We vs Them

WEST INDIES Vs BANGLADESH

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2014

TESTS, ODIs & T20

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CONTENT 2

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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DHAKA BANK SERIES SCHEDULE and Match Official

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ULTIMATE TEAM MAN!

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20 YEARS AT THE TOP

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WEST INDIES PLAYERS' BIOS

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LEGEND OF WEST INDIES CRICKET

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Inside look at the Match Venues

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Bangladesh PLAYERS' BIOS

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BANGLADESH'S LITTLE GIANT!

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TIGERS READY TO ROAR

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WIPA /WICB AWARD CEREMONY

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opportunity for Caribbean Designers

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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Mr. Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron, West Indies Cricket Board PRESIDENT

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t is my distinct pleasure as President of the West Indies Cricket Board to firstly welcome our special guests – the Bangladesh Cricket Team and members of the Bangladesh Cricket Board to the Caribbean to the DHAKA BANK CUP SERIES 2014. We are delighted to have you as our guests as we look forward to exciting competition among the teams.

Our players are prepared and ready – as it’s WE vs THEM!

I wish to also welcome on board our series sponsors – DHAKA BANK and WALTON – who have come on board to support the game in the Caribbean. We also thank our other sponsors and partners who continue to show their support for West Indies Cricket for this series and in the future.

On behalf of the WICB I also welcome fans, officials, the media and all other stakeholders to what we anticipate will be a thrilling series which features all three formats – Test Matches, One-Day Internationals and T20s. We also say a special thanks to the territorial boards in Grenada, St Kitts, St Vincent and St Lucia who will be hosting the games.

West Indies Cricket is on an indisputable upswing and the evidence of this is clear from the growing partnerships we have been renewing and forging in recent times with regard to sponsorship and other associations.

We have emerged from a difficult period of rebuilding and while the work continues we are seeing the fruits of hard work and a stable foundation coming to bear. We have seen the fans – both young and old – making a return to the game, supporting and rallying for their beloved West Indies.

We are on a course of positive growth, one which we must sustain but one which needs the support of all stakeholders, most especially fans. This is a time for unified support of our team and for our region to pull together as we continue to lift up our team and rebuild our distinguished regional sport.

The cricketing action on the field will bring us much entertainment and excitement.

I have every confidence that it will be played in the best spirit and that this DHAKA BANK CUP SERIES in the Caribbean will serve to make the traditionally strong cricketing ties even stronger.

The official bottled water of WEST INDIES CRICKET

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ALL SMILES: Mushfiqur Rahim with Darren Sammy

DHAKA BANK SERIES SCHEDULE and Match Official 1st ODI at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada Wednesday, August 20 Start: 9am/8am Jamaica Time Umpires: Aleem Dar, Joel Wilson TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough Fourth Official: Gregory Brathwaite Match Referee: Jeff Crowe

3rd ODI at Warner Park, St Kitts Monday, August 25 Start: 2:30pm/1:30pm Jamaica Time Umpires: Aleem Dar, Joel Wilson TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough Fourth Official: Gregory Brathwaite Match Referee: Jeff Crowe

2nd ODI at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada Friday, August 22 Start: 9am/8am Jamaica Time Umpires: Richard Kettleborough, Gregory Brathwaite TV Umpire: Aleem Dar Fourth Official: Joel Wilson Match Referee: Jeff Crowe

T20 International at Warner Park, St Kitts Wednesday, August 27 Start: 8pm/7pm Jamaica Time Umpires: Peter, Joel Wilson TV Umpire: Gregory Brathwaite Fourth Official: Nigel Duguid Match Referee: Jeff Crowe

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1st TEST Match at Arnos Vale, St Vincent Friday, September 5, to Tuesday, September 9 Start: 10am daily /9am Jamaica Time Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Richard Illingworth TV Umpire: Steve Davis Fourth Official: Nigel Duguid Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama 2nd TEST Match at Beausejour, St Lucia Saturday, September 13, to Wednesday, September 17 Start: 10am daily /9am Jamaica Time Umpires: Steve Davis, Richard Illingworth TV Umpire: Marais Earsmus Fourth Official: Peter Nero Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama

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ULTIMATE TEAM MAN! 6

He is a dedicated schoolteacher the first Windies player to make his debut in the USA! Since then Samuel Badree has bowled his way to Number 1 in the T20 world rankings, and he’s looking for more success

By Philip Spooner

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omething great happened on the night of October 7, 2012. That something great was the West Indies winning the ICC World T20 trophy when they beat Sri Lanka in the grandest of finals in front a jam-packed crowd at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. But before that ‘something special” happened another “something” happened. As the Windies were about to take to the field to defend a modest score, a special someone named Samuel Badree pulled the team together and stated clearly “it’s now or never”. That was all the team needed to hear and they went out and defended the 137 runs and brought glory to fans all around the world.

That is Samuel Badree for you – the ultimate team man – the man who does everything for the team, the man who asks for little and gives his all. The same Samuel Badree who waited and waited and waited for his first international callup. He started a middle order batsman but has emerged a clever leg-spinner, who welcomes the challenge of using the new ball in the powerplay overs.

His magic moment came in 2012, at the ripe ‘old’ age of 31 as the Windies hosted New Zealand at Lauderhills in Florida – not bad for a guy who just a year before resigned to the fact that he career path would be that of a school teacher and not an international cricketer.

“It did feel strange to debut in Florida against New Zealand. It was a ‘home’ game but we weren't playing at ‘home’. It was foreign territory for me, having never played there before. But it was just another game and another

Samuel Badree another wicket for Windies

opportunity to prove my worth,” Badree explained. “The first day I put on a Trinidad & Tobago shirt, I remember quite vividly. It was against Leewards at Queen’s Park Oval. I remember feeling quite proud and elated at having been named in the final 11, as a batsman back then, batting at Number 6. I was happy to be living the dream and to carry on the tradition of representing the rural Barrackpore on the national team.”

He added: “When I made my debut for West Indies more than a decade later, this time as a bowler, I was again ecstatic and to be honest, a little surprised at my selection. I was overlooked after having some solid performances over the preceding years but I kept on believing and eventually I was selected. Timing,

they say, is everything. And indeed, after playing only two games against New Zealand, I was selected to go to the World Cup in Sri Lank. We won and I would like to think I contributed in some way to that success. Like I said, timing was everything.”

Badree’s contribution goes beyond just his bowling. Darren Sammy, the Windies captain on the night they tasted glory has been one of the spinner’s biggest fans.

“He’s just an allround great guy.

As a captain it’s great to have a guy like Badree in your team. He’s an amazing person on and off the field. He works hard and is always looking for new ways to improve his game and help the team.

On the field, he’s an inspiration – he

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takes hold of his area – which is using the new ball at the top and sets the tone for the team. It’s no surprise to me that he has done so well on the world stage.

In everything he does, he knows exactly what he wants to do and how to do it,” Sammy said.

Since that initiation in the USA, Badree has gone on to play 22 T20s for the Windies. He has captured 31 wickets

Samuel Badree: giving thanks

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at an impressive average of 14.96 runs.

Even more amazing is his economy rate of a mere 5.39 runs per over – making him one of the best bowlers in this format.

Actually, the ICC T20 bowling rankings agree – and he now stands at Number 1 in the table. He has formed a spinning force with Sunil Narine and the pair now sits in the top two positions. Badree, being the ultimate team man, deflected the

praise and hailed Narine as his ultimate superior.

“Being ranked the Number 1 T20 bowler in the world is not something I pay much attention to. It’s nice to be recognized and commended for my efforts, but in my humble opinion, the greatest T20 bowler in the world is Sunil Narine… but it is good to be up there in the rankings and hopefully I can continue the good work in the future.”

He signed off by stating: “Being a part of the West Indies team obviously means a lot to me and it is an opportunity that I treasure. As such, every time I play, I give 100 percent playing as if it is my last game. In that way, I would know to myself I gave it my all, my best. I treasure the bonds that I’ve made with players on the teams I have played for and all the amazing friendships I have made along the way.”

For Badree professionalism is everything. When he’s not on the cricket field, he returns to the classroom to teach his students.

“Teaching and playing cricket is very challenging but it is something that I relish. After a tough game over the weekend or a tough T20 game against an International opponent, I have to report for work the next day and be prepared to deliver the work that needs to be done,” he said.

“So I spend a lot of my time preparing for my classes and making up for the time lost when I'm away on national or international duty.

Having said all that, I am very thankful to my Principal, who has been very understanding and accommodating, and to my colleagues at school who take up the slack when I'm not there. I'm eternally grateful to them for helping me to fulfil my dream of being an international cricketer.”

ONE LOVE!

Windies vs Tigers Cricket lovely cricket

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20 YEARS AT THE TOP Shivnarine Chanderpaul talks about his life and times on the international stage and his love for West Indies.

By Philip Spooner

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Shivnarine Chanderpaul during his Test debut in 1994

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f you think back to 20 years ago what were you doing? Where were you in life? What were your goals? Did you achieve them? Were you even born yet?

Two decades is a pretty long time – a lot has changed in our world. Back in 1994, Nelson Mandela had just become the first Black President of a united South Africa; the founder of Facebook was a 10-year-old with a dream of having a great impact on the world; and Queen’s Park Oval had a cycling track.

That was the year when Shivnarine Chanderpaul made his debut for the

Then, I composed myself and said ‘listen...this is your opportunity, go out there and grab it!

West Indies. The match was played at Bourda – there was no Guyana National Stadium. The debut match was West Indies against England and a young Chanderpaul stepped into the team alongside Brian Lara, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. It was a day of destiny for the young man – he saw an opportunity and he took it.

Now, 20 years later as he celebrates his 40th birthday, he has risen to the very top of world cricket. He’s one of the greatest batsmen to ever play the game.

“That was one of my greatest days. I couldn’t believe when my name was announced in the team,” Chanderpaul recalls. “I was like … ‘Really? Me? Am I really going to play?’ All the hair on head was frozen and the hair on my hand was standing up. I had to calm myself and say ‘Wait ... am I really going to play a Test match, today? Am I actually in this team? I honestly thought I was there to be just in the squad to learn but to hear my name in the team was amazing. Then, I composed myself and said ‘listen...this is your opportunity, go out there and grab it!”

Shiv walks around with a mantra that was handed to him by Faoud Bacchus, a right-handed opener who is famous for his one Test century – 250 against India at Kanpur in 1979. The former Guyana captain played 19 Test matches – remarkably all at different grounds.

“The one thing that guides me, the one thing that sticks in my brain is ‘keep it simple...keep it as simple as possible’.

Faoud Bacchus said that to me. He said always keep your eyes on the ball and watch it closely.”

Shiv has cultivated his own approach, including the bizarrely square-on “Chanderpaulian stance”. He does everything precisely in the correct

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order – someone once remarked that he probably eats his Alphabet soup in alphabetical order.

Then, there is also the knocking of the bail to take guard – something taught by his father Khemraj; and kissing the pitch to celebrate a century – a tribute to ‘Mother Earth’ for blessings bestowed.

“Preparation is vital. Preparation is the key. If you don’t prepare well you will struggle when the match comes around.

When you step to the nets you have to know in your mind why you are going to the nets. You don’t just go to the nets to hit balls and bowl balls and then come out and say ‘I was in the nets for suchand-such time today’. You have to look at the areas where you have strengths and weaknesses and get better for the match which is coming up.”

That attention to detail has led to some amazing batting statistics. He has played a record 156 Test matches. His 150th came at the Wankhede in Mumbai last year; in the same match fellow batting legend, Sachin Tendulkar, notched his 200th.

He has scored 11,414 runs at an average of just under 52 runs per innings.

Chanderpaul is now close to Brian Lara’s West Indies record of 11,953, and has made 29 Test centuries – five behind Lara.

He appeared for the West Indies in 268 ODIs and has 8,778 runs with 11 centuries. His first-class career stretched 329 matches with 24,181 runs and includes 69 centuries.

The great Desmond Haynes had this to say: “When he first came into the West Indies team I was still around and I remember seeing a little boy and I was very impressed with his ability.

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Shiv Chanderpaul: keeps going and going...

He was someone who was driven and was determined to get better. He came into Test cricket with a good attitude towards batting – always looking to bat long and play within his limitation and I was pleased with his progress.

“A very memorable moment for him was when he batted with Brian Lara when he (Lara) broke the amazing Test record of 365 by the great Sir Garry Sobers at the ARG Antigua.

Not many people remember the role Shiv played on that day but I will always recall how he stayed at the crease and did the perfect job,” Haynes added.

On numerous occasions, Chanderpaul has stood up and batted resolutely for West Indies to pull them out the fire.

One such occasion was the first Test against Australia at Sabina Park back in 2008. He was struck a frightening blow on the head by a wicked bouncer from Brett Lee but soldiered on to make 118, which held the first innings together.

“I remember that clearly. I was looking to get a single. I pushed my foot out a little early and Brett Lee saw me push my foot out and bowled a short ball.

I saw him pull it down and I tried to duck but it did not bounce and it knocked me out cold. I was flat out. When I got up

I couldn’t move my hands and my legs couldn’t move,” he recalled.

“I remember when I looked at the scoreboard I realised the position we were in and I said to myself ‘I need to bat on in this innings...I need to stay here’. I could not go off at that stage. The team needed me to bat on. Dr. Mansingh came out and I needed to get some clarity from him whether or not I was good enough to carry on. I said: ‘Doc, if I stay on out here am I going to be OK?’ He said ‘yeah, you’ll be OK, you can bat on’. When he said that it gave me new ‘vision’ and I settled in to dig in again.”

He continued: “Then I remember Ricky (Ponting) came up and said ‘no no no … he’s got to go off. He got a hard hit he can’t continue, he should go off ’.

I knew why he was saying that. You see, he wanted me off the field because he knew I could hold them up. I looked at the scoreboard and I said I needed to bat on and on.”

2008 was a great year. He averaged over 100 in Test cricket and was named the International Cricket Council’s Player of the Year and took home the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. That year, he was also named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of Year.

The father and son team of Shiv and Brandon Chanderpaul

The first thing is everyone out there will want to compare him with me but I told him not to worry about that to just be himself and do what he knows he can do. I told him ‘you can only be you...

“It was really big for me. I never expected to win something like that knowing we have so many good players out there. To actually come out on top, it’s a great honour.”

Away from the cut and thrust of the game, Shiv always tries to find time for his family. He is especially grateful to his father for all the love and support throughout his career. Now a third generation of the family has emerged. Shiv’s son Tagenarine, known affectionately as Brandon, is 18 and, like his father, is a determined left-hander. He played alongside his father during the WICB Four-day tournament last year and was a member of the West Indies team to the ICC Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.

“I spend a lot of time with the family and take them out. Basically I live a quiet and simple life. Family is the most important thing to me. He (my dad) has

done so very much for me throughout.

In the beginning a lot of times he would go to work and them come back and still bowl at me and get the other guys to come and bowl at me as well. He dedicated a lot of time to me and my development and helped to prepare me and make me who I am today.”

“He has now dedicated a lot of time to my son to try and get him into cricket also. Brandon is now playing and is doing OK. He is still very young and has a few things to learn, but he is enjoying his cricket and wants to do well.

“The first thing is everyone out there will want to compare him with me but I told him not to worry about that to just be himself and do what he knows he can do. I told him ‘you can only be you ... whenever you step out there, play your way, express yourself and be yourself ’.

He’s got the talent but he needs to work hard on his game. If you want something

as your profession you have to make sure you prepare yourself and be ready to face the challenges.”

Shiv is a very private person but, unknown to many, he is a one of the most fun-loving members of the West Indies team. He would often crack a joke to ease the tension during a tense moment or to cheer up his team-mate after a long, energy-sapping battle of attrition out in the middle.

He may not always demonstrate that side, as he often carries the stern, stone-faced look while on the field, but off the field he enjoys a good laugh.

Shiv has always used TV comedies to help him wind down after a long day in the field.

“In the beginning I used to like Sanford & Son (the 1970s sitcom with Redd Foxx) and when that finished I enjoyed watching Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Belair. Now I like the Big Bang Theory. This helps me to relax a lot especially when you have a long day, which has left you mentally and physically tired, I would look at these shows on the TV and that always helps me to relax and get some laughter.

The next day you feel revived and you are able to get up the next day and go out and do your work again.”

Shiv signed off with a boyish grin and said: “20 years ago I would never have expected this ... I love my job and I’ve enjoyed it all.“

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WEST INDIES PLAYERS' BIOS Denesh Ramdin Date of Birth: March 13, 1985 Wicket-keeper/Right-hand Batsman _____________________________

Chris Gayle Date of Birth: September 21, 1979 Left hand opening batsman _____________________________

Darren Sammy Date of Birth: December 20, 1983 Right-hand batsman/right-arm medium-pacer _____________________________

Kraigg Brathwaite Date of Birth: December 1, 1992 Right hand opening batsman _____________________________

Dwayne Bravo Date of Birth: October 7, 1983 Right-hand batsman/right-arm medium-pacer _____________________________ Shivnarine Chanderpaul Date of Birth: August 16, 1974 Left-hand middle order batsman _____________________________

Andre Russell

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Darren Bravo Date of Birth: February 6, 1989 Left hand middle-order batsman

Kirk Edwards Date of Birth: November 3, 1984 Right hand middle order batsman _____________________________ Dwayne Smith Date of Birth: April 12, 1983 Right-hand batsman/right-arm medium-pacer _____________________________ Lendl Simmons Date of Birth: January 25, 1985 Right-hand opening batsman/rightarm medium-pacer/wicket-keeper

Sunil Narine Date of Birth: May 26, 1988 Left-hand batsman/Right hand off-spin bowler _____________________________ Krishmar Santokie Date of Birth: December 20, 1984 Left-hand batsman/Left-arm medium-fast _____________________________ Samuel Badree Date of Birth: March 9, 1981 Right-hand batsman/Right arm leg-break _____________________________ Sheldon Cottrell Date of Birth: August 19, 1989 Right-hand batsman/Left arm medium-fast _____________________________

Jason Holder

Jason Holder Date of Birth: November 5, 1991 Right-hand batsman/right-arm fast bowler _____________________________ Jermaine Blackwood Date of Birth: November 20, 1991 Right-hand batsman _____________________________

Andre Russell Date of Birth: April 29, 1988 Right-hand batsman/right-arm fast bowler

Jerome Taylor Date of Birth: June 22, 1984 Playing Style: Right-hand batsman/Right hand fast-medium _____________________________

Andre Fletcher Date of Birth: November 28, 1987 Right-hand batsman/Wicketkeeper

Kemar Roach Date of Birth: June 30, 1988 Playing Style: Right-hand batsman/Right hand fast-bowler _____________________________

Kieron Pollard Date of Birth: May 12, 1987 Right-hand batsman/right-arm medium-pacer

Sulieman Benn Date of Birth: July 22, 1981 Playing Style: Left-hand batsman/Left-arm spinner

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LEGEND OF WEST INDIES CRICKET

Sir Garfield Sobers, the greatest allrounder of all-time Held the record for highest Test score – 365 not out Made 8,032 runs and took 235 wickets in 93 Tests

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LEGEND OF WEST INDIES CRICKET

Lance Gibbs, the greatest West Indian spinner of all-time Took 309 wickets in 79 Tests between 1958 and 1976 Had career-best figures of 8-38 off 53.3 overs against India

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LEGEND OF WEST INDIES CRICKET Brian Lara, one of the greatest batsmen of all-time Holds the world record highest Test score – 400 not out Holds West Indies record for most Test runs – 11,953

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Crowd favourite Dwayne Bravo on stage at Grenada National Stadium

Inside look at the Match Venues GRENADA NATIONAL STADIUM Established in 1999, Queen’s Park in Grenada has rapidly grown to become one of the players’ favourite venues in the Caribbean.

In 2002, it became the 84th Test venue when the stadium hosted its first match between West Indies and New Zealand. The ground suffered major damage when Hurricane Ivan hit the island in 2004, but a great effort from the people of Grenada helped get the stadium ready in time for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Sitting just outside the capital city of St George’s it is one of the most picturesque grounds in the West Indies, with rolling hills all around, and has a capacity of 18,000.

ARNOS VALE Arnos Vale Cricket Ground in the island of St Vincent is surrounded by nature’s most wondrous sites. Behind the Media Centre to the south, the Caribbean sea leading to the island of Bequia catches the eyes of the camera every time. At the opposite end, the Airport End, planes take off in the background as battle between batsmen and bowlers plays out in the middle. Arnos Vale hosted its first ever international cricket match on February

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4, 1981. The match was an ODI between West Indies and England and was a close encounter which the Windies won by two runs. Its first Test match came in 1997, when the West Indies played Sri Lanka to a draw. The stadium has a capacity of 15,000.

BEAUSEJOUR CRICKET GROUND Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia is right up there with beauty and scenery when it comes to cricket grounds across the world. Located in Gros Islet, the stadium was completed in 2002 and has a capacity of 14,000 spectators.

It gets its named after the Beausejour hills, that surround the stadium and can be easily seen from any angle in which spectators sit. It staged its first international Test match in 2003 when the West Indies took on Sri Lanka and became the first venue in the Caribbean to host a day-night game.

The ground was refurbished for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and hosted the semi-finals between South Africa and Australia.

Arnos Vale Cricket Ground

WARNER PARK ST KITTS One of the most spectacular ground in the West Indies, Warner Park is set to host its first international match under lights when the Dhaka Bank Cup comes to the idyllic island of St Kitts. The picturesque ground, nestled in the heart of the capital – will stage the 3rd ODI – a day/night affair and the one-off T20 – a night encounter.

Beausejour Cricket Ground

Named after Sir Thomas Warner, Warner Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Basseterre.

Before the redevelopment it also known as an athletic facility and a football venue. Warner Park was the first of the Caribbean’s seven new World Cup stadiums to open, and staged its first One-Day International in May 2006 and its first Test a month later.

The capacity of the stadium is 8,000 but that can be raised to 10,000 for major events.

Several records and feats have been achieved at the ground. Fans will always remember the famous six sixes in one over by Herschelle Gibbs when South Africa played against the Netherlands in their Cricket World Cup first round match in 2007.

Warner Park

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Bangladesh PLAYERS' BIOS Mushfiqur Rahim Date of Birth: September 1, 1988 Right-hand batsman/Wicket-keeper _____________________________

Shamsur Rahman Date of Birth: June 5, 1988 Right hand batsman _____________________________

Nasir Hossain Date of Birth: November 30, 1991 Right hand batsman _____________________________

Tamim Iqbal Date of Birth: March 20, 1989 Left-hand opening batsman _____________________________

Mominul Haque Date of Birth: September 29, 1991 Left hand batsman _____________________________

Mahmudullah Date of Birth: February 4, 1986 Right-hand batsman/right-arm offspinner _____________________________

Anamul Haque Date of Birth: December 16, 1992 Right-hand batsman

Rubel Hossain Date of Birth: January 1, 1990 Right hand medium-fast

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Mithun Ali Date of Birth: February 13, 1990 Right-hand batsman/Wicket-keeper

Nasir Hossain

Abdur Razzak Date of Birth: June 15, 1982 Left-hand batsman/Left-arm spinner _____________________________

Al-Amin Hossain Date of Birth: January 1, 1990 Right hand batsman _____________________________

Mashrafe Mortaza Date of Birth: October 5, 1983 Right-hand batsman/Right arm fast-medium _____________________________

Ziaur Rahman Date of Birth: December 2, 1986 Right-hand batsman/Right hand medium-fast _____________________________

Sohag Gazi Date of Birth: August 5, 1991 Right-hand batsman/right-arm spinner _____________________________

Elias Sunny Date of Birth: January 1, 1986 Left-hand batsman/Left-arm spinner _____________________________

Imrul Kayes Date of Birth: February 2, 1987 Left hand batsman _____________________________ Taskin Ahmed Date of Birth: April 3, 1995 Left-hand batsman/Right arm fast bowler

Shuvagata Hom Date of Birth: November 11, 1986 Right-hand bat/Right arm off-break _____________________________ Naeem Islam Date of Birth: December 31, 1986 Right-hand batsman/right-arm off-spinner

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BANGLADESH'S LITTLE GIANT! He’s a small man, but he’s a strong tower for his team. He’s Mushfiqur Rahim tells of his passion for cricket and his following of Brian Lara.

He spoke to Mohammad Isam

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Mushfiqur Rahim: a class act for Bangladesh

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ogra is just over 200 kilometres northwest of Dhaka. Essentially a small town in modern Bangladesh, Bogra however is believed to be the oldest Indian city from Emperor Ashoka’s era. Further down the road is proof of its heritage: Mahasthangarh, the ancient city from 3rd century BC.

These are all found in textbooks and tourist guidebooks across Bangladesh, but a kid these days will recognise Bogra more with one of its inhabitants rather than its place in history, the seven-way roundabout or the mouth-watering sweets. Cricket’s immense popularity in Bangladesh means that Mushfiqur Rahim is now the instantly identifiable face from Bogra.

The toothy grin helps to be a star, but so does batting talent, match-winning abilities and a tight technique both in front and behind the wicket.

Mushfiqur has as good a following in Bangladesh as the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal or Mashrafe Mortaza. He has been there for Bangladesh in the toughest of times, batted them out of trouble, made history and made the country cheer and cry.

It all started with the young boy watching a lefthanded genius from Trinidad, and being overawed.

As the television boom occurred in Bangladesh through low-cost cable, kids in this part of the world were exposed to, among myriad things, live cricket. Mushfiqur didn’t miss out, getting hooked to watching one such cricketer in his teens.

“It was always Brian Charles Lara,” Mushfiqur says with zest. “His attitude, game sense, the fact that he was playing well against every team in the world, the way he used to find the gaps, mental attitude, dominating the bowler, playing to the match situation – these have made me his fan. I have tried to follow him while I bat in the middle.”

Mushfiqur’s only encounter with Lara on the field was during the 2007 World Cup. He appealed needlessly once, thinking he had caught an edge of his hero but later was so shy about the appeal that he kept quiet for the rest of the innings. At the end of the game, he took his autograph, possibly one of the few ones he has ever collected.

It was at this World Cup where Mushfiqur got his first breakthrough.

Already much talked about after his 2005 Test debut at Lord’s, Mushfiqur was selector Faruque Ahmed’s surprise as he replaced long-time wicketkeeper and for me r B ang l a d e sh c apt ai n Khaled Mashud. It divided the nation, putting immense pressure on the young Mushfiqur. But he responded immediately.

Seven years later when you ask him about his career highlights, that game against India comes into the picture immediately. “The 2007 World Cup obviously is a highlight of my career, because we beat India and I scored a fifty in that game,” he said.

But that is not all he has done.

He has gone from strength to strength in the nine years since his Test debut as a cherubic teenager. He is the first Bangladeshi to score a double-hundred in Test cricket, he has led Bangladesh in ODI series wins against West Indies (2012) and New Zealand (2013) at home, in both cases winning the man-of-theseries awards. He took over the captaincy in 2011 at a tough time in Bangladesh’s cricket when Shakib was just stripped off his captaincy.

Mushfiqur is the quintessential No 4 in the batting order, either halting an early collapse or taking advantage of a good start. He has a high back-lift, and is one of the hardest hitters of the ball in his team. He loves to slogsweep the spinners, while also being as good against quality pace attack, threading cuts and square-drives. He believes that

Mushfiqur celebrates the wicket of Ravi Rampaul

his ability to cut out what he cannot do, rather than what he can, has made him more successful in the recent past.

“I never had such a thought [of playing for so long for Bangladesh] at that early stage. But since I started my career at such a young age, the feeling was always there to make it a long international career. I took the opportunity, which was by playing well and being fit. I think it is going well, and I will try to improve on it.

“From the technical side, I try to focus on my main strength, knowing more about it and getting acquainted with match situations. I don’t try too hard on things that I can’t do, since it has the risk of getting dismissed. I understand that quite well and I feel that since this is within my grasp, it has helped me perform consistently in the last year or two,” he said.

Despite becoming such an integral part of Bangladesh cricket and a big star, Mushfiqur is not one to forget his roots. Although he learned most of his cricketing trade while he went to school and college in BKSP, Bangladesh’s premier sports institute, Mushfiqur remembers how seniors in his neighbourhood encouraged him to take up the game.

And so on to his wicket-keeping story.

Imagine Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, playing a village match at this stage of his life. Must be hard. But that is exactly how he grew up, and actually took up gloverwork.

“I wasn’t too interested with wicketkeeping at first but when we played in the neighbourhood, I was one of the smaller ones so I was asked to keep wickets. I knew quite well about it, and I did well in a village game once.

“When I was admitted to BKSP, keeping was quite interesting to me.

Most people don’t want to be a keeper, so I thought that maybe if I combine that with good batting, I can reach a certain level. I think that’s what inspired me,” he said.

These days Mushfiqur is one of the hardest working cricketers in Bangladesh, and he has to remain that way as success on the field has followed him. He will be a key member of the Bangladesh team during this West Indies tour, as they look to gain some momentum after a lackluster 2014 so far.

* Mohammad Isam is one of the leading cricketer writers in Bangladesh. He has been covering the national team for over a decade.

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TIGERS READY TO ROAR Mominul Haque has a big job for Bangladesh

The Bangladeshis believe they have a very good chance of toppling the Windies in the Caribbean. Mohammad Isam tells us why

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angladeshis have wonderful memories of the team’s last visit to the West Indies. Five years ago the tourists won the Test and ODI series, their first such achievement on foreign soil. Having arrived at a tough time in the country’s cricket, the wins regenerated popularity of the game.

Turn the clock forward to 2014, and the Bangladesh cricket team finds itself with a similar opportunity to turn their fortunes around.

But the contest doesn’t take away the special relation that Bangladeshis

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have with the Caribbean. Since the 1980s, cricket fans in the country have had to adopt foreign countries since their home side was still not one of the big boys. West Indies was one of the highly followed teams, with cult following status among many youths across Bangladesh. While India and Pakistan have the major share of fans, West Indies have been almost like an alternate favourite, mainly due the world-class cricketers that have come in several generations.

To return to the current on-field scene and the upcoming DHAKA BANK

CUP Series, Bangladesh haven’t exactly had a great year so far. They have come close to beating major opposition in limited overs cricket, notably Sri Lanka twice and Pakistan. They drew a Test match against Sri Lanka, while qualifying to the Super 10s of the World T20 at home.

There have been plenty of performers though, particularly young batsmen like Mominul Haque and Anamul Haque.

Mominul has taken a liking to Test cricket where he has scored three centuries in the 2013-14 season. Anamul, an Under-19 teammate of Mominul,

started off the season rather poorly and was duly dropped for a while. But he bounced back quite well, and has been a regular in the limited overs format.

Mominul has been touted as a once-ina-generation cricketer by many of his mentors while growing up. Nicknamed “Sourav”, the left-handed batsman has a glancing resemblance to the former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. He wouldn’t admit it readily but Mominul’s strokes on the off-side have the inevitability of finding the gap, akin to the man who grew up several hundred miles to his west.

Anamul is the more flamboyant, a bit of an exciting character. He bats in a unique way for a Bangladeshi batsman of this generation: he doesn’t use his feet much. It can get him into trouble on wickets that offer movement, but on song, he is quite a treat to watch. He has also scored heavily in age-group and domestic cricket, after which he has brought some of his form to the international arena.

Anamul has been quietly preparing himself for the West Indies tour, and he will be in the thick of things in the first part as he is a regular in the limited overs format.

“I have been watching West Indies play, and keeping an eye on the tracks there. I have never played there at any level, but I hope to do well. I have memories of my performance against them two years ago. It was quite big for me to score a century in just my second international match. It was a great feeling.

“It is important for the openers to survive the new ball, so I have tried hard to do that. It makes life easier for batsmen down the order if we can hold our own,” he said.

Anamul made his Test debut last year in Sri Lanka and although he has played two more against New Zealand at home, he has found it slightly harder to hold on to his place in the longer format.

Anamul Haque: ready to step up for Bangladesh

“We haven’t played much Test cricket so far this year. From this point we have a few more to play, so obviously the target would be to play the Tests. I have been doing well in T20s and ODIs, but I love playing Test cricket. Wearing whites, staying out there for long. I will try to improve myself more in this format,” he said.

Mushfiqur is the top-scorer in all three formats this year while Shakib Al Hasan has taken most wickets and scored more than 500 runs too. Pace bowlers Al-Amin Hossain and Taskin Ahmed have impressed as rookies while left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny has shown that his domestic record can be taken seriously.

But this is not a team of ordinary numbers or performances. Since winning the double in West Indies in 2009, Bangladesh has won 42 out of 134 international matches. They have won eight series, mostly ODIs, against New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe. In fact they have beaten New Zealand twice at home while West Indies lost the 2012 ODI series 3-2,

in what was some breathtaking cricket during that winter.

Captain Mushfiqur believes that there are reasons to believe that Bangladesh can overturn West Indies at home, once again. “Possibilities will depend a lot on what we come up with.

Last time we went there, in 2009, they had a different team, but in the 2012 series, we beat their best team in the ODI series,” he said.

“It is going to be tough, but at the same time since they lost to New Zealand at home recently, we will try to play our best cricket and turn around our 2014 performance,” said Mushfiqur.

The three ODIs, two T20s and two Tests in this DHAKA BANK CUP Series promises to be a fascinating contest between two sides looking to break away from their pack.

* Mohammad Isam is one of the leading cricket writers in Bangladesh. He has covered the game for over a decade.

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WIPA /WICB AWARD CEREMONY

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he West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) held the second annual Awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus in June of this year. I was a grand event with several of the region’s best players being awarded for their outstanding performances.

West Indies batting legend Shiv Chanderpaul, the Bravo brothers – Dwayne and Darren – along with ace spin bowler Sunil Narine won the top prizes. Stafanie Taylor – the leading female cricketer in the world – was the big winner among the women.

Chanderpaul took home the Test Player of the Year Award; he had topped West Indies' Test batting charts in 2013, with 523 runs in seven games at 58.11, with two tons and a fifty.

Dwayne Bravo was named ODI player of the year after accumulating 388 runs and 33 wickets in 22 games in the format last year. Sunil Narine, expectedly, was the top performer in Twenty20s, having taken eight wickets in five matches while conceding just 5.40 to the over.

Darren Bravo won the overall Cricketer of the Year award, having scored 374 runs at over 37 in six Tests and topped the one-day batting charts with 788 in 24 games, including a century and eight half-centuries.

Taylor had aggregated 707 runs in 21 ODIs in the period, and 313 in nine T20s, averaging 39 in both formats.

Among the domestic cricket award winners were spinners Nikita Miller and Shane Shillingford, who won first-class and limited-overs titles respectively. Darren Bravo took home

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a second award on the night, for his showing in the WICB’s Caribbean T20.

Fast bowler Miguel Cummins was named the Emerging Player of the Year, while Chanderpaul’s son, Tagenarine, was the Under-19 Player of the Year.

Teddy Griffith, a former President of the WICB who played 25 first-class games for Jamaica and Barbados in the 1950s and 1960s, was given WICB's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Former Windward Islands and Combined Islands batsman Lockhart Sebastien – who played 92 first-class matches between 1971 and 1989 – was presented with the WIPA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Following is the list of WIPA/WICB award winners: UNDER-19 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tagenarine Chanderpaul UNDER-19 TEAM OF THE YEAR: Jamaica REGIONAL LIMITED-OVERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Shane Shillingford REGIONAL 4-DAY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nikita Miller

Darren Bravo receives his Cricketer of the Year Award from Wayne Lewis

WICB President Dave Cameron presents the WICB Lifetime Award to Teddy Griffith

Chris Gayle posing with the special award as he prepared for his 100th Test Match

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dwayne Bravo TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Shiv Chanderpaul TWENTY20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sunil Narine WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Stafanie Taylor PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Darren Bravo

REGIONAL 4-DAY TEAM OF THE YEAR: Trinidad & Tobago

WICB LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Teddy Griffith

EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Miguel Cummins

WIPA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Lockhart Sebastien

CARIBBEAN TWENTY20 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Darren Bravo ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL

Special awards were presented to Shiv Chanderpaul in honour of playing his 150th Test and Chris Gayle ahead of him playing his 100th Test.

opportunity for Caribbean Designers

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rofessional and amateur designers across the Caribbean are being given the historic opportunity to design the West Indies team One Day International and Twenty20 playing kit. The West Indies Cricket Board today announced the launch of a competition for the design of playing kit for the West Indies Men’s and Women’s teams for the 2015 international cricket season.

The winner in each of the three categories will receive HP tablets and desktop computers along with all expenses paid trips to a West Indies international match in the Caribbean among other prizes.

The WICB is seeking three designs: • West Indies Men’s Twenty20 Team • West Indies Men’s One Day International Team • West Indies Women’s Team Designers can submit in any one of the categories or all if they are so desirous.

“The West Indies limited overs playing kit is iconic and one of the most recognizable and loved in the cricket world. This competition presents a unique opportunity to designers in the Caribbean to compete and possibly have their design be worn by the West Indies Men’s and Women’s teams and showcased around the world on live international television coverage,” WICB Marketing

and Communications Manager Imran Khan said.

“This is in addition to the prestige which will come with having been the first independent designer to design the West Indies team kit by way of an open competition,” Khan added.

“The winning designs could be worn by all the superstar West Indies players and we are looking forward to a hugely competitive process and a plethora of designs from seasoned and aspiring designers alike,” Khan explained.

The West Indies’ iconic maroon playing kit stands out in the cricketing world but the WICB has not made it a requirement that the designs be maroon and is giving designers creative license to

submit designs which they believe best encapsulate the energy, effervescence and vibe that is West Indies limited overs cricket.

The WICB will appoint a diverse judging panel to select the winning designs. The panel will include players and prominent personalities in the Caribbean fashion and entertainment industries. The judging panel will be revealed at a later date.

The competition is open to all designers of all ages who are citizen of or resident in any WICB jurisdiction. The deadline for submission is August 29 and full details on how to enter and the terms and conditions for the competition are available at www.windiescricket.com/ kitdesign

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Autographs

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SHARING THE PASSION

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