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Habibul Bashar, the former Bangladesh captain, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.”It has been a terrific journey for me and after two decades of international, first class and cub cricket I feel I have reached the end of the road. The Port City League (PCL) T20 in Sharjah next week will be my last competition as a player,” Bashar wrote in his letter to the Bangladesh Cricket Board.”I thank the BCB for giving me the honour of captaining Bangladesh and for the support throughout my career,” Bashar wrote. “I will cherish the memories of my time in the Bangladesh dressing room and my heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the players, coaches, team officials and staff I have had the privilege of knowing and working with.”As I bid bye I also feel excitement at the way the Bangladesh cricket team is progressing. I wish them every success.”Bashar played fifty Tests for Bangladesh, including their inaugural Test in 2000. He went on to lead the side in 18 Tests, including one victory and four draws. His most memorable moments as captain came in 2005 when Bangladesh stunned Australia in an ODI in Cardiff, and in the 2007 World Cup where his side relegated India to enter the Super Eights.As a batsman, Bashar massively under-achieved for a man of his talent, often succumbing to a propensity to hook, and finished with a Test average of 30.87. He was dropped from the national side after a protracted run of poor form and headed to the ICL in 2008, where he captained the Dhaka Warriors.The BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal led the tributes in praise of Bashar. “We are indebted to this fantastic cricketer who had instilled belief in the players and inspired them to perform.”Under his able leadership Bangladesh had tasted the first Test victory and had progressed to the Super Eight stages of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. With his batting he showed others the way to dominate and score at international level. We hope that he will continue to be associated with Bangladesh cricket after his retirement,” he said.

Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals captain, singled out the dropped catch of Sachin Tendulkar as the turning point in his team’s 37-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians in Jaipur, their first at the venue in nine games. Tendulkar was on 45 when he top-edged a pull off Siddharth Trivedi and was put down by Aditya Dole at fine leg. He went on to score an unbeaten 89, including 20 off the final over, to boost Mumbai to a challenging score that they managed to defend, to ensure their qualification for the semi-final.”Dropping Sachin’s catch hurt us because he went on to score the runs. We also responded poorly in the bowling and fielding department after the missed chance,” Warne said after the match.Rajasthan began their chase poorly, losing four wickets inside the first seven overs, two of them to run-outs. “The first six overs were a bit of a mess and panic,” Warne said. “We conceded 60 runs in the last four overs. I know these things happen but we had a bad start to our run chase. A few run outs also hurt us. But we batted deep with Aditya Dole and (Abhishek) Raut adding few crucial runs in the end.”Some late hitting helped reduce Rajasthan’s margin of defeat, but they are currently at fourth place with a net run-rate of -0.288, and two games left to play. They are tied on 12 points with two other teams, but, along with Kings XI Punjab, have played one game more than the rest. “It was not at all a good time to lose a match,” Warne said.Tendulkar was involved in two important partnerships, with JP Duminy and Kieron Pollard. Rajasthan had begun well with three wickets in the Powerplay, but Tendulkar and Duminy rebuilt the innings while Pollard accelerated in the death overs. “We needed a solid performance, and I thought 170-plus was a competitive total on this track,” Tendulkar said. “The target was to stay there till the end, because we had lost lot of wickets early on. So that added some responsibility on me and JP.”I knew it was a matter of a couple of big overs, and they had to come at some stage.”Tendulkar also singled out Zaheer Khan for praise, as he bowled an excellent first spell, nipping the ball away and earning the wicket of Naman Ojha. “Full marks to the way our fast bowlers bowled up front. Zaheer, especially; his first spell was terrific,” he said. “The fielding was very sharp and overall good. There were some very important run-outs and catches; when all these things gel together, it’s obviously a special performance.”

Missed opportunity of the day
It’s not often a batsman can make 173 in a Test match and feel as though he’s sold himself short, but Alastair Cook will rarely play a worse shot than the flat-footed mow that led to his downfall at the hands of Mahmudullah. From Sachin Tendulkar to Jacques Rudolph, via Marvan Atapattu and even Jason Gillespie, the cast of cricketers who have cashed in against Bangladesh is extensive to say the least, and a maiden Test double-hundred was there for the taking. As it happens, Cook’s mentor, Graham Gooch, fell to an almost identical hoick on 174, against Sri Lanka’s Don Anurasiri, at Lord’s in 1991. It’s clearly an Essex trait.Just desserts of the day
Some might argue that Paul Collingwood’s tenth Test century was handed to him on a plate this afternoon, as Bangladesh’s morale slumped to their boot-straps and England’s total soared. Others, however, might suggest it was long overdue after his frankly heroic endeavours of the past 12 months. Incredibly, this was Collingwood’s first century since the drawn Test in Trinidad in March 2009, but he hasn’t exactly been moping in the meantime. He’s produced three match-saving innings (74 at Cardiff, 26 not out at Centurion and 40 at Cape Town), contributed to two victories with 54 at Lord’s and 91 at Durban, and even bashed out a face-saving 71 at Johannesburg. Tougher challenges are what make him tick, but no-one should begrudge him this freebie.Soft dismissals of the day
Prior to the series, the editor of , Scyld Berry, ensured himself of a less-than-red-carpeted welcome when he suggested that Bangladesh were so poor that they risked dragging England down to their level. But when Stuart Broad starting roughing up the top order, you had to concede his point. All thoughout his career, Broad’s penchant for the short ball has been the most frustrating aspect of his game, but when the left-handers Imrul Kayes and Junaid Siddique flapped pitifully at a brace of leg-stump rib-ticklers, you started to imagine him attempting such a stunt at Brisbane in eight months’ time. Thank goodness, then, for Tamim Iqbal, who had no truck with such nonsense. The next ball that Broad bowled in that vicinity was helped over fine leg for six.Inevitable dismissal of the day
Graeme Swann just can’t stop striking in the first over of a spell. It became his calling card on the recent tour of South Africa, and his happy knack has been extended into yet another series. In the 12th over of the innings, Swann came on with the left-handed Tamim in his sights, but it was the right-hander, Aftab Ahmed, who duly became his first victim. All it took was a single delivery – his fourth of the series – as Aftab shaped to play a lame paddle, and Bell at short leg walked into position to intercept with his midriff.Statement of the day
At least there was one Bangladeshi who refused to accept the inevitable. Tamim is fast becoming the champion of his team, and when their innings began with a daunting 400 runs to save the follow-on, he notched off a hundredth of those in the space of a single delivery. Broad’s first ball was short and wide, and smoked past point for four, as Tamim announced his intentions to play on his own terms. In rattling along to a chanceless 53-ball half-century, and surviving thereafter, he showed the sort of fight that will be sorely needed both here and in Dhaka next week.Atmospherics of the day
It’s amazing what a difference an innings makes. Never mind the match situation, all that matters is who’s batting. And with Tamim in full flow in the evening session, the locals found their voices at last, with chants of “Tamim! [clap clap clap]” and “Bish bish bish, shabash Bangladesh!” The Barmy Army, meanwhile, managed a mournful chorus of Jerusalem as England came out to bowl, but retreated into their shells thereafter.

The fast bowler Brett Geeves will not be adding to his three appearances for Australia this summer after being ruled out for the season with a stress fracture in his lower back. The injury is a major blow for Tasmania, who remain in the running for a place in the FR Cup final and can still reach the Sheffield Shield decider despite struggling so far this summer.Geeves is the Tigers’ top wicket-taker in this Sheffield Shield campaign with 20 wickets at 26.70. He suffered soreness during their recent four-day game against Victoria at Bellerive Oval and scans on Tuesday revealed the stress fracture.”Brett has obviously been leading our attack and has had a good season so far not only with the ball but with the bat as well,” the Tasmania coach Tim Coyle said. “His spot in the team will be a tough one to fill so we will need to work hard to plug the gap. Brett will rest for six weeks before undertaking some basic core strength activity followed by intensive rehabilitation.”Geeves has played two one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international for Australia and in December was called as a cover player for Peter Siddle for the Perth Test. He will join his fellow Tasmanian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, who has a knee problem and is in doubt for Australia’s tour of New Zealand, on the sidelines.

An all-round masterclass from Scott Styris gave Auckland an 18-run win against Northern Districts at the Colin Maiden Park. The visitors elected to field first, a decision that met with immediate success as Tillakaratne Dilshan ran out Lou Vincent in the first ball of the match. Soon after, Ravi Bopara was accounted for by Tim Southee to reduce the score to 21 for 2 in the fourth over. That set the stage for Scott Styris who steadied the innings with a knock of tempered aggression. Wickets fell around him as Bradley Scott and Daniel Vettori made regular dents to the line-up, but Styris held an end up and kept the score-board moving with a bustling 59 off 38 balls. Colin de Granhomme swung 24 in 9 balls to give the innings a fillip before it ended at 154 in the last over.Peter McGlashan and Tillakaratne Dilshan got the chase off to a quick start before Styris had a say for the second time in the match. He sent back both openers, while de Grandhomme got rid of Daniel Vettori to change the course of the innings from 43 for 0 to 52 for 3 in 14 balls. Things never improved from there for Northern as Roneel Hira got into the act and wickets began to tumble too frequently. Things looked over and out at 87 for 8 before Joseph Yovich and Scott delayed the end with a 42-run stand. Hira ended with four wickets, but Styris was the hero for Auckland.Table-toppers Otago were handed a surprise defeat by Canterbury in a high-scoring encounter at the University Oval in Dunedin. After winning the toss, Otago got off to a roaring start as openers Hamish Rutherford and Brendon McCullum punishing the new ball. 63 runs had come in 39 balls when Rutherford departed to Carl Frauenstein’s medium-pace. McCullum kept the intensity up, smashing five sixes and four fours in his 44-ball 64, before Andrew Ellis, who had gone for plenty early on, came back to dismiss in. There was however no respite for Canterbury as Craig Cumming carried on the blitz, hitting a 29-ball 53 to ensure a strong finish. When Nathan McCullum launched the last ball of the innings for a six, his side ended with a steep score of 185.Canterbury’s reply got into early trouble, when Rob Nicol succumbed in the third over to Yasir Arafat. Peter Fulton and Michael Papps launched a platform for the chase, adding 37 in 26 balls before Neil Wagner struck for the first out of three times in the evening. Canterbury required someone to play a hand similar to Brendon McCullum, and Shanan Stewart did just that. Coming in at four, Stewart gave the innings impetus, launching three sixes and five fours in his 56 before he was fourth out in the 17th over at 148. Criag McMillan and Johann Myburgh underlined Canterbury’s batting depth, hitting four fours and two sixes, adding 40 in 15 balls to finish the game in a hurry. Despite a result that upset the formbook, the sides maintained their places at the two ends of the table.In a day of upsets, Wellington humbled Central Districts with a dominant batting display set up by their openers at the Basin Reserve. Central Disctricts will rue their decision to field, as the home openers took their attack to the cleaners. Fifty came in the fifth over as Neal Parlane shredded the attack, scoring 67 at better than two runs per ball. Cameron Merchant contributed 44 off 36, but was totally overshadowed by Parlane who had eight boundary-hits and four of them over the ropes. Jacob Oram took maximum stick, going for 54 in his four overs. Parlane was the first to go, having added 115 for the opening wicket in ten overs. Owais Shah, James Franklin and Chris Nevin chipped in with handy contributions that kept up the run rate to finish with 205.Central’s reply was stunted at the roots, with Jamie How and Ross Taylor fell in the second and third overs respectively. Peter Ingram counterattacked with an exciting 55 that brought his side roaring back into the match. Mathew Sinclair provided able support at the other end as 100 came in the ninth over. Things changed drastically in a manic passage of play triggered by Ingram’s dismissal, Mark Houghton breaching his defences. Paul Hitchcock ran through the middle order, picking 3 for 17 as four wickets fell in the space of 18 runs. Even as the innings lost its spark, light faded at the ground, and the match was called off without resumption, with Central 19 short of a winning score.

Pakistan are set to play two Twenty20 internationals against England in Dubai in February to warm up for the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies at the end of April.”We have reached an agreement to play two Twenty20 matches against England on February 19 and 20 as part of our preparations for the World Twenty20 next year,” Wasim Bari, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chief operating officer, told .Pakistan wind up their tour of Australia on February 5 while England will head to Dubai a month after their tour of South Africa concludes. The World Twenty20 will be held between April 30 and May 16.Pakistan are the defending champions and Bari said the latest development was aimed at discovering more talent. “We see the two matches as an opportunity to try and develop some new players and give more and more players the opportunity to play at the top level,” Bari said.He added that the Pakistan A team will take on England A for a series of three one-dayers in the UAE later in the year.

For a long time it appeared that the five overs Graeme Swann bowled in a one-day international against South Africa, at Bloemfontein, on the 1999-2000 tour might be the sum total of his England career. Another player picked too young, discarded back to county cricket and never picked again. But a second chance eventually came, firstly in ODIs in 2007 and then, finally, late last year in Test cricket. He hasn’t looked back.When he trapped Dale Steyn lbw to seal a crushing innings-and-98-run victory over South Africa, at Durban, it was his 54th wicket for the year, putting him second behind Australia’s Mitchell Johnson. That scalp also completed career-best match figures of 9 for 164 and sealed consecutive Man-of-the-Match awards.To think Swann was left out of England’s side at the start of the West Indies tour in February. He didn’t play in Jamaica and was again omitted for the abandoned Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Perhaps he’d impressed Andrew Strauss with his sandcastles in the underprepared outfield, because two days later at the ARG he was back in the fold, took 5 for 57, and hasn’t stopped taking wickets since.”Two man-of-the-match awards in two games, I’ll take that to finish off the year quite nicely,” he said. “Straussy left me out in Jamaica, so I thought ‘right, I’ve got to show him what a mistake he’s made here’.”It’s been magnificent for me. It started in the West Indies where, although we didn’t end up winning the series, personally for me it was a breakthrough series. Then there was the Ashes which is seven weeks that I’ll never forget. I’m certainly going to look back on 2009 with a fair bit of fondness.”Swann is one of the chirpiest cricketers around even after a tough day the field – which is why he is often wheeled out to discuss England’s less-flattering efforts – so it was no surprise that he wore a permanent smile as he sat beside Strauss. When Strauss was asked about Swann’s efforts this year he said it was difficult to discuss them with his team-mate sat beside him. Swann just put his hand on Strauss’s shoulder as if to say ‘it’s okay skip, I can take.'”He’s had a massive impact on our side in the last 12 months,” Strauss said. “He’s always been a very attacking spinner, never one that settles at going for two an over; he’s always given it a rip and bowled an attacking line. In Test cricket, with the extra pressure that batsmen are under, that can be invaluable. On the field, he’s been exceptional and he has off the field as well.”Graeme Swann collected career-best figures of 9 for 164 in the game and his second successive man-of-the-match award•PA Photos

Swann was just 21 when he was first thrown into international cricket by Duncan Fletcher and has long-since become the only member of the team still playing for England. Only two others from the XI – Vikram Solanki and Chris Read – still play first-class cricket and are unlikely to get another chance.”I don’t think he’s changed a huge amount in that time,” Strauss said. “That was very early in his career, and he was picked probably before he knew his game 100%. Now, he knows how to bowl people out and he’s a very clever spin bowler and his batting has been a massive plus for us as well.”As an opposition captain, there’s nothing worse than a guy who really has no fear of getting out and plays outrageous shots. It’s hard to stop that. He’s more mature, but he still hasn’t lost that sense of enthusiasm and fun which is important.”Swann’s form has been the key reason why England’s four-man attack policy has worked because he has been able to wheel away at one end, while also playing an attacking role. His latest success, which follows 5 for 110 in the first innings at Centurion, came on a day where Test cricket showed offspin is still very much alive.Over in Melbourne, a few hours before Swann finished off South Africa, Nathan Hauritz claimed his maiden first-class five-for as he took 5 for 101 to help Australia to victory against Pakistan. Despite the development of the doosra and carom-ball, Swann was confident the conventional style of his art still had a future.”Deep down, yes I did,” he said. “But I’m quite shy and retiring, never one to voice my opinions. The game goes in circles. In three or four years’ time, we’ll be completely out of vogue again so I’ll just enjoy the fairground ride while I can. It will come back round, sooner or later, that a brilliant mystery spinner will arrive and I’ll be defunct.”Swann doesn’t have to worry about becoming defunct any time soon. Shane Warne often says spinners only start coming into their prime at 30, and Swann is now that age, so there should be many years ahead. It was a long wait, but well worth it.

The ICC has confirmed that the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) will be used during South Africa’s home Test series against England next month.The use of reviews for the forthcoming series in South Africa had been uncertain because of doubts over the home board’s willingness to help fund the technology, but the ICC has now confirmed that the system will be in place.South Africa coach Mickey Arthur welcomed the use of the system. “I’m all in favour of anything which helps to reach the correct decision but, in an ideal world, that would mean having the same system in place all over the world,” he said.A review system was trialled last year, but a reluctance to cede power from the onfield officials meant that the third umpire was prevented from using all the available technology, and this fudged process led to a series of notable mishaps – not least during the first Test in Jamaica, when Ramnaresh Sarwan was reprieved by guesswork after the onfield umpire Tony Hill had given him out lbw.On the back of this experience, England were the only ICC member to vote against the adoption of reviews, preferring a system where reviews are led by umpires and not player challenges.Under the new arrangements each side will get a maximum of two unsuccessful challenges per innings, one less than when the system was trialled last year. The umpires will also have full use of the technology – Hawk-Eye, Hot Spot, pitch maps, stump microphones – to make their decision.This latest version made its international debut in the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan, and has already played a significant role, with Brendon McCullum being reprieved off the penultimate delivery of the first day’s play, when umpire Simon Taufel’s lbw decision was overturned.Dave Richardson, the ICC’s cricket operations manager, believes reviews can prompt players to adhere more closely to the spirit of the game. “Initially when we spoke we thought a possible indirect benefit might be that batsmen, when they do edge a ball, won’t hang around and will walk anyway because they will be inevitably given out in the long run and they might be shown up as, not cheats, but certainly not playing within the spirit.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outBrendon McCullum’s 131 was his second ODI century, and his first against serious opposition•Associated Press

Brendon McCullum, it is fair to say, hasn’t had the best year, or in fact the best time of it since he launched the IPL into orbit two years ago. Expectation has generally overtaken him, he has been dropped as vice-captain and questions about his suitability to opening have been asked. But an immaculately constructed 131, McCullum’s second century in 162 ODIs, led New Zealand to 303 for 8 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, and paved the way for them to level the three-match series at 1-1.There were periods of acceleration, uncertainty and consolidation in New Zealand’s innings and McCullum stood firm through it all, falling only in the 47th over, the last of the batting Powerplay. Pakistan’s chase needed a similar effort but none was forthcoming. They seemed to have a plan: the top order batted cautiously, preserved wickets and steadily built a platform for the middle and lower order to fire from. The launchpad was there – they reached 124 for 1 – but the asking-rate had risen to over seven an over, heaping pressure on the likes of Shahid Afridi. And when the time came for Pakistan’s thrust, Scott Styris nipped out three crucial wickets in two overs. The plan had failed and the exodus of fans from the venue began as early as the 28th over.The match, though, was McCullum’s. His innings was everything his many, unfulfilled contributions haven’t been. The early harassing – the shimmies down the tracks, the moving around – was there but it wasn’t until Martin Guptill arrived, that McCullum really settled in.Guptill implemented the truism that the easiest singles in cricket are found in Pakistan’s 30-yard circle. It was selfless stuff, for the real beneficiary was McCullum. Umar Gul was driven and cut, though mostly the violence was reserved for Abdul Razzaq, who, had he been actually handing out chocolates, could not have been friendlier: a short ball was pulled over square leg, before he was cut just as hard. McCullum, soon, was celebrating a fifty. Spin threatened circumspection but not for long as Guptill danced down to loft Saeed Ajmal for six in the 20th over. McCullum deposited Afridi for six over midwicket and within a trice, the century stand was up.McCullum’s real work began after a needless slog from Guptill began a mini-collapse, at the end of which three wickets had gone for not much. As in the first game, New Zealand’s huff was running out at the halfway mark and McCullum now needed to shepherd. His captain helped, for so obdurately does Daniel Vettori stick around that he could be the crease’s chalk: he gave McCullum support in a fifty-run partnership which stealthily stole momentum back.McCullum reined himself in. The singles he kept picking but neither did he forget his basic intent. A brace of drives, off pace and spin alike, were sudden, sharp reminders to Pakistan of his strength. As further wickets fell, the significance of the Powerplay grew, and when it came, so too arrived the McCullum of IPL knock.The century had come a couple of overs earlier and now the gloves were off. The McPaddle had a second coming as both Gul and Aamer suffered. He later flicked a six off his hips so pure, it made you wonder why he would try such contrived shots. Jacob Oram stole handy runs at the end and New Zealand now had their best chance to win their first ODI against Pakistan in the UAE.Pakistan’s selectors had done away with the fiery Champions Trophy opening combination of Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal, preferring stability instead. Salman Butt and Imran Nazir took few risks, despite an asking-rate of more than six from the start of the reply. Butt began by punching Kyle Mills through point for four and thereafter Pakistan hit a four in every over between the fourth and the tenth.Despite the frequency with which they found the boundary, though, Butt and Latif were unable to score rapidly, because New Zealand’s excellent in-fielding prevented the singles that were so easily available when Pakistan were bowling. Latif’s innings was ended by Vettori, who came on in the 17th over and struck immediately, trapping the opener lbw with an arm ball.Vettori and Mills bowled tidily, and with Younis Khan and Butt shunning shots, the asking-rate climbed: it was seven an over in the 20th and 7.5 by the 25th. Younis had plodded to 19 when he chipped his 37th ball – in Styris’ first over – towards midwicket. Ross Taylor leapt to his right and took the catch with one hand. The captain departed with Pakistan needing 180 off 136 balls and Afridi entered to his customary, rousing welcome from a hopeful crowd. A ball later, he was striding back, having chipped to Taylor at midwicket again for a duck. Pakistan promoted Kamran Akmal ahead of Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik, who perished while driving Styris to short cover. Pakistan had gone from 124 for 1 to 133 for 4.If the contest wasn’t over then, it certainly was when Butt and Yousuf had a moment’s misunderstanding, one which led to Butt being run out for 59 and Pakistan needing 170 off 120 balls. The platform had been shattered and the game was lost.

Former Kenya captain Ragheb Aga has been recalled to the Kenyan squad, replacing opener Seren Waters for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.The 25-year-old Sussex fast bowler, who captained the national side for two months – in October and November 2004 – has joined the touring side in Nairobi for training practice ahead of Monday’s departure to Harare, Kenya Cricket officials said today.Waters, who scored his maiden century during Kenya’s 247-run victory against Canada in Toronto in August this year, is unavailable as he has just started at Durham University. The 19-year-old right-hander, who has British and Kenyan nationality, was also awarded an emerging player contract to play for Surrey after winning the Second XI Championship title in September.Kenya, who are currently second in the Intercontinental Cup, will take on Zimbabwe at the Kwekwe Sports Club from October 7-10, as part of a fixture in the same tournament. They will also play five ODIs at the Harare Sports Club.The Zimbabwe series will prove to a big test for new Kenya coach Eldine Baptiste, the former West Indies allrounder, who took charge three weeks ago.Zimbabwe, who are fielding their ‘A’ team led by former Test captain Tatenda Taibu in the Intercontinental Cup, have a 25-point lead over Kenya in the ODI rankings.