The problem with supporting virtually every team in the World Cup, as we're doing, is that while you always win, you also always lose.So while we're glad that Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh because we've got THREE WHOLE POUNDS riding on it. We're equally sad that Bangladesh were beaten, because we've got a whole we're-right-and-you're-wrong thing going about them. A Bangladesh defeat adds weight to the 'we're wrong' column and that's a column we'd prefer to remain empty.
This is all slightly off-topic anyhow. Today's question to the ether is: Why is Mohammad Ashraful batting at seven for Bangladesh? Here's a batsman who has hit three Test centuries and one memorable one-day hundred against Australia. Don't Bangladesh want to make more use of him? He was 45 not out as Bangladesh's final wicket fell against Sri Lanka yesterday. It seems a waste.
Maybe he's being used as a Michael Bevan/Mike Hussey style 'finisher'. Much as we love and support Bangladesh, they're not always in a position to 'finish' a match.
Finally, a note for England's team management: Don't describe your older players as 'experienced'. Mohammad Ashraful's only 22 and he's played 92 one-day internationals. There is NO SUCH THING as an experienced England one-day player.
The thing is, while Ashraful's had a few stunning match-winning innings, he's also suffered from the most insane lapses of concentration.
ReplyDeleteHe's DEFINITELY not your "stay in and anchor the innings" type...at least, not usually. Pity, usually, as he's got a fantastic eye for the ball.
Actually, on the subject of England's ODI "experience", I thought I'd finally produce some stats.
ReplyDeleteYou know how people sometimes talk about how many wickets Benevolent Uncle Sanath (B.U.S.) has managed to snaffle over the years?
Well, I've combed Cricinfo, and here are the totals:
England WC Squad - 325 wickets
Benevolent Uncle - 285 wickets
122 of the English total comes from Freddie. Jon Lewis has a particularly unfortunate picture, by the way.
Sanath's total of 10,536 ODI runs must be fairly close to beating Team England too.
Basically, B.U.S. is almost as good as the whole of Team England put together. Fact.
Now there's some well-researched commenting.
ReplyDeleteWe like it when we don't have to go to the trouble of finding the facts ourself.
Jon Lewis: Hair of a woman. Nose of a boxer.
I think to be a finisher, you would probably need more concentration, than someone closer to the top of the order.
ReplyDeleteThere's the run-rate to consider, lack of fielding restrictions, shielding the tail etc..
It seems that if concentration were the issue, Ashraful's not your guy.
IMO, he's the best batsman the Bangladeshi's have, so should bat at 3.
Mahinda, nice comments on Jon Lewis' photo. A particularly bad shot (usually how he gets out too!)
They don't call him the Poet Ruffian for nothing...