‘No such thing as a dead rubber’

Bangladesh batter Liton Das said it was time for the right-handed batter to take responsibility for his game.  

The 29-year-old made his Bangladesh debut in 2015 and nine years into his international career, he still blows hot and cold and struggles to become a dependable batter for the Tigers across formats.  

"I've been playing [international] cricket for 9-10 years now. I've gained that much experience. Now is the time to take responsibility. If not now, then when will I take responsibility?" Liton told reporters on Tuesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium where the Tigers trained ahead of their India tour, starting September 19.

Liton played a pivotal role in Bangladesh's historic Test series win in Pakistan with a match-winning 138-run knock in the second Test of the two-match series. From a disastrous plight that saw the visitors lose six wickets for just 26 on the board, Liton propelled his side to a stable position with a patient knock, notching up his fourth Test ton in the process. In the first Test, he scored a half-century and led a counterpunch against the Pakistan bowlers, helping Bangladesh to a take a lead.

Criticism has followed Liton throughout his career and it was not long ago that the merit of his selection was brought into question in the white-ball formats. Very few can forget the manner of his dismissal in a hattrick of failed scoops in a T20I against Zimbabwe at home in May or the rush of blood that saw him dance down the pitch and gift his wicket away while Bangladesh were trying to save a Test against Sri Lanka in March.

Liton has established himself amongst fans and perhaps even the management as a supremely talented batter who blows hot and cold but there is little doubt about his ability and the fine batsmanship he can dish out on his day. His stroke-making compounded with the ease with which he can execute his batting has always set him apart from the rest but the inconsistent application of all that promise is what has always disappointed his admirers.

His recklessness or a lack of responsibility in the white-ball formats has not, however, seeped into his performance in Tests. Since 2020, he has scored the second-most runs amongst designated wicket-keepers, amassing 1559 runs at an average of 48.71. Only Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan has scored more in that time frame.

When asked about his attacking stroke-playing ability, Liton said it was no different from how the rest of the world plays their cricket. With the India series up next, Liton will have to be at his best to tackle one of the best bowling units in the world.

"I don't play that much of attacking cricket. I try to score off the balls in the scoring zones. And you will see that run-scoring is very important in any format. There comes a flow in your batting when you play for a run each ball. 

"I think the way I bat is in sync with how everyone across the world plays; They play the game with an attacking mood. Naturally, there are more attacking field setups in Test cricket and the probability of getting out is higher, but at the same time, the scope to score is also greater," Liton said.

Bangladesh are set to play two Tests and three T20Is against India, starting with the first Test on September 19. 

The Tigers, who play with the Kookaburra ball, will face the challenge of playing with the SG ball in India. The SG ball has a more pronounced seam which helps spinner grip the ball better after it gets old. It also allows the pacers to use the seam better while trying to initiate swing with the old ball.

"The India series will be challenging for us. For preparation, we are facing our main bowlers [at the nets] as much as possible. 

"It will be difficult because with the Kookaburra ball, it is tough when the ball is new and it gets easier when the balls gets old. But with the SG ball, it is a bit easier when it's new and difficult when it's old," Liton said. 

Cricket got a glimpse into its future during a momentous 2023 but its present continues to be dominated by Australia, who bagged the test and 50-overs world titles under Pat Cummins's inspiring leadership.

After two years of intense lobbying, cricket finally got the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) seal of approval to be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Games having last featured in the world's biggest sporting extravaganza in 1900.

The sport also dipped its toes into a lucrative new market in the United States this year with Major League Cricket (MLC).

With the Indian American CEOs of Microsoft and Adobe among its backers, MLC hopes to squeeze cricket into a crowded sporting landscape dominated by baseball, basketball and American football.

While franchise cricket is driving the game's global growth, it may also supplant national boards to become the primary employer of players.

The owners of eight of the 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises also own at least one team in another foreign competition.

The owners of the IPL's Mumbai and Delhi franchises have acquired teams in new T20 tournaments in the U.S., South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

CONTRACT CONTROL

Franchise cricket's expanding footprint has spurred national boards into action, with England introducing multi-year contracts and Australia hiking pay in a bid to essentially retain control over where and when players can play.

Neil Maxwell, Australia's most prominent player agent, told Reuters earlier this year that the current contract system was not sustainable in the long term and that cricket was becoming more like football.

"The landscape is changing, similar to the EPL system where playing for the club is the priority," he said referring to the English Premier League.

Already awash with cash, the IPL could be set for a massive financial boost with Saudi Arabia reportedly set to splurge billions of dollars for a stake.

Should the deep-pocketed Saudis enter the fray, more players could be tempted to decline national contracts in favour of lucrative stints in the IPL and other global leagues, setting the stage for club v country confrontations.

India's powerful board (BCCI) does not allow any of its players, even those without central contracts, to take part in foreign leagues.

But while the IPL has been wary of antagonising the BCCI it is not a stretch to imagine the pair butting heads over player contracts in the coming years.

While those are the unmistakable signs of things to come, Australia are clearly living in the moment.

Barely five months after beating India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval, Australia got the better of Rohit Sharma's men once again to claim a record-extending sixth ODI World Cup title in Ahmedabad.

A deathly silence fell over the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium where 93,000 predominantly India fans sat crestfallen as Australia ended the host's unbeaten run in a stunning title decider.

Should Australia deliver another successful campaign in the T20 edition in the West Indies and United States next year they would become the first team to hold all three World Cup titles at the same time.

Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty praised her batters' performance after their seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the final ODI of the three-match series at the at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

The win gave the Tigresses a 2-1 series win and propelled them to sixth on the ICC Women's Championships standings.
 
 The top six teams on the table will qualify for the 2025 World Cup directly, while the other two spots will be filled through qualifiers, in the eight-team tournament which will take place in India.
 
 Bangladesh have 11 points from 12 matches, with three wins, a solitary tie, four losses and as many no results.

"We are moving ahead keeping in mind that we want to avoid playing in the [World Cup] qualifiers. The more points we can collect, the better our chances will become to play the tournament directly. Our focus is just that going into every series," skipper Nigar Sultana Joty told the reporters after the game yesterday.

A poor batting display let Bangladesh down in the opening match last week when they were bundled out for 81, while bowlers bailed them out in the second match where they posted 169. The batters finally showed up yesterday as a record 125-run opening partnership for Bangladesh from Murshida Khatun and Fargana Haque set up a 167-run chase.
 
Fargana scored a 113-ball 62 as she put away five fours while Musrshida hit six boundaries during her 106-ball 54. Both, however, couldn't see their team through as the services of skipper Joty were required. She scored a 25-ball 18 and was aptly aided by Sobhana Mostary's 30-ball 19 as the duo wrapped it up for Bangladesh.
 

"The batting department responded well. In the previous match, Pakistan struggled to chase a small total but the same did not happen today which is why we clinched an easy victory," Joty said.
 
 "The way Murshida and Pinky were playing, I think they should've finished the match. They were at the wicket for a long time and our plan is for set batters to always play as long as possible.
 
 "The first match was indeed alarming for us. The biggest thing for us is the series win, it is a big achievement for us. The show of character from the entire team is a huge success," she added.

The Bangladesh bowlers did the job again for their side, restricting the visitors to 166 for nine. 

Pakistan's opener Sidra Ameen scored an unbeaten 143-ball 84 but had little support as Bangladesh's left-arm orthodox Nahida Akter outshone the four other spinners in the side, picking up three wickets for 26 runs, while Rabeya Khan scalped two.

Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur was upset by the lack of their fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday but would not blame the team's comprehensive defeat by India on the absence of support from the stands.

The late unveiling of the tournament's schedule had already made it difficult for fans from abroad to plan their tour of India for the 13th edition of the showpiece event.

Soured political relations between the Asian neighbours has further complicated the issue and the Pakistan Cricket Board has asked the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) to sort out visa delays for their fans and media travelling to India.

Almost an entirely Indian crowd of 100,000-plus fans turned the entire stadium into a sea of blue jerseys and Arthur felt the tournament, hosted by the Indian board (BCCI), lacked the flavour of a global event.

"It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest," the former Australia coach said after Pakistan's seven-wicket loss.
"It seemed like a bilateral series, it seemed like a BCCI event.

"I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' coming through the microphones too often tonight," he said, referring to the unofficial anthem for the country.

"So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse because for us it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian players tonight."

Only half a dozen Pakistani journalists arrived on the eve of the match and the ICC said they were trying to sort out the visa issues.

Asked if it was right for a World Cup, Arthur said: "Look, I don't think I can comment on that just yet. I don't want to get fined."