I had no role in Taylor's removal, says McCullum

Newly-appointed New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum bristled at suggestions he had a hand in removing predecessor Ross Taylor and dismissed talk of a rift as "media hype" on Saturday.

Taylor rejected an offer to keep the reins of the test team after his removal as limited over captain, a move local media linked to his soured relations with head coach Mike Hesson.

The disgruntled batsman has also opted out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa under McCullum, who is now in charge of the team in all three formats.

McCullum said he had no role in captaincy decision.

"That's probably the thing that has come out this week which has annoyed me the most," McCullum was quoted as saying by Fairfax NZ News on Saturday.

"It cuts right to the bone, that people would question your integrity and your character like that," the 31-year-old stumper-batsman told reporters in Lincoln.

"To be totally honest, it's highly insulting for people to cast aspersions when they certainly don't know any of the circumstances.

"I had absolutely no involvement in that recommendation whatsoever. I was asked if I would lead the one-day and Twenty20 team two days ago, and yesterday I was asked if I'd lead the test team after Ross turned it down.

"That's about as much involvement as I've had in the entire situation."

McCullum said Taylor still had a big role to play with New Zealand.

"Ross is an integral member of this team, he's vitally important for us increasing our performances and he's also a very popular member of the team as well, so there are a lot of guys who will be feeling for him at the moment.

"We'll welcome him back when he's good and ready."

Bangladesh take Windies series with nervy win

Bangladesh kept calm under pressure to clinch their one-day series against Twenty20 world champions West Indies 3-2 on Saturday, hailed by captain Mushfiqur Rahim as his nation's biggest victory.

Nasir Hossain played a crucial unbeaten innings of 39 as the home side survived Kemar Roach's vicious pace and the crafty spin of Sunil Narine to overhaul the West Indies' 217 all out with two wickets in hand when they ended 221-8 after 44 overs.

"We did not have one or two of our key players. So it was a big challenge and considering that, this is our biggest series win," said the Bangladesh skipper, whose side went 2-0 up in the series only to be pegged back to 2-2.

Influential all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the first two matches last month but missed all five games as Bangladesh notched up their second series victory over the West Indies.

They first won with a 3-0 clean sweep against the under-strength hosts in the Caribbean in 2009.

"They are the current Twenty20 world champions and all the top players were playing so this was a very big occasion for us," added Rahim.

West Indies paceman Roach finished with 5-56 while Narine claimed 3-38 but they were unable to help defend their total, driven by a powerful half-century from Kieran Pollard who cracked 85 off 74 balls including eight sixes.

Roach removed openers Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque in his second over and then Jahirul Islam in his fifth to leave the hosts wobbling at 30-3 in front of a 25,000 crowd at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

However, player of the match Mahmudullah and Rahim launched a counter attack to bring the roar back and put Bangladesh firmly on course before Narine silenced the gallery again when he ended their 91-run fourth-wicket stand.

Narine bowled Mahmudullah for 48 and was lucky to bowl Rahim for 44 when he defended well only to see it bounce and hit the stumps, putting the pressure back on the home side who still needed 85 runs for win.

Mominul Haque (25) held his nerve to add a further 53 runs with Nasir to take Bangladesh close to their target though the home side almost ruined the party after losing two quick wickets to Roach at the end of their innings.

Mominul earlier took two vital wickets to help Bangladesh restrict West Indies to a modest total after Pollard had threatened to take it beyond them.

Pollard joined Darren Bravo when West Indies were stuttering at 17-3 and struggling to keep the scoreboard ticking having gone five overs without scoring a run.

Pollard released the pressure off with eight sixes and five boundaries before Mominul bowled him to end his 132-run fourth-wicket stand with Bravo, who played the role of an anchor to score 51 off 108 balls.

Bangladesh then quickly wrapped up the innings as West Indies lost their last five wickets for 29 runs.

West Indies, who won the test series 2-0, will end their tour with a Twenty20 international on Monday.

Sri Lanka see backlash from Aussie 'wounded soldiers'

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has warned his team to be wary of a backlash from Australia in their three-test series after the hosts were stung by their series defeat to South Africa earlier this week.

Australia's hopes of snatching the Proteas' top test ranking ended in a crushing 309-run defeat in the third and final test in Perth on Monday, but Jayawardene took little comfort from the home side's disappointment.

"I see them as wounded soldiers - they could come back stronger against us," Jayawardene told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday, on the eve of a three-day tour match against a Chairman's XI side.

"So we just need to make sure we are ready for that and start well.

"We can't be complacent - we need to make sure we know from ball one we give them a good go at it."

Sri Lanka have their own problems coming into the first test at Hobart next week, losing their last test at home to New Zealand by 167 runs to level a two-match series 1-1, with key batsmen out of form.

Kumar Sangakkara scored five, nought and 16 in his three innings against New Zealand, but Jayawardene backed the veteran to bounce back in Sri Lanka's bid to win their first test Down Under.

"I am happy that he went through a lean phase because he'll be really hungry for runs - that's Kumar for you," Jayawardene said of the 35-year-old stalwart.

Jayawardene also said he would weigh up his future as captain after the series, which includes tests in Melbourne and Sydney, after taking on the role for a second time in the wake of Tillakaratne Dilshan's sudden resignation in January.

"After this, we get a well-deserved four weeks off, after about three years, so it gives me a bit of time to think (about) what I need to do," said Jayawardene, who captained the team for more than three years in his first stint from 2006.

"We need to groom another leader as well. It's very important to have that changeover done smoothly while the senior players are still in the side."

West Indies Still Alive-Bangladesh v West Indies at Dhaka, 3rd ODI

West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Batting - Bangladesh 1st innings		Runs	B	4's	6's	S/R
Tamim Iqbal	c †Thomas b Narine	22	30	3	0	73.33
Anamul Haque	lbw Narine	33	53	3	1	62.26
Naeem Islam	c Pollard b Narine	4	2	1	0	200
Mushfiqur Rahim*	c Sammy b Permaul	38	58	2	0	65.52
Nasir Hossain	c Pollard b Permaul	6	7	1	0	85.71
Mominul Haque	c Pollard b Gayle	12	20	2	0	60
Mahmudullah	c Sammy b Smith	52	70	3	1	74.29
Mashrafe Mortaza	st Thomas b Narine	0	11	0	0	0
Sohag Gazi	c Gayle b Sammy	30	36	5	0	83.33
Abdur Razzak	c Bravo b Sammy	3	5	0	0	60
Rubel Hossain	not out	1	4	0	0	25
Extras	(b 4, lb 3, w 18, nb 1, pen )	26
Total	(49.1 overs , 10 wickets )	227   ( 4.62 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1 - 57 (Tamim Iqbal, 12.2), 2 - 61 (Naeem Islam, 12.4), 3 - 67 (Anamul Haque, 14.3), 4 - 78 (Nasir Hossain, 17.1), 5 - 110 (Mominul Haque, 22.4), 6 - 168 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 35.6), 7 - 171 (Mashrafe Mortaza, 38.3), 8 - 210 (Mahmudullah, 45.6), 9 - 225 (Abdur Razzak, 47.6), 10 - 227 (Sohag Gazi, 49.1)

Bowling - West Indies 1st Innings	O	M	R	W	NB	WD	E/R
Rampaul	4.0	0	19	0	0	1	4.75
Sammy	9.1	0	46	2	0	2	5.05
Narine	10.0	0	37	4	1	2	3.7
Permaul	10.0	0	40	2	0	1	4
Gayle	10.0	1	36	1	0	7	3.6
Pollard	2.0	0	21	0	0	1	10.5
Smith	3.0	0	14	1	0	0	4.67
Samuels	1.0	0	7	0	0	0	7

Batting - West Indies 1st innings		Runs	B	4's	6's	S/R
Gayle	c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mashrafe Mortaza	4	12	1	0	33.33
Powell	st Mushfiqur Rahim b Mahmudullah	47	59	4	1	79.66
Samuels	c Mahmudullah b Mashrafe Mortaza	126	149	17	2	84.56
Bravo	c Sohag Gazi b Naeem Islam	13	23	2	0	56.52
Smith	c Naeem Islam b Abdur Razzak	4	12	0	0	33.33
Pollard	b Abdur Razzak	1	3	0	0	33.33
Thomas+	not out	12	22	1	0	54.55
Sammy*	not out	1	2	0	0	50
Permaul		0	0	0	0	0
Narine		0	0	0	0	0
Rampaul		0	0	0	0	0
Extras	(b 0, lb 9, w 11, nb 0, pen )	20
Total	(47.0 overs , 6 wickets )	228   ( 4.85 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1 - 15 (Gayle, 3.6), 2 - 126 (Powell, 26.3), 3 - 158 (Bravo, 33.4), 4 - 171 (Smith, 37.4), 5 - 182 (Pollard, 39.5), 6 - 222 (Samuels, 46.1)

Bowling - Bangladesh 1st Innings	O	M	R	W	NB	WD	E/R
Sohag Gazi	9.0	1	36	0	0	2	4
Mashrafe Mortaza	6.0	0	34	2	0	0	5.67
Rubel Hossain	5.0	0	42	0	0	1	8.4
Abdur Razzak	10.0	0	34	2	0	0	3.4
Mahmudullah	9.0	0	43	1	0	4	4.78
Naeem Islam	5.0	1	21	1	0	0	4.2
Mominul Haque	3.0	0	9	0	0	0	3

Match details

Toss: West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Umpires: Enamul Haque and REJ Martinesz
Third Umpire: Anisur Rahman
Referee: AJ Pycroft

West Indies won by 4 wickets

ICC praises Ponting's 'immense contribution' to cricket

David Richardson, the ICC Chief Executive, today praised Australia's Ricky Ponting at the end of an illustrious international career.

Ponting played in his168th and final Test match for Australia against South Africa in Perth having also appeared in 375 One Day Internationals and 17 Twenty20 Internationals for his country. Richardson, who was playing for South Africa against Australia when Ponting made his international debut in 1995, said: "His contribution to the international game has been immense and quite rightly he will be remembered as one of the true legends of the sport.

"He was the most successful captain in the history of Test cricket and was the first player to feature in 108 Test match victories. He also steered Australia to two ICC Cricket World Cup triumphs - as well as playing in a third - during which time they set a record of 34 consecutive victories ? yet another record. He was also captain for two successful ICC Champions Trophy campaigns.

"Ricky was a team man but along the way collected many personal accolades and is the only player to have won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year at the LG ICC Awards for two years in succession (2006 and 2007). We wish him well in the next stage of his career and look forward to his ongoing involvement in the game beyond the boundary."

Reliance ICC Player Rankings

ID	Rat.	Name	Nat.
1	890	M.J. Clarke
2	879	S. Chanderpaul
3	855	J.H. Kallis
4	848	K.C. Sangakkara
5	845	H.M. Amla
6	835	A.N. Cook
7	788	K.P. Pietersen
8	785	R.L. Taylor
9	782	A.B. de Villiers
10	761	Younus Khan

ID	Rat.	Name	Nat.
1	858	D.W. Steyn
2	838	H.M.R.K.B. Herath
3	832	V.D. Philander
3	832	Saeed Ajmal
5	767	P.P. Ojha
6	755	G.P. Swann
7	752	B.W. Hilfenhaus
8	741	M. Morkel
9	740	P.M. Siddle
10	727	J.M. Anderson

ID	Rat.	Name	Nat.
1	901	H.M. Amla
2	858	V. Kohli
3	852	A.B. de Villiers
4	749	I.J.L. Trott
5	746	K.C. Sangakkara
6	745	M.S. Dhoni
7	718	M.J. Clarke
8	707	A.N. Cook
9	689	G. Gambhir
10	688	M.E.K. Hussey

ID	Rat.	Name	Nat.
1	759	Saeed Ajmal
2	747	Mohammad Hafeez
3	690	L.L. Tsotsobe
4	681	R. Ashwin
5	676	M. Morkel
6	668	S.T. Finn
7	661	G.P. Swann
8	655	Shakib Al Hasan
9	644	D.W. Steyn
10	637	Abdur Razzak

Shakib to miss rest of West Indies series

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series against West Indies due to his ongoing shin injury.

The 25-year-old, whose absence from the first two ODIs had already been confirmed, is continuing to undergo rehabilitation for a stress reaction on his right tibia bone.

Shakib will now miss all five of the ODIs and the subsequent T20I against West Indies.

BCB sports physician Dr. Debashis Chowdhury said: "We have reviewed Shakib's injury at the Apollo Hospitals in Dhaka today (Saturday) and after consultation with the radiologist and orthopaedic specialist, it has been decided that he will not be taking part in any kind of sporting activity for the next four to six weeks and will continue with his rehab program as directed by the medical team."

Bangladesh beat West Indies by 160 runs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bangladesh beat West Indies by 160 runs in the second one-day international at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium at Khulna, Bangladesh on Sunday.

Bangladesh now leads the five-match series 2-0.

Bangladesh batted first and posted 292 for six in its 50 overs with Anamul Haque top-scoring with 120. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim also chipped in with 79. Ravi Rampaul was the best West Indies bowler on view with figures of 5 for 49.

In its reply, West Indies was bowled out for 132 in 31.1 overs. Abdur Razzak with 3-19 and Sohag Gazi with 3-21 were the best bowlers on view.

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