Bangladesh players to consult psychologist

Bangladesh's senior players will have three sessions with a psychological skill development coach later this month. The BCB is also looking to hire short-term specialist coaches for all age groups to rectify specific problems in batting and spin bowling.

Bangladesh's recent poor form had prompted this move. They had won only two T20s and drawn a Test match against Sri Lanka since January, during one of their busiest and most high-profile seasons. Defeats to Afghanistan in the Asia Cup and Hong Kong in the World T20 were the low points.

BCB chief Nazmul Hassan has said that apart from speaking to prospective coaches, he has agreed to hire Ali Khan, a psychological skill development coach. He will have sessions with the Bangladesh players on April 24, 27 and 28.

"We are looking for spin and batting coaches," Hassan said. "Yesterday I gave the approval for a psychologist. Our team did well but just after losing to Afghanistan, their morale broke down. The same thing happened after losing to Hong Kong. Previously, we used to fight even after losing.

"We want to keep the head coach and the rest of the coaching staff, but at the same time we want to hire top ex-players to do some specialist camps for all ages, kids and seniors. These are in addition to the regular coaching system."

Hassan added that Saqlain Mushtaq's plan to be with the Bangladesh team only during tours was not feasible for the BCB. Saqlain, the former Pakistan offspinner, was hired for 100 days last year but he has since joined West Indies as their assistant coach, and his last stint as Bangladesh's spin consultant was during the Zimbabwe tour last year.

"It is hard to get a good coach. Saqlain Mushtaq was available but he said he wants to coach the team when they are on tour. What will he coach during a tour? He won't come to Bangladesh, which is a big problem," he said.

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Top 10 Most Unbeatable Cricket Records

Cricket is a game piled high with records and statistics. I've picked ten that ought to be unbeatable and stand the test of time.

1. Don Bradman's 99.94 Test Career Batting Average

In 80 Test cricket innings, Don Bradman-- aka 'The Don' -- scored his runs at an average of 99.94. The next guy on the Test Batting Average  managed a tick over 60. We can do all sorts of mathematical comparisons with these numbers but they would all show one thing: Bradman is the best batsman the game has seen. That Test average of 99.94 is a number you need to know, a kind of shorthand for Bradman's exceptional talent. Just for good measure, his overall first-class average of 95.14 is unlikely to be beaten either.

2. Muttiah Muralitharan's 1347 International Wickets

Murali was only 20 when he first bowled for SiriLanka.. He turned a few heads with his unusual style, not to mentioned sparked a few controversies., but it soon proved effective as he baffled batsmen around the world. Nearly 20 years later, he had 800 Test wickets, 534 one-day international wickets -- both records -- as well as 13 Twenty20 International wickets. For someone to challenge Muralitharan's numbers, they would have to be capable of bowling for long periods of a match, remain injury-free for two decades, and be consistently amongst the best bowlers on the international circuit. It's conceivable, but they will have to be as freakish as Murali.

3. Jack Hobbs' 61,760 First-Class Runs

The game we call cricket simply is not the same game that Sir Jack Hobbs dominated in the early part of the 20th Century. Matches were longer, conditions tougher, and international schedules were limited (of Hobbs' 834 first-class matches, only 61 were Tests). It was a game for gentlemen of leisure, not an intensely physical sport played by professional athletes. It's fitting, then, that Hobbs was by all accounts a true gentleman, and his favourite pastime was to score copious amounts of runs. The game has moved on from Hobbs' era, making his 61,760 first-class runs a relic rather than a realistic target, but he will always be remembered as a legend of the game.

4. Jim Laker's Test Match Bowling Figures of 19/90

That shorthand stands for 19 wickets, 90 runs. In other words, out of 20 Australian wickets to fall at Old Trafford in 1956, England off-spinner Jim Laker missed only one. Ten wickets in a Test match is considered an exceptional achievement; 19 victims is absurd. By comparison, Laker's England colleagues sent down 123 overs between them and only managed one wicket. Ten wickets in a Test innings has been repeated -Kumlay did it in 1999. - but 19 in a match? We'll almost certainly never see it again.

5. Wilfred Rhodes' 4204 First-Class Wickets

Like Jack Hobbs, Wilfred Rhodes played in a less strenuous era, such that it was possible for him to bowl his slow left-arm spin for England well into his fifties. 4204 career wickets.

It isn't entirely surprising that Australia were capable of this feat during their recent golden years. They managed 16 consecutive Test match wins twice, first between 1999-2001 under Steve Waugh and second between 2005-2008 under Ricky Ponting, and nobody would have doubted that they had the talent and desire to do it. However, the real problem with beating this record is the weather. Cricket relies on sunny skies more than most other sports, and the conditions in which Test cricket can be played are strict. A team even playing 16 consecutive Tests without weather interruption is unusual, let alone winning them all. If it ever happens again, you can chalk it up to luck just as much as to skill.

7. Chaminda Vaas' One Day International Bowling Figures of 8/19

left-arm pacer Chaminda Vaas scalped the best one day international bowling figures of all time in 2001. Vaas is still the only player to take eight wickets in a one day international. It's possible, of course, that someone in the future could take nine or even ten, but to do so would be miraculous given the batsman-centric nature of ODIs.

8. Graham Gooch's 456 Runs in a Test Match

In 1990, England captain Graham Gooch hit the highest peak of his prolific career by scoring 456 runs in one test against india. His 333 in the first innings would have given him glory enough, but he then went out and smashed a quick 123 in the second innings as England chased a win, which they duly managed. Super-long innings are becoming rarer and rarer in Test cricket as the influence of Twenty20 extends to the longest form of the game, so it's hard to see Gooch's mark being surpassed.

9. Phil Simmons' Economy Rate of 0.3 in a One Day International

If you bowl out ten overs in a one-dayer, the yardstick for a good performance to finish with an economy rate of less than four runs per over (that's under 40 runs conceded in 1992 against Pakistan.

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Marriage Biography of Umar Akmal

These days that is great news for fans of the club right-handed batsman and Wicket Cricketer Guardian “Umar Akmal ‘has married’ Noor Amna ‘who is the daughter of former leg spinner Abdul Qadir. Umar Akmal Wedding pics are as follow.

Umar Akmal Marriage With Noor Amna Wedding Pics

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Top 10 cricket comentators of All Time

The world of cricket is full of amazing athletes who have provided great entertainment to the viewers during their sparkling careers and subsequently taken the job as world class commentators. Most of the all-time great cricketers happen to be the greatest commentators as well, showing their brilliance on and off the field. In this article, I am going to rank 10 best commentators from the world of cricket who are known world-wide.

10. Ravi Shastri

I am going to start the list with the former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri, who is as enthusiastic in front of the microphone as he was in the field representing his team. Shastri is amongst the best commentators in cricket which is why he is always seen during the major events.

9. Nasser Hussain

From scoring more than 20,000 runs in the first-class cricket to providing expert views as a commentator, the former England cricketer Nasser Hussain has received huge appreciation in the world of cricket. Talking about the ten best commentators, Nasser Hussain is an easy pick for the list.

8. Rameez Raja

Next on the list is Pakistani former cricketer Rameez Raja, who has earned the recognition of one of the best sports and television commentators.  Rameez Raja is known for his humorous and entertaining style of commentary and makes a great pair with Ravi Shastri.

7. Robin Jackman

Robin Jackman was not a well known personality until he stepped into the world of commentary and impressed many with his versatile way of communicating. Jackman had a very brief career as a cricketer but he has surely marked his presence impressively as an influential.

6. Ian Botham

England’s former all-round player Ian Botham’s versatility was not only limited to the cricket grounds as the legendary cricketer has proved his brilliance as one of the best commentators in the world as well. Ian Botham is an expert when it comes to cricket and analyze the matches with great detail which is the best part of his commentary.

5. Ian Chappell

Apart from producing outstanding cricketers, Australia has also produced some great commentators for the world of cricket and Ian Chappell is among them. The ex-captain of the Australian team, Ian Chappell projects the whole game magnificently and smartly to keep the viewers updated.

4. David Lloyd

Another former English cricketer David Lloyd makes it on the list of the ten best commentators the world of cricket has seen. Lloyd is a very calm and composed contender and evaluates the matches very smartly.

3. Geoffrey Boycott

One of the most successful opening batsmen for England to date, Geoffrey Boycott is also among the greatest commentators of all time. Boycott is very passionate about his commentary and he does his job magnificently.

2. Michael Holding

The West Indian legendary fast bowler, Michael Holding has been a dominating cricketer throughout his career and is now among the most influential commentators in sports.  Michael Holding has a unique style of commentary and his dominating voice quickly grabs the attention of the viewers.

1. Tony Greig{ late}

The man that has inspired a generation with his unbelievable style of commentary, after a flourishing career as a cricketer is no other than Tony Grieg and he is easily the best commentator the world of sports has seen. For Tony, words had no limits and listening to his commentary felt like you are actually watching the whole thing by yourself.

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Latif turns down Pakistan selector's role

the former Pakistan captain, has refused to take up the role of chief selector offered by PCB chairman Najam Sethi. Latif was named head of the national selection committee in February, and his tenure was scheduled to start on April 1. Latif, though, has refused to sign the contract.

"I refuse PCB officially," he said, in a statement issued to the media. "No hard feelings for both parties. I don't want to get into controversy and I hope Pakistan cricket will flourish under the chairman and board. I will not make any further statement. There has been too much [speculation] in the media and I would like to break my silence and announce that I will not join PCB as chief selector."

Pakistan haven't had an official selection committee since the announcement of the World T20 squad. Latif's appointment was ostensibly meant to bring stability to the committee, but he never committed to taking up the role. Apart from the chief selector's role, Latif has also pulled out from the additional responsibility of assisting the board in imparting training and conducting lectures on anti-corruption matters.

Latif hasn't given a clear reason for backing out, but there are various factors that may have played a role, prominent among which are the present circumstances of the board under Sethi.

Since the ouster of Zaka Ashraf, who was removed by the Prime Minister, the PCB's administration has been in transition, with changes throughout the PCB hierarchy and new heads replacing those appointed by Ashraf. Ashraf's administration had appointed Aamer Sohail head of the selection panel, before Sethi stepped in and removed him.

Latif played 37 Tests and 166 ODIs in a career that spanned 11 years, captaining Pakistan in 6 Tests and 25 ODIs. He last played in 2003 and since then has focused on running his cricket academy in Karachi. He is currently working as a government graded officer - as sports head of Port Qasim Authority, which also runs a first-class team. According to the PCB, Latif had to join them on deputation from his parent department. Having refused the PCB's offer, Latif will countinue working with PQA.

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ICC rankings for Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 in 2014

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
South Africa	34	4332	127
Australia	43	4946	115
India	39	4359	112
England	44	4713	107
Pakistan	29	2890	100
Sri Lanka	33	2953	89
New Zealand	37	3224	87
West Indies	29	2516	87
Zimbabwe	11	372	34
Bangladesh	19	359	19

ICC ODI Championship

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
Australia	47	5505	117
India	67	7579	113
Sri Lanka	64	7174	112
South Africa	44	4825	110
England	50	5424	108
Pakistan	62	6287	101
New Zealand	43	4048	94
West Indies	52	4674	90
Bangladesh	32	2519	79
Zimbabwe	26	1439	55
Ireland	12	451	38
Afghanistan	10	299	30

ICC Twenty20 Championship

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
Sri Lanka	32	3714	133
India	25	2725	130
Pakistan	44	4070	120
South Africa	36	3542	118
West Indies	34	3304	114
Australia	35	3201	110
New Zealand	33	2891	107
England	38	3133	101
Ireland	18	1108	85
Bangladesh	22	1280	71
Afghanistan	15	928	66
Netherlands	18	932	62
Zimbabwe	18	695	50
Scotland	13	545	50
Kenya	17	633	42
Canada	8	11	2

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