by his under-rated nation, which has lost 51 of its 58 Tests so far, with six draws and a lone victory against lowly Zimbabwe.
"This is the first match of the new year and we want to play good cricket and start afresh on a positive note," he said.
Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, who hit a match-winning 166 at Dhaka, goes into his 100th Test match needing just 74 runs to cross the 8,000-run milestone.
"There is no pressure on me because of these records," said the 31-year-old, who is already Sri Lanka's highest run scorer in Tests.
"I am just proud to have played for my country for so long.
"We are focused on beating Bangladesh here and win the series 2-0. They played very well in Dhaka and I expect they will fight hard here as well."
The Test series will be followed by a triangular one-day tournament in Dhaka from January 10 with Zimbabwe as the third team.
Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Dammika Prasad, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis.
Bangladesh (from): Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Imrul Kayes, Raqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Rajin Saleh, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain, Enamul Haque, Mahbubul Alam, Sajidul Islam.
The hosts gave the formidable Sri Lankans a fright in the Dhaka Test when chasing an improbable target of 521, scoring a creditable 413 before falling 107 runs short.
Skipper Mohammad Ashraful's 101 and Shakib Al Hasan's 96 on a wearing wicket helped Bangladesh record the 11th-best fourth-innings total by any team in the history of the game.
Sri Lanka won the Test for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series due to spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan's 10-190 -- his 22nd haul of 10 or more wickets in a match.
Ashraful was confident of another good showing by his under-rated nation, which has lost 51 of its 58 Tests so far, with six draws and a lone victory against lowly Zimbabwe.
"This is the first match of the new year and we want to play good cricket and start afresh on a positive note," he said.
Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, who hit a match-winning 166 at Dhaka, goes into his 100th Test match needing just 74 runs to cross the 8,000-run milestone.
"There is no pressure on me because of these records," said the 31-year-old, who is already Sri Lanka's highest run scorer in Tests.
"I am just proud to have played for my country for so long.
"We are focused on beating Bangladesh here and win the series 2-0. They played very well in Dhaka and I expect they will fight hard here as well."
The Test series will be followed by a triangular one-day tournament in Dhaka from January 10 with Zimbabwe as the third team.
Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Dammika Prasad, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis.
Bangladesh (from): Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Imrul Kayes, Raqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Rajin Saleh, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain, Enamul Haque, Mahbubul Alam, Sajidul Islam.
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