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Here's my pick for the ODI team for the year 2010...
01. Hasim Amla (1058 runs in 15 matches @ Avg 75.57 and SR 104.23, 100s-5, 50s-4) - SA
02. Tillakaratne Dilshan (921 runs in 20 matches @ Avg 51.16 and SR 988.82, 100s-3, 50s-4) - SL
03. Virat Kohli (995 runs in 25 matches @ Avg 47.38 and SR 85.11, 100s-3, 50s-7) - Ind
04. AB De Villiers (964 runs in 16 matches @ Avg 80.33 and SR 102.11, 100s-5, 50s-4) - SA
05. Kumar Sangakkara (726 runs in 17 matches @ Avg 48.40 and SR 84.41, 100s-0, 50s-7, Cat-27, St-4) (c)(wk) - SL
06. Michael Hussey (825 runs in 24 matches @ Avg 45.83 and SR 91.56, 100s-0, 50s-6) - Aus
07. Shakib Al Hasan (27 matches, 787 runs @ Avg 32.79, SR 80.14, 100s-1, 50s-5, 46 wkts @ Avg 26.00, ER 4.80) - Ban
08. Graeme Swann (28 wkts in 14 matches @ Avg 18.67 and ER 4.25) - Eng
09. Stuart Broad (30 wkts in 16 matches @ Avg 24.86 and ER 5.21) - Eng
10. Ryan Harris (40 wkts in 16 matches @ Avg 15.17 and ER 4.63) - Aus
11. Doug Bollinger (28 wkts in 19 matches @ Avg 23.39 and ER 4.36) - Aus
Tamim Iqbal has hit a purple patch. At 21, the purple patch seems to have come a bit too soon for him. He is already his country's second-highest Test century scorer (1 behind the Most Talented and Under-Performing Youngster Mohammed Ashraful).
Comparisons have been drawn with the Indian opener Virendra Sehwag... and given Tamim's style of batting, it is a fair comparison. But it is far too early to call him the next Sehwag of Test cricket. Tamim has gotten into the habit of falling after reaching his 100... Sehwag, instead, has a habit of going on after getting to a 100. Sehwag has hit 3 scores of 290+ (including 2 triple-centuries). Tamim has a miles to go for that feat to ever happen.
But in Tamim, Bangladesh have unearthed a talent that can find a way in many World XIs based on current form. With Shakib Al Hasan, their captain, Bangladesh have two genuinely world-class Test players. And in the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmadullah, they have some good street-fighters.
For India, the follow up of the work done by Sehwag is handled by a middle order of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman... While Bangladesh cannot hope of having such big names in their team sheets at any time in the near future, they needs players who have the desire and the ability to make it big on the world stage... if not that big!
In Ashraful, they have a wasted talent! They do need to look beyond him now... stagnation just does not help! Bangladesh cricket fans will be praying to their Gods that Tamim Iqbal does not go the same way as Mohammed Ashraful... a lot of promise early in the career... never to deliver after that!
Tamim does look a good find for Test cricket... and I hope he is handled well by the Bangladesh set up. They will do well to remember that Sehwag was once dropped from the Indian team... and when he came back, he's been a rejuvenated force.
So if there does come a time when Tamim needs to be dropped, they should do it. Just sticking on to him, like they have done with Ashraful, will just harm them as well as the player more.
The commentators were calling it one of the best they had ever seen at Lord's... I wouldn't go quite that far. But Tamim Iqbal's 100-ball 104 in Bangladesh's second innings (after following on) against England was certainly amongst the better hundreds there have been!
Tamim Iqbal is one of the two reasons why Bangladesh have been looking more and more promising lately... the other being Shakib Al Hasan.
At the moment, Bangladesh 309 - 3 in 76.3 overs... with each of their top 4 crossing 50. I think it's a first for Bangladesh... and it's come away from home at Lord's. Their No. 5, the ultimate underachiever Mohammed Ashraful is 19* (11)... and he looks good to make it 5 out of 5 to cross 50 for Bangladesh. But then, he always looks good... till he plays the shot to which he gets out! That is, usually, extremely ugly.
Even at this stage, Strauss would not have given up. He knows that England is still in with a decent shot, given how Bangladesh has a history of collapsing just when things look good for them. They might capsize any moment... England will then just have to capitalise. But Bangladesh should be proud of this performance!
Whatever may be the result tomorrow, Bangladesh have played good solid Test cricket at Lord's... something that cannot be said very often about this team. I hope this trip to the home of cricket marks a point of transition in the history of Bangladesh cricket. If they become a more competitive side like the one on show in this match, it will mean that Test cricket is in very good health!
