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Sohail Tanvir’s devastating early burst of pace bowling enabled one-day specialists Hampshire to leapfrog Essex to second in YB40 Group B with a 30-run win at the Ageas Bowl.

11-Aug-2013
ScorecardJames Vince’s 68 helped Hampshire overcome the loss of early wickets•Getty Images

Sohail Tanvir’s devastating early burst of pace bowling enabled one-day specialists Hampshire to leapfrog Essex to second in YB40 Group B with a 30-run win at the Ageas Bowl.Pakistani allrounder Tanvir dismissed the first three in the Essex order in his first three overs as Hampshire successfully defended a modest total of 216 after being put in by Essex captain James Foster.Graham Napier, Greg Smith and Ryan ten Doeschate led a brave revival and while Napier was swinging away in typically aggressive style, hitting sixes off Tanvir and Danny Briggs, there was hope for Essex.At 180 for 7 with three overs remaining an unlikely Essex win was not to be discounted but left -armer Chris Wood came back to remove David Masters and Napier in the 38th over and Tanvir fittingly came back to get rid of last man Reece Topley.Tanvir finished with figures of 4 for 29 as reward for setting up Hampshire’s sixth win in eight group fixtures in the same week as the club booked its place in the semi-finals of the T20 competition at Edgbaston for the fourth successive year.As holders of both titles, Hampshire showed they know how to win tight finishes and after losing the prolific Michael Carberry in the second over to a slip catch off Masters, they fought back through James Vince as wickets tumbled around him.Tymal Mills, Topley and Masters each took two wickets and at one stage Hampshire were in trouble at 148 for eight with top-scorer Vince among the departures, caught at the wicket off Ten Doeschate for 68 from 75 balls.Former Essex batsman Adam Wheater led a late charge with a stand of 64 for the ninth with Wood before being run out, backing up in the last over.Foster will have cause to remember the match with affection despite the result, taking five catches and stumping Liam Dawson who had been lured from his crease by spinner Tim Phillips.Essex were soon in a dire position, Hamish Rutherford was bowled in Tanvir’s first over, Ravi Bopara went in his second and Mark Pettini followed to leave them 14 for 3 after five overs.Smith and ten Doeschate attempted a rescue with a stand of 71 for the fourth wicket in 17 overs but at 142 for 7 it looked to be all over for Essex with only nine overs left. But Napier is never to be underestimated in such situations and with Masters as a willing aid, the eighth wicket pair caused Hampshire hearts to flutter in a productive stand of 42 in six overs.Only then did Wood and Tanvir return to the attack and the Essex challenge died as Hampshire went above them in the table.

Chris Gayle, fresh off leading Jamaica to the first Caribbean Premier League title, has indicated he is eyeing a long rest after a hectic season of continuous cricket

Renaldo Matadeen30-Aug-2013Chris Gayle, fresh off leading Jamaica to the first Caribbean Premier League title, has indicated he is eyeing a long rest after a hectic season of continuous cricket. In the last 12 months, Gayle has featured in 71 matches across different formats, 35 of them for five domestic T20 leagues around the world.”It’s been a long road, and I am very, very tired mentally,” Gayle said. “It was a challenging time batting-wise in the Tri-nation series (against India and Sri Lanka) and then against Pakistan, and to have come and played a captain’s part in the CPL has been really, really, stressing.”Gayle, whose captain’s knock of 47 not out in the final earned Jamaica the CPL trophy, started the year with a stint with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League in Australia. He flew back to the West Indies to play two T20s for Jamaica in the Caribbean T20, scoring 85 and 122 not out .Gayle then travelled back to Australia on West Indies duty for the limited-overs series in February before joining the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League. He played only one match in the BPL and hit a century that helped Gladiators make it to the final of the tournament. He then returned home for the series against Zimbabwe.This was a precursor to his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. The ICC Champions Trophy in England ensued in May before the Tri-nation in the Caribbean. West Indies then played five ODIs and two T20s against Pakistan and Gayle featured in every match of the series.”It’s been quite a lot, and I am really, really happy that it is over now. No more cricket for me until the next three months,” he said.Gayle’s form took a dip after he scored a century in the first match of the Tri-nation series against Sri Lanka, but he managed to finish fourth in the batting charts of the CPL with 234 runs from nine games at an average of 29.25.West Indies are slated to tour New Zealand starting in December. They are due to play three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s.

Zimbabwe’s historic 24-run win in the second Test to level the series 1-1 made Pakistan drop from fourth to sixth in the ICC Test rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2013Zimbabwe’s historic 24-run win in the second Test to level the series 1-1 made Pakistan drop from fourth to sixth place in the ICC Test rankings. Zimbabwe also returned to the rankings for the first time since May 2007 and are at ninth place, 24 rating points ahead of Bangladesh who are at the bottom of the table.Pakistan, on the other hand, conceded five rating points and dropped behind Australia and West Indies. They had moved to fourth position only last month after England beat Australia 3-0 in the Ashes.Zimbabwe had started the series unranked and would have finished ninth irrespective of the result of the series. They had pulled out of Test cricket in January 2006 and returned with a series against Bangladesh in August 2011, but could not find a place on the rankings table until now having not played the requisite eight qualifying Tests.Pakistan’s next Test series will be against No. 1 ranked South Africa with the first of two matches starting on October 14 in Abu Dhabi.

Adam Voges are at opposite ends of their careers but their brace of 90s held Middlesex together against Somerset at Taunton

Alex Winter at Taunton27-Apr-2015
ScorecardGetty Images

Adam Voges and Nick Gubbins are at opposite ends of their careers but they combined to move Middlesex back into the contest on the second day at Taunton. Both were dismissed in the 90s and both will reflect on opportunities missed for their first centuries for Middlesex. Their stand of 139 for the third wicket helped the visitors mount a steady reply but fears over the solidity of their batting line up were renewed as they lost five wickets after tea to close facing a first-innings deficit.Jamie Overton, at 21, is tipped among the next generation of England fast bowlers. He is used in short bursts and after an initial quick four-over spell in the evening session where he removed Gubbins, he returned in the last knockings of the day to clean bowl both John Simpson and Ollie Rayner to tip the balance of the match back to the hosts.For much of the day, with the weather and entertainment value of the second afternoon in stark contrast to the first, a 38-over partnership between Voges and Gubbins did justice to the work of their bowlers on the first evening. Their defiance was welcome for Middlesex, who were bowled out for just 181 in the first innings against Durham, entailing a lengthy rearguard from the lower order on the final day to rescue a draw.Voges’ plans for 2015 were dramatically altered by his call up to the Australian Test squad but he was determined to honour as much of his deal with Middlesex as was possible. It only amounts to four matches but he has began well with 75 to contribute to a battling draw against Notts and 98 here.Gubbins, the 21-year-old left-hander, impressed during four Championship matches last season with three half-centuries in his first four matches, including 95 against Somerset at Uxbridge, when he ran himself out. But after a composed innings here, was dismissed in the 90s again, having cruelly been forced to resume after a lengthy delay for rain and bad light only nine short of a century.He faced another exciting youngster in Overton who steamed in from the pavilion end for a sharp four-over spell on resumption. He put Gubbins on his backside avoiding a sharp bumper, then hit him, painfully it appeared, on the thigh before forcing an edge to second slip with a rising delivery, caught low by Marcus Trescothick. Gubbins hung his head in disappointment. He said it was the quickest spell he has encountered since facing Tymal Mills.Voges dealt more comfortably with Overton, smartly fending off a short ball past gully and cutting another boundary backward of square in the manner of James Hildreth on day one. Middlesex looked to be closing the second day in good shape to reach parity but Overton changed ends and took the second new ball to take out Simpson and Rayner.Their position would not have been as strong had either set batsman advanced their strong positions. Voges also fell narrowly short of a century, lbw to Lewis Gregory, one of his four wickets. Gregory impressed last season with 43 Championship wickets at 26.06. In the morning he also had Sam Robson caught at second slip to the second ball of the day and Nick Compton, who edged behind and looked very unhappy with the decision by Alex Wharf.Thereafter, Voges and Gubbins ticked over under heavy skies. There were few crashing boundaries of day one but Gubbins did pull two sixes into the Somerset stand off Gregory.The break for poor weather worked in the hosts favour. 17 overs were lost either side of tea which gave way to a competitive final session of 31 overs where Somerset took five wickets to raise hopes of a first innings lead. As Middlesex demonstrated on the first evening, a run of wickets is possible on a wicket offering some assistance to the bowlers. A result remains alive.

Fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the one-day series against England after failing to recover from the heel injury which ended his World Cup campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2015Fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the one-day series against England after failing to recover from the heel injury which ended his World Cup campaign. Ben Wheeler, the left-arm seamer who bolstered the New Zealand squad early in the tour, has been named as Milne’s replacement.Milne did not take his place in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore following the end of his World Cup at the quarter-final stage and, given his injury history, New Zealand are taking a cautious approach with the quick who is capable of topping 90mph (144kph).”It’s been a hard time for Adam,” Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said. “He has worked really hard to get back to full fitness but unfortunately he is still suffering pain and is unable to bowl at his best. He is a young man and has a long career ahead of him so we are focused on making sure he is 100 percent fit before he returns.”Milne’s international career has been hampered by injuries. At the start of the last New Zealand season, he was ruled out of the series against South Africa with an elbow injury which followed an abdominal muscle strain against India last year. Back in early 2013 he missed a one-day series in South Africa due to an Achilles problem.Wheeler, 23, was one of the names covering for the IPL players during the warm-up period before the Test series, during which he took 5 for 18 against Somerset, and has remained with the squad.

Chris Jordan is currently recovering from a side strain but has not given up hope of being involved in England’s Ashes campaign

Alan Gardner05-Jul-20155:06

Ashes Key Battles: How important is Anderson?

It is only a few short weeks since Chris Jordan was playing for England in the Barbados Test. The match was a homecoming for Jordan but it ended in a defeat that had significant repercussions for England’s Ashes summer. Jordan lost his place for the subsequent series against New Zealand and an injury sustained in the one-day series ruled him out of contention for the early skirmishes with Australia.It also meant that Jordan could not take part in the training camp in Spain on which the players were introduced to Trevor Bayliss, the new head coach who was appointed in the wake of Peter Moores’ sacking. A line was effectively drawn in the Caribbean sand when England were held to a 1-1 draw and the end of Moores’ second spell in charge followed soon after.Jordan is now back in Barbados, working on his recovery from a grade two side strain that tore muscle off the bone. That could keep him out for six weeks, limiting his chances of being involved in the Tests against Australia – a series that even the laidback Jordan, who grew up outside the Anglo-Australian Ashes bubble, describes as something “you dream of”.

‘I enjoy when I take a left-handed catch’

Chris Jordan has become known for taking spectacular catches – at slip, in the field, off his own bowling – and sometimes the feeling is as good as taking the wicket itself. England’s cordon could do worse than try to emulate his technique, which involves trying to visualise chances before they come.
“You do get that similar adrenaline rush, especially when it’s a one-handed catch and it has come quite quickly,” he said. “The bit that really excites me is that, because I do a lot of visualisation, I’ll have visualised taking that catch. Even five balls, 10 balls before and all of a sudden it comes and it’s happening for real. It’s a good feeling, got to be close to taking a wicket.”
Among his favourites were a diving catch to dismiss Nottinghamshire’s Steve Mullaney off his own bowling when playing for Sussex a few weeks ago and a left-handed grab to help dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite in the Barbados Test in May.
“From a caught-and-bowled point of view, I took one in county cricket the other day – I guess that’s got to be up there. I didn’t realise how much ground I covered until I watched it back. From a slip catching point of view, in international cricket, one of the ones off the spinners.
“I do enjoy when I take a left-handed catch because it is my weaker side. When I do take a left-handed, one-handed catch it’s a different feeling. It’s quite hard to take a pick sometimes because all the catches are special in their own way.”

He has represented England in all three formats, played international cricket at Kensington Oval, the ground where he used to watch West Indies as a child, and featured at a World Cup (albeit a disappointing one) but is keen to add an Ashes experience to the list.”That would cap it off but you don’t want to just be there making up the numbers,” he said. “You don’t just want to play one and be overwhelmed by the whole environment. But that would cap it off, hopefully that can happen sooner rather than later and be many more to come as well.”It’s a series you dream of, you’re looking forward to it and it’s a shame to miss it. You dream of walking out in that first Test and taking in the atmosphere, soaking up everything that’s going on around you. From watching it over the past few years, it’s electrifying and you get the whole public rallying behind you. It’s a real festival, it’ll be a great experience and hopefully the boys can come out on top.”Even as a very young kid, the series that sticks out in my mind was that 2005 series, when they won them back. It’s a brilliant series to watch, a great spectacle and a great advert for cricket.”When he returns to fitness, Jordan is likely to face a battle for a place in the Test XI. Having played six consecutive matches against India and West Indies – with England winning four of them – he was displaced by Mark Wood at the start of the English summer. Wood is being talked of as a potent weapon with which to ruffle Australia but there are a handful of pace bowlers lining up to provide further competition.Steven Finn has returned to contention, almost two years after his last Test appearance, while Liam Plunkett could feature and the left-armer Mark Footitt was included in the group taken to Spain.”I’m pleased for Woody making his debut and performing the way he did,” Jordan said of the man who took his spot. “You always have ambition of getting back in the team and I’ll be working very hard towards that. That can only be good for the team because there’s great competition for places, so guys skills levels and everyone’s game has to raise. So it can only be good for English cricket.”In the limited-overs formats, Jordan has suddenly become one of the senior bowlers, with England seemingly having moved on from James Anderson and Stuart Broad. He played the first two games against New Zealand but could not fully enjoy England’s ebullient, 3-2 victory after getting injured at The Oval.Chris Jordan is hoping to play a part in England’s Ashes summer•Octopus Investments

“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “The timing of it wasn’t perfect, in a series where we went on to win and the brand of cricket was very exciting. It was disappointing but at the same time I’m chuffed for the boys because a lot of things we talked about, we actually went out and did. So it was great to get that series win and for the new guys coming into that team it will only stand them in good stead.”England’s turnaround in 50-over cricket has been dramatic and while Jordan could not pinpoint any specific changes, he suggested a young, fresh side were not affected by “the scars from the winter”. The focus will be on the Ashes for the next seven weeks but the New Zealand series helped to reinvigorate England’s ODI game and there is now a determination that it will not be neglected, with the Champions Trophy in 2017 and the 2019 World Cup both to be played at home.”The new guys who have come in have taken to it brilliantly, you can see with the way we buzz around in the field and chase down every ball, try to do something spectacular – everyone is taking to it and buying into what we’re trying to do, the brand of cricket we’re trying to play,” Jordan said. “It was 14 guys enjoying each other’s company and wanting each other to do well. When you have that kind of environment it’s really exciting and it bodes well for the kind of things we can do in the future.”

England are confident that Moeen Ali will be fit to play in the second Investec Ashes Test despite the spinning allrounder suffering a side strain

George Dobell15-Jul-2015England are confident that Moeen Ali will be fit to play in the second Investec Ashes Test despite the spinning allrounder suffering a side strain*. Moeen had a scan on the injury, which did not reveal a tear, and was able to bowl in the nets on Wednesday.Provided he does not suffer a reaction overnight, he will take his place in an unchanged XI at Lord’s. England have Adil Rashid in their 13-man squad but he has sustained a finger problem, leaving Alastair Cook to hope that Moeen can make it through five days. No back-up spinner has been called upon.Moeen did not take part in net practice on Tuesday but batted and bowled on Wednesday, with a final assessment on his fitness to be made in the morning. At the captain’s press conference, Cook said he expected Moeen to be okay and that his lack of training was “precautionary”.Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner who is uncapped at Test level, would have been in line to replace an unfit Moeen but he has also picked up an injury and did not bowl in the nets on Wednesday. Rashid had been told to be ready to play by the England management but reported a minor abrasion to his spinning finger that he felt could compromise his performance.The uncertainty threatens to disrupt England’s attempts to take a grip on the series. Moeen played a key role in England going 1-0 up in Cardiff, scoring 77 in the first innings and following up with five wickets in the match. He has become England’s No. 1 spinner since the retirement of Graeme Swann, despite some attempts to paint him as a “part-time” bowler.Cook said a decision would be made on Thursday morning but he was hopeful that Moeen would be passed fit. Moeen missed England’s first Test in the West Indies earlier in the year because of a side strain and Cook said the medical staff were monitoring him closely with the quick turnaround from Cardiff to Lord’s.”He felt his side a tiny bit after the last game and, with his previous history, the medical team were wrapping him in cotton wool,” he said. “We’ll make a final call tomorrow but it was more precautionary yesterday.””I don’t think it’s the same injury. It’s like always when you’ve got two games back to back, you’re a little bit careful with training. But unless he gets a reaction overnight I expect him to be in our side.”*18.30 BST – This story was updated with new information

Brad Haddin has said he has no regrets about the way his Test career ended, when he was not reinstated after stepping down from the Lord’s Test to be with his ill daughter

Brydon Coverdale09-Sep-20151:21

‘Really only hoped for a few games at SCG’ – Haddin

Brad Haddin has said he has no regrets about the way his Test career ended, when he was not reinstated after stepping down from the Lord’s Test to be with his ill daughter. That decision effectively spelled the end of Haddin’s days as an Australia player, and on Wednesday he confirmed that he was now officially retired from international cricket.While it was fully expected that Haddin, 37, would depart after the Ashes tour, it had appeared likely when the campaign began that he would remain the incumbent gloveman throughout. However, he withdrew from the second Test at Lord’s to be with his four-year-old daughter Mia, who was receiving treatment in a London hospital.Mia had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was only 17 months old, and Haddin had missed the 2012 tour of the West Indies to remain home with his family at the time. In announcing his retirement at the SCG, Haddin said he had no regrets about his decisions and knew that he was unlikely to be recalled after standing down during the Ashes.”I’m not dirty … I’m no different to any other parent in Australia,” Haddin told reporters in Sydney. “Everyone puts their family first and I have no regrets about doing that.”To me, it wasn’t a choice. I remember saying to [wife] Karina at the hospital that I’ll never play again. She said there was still three Tests to go but cricket is a big business/sport and I’d put myself in a position where I was vulnerable because I walked away. I could live with that because I was needed somewhere else and it was a place that was far more important for me.”My family needed me at that time and the reality is I was unable to take the field for Australia with the 100% focus I needed. I understood the consequences that went with my decision; I put myself in a position to lose my spot and I don’t regret that, not one bit. I wouldn’t change one thing because I don’t regret one thing that happened.”Haddin’s wife Karina and children Mia and Zac were at the press conference at the SCG on Wednesday, and Haddin said Mia’s health was heading in the right direction.”Mia needed surgery [in Sydney] a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “She had some internal bleeds … but everything is going in the right direction. She’s a normal four-year-old girl and the surgery will allow for her to enjoy a better quality of life.”Haddin’s retirement means he will finish his career with 66 Tests to his name, along with 3266 runs at 32.98 and 270 dismissals. That places him fourth on the Australian Test wicketkeeping tally, behind Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy and Rod Marsh.His successor, Peter Nevill, played well on debut at Lord’s, and Haddin said it was apparent when the team headed to Derby for a tour match ahead of the third Test that the selectors were leaning towards retaining Nevill. Haddin said he spoke to national selector Rod Marsh to ensure that Nevill was given enough of a chance in Derby to prepare properly for the Test.”I’ve been in cricket long enough to know when you’re about to be dropped because people start talking to you differently,” Haddin said. “I remember saying to ‘Nev’, ‘I’m not playing in this third Test, you’re in’ and he said ‘no, no’ but I said I’d ask Rod because we needed to sort it out. Pete hadn’t kept much in England and I thought if he was playing in the Test he’d need to get used to the conditions.”What was meant to happen was Rod said we’d share the keeping in that match and I said ‘Rod, I’ve been around for 15 years, if you want me to go out and give you the energy, the perfect keeping game, I’ll go and do that but if you know what’s going to happen cut the bullshit and tell us – don’t play one off against the other because you know after 15 years what I can do’.”In the end I made the call. I’m not there to muck around, we were there to play for Australia and we had to prepare the best we could and that meant Nev had to keep. My thought was we were halfway through an Ashes series and this idea about one of us keeping for the first 30 overs when they knew what the decision was, well I thought let’s get on with it, you’ve made your decision and that’s how it unfolded.”Haddin said now was the perfect time to retire from internationals and first-class cricket, although he will play on for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. The Sixers confirmed in a press release on Wednesday that Haddin was still a key member of their squad for this summer.”I’ve only ever wanted to play at the SCG. It’s great to be here today to make my announcement,” Haddin said. “I came to the realisation after Lord’s. I’ve had a privileged run, but I lost the hunger on the Ashes tour. It was an easy decision to retire.”

Sometimes fairy tales do happen in sport. Geraint Jones, Ashes winner in 2005 turned priceless county pro – via Papua New Guinea – signed off his professional career by being chaired around Lord’s

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's19-Sep-2015Sometimes fairy tales do happen in sport. Geraint Jones, Ashes winner in 2005 turned priceless county pro – via Papua New Guinea – signed off his professional career by being chaired around Lord’s after Gloucestershire secured the Royal London Cup with an epic come-from-behind victory.Jones had dragged Gloucestershire to a competitive total with 50 off 65 balls, using his wealth of experience to assess the conditions, before being bowled as the first of Jade Dernbach’s hat-trick wickets. For 34 overs of Surrey’s chase it appeared Dernbach’s 6 for 35 would be the headline act, but then Kumar Sangakkara clubbed a full toss to mid-on and Gloucestershire, evoking the spirit of the one-day sides which dominated from 1999-2004, strangled Surrey and took the match to the final over.”I just feel very lucky to be honest,” Jones said. “To finish this way, very few people get the chance to walk off holding a trophy and look back on a great day. Personally I couldn’t have asked for any more. Since the knockout stages I’ve been saying to myself, dare to dream and who knows. And it couldn’t have worked out better.”My family was here, although I had to keep batting because the boys had swimming lessons this morning and then had to get the train up so I couldn’t get out until they showed up – that spurred me on. To finish this way, with a group that has given such energy back to my cricket, it’s a pleasurable way to finish.”Jones was not actually on the field the moment the match started to change as Jack Taylor’s full toss found the hands of substitute Will Tavare at mid-on. “Thankfully when I popped off for a toilet break is when Sangakkara hit that ball to Tavs, because I knew they were trying to hit it my way,” he said.”I must admit at half time I was very nervous that we were 15-20 shy especially with the way Sangakarra has been playing. But once we got into it, I knew the way our spinners have been bowling all summer has been exceptional and the wicket was going to be good for them because Batty showed when I was batting that it wasn’t easy to score off them.”Michael Klinger, the Gloucestershire captain, also pinpointed the role of his spinners – Taylor and Tom Smith who combined to take 5 for 85 in 20 overs – plus the unfortunate absence of Zafar Ansari for Surrey as a key part of the match. He said he, too, would have bowled with the 10.30am start but also backed the strength of his team’s bowling if they were able to get a score on the board.”They were a little bit light on their batting playing a lot of allrounders,” he said. “We talked pre-game that if we could get through the top they were quite inexperienced and it just so happened the two wickets we got were the two in batters. We knew it would be tough to score against our spinners. In the end, two spinners was the advantage for us. Unfortunately Ansari’s injury hurt them a little bit as well.”Klinger also paid tribute to Jones. “It was fitting that he was our best batter in his last game and to finish his career the way he did.”For Jones, who celebrated with his children on the outfield as Gloucestershire enjoyed a lengthy lap of honour in front of a large number of travelling supporters, this victory will take a special place in his career highlights.”It’s right up the top, purely for the fact I was able to contribute and the group of lads have added more than I can put into words because they’ve made my last few months in cricket so enjoyable.”He will certainly be remembered for more than just that one catch.

Bangladesh A coach Heath Streak has termed the termed the five-match tour of India as an ‘important step’ ahead of the two-match Test series at home against Australia

Deivarayan Muthu in Bangalore15-Sep-2015Bangladesh A coach Heath Streak has termed the five-match tour of India as an ‘important step’ ahead of the two-match Test series at home against Australia, starting October 9. Streak believed that Bangladesh are capable of beating Australia, who find themselves 272 Tests light following the retirements of Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Ryan Harris, Brad Haddin, and Shane Watson.”A tour like this is an important step for Bangladesh cricket in its continued learning curve for all formats,” Streak said. “I think everyone knows Bangladesh in Bangladesh are a tough team to beat and I think despite Australia coming, it’s no different.”They got a few inexperienced players and rely pretty heavily on their more senior players like [Steven] Smith. If they don’t play their best cricket and we play to our potential, we can beat Australia, especially in our conditions.”Bangladesh are yet to play a Test in India, but Bangladesh A have previously toured the country in 2001, 2009, and 2012. Streak identified the series as platform to get used to the conditions and build on gains, besides calling for the one-day form of the national team to be transferred to Tests.”[This is a] Very important tour for Bangladesh in terms of their progression”, Streak said. ” We are not looking at the series as a warm up. For us it’s about winning and continuing winning culture.”In a country like India, this is a great opportunity for them to expose themselves to the conditions and gain more experience. Whilst we have performed well in one-day cricket, we have still got big strides to make in the Test arena. It is a good opportunity for Bangladesh to show their improvement in Test cricket as well.”Streak also felt that the the fast-bowling department was well stocked, as it has been bolstered further by the return of Taskin Ahmed from injury. Taskin sustained a tear on his left side before the third ODI against India, but has recovered fully and is set for his first first-class match since February 2013.”[We have] Rubel [Hossain] and Taskin [Ahmed], while Mashrafe [Mortaza] is a very experienced campaigner. Mustafizur [Rahman] has come on the scene and made an impression right from the outset,” Streak said. “We have people like Shafiul [Islam], Al-Amin [Hossain], [Mohammad] Shahid. We have a good group of guys and some really good Under-19s.”This will be the first time Taskin will be playing long-form cricket [after suffering a stress fracture in 2014 and a side tear early this year]”, Streak said. “Taskin, despite the injury bowled the most number of the balls of all Bangladesh bowlers last year [he actually bowled 474 balls across formats in 2015, the fifth-highest among Bangladesh bowlers].”In terms of his preparation, it has been good. We have been maintaining him and we got an important T20 World Cup coming up, which is at the top of the list. Those sort of quick bowlers are important to us and how we manage them is the key.”