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Jamie Overton tops 90mph/145kph at The Oval, according to new speed-gun data

Matt Roller27-Apr-2022The leading fast bowlers on the county circuit are having their speeds tracked in the early stages of the Championship season as the ECB’s scouting and talent identification department look to improve the quality of data available before players are selected for England.While bowling coaches can use handheld guns that measure bowling speeds from a short distance away in training, it has historically been unusual for them to be recorded in county cricket outside of televised games.But this summer, the ECB are using three ‘radar’ speed guns – similar to those used in baseball – to track the speeds of England-qualified fast bowlers around the country.Related

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Last week, they were in use at The Oval – where Jamie Overton was clocked at a top speed above 90mph/145kph – as well as Wantage Road and Edgbaston. The ECB believes that there is a difference of around 3mph between bowlers’ speeds as measured by the radar guns and those used in televised games, meaning Overton’s true top speed may have been even higher.As well as fast bowlers’ average and top speeds, ECB scouts will take interest in the drop-off in pace during and between spells, which will help illustrate a player’s ability to sustain their top speeds across a four-day game.The data will also enable batters’ ability against high-pace bowlers to be evaluated more accurately, rather than relying on first-hand scouting reports or speeds from televised white-ball games.In the longer term, the ECB is working on a project to introduce ball-tracking technology in all county cricket, which it believes will be a major breakthrough for scouting and talent identification.That would involve umpires wearing small, GoPro-style cameras on their coats or hats, with trials held in ‘best vs best’ age-group fixtures at the high-performance centre at Loughborough last year.

Not all their team-mates agree – “I like ODI cricket, it is just enough time to do enough,” says Ashton Agar

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2022Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch feel that for ODI cricket to remain interesting, the number of overs should be brought down to 40 for each innings.”I think I’d like one-day cricket more if it was 40 overs,” Khawaja told . “I played Pro40 in England a few years ago when they were playing 40-over cricket. I really enjoyed it.Related

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“I just think 50 overs is just that little bit too long now. T20 cricket is awesome. Test cricket is the pinnacle. I just feel like one-day cricket, if it could be 40 overs, I reckon that would just take out that little middle bit.”Finch – who recently retired from ODI cricket – agreed with Khawaja on 40 overs being the sweet spot, but expected the format to become popular around the time of the next World Cup, 50 overs or not.”The same debate keeps coming up every few years,” he said on the same programme. “When you’re 12 months away from a World Cup, people try and find relevance. But then the World Cup rolls around, and it’ll be bigger than again, and then another format will be on the chopping block.”But it’s that middle period Khawaja mentioned, that Adam Zampa suggested needs a close look. “There’s about ten overs in the middle that needs to be scrapped or something needs to be done with them, something a bit more exciting” he said. “Or, in between overs 20 and 30, there could be bonuses or extra free-hits, or something like that… make it a bit more interesting.”However, not all their team-mates agree with them. Ashton Agar, for example, said he liked the 50-overs-a-side format the way it has been.”I like ODI cricket, it is just enough time to do enough,” Agar said. “You know, ten overs [per bowler] is a lovely amount of bowling time. Fifty overs is a good time to bat, like it gives the guys lower down the order a bit of time if there’s a few wickets that have fallen.”Yes I think people get frustrated at, maybe it gets a bit too long, but I think that’s just because of the advent of T20 cricket. So I like ODI cricket.”Alex Carey, meanwhile, said that “there’s still lots of room in the game for one-day cricket for sure”, and cited the example of the 2019 ODI World Cup, where “the atmosphere was incredible”, for proof of the format’s popularity.In terms of solutions, Nathan Lyon had one: “One ball from one end, or both ends… stop giving the batters a new ball to hit,” he said. “It’s only 25 overs old, it’s still hard, I’d like to see… bring reverse swing back, bring spin back into it.”

Otago left-arm spinner Nick Beard has turned to a career in real estate as he takes time off cricket to work on his bowling action

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2015Otago left-arm spinner Nick Beard has turned to a career in real estate as he takes time off cricket to work on his bowling action. Beard underwent biometric testing in Australia and was subsequently cleared in May. But he was not picked in the final squad for the Georgie Pie Super Smash.He last played for Otago in October, during a first-class match against Canterbury, but was the highest wicket-taker when they won the T20 competition in 2012-13.”It is frustrating, and it has been a fall from grace I suppose,” Beard told . “But it is what is, I accept I am not good enough at the moment to be playing for Otago.”It was really difficult to go through,” he added regarding the scrutiny over his action. “But I look at the positives and getting my real estate papers done was definitely one of those.”It was a massive eye-opener for me. It is really only something that most guys look at once they look at retiring from cricket. I can now see the positives in having something behind me early and it provides a good balance for my life.”Beard had joined the real estate industry in September 2014 and has since made two sales while also juggling his duties as a contracted Otago player.”Cricket comes first. Obviously I am contracted to Otago, so cricket is No, 1. I do everything I can to be the best I can be for cricket. But I guess there is a lot of free time, especially at the moment when I’m not playing in this Twenty20 series. So I just pop up to the office when I have free time and try and juggle both.”Beard, who has taken 46 wickets in 55 T20s, said he wanted to make sure he doesn’t rush back. “I guess even now I’m still not 100 per cent comfortable in my action and I’m still striving to get better at it every day,” he said.”I monitor it myself, I do video work most days to make sure that I am not falling back into old habits. Because I pulled myself out, it is all off my own back – so I look at it myself more than anybody else.”

Being part of CWG 2022 “can only leave us in a good position as we look for ambitions moving forward,” says Geoff Allardice

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2022Being a “star attraction” at the 2022 Commonwealth Games will give a fillip to the ICC’s ambitions of being included in “all other types of multi-sport games”, mainly the Olympic Games, Geoff Allardice, the ICC chief executive, said in Birmingham on Wednesday.”The idea of being here in Birmingham for the annual [ICC] conference is to celebrate cricket’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games for the first time in 24 years [when a men’s 50-over event was held, in Kuala Lumpur] with the women’s T20 event,” Allardice said. “Judging on the reaction of the players, they all are very excited and enjoying the experience of being around the top athletes from other sports.”We have declared our ambition to be involved in the Olympic Games. We are assisting the LA 2028 organisers and providing any information will help their assessment of different sports with regards to addition to the Olympic programme. But, at this stage, a decision is due next year.”Related

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Women’s T20 cricket, between eight teams, including Barbados as the West Indies representatives, is being played in this edition of the Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham. In fact, all matches will be played at Edgbaston. This, after the ICC and the ECB lobbied successfully for its inclusion.Supporters of the ICC’s stated objective of having cricket included in the Olympics – possibly in Los Angeles in 2028, though the sport hasn’t made the provisional list – are likely to keep their eyes peeled on how things go in Birmingham. A good show can only help the big plans.”Being in multi-sport games, whether it is the Commonwealth Games or the Asian Games or the African Games, putting cricket into these multisport events is good for the growth of our game,” Allardice said. “One, it gives a lot of our member countries a seat at the top table for sporting organisations within their country. Two, the coverage of these games reaches new audiences that may not be traditional cricket audiences.”And that is one of opportunities with the Commonwealth Games, that we can reach new audiences. I’m sure you have seen in the last five years or so, the quality of our women’s events is outstanding. The players are great ambassadors for our sport. We heard from a number of the [women’s team] captains last night at a panel session, and they are very excited and I’m sure, cricket a star attraction at the Commonwealth Games, which can only leave us in a good position as we look for ambitions moving forward in all other types of multi-sport games.”At the time of announcing cricket’s inclusion for Birmingham 2022, the Commonwealth Games Federation had said that it was “likely to be popular not only with spectators locally in Birmingham, but also for fans across competing nations, with 90% of the sport’s one billion fans worldwide thought to reside in the Commonwealth”.That is different from the Olympic Games, of course, where most of the participating nations are not traditional cricket-playing, or cricket-watching centres. Still, good competition, especially in the format perceived to be the most useful for reaching new audiences, could only help cricket’s ambitions of being a truly global sport.

Former fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has reportedly quit as president of the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2015Former fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has reportedly quit as president of the WACA. The has reported that Lillee stood down on Tuesday evening, two days before a report was due to be released on how much cricket should remain at the WACA Ground and how much should be moved to Perth’s new stadium at Burswood.”I cannot stand by and watch what is happening at the WACA,” Lillee told the paper. “I do not wish to be part of it any longer.”According to the , the upcoming report is likely to recommend that Test cricket remains at the WACA Ground but most forms of limited-overs cricket, including BBL games, be moved to Burswood. The new stadium is due to open in 2018.Lillee’s departure comes after former Test fast bowler Sam Gannon last month announced that he would not seek re-election as chairman of the WACA. Both men joined the board in 2004 as part of a significant shake-up of the organisation.

Faf du Plessis hailed South Africa’s attack for putting in what he considered one of their best bowling efforts in T20 cricket, to seal a series win over India with a game to spare in Cuttack

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20151:05

‘Best T20 bowling I’ve ever seen’ – du Plessis

Faf du Plessis hailed South Africa’s attack for putting in what he considered one of their best bowling efforts in T20 cricket, to seal a series win over India with a game to spare in Cuttack. “It was amazing to see,” du Plessis said. Many would agree.Before this game, South Africa had bowled out opposition teams for under 100 only four times in T20 cricket, and only twice was that opposition a Test-playing team. Scotland, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand have been dismissed for 81, 80, 86 and 96 respectively. Now India have been added to that list and their scalp will be the most celebrated.Not only did South Africa bundle India out for a total far below what is considered a good benchmark in this format, they did it in India in conditions the home side should have had the better of. South Africa adapted to the cracked, slow surface and a combination of aggression from Kagiso Rabada, pace from Chris Morris, discipline from Albie Morkel and some magic from Imran Tahir did the job.Tahir’s two wickets in the 13th over – including that of Suresh Raina – broke the back of India’s innings but it was his role in opening the bowling that caught attention, especially as using a spinner early in an innings is not the South African way.”I suppose it was a gut feel to try and use Immi upfront,” du Plessis said. “He hasn’t bowled in the PowerPlay but it was just a case of changing things up and trying to be unpredictable, so the batsmen can’t plan ahead.””I thought there was great variation in those first six overs. There was spin, there was pace and then we got wickets. Obviously there were two great run-outs as well but the key is to get wickets upfront. Our bowlers did that today. And then the guys coming in after six overs kept trying to do that as well.”Du Plessis deserves some of the credit as well. He managed his bowlers creatively – using Rabada’s four overs in a single spell, rotating Abbott and Morris, and calling on Albie’s experience just when it seemed India might be able to claw their way back. Du Plessis is establishing himself as an astute captain, something he explained he has been learning through association with none other than the opposition captain, with whom he shared a dressing room in the IPL while playing for Chennai Super Kings.”I played with MS when I just started captaining and as a young leader, you look at where you can learn from more experienced leaders. At the time, Dhoni was there and also Stephen Fleming,” du Plessis said. “What you do is try and see what works for them but the most important thing is that you don’t try and copy someone else. You need to be your own leader. You need to know what works for you. By getting through that process, you learn from making mistakes and doing things your way, trying a few other things and then you get to a stage in your career where you have your own identity as a captain.”In IPL 2015, Super Kings were awash with senior players, which allowed du Plessis to essentially crowd source different ideas from a quartet of captains around him. “At Chennai we’ve got very good leaders. This year we had Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, myself, Fleming and Dhoni. When you have a brains trust, you can only learn,” he said. “It was great with the conversations we had. MS leads the team always but there are good contributions from us in terms of input. Also, Graeme Smith has been a great leader for South Africa. So in the early parts of captaining, he was a person I learnt a lot from.”All that knowledge is starting to show. With the World T20 in India next year, Du Plessis has now led South Africa to two T20 series wins in their last three outings and both have come in the subcontinent. While the ODI side remains a team in transition, the T20 side is starting to appear settled and has, this time, set the tone for what du Plessis hopes will continue to be a successful tour of India.”The way you start is important. If we’d started with a couple of losses, it would have been hard to pull ourselves back up, especially with the conditions. When India is on top, they play really well,” he said. “It was really important for us as a T20 side to start well because we are the team that is starting the tour off. To be 2-0 up against India in India is a big achievement for us and we are really proud of that.”

The allrounder is looking forward to picking up where he left off, finishing games for India

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2022As he got down to plot his return to the Indian team, Hardik Pandya would hit the bed at 9.30pm and wake up at 5am, dedicating the intervening period to win battles against his “own self”.The 28-year-old allrounder followed this timetable for four months, after which he guided an unfancied Gujarat Titans to a memorable title triumph in only their maiden IPL outing. Soon after that, he made his long-awaited international comeback.Hardik, who has been managing a long-standing back problem, hadn’t played for India since they dropped out in the group stages of the 2021 T20 World Cup in November. But on Thursday, reprising his usual role as finisher, he looked pretty much like his old self, hitting an unbeaten 31 off just 12 balls against South Africa.”I was happy,” Hardik told . “It was more about the battles I won against my own self and a lot of other things as well. Winning the IPL, or even qualifying [for the playoffs] was a big deal for me because a lot of people doubted us,” he said. “A lot of people frowned at us before we started. A lot of people raised a lot of questions. A lot of things were said about me even before I made a comeback.”But it was never about giving them answers. I’m just proud of the process I followed. No one knows what I went through the six months that I was off. I’ve gotten up at 5 in morning to make sure I train. I slept at 9:30 in the night for four months, so [there was] a lot of sacrifice.”It was the battle I fought before the IPL. I have always worked hard in my life, and it has always given me the result I wanted.”Hardik also said the ongoing series against South Africa was the ideal platform for him to get into the groove for the upcoming T20 World Cup, especially since India will look to him to finish an innings, not start one like he did at Titans”Every series or every game you play is as important as your last,” Hardik said. “So, for me, World Cup is the goal, this is the right platform to get into the rhythm and a lot of cricket is going to come back-to-back. Always being in the rhythm is very important.”My role will be changed here, I won’t be captain, I won’t be batting higher up the order and guiding through the innings. This will be back to being the Hardik for which I am known.”

India slide after Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli fifties to end up 32 short of 297 target

Saurabh Somani19-Jan-20223:18

Cullinan: South Africa had better ‘all-round’ ODI approach; India lacked fight

A sparkling century from Rassie van der Dussen was complemented by a well-paced one from Temba Bavuma, as South Africa cantered to a 31-run win over India in the first ODI of a three-match series.van der Dussen joined Bavuma when South Africa were 68 for 3 in the 18th over, but they shrugged off that rickety start to eventually drive the team 296 for 4 on a slow Boland Park pitch. India were on track in the first half of their chase, particularly when Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were batting together in a 92-run stand for the second wicket, but the innings withered after they both fell.Bavuma and van der Dussen had put on 204 runs in just 183 balls, conquering bowlers and conditions. In particular, van der Dussen’s knock took the first innings, and it turned out the match, away from India. In the end, he remained unconquered on an ODI best 129 off just 96 balls. His innings included four hits over the fence and nine to it, with more than half his runs coming via running between the wickets – this on a day when the heat was sapping. In the final over of South Africa’s innings, van der Dussen was often down on his haunches to gather his breath. It was his batting that left those watching breathless though.Related

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He got off the blocks quickly, injecting much-needed momentum into the innings, using sweeps and reverse sweeps to devastating effect against the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin. The feature of van der Dussen’s innings was how he took the pitch out of the equation. Till his arrival, scoring had been laborious. But his use of the square boundaries, and ability to capitalise on the slightest errors in length, meant the innings found a new gear.Bavuma had a head start on his innings and got to his century first, with a single off Shardul Thakur in the 45th over. At the start of the 48th over, van der Dussen got to his own hundred with a flick to fine leg.The heat in Paarl saw the Indian bowling also wilt after a good start, as van der Dussen continued to go full throttle. Bavuma, who was on 23 off 45 when van der Dussen joined him and later on 28 off 53, gradually picked up his pace too. He made 82 from the last 90 balls he faced, playing an able foil to van der Dussen. By the time he had holed out to become Jasprit Bumrah’s second wicket, he had made 110 off 143.India’s bowling had begun well. Bumrah got Janneman Malan nicking behind, and the returning Ashwin – playing his first ODI since 2017 – castled Quinton de Kock with a quicker one. When Aiden Markram ran himself out via a direct hit from debutant Venkatesh Iyer at mid-off, India seemed well in control.Aiden Markram sent back KL Rahul•Gallo Images

However, the van der Dussen and Bavuma rebuilding plus counterattack left India looking a bit ragged. There were several mis-fields and overthrows too, which eased any pressure that was built up.KL Rahul, captaining India for the first time, didn’t have an outing to remember. He never went to his sixth bowling option Venkatesh, and had used up eight overs each of Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar by the time the innings was 40 overs old. Eventually, 86 runs came off the final ten overs, including a 17-run final over by Shardul Thakur.When Rahul came out to open the innings, he treated Markram’s part-time offspin with exaggerated caution. Markram bowled six overs on the trot after taking the new ball. Rahul had opted to play him out safely rather than attack, but that approach didn’t pay dividends either when he poked Markram behind to de Kock.That led to India’s best phase in the chase, with Dhawan scoring freely and Kohli building busily. During that period, the target looked within reach, with both men looking in control. However, a sharply turning ball from Keshav Maharaj spun into the Dhawan, past the inside half of his bat and onto his stumps as he was shaping to cut, and Kohli top-edged Tabraiz Shamsi to midwicket three overs later. From 138 for 1 in the 26th over, India’s slide was steady. Thakur, coming in at No. 8, belted a maiden ODI fifty and was unbeaten on 50 off 43 balls, but his hits only served to lessen the margin of defeat.

Video analyst Sherullah Afghan and physio Dr. Sifatullah Wardak have returned to Afghanistan, and are set to be reemployed by the board

Umar Farooq16-May-2022Two out of four Afghanistan team members from the 2022 Under-19 World Cup touring party returned to the country three months after staying back in England with a view to seeking asylum in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the country. ESPNcricinfo understands both have been accepted back by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and are likely to be reemployed by the board.Afghanistan finished fourth at the Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, three places higher than in 2020. While returning from Antigua, the team had a scheduled stopover in London. While the rest of the Afghanistan squad, including the coaching and support staff, boarded their flight from London, four members of the travelling party decided to stay on at Heathrow with a view to seeking asylum.”There were three officials and one player [who stayed on in London], with video analyst Sherullah Afghan and physio Dr. Sifatullah Wardak among them, but those two have decided to return to Kabul,” ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan told ESPNcricinfo. “It was not the first time that people in our country stayed in other countries in various ways or were smuggled out of the country. I am pleased that our technical staff has returned to the ACB, and I warmly welcome them.”Their presence shows that security in Afghanistan is improving day by day and that the ACB has overcome the challenges it faced in the early days of the regime change. I hope those young people who have left the country return, as there are several possibilities for them to serve their country on various occasions. The doors are open for all Afghans.”Both officials met with the ACB’s top brass at the board headquarters in Kabul as the duo admitted that they preferred to return to serve their cricket. “Afghanistan needs manpower in technical aspects, so we decided to return back and work in our very own country because there is peace and prosperity in the country, so the priority must be given to Afghanistan,” Wardak said in a statement.ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf confirmed that both will be given employment. “The game has spread to all parts of the country,” said Ashraf. “The country is in need of technical staff and capacities, so everyone must strive hard to work for the country.”Immediately after Taliban took over the country last August, hundreds of Afghans including at least one former president, bureaucrats, sportspersons and civilians left. Since the takeover, the cricket board has been reshuffled extensively, and the working structure was revamped. Former allrounder Ashraf was brought in as the new chairman.Despite being a Full Member country, availing visas has become progressively tougher for Afghan cricketers and support staff, especially in the aftermath of the Taliban establishing a government. To alleviate the problem and expedite visas, the ACB has decided to procure UAE residency visas for nearly two dozen players and officials. The residence visas will allow the players and officials to stay in the UAE for longer periods of time while also ensuring they are able to apply for visas without physically needing to be present in Afghanistan.Afghanistan’s next tour is against Ireland in Belfast in August, with the ACB in the process of procuring UK visas.

Both teams are coming off a lean trot in T20Is, but the visitors like the format, while the hosts don’t

Mohammad Isam02-Mar-2022

Big picture

Afghanistan will be happy with action shifting to the two-match T20I series that begins in Dhaka on Thursday, but Bangladesh might feel differently; they have started to dread the format in recent times. Bangladesh have lost their last eight T20Is, and although Afghanistan didn’t cover themselves in glory in the T20 World Cup last year, everyone agrees that they love T20s, and they have the personnel for it.This time, Afghanistan have a new-look side after dropping a number of senior cricketers, most notably, Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan and Hashmatullah Shahidi. They have made way for, among others, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai and Nijat Masood. Asghar Afghan has also retired, which leaves more responsibility on the shoulders of senior pros Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran.With Naveen-ul-Haq also absent, they will also have a new-look pace attack, with Karim Janat and Omarzai in the mix as the allrounders. Their main strength, as always, will be the spin trio of Rashid Khan, Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and now they also have Qais Ahmad, who did well in the BPL.Bangladesh have returned to some of their T20 World Cup players, including Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan. While Shakib was out with an injury recently, Litton was dropped after the World Cup, perhaps unfairly. They will still be without Mushfiqur Rahim though, who’s out of at least the first match with a “contusion of the right thumb”. “He will be under observation of the medical team and will be assessed on Friday before a decision is made regarding his availability for the second and final match of the series,” as per a BCB statement.*The selectors have included Munim Shahriar, the big-hitting opener who made a good first impression in this season’s BPL.But getting rid of Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan does seem hasty, given that they were growing into the finishers’ role. That will now go back to Mahmudullah, who would expect Yasir Ali and Afif Hossain to help him out in the last few overs.How Bangladesh shape their pace attack might be interesting too. They may want to look at Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam up front, with Mustafizur Rahman the floater, so to say, to attack Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but that could be at the cost of an extra batter.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLL (Last five completed matches; most recent first)

Afghanistan LLWLWAfghanistan’s bowling plans will revolve around Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, as well as Mujeeb Ur Rahman•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

The big-hitting Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck his third ODI hundred earlier this week. Gurbaz’s 180.51 strike rate in this season’s PSL adds to Afghanistan’s top-order firepower that already includes Hazratullah Zazai and newcomer Rasooli. Gurbaz prefers to hit the ball down the ground but he has also shown his willingness to launch into pull shots and the square cut.

Team news

Shakib and Litton will slot into the XI, while Shahriar could make his international debut. Mushfiqur Rahim picked up a finger injury during training on Wednesday and will miss the match. Nurul Hasan* was added to the squad overnight and could come in straightaway.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das, 2 Munim Shahriar, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Nurul Hasan (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Yasir Ali, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Nasum Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanRasooli and Omarzai could make their T20I debuts looking at how Afghanistan have been looking at making changes and giving their team a fresh look.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Darwish Rasooli, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Fazalhaq Farooqi, 11 Farid Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

It will be interesting to see if the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s curator Gamini Silva avoids laying out a turner, something he is used to doing even for T20s. Chattogram had a grassy pitch that worked against the Afghanistan spinners, so Dhaka could also go that way. Dry weather is forecast.

Stats and trivia

• Afghanistan have won four of their six T20Is against Bangladesh.
• Mahmudullah is 29 runs away from becoming the first Bangladesh batter to reach 2000 runs in T20Is. Shakib, who holds the record for most wickets in the format, is 106 runs away from 2000 runs.

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