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Match facts

March 25-29, 2017
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)4:30

Chappell: One of the best series since 2005 Ashes

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In a series that has hit plenty of heights, the mountaintop locale of Dharamsala seems as fitting a place as any for the fate of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be decided. India’s players, and doubtless a few on the other side, probably expected the fourth Test to be a festive occasion, completing a marathon home international season with the completion of a comfortable series win over Australia against the most picturesque background possible. But as the former BCCI president Anurag Thakur found out when the match was first scheduled at the ground of his home association, things don’t always go to plan.Instead Dharamsala plays host to a match that will be anything but valedictory. Australia have fought India all the way through the series, having started with a stunning upset in Pune, and now find themselves needing only a draw to go home with the trophy. India, by contrast, have had to dig particularly deep to avoid defeat, first getting decidedly pugilistic in Bengaluru, then relying heavily on the serene Cheteshwar Pujara to forge ahead of the contest in Ranchi. Even so, Steven Smith’s team refused to buckle under last-day pressure, allowing them to travel to Dharamsala with confidence they can handle just about any situation.There remain questions for both sides to answer. Virat Kohli’s sore shoulder is yet another obstacle for him in a series where the Australians have kept him exceptionally quiet in terms of runs if not words. Quite apart from the physical infirmity, Kohli must find a way to escape the funk he has entered when coming out to bat all series, either attacking too soon as in Pune or finding himself starved into error as in Bengaluru or Ranchi. Equally, Australia’s vice-captain David Warner reaches Dharamsala having not yet made an impression on India’s bowlers; the helmsman of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 2016 IPL title has far more to offer, and in the series’ decisive match he will be straining to prove it.Among the bowlers, the physical strain of back-to-back matches at the end of a long season will loom large. Neither R Ashwin nor Nathan Lyon had as much impact as expected in Ranchi, and only partly because they missed the footmarks provided by the injured Mitchell Starc. Australia’s concern about Pat Cummins’ ability to cope with his workload in the third Test was underlined by precautionary scans on his back that showed no damage done. India have extra pace options in reserve, depending on how the pitch and conditions reveal themselves on match day.In a crucible of this kind, there may of course be further flashpoints between the two opposing sides. The joking observation of Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland – in a radio interview this week – that he’s not sure Kohli “knows how to spell” the word sorry was an unexpected quarter from which to stir things up once more. But as this series has shown and Dharamsala will doubtless confirm, expectation is always a chance of being confounded.If Virat Kohli plays, he will still need to find a way to score runs this series•AFP

Form guide

India: DWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: DLWWW

In the spotlight

By playing the longest innings ever by an Indian Test batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara made himself Australia’s No. 1 wicket-taking priority in the final Test. The tourists have enormous respect for Pujara’s concentration and shot selection, but also feel that a little extra bounce could be the way to defeat him. As Josh Hazlewood put it: “Any sort of bounce is an added bonus for the quicks against most of their batters, and probably him in particular. But he’s got a great temperament and I guess you’ve just got to try and get under his skin somehow, but he just loves batting and loves batting a long time. He’s definitely a key wicket for us.”By David Warner’s logic, the wheel of his overseas under-performance is bound to turn soon. This series he has hinted at taking control of a match on several occasions, whether the first morning of the series, or the start of the second-innings chase in Bengaluru. But there has also been a sense that India’s bowlers know how to find a way past him, so long as they stay patient. Every other member of Australia’s top six has made a major contribution at least once in this series; Dharamsala could be Warner’s turn.

Team news

Kohli will undergo a fitness test on Friday night or Saturday morning to determine whether he is able to play. If he is ruled out, Iyer is likely to slot into the middle order to make his Test debut, and Ajinkya Rahane will captain the side. M Vijay may also be a doubtful starter – he did not train on Friday, and had missed the Bengaluru Test with a shoulder injury. If either or both miss out, India are unlikely to tamper with their six batsmen + keeper + four bowler combination, given the loss of so much experience from their batting line-up.India still seem unsure whether Mohammed Shami is fit enough to last five days, so if there is any change in their bowling attack, it is likely to be the inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in potentially swing-friendly conditions, possibly at Ishant Sharma’s expense.India: 1 M Vijay/Abhinav Mukund, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt)/Shreyas Iyer, 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Karun Nair, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 9 Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh YadavPat Cummins has been cleared of any back trouble after his return to Test matches in Ranchi, so the likelihood is for an unchanged Australian side after Glenn Maxwell’s first-innings century at No. 6.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Steve O’Keefe, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.Expectations are that the Dharamsala pitch will have help for all disciplines•AFP

Pitch and conditions

Dharamsala’s location and altitude have tended to offer some help to pace bowlers in the past, though during last year’s World Twenty20 the pitch was slow and assisting spin. The surface has a thin film of green grass that is expected to be shaved off by match morning and some help for spin can be expected.Kohli expected it to offer “good bounce for the spinners” and “good pace off the wicket for the quicks”. Dharamsala should have pleasant weather through the Test, with maximum temperatures in the low-to-mid-20s, with forecasts of rain towards the second half of the match.

Stats and trivia

• Australia are seeking their first series win in India since 2004
• Dharamsala will become the 27th Test venue in India
• Should he play, Kohli will need 89 runs to avoid completing his least productive Test series as a batsman – previously 134 runs at 13.40 in England in 2014

Quotes

“I’m focused on what we can control, and that’s playing each ball one at a time and concentrating on the processes of what we need to do in the middle and doing them for just a little bit longer than we have perhaps in the last two Tests. It’s a really exciting time for this team to be involved in this game.”
“I think the series is beautifully placed and everyone’s really excited for the Test match, both sides and people watching as well. It’s been a very, very exciting series of ups and downs, [a] roller-coaster ride. I hope it finishes really well and people get to see some really good cricket here as well.” 

South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been taken for a scan on his right index finger, which he hurt during the Wellington Test.De Kock injured himself in the field and South Africa will wait for results of the scan before making any calls on his availability for the Hamilton Test. De Kock was not present at the start of Wednesday’s training session but was set to join the squad later.South Africa have a reserve gloveman in their squad, the Titans wickektkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who is yet to make his international debut.New Zealand also have an injury concern ahead of the third Test, with fast bowler Trent Boult recovering from an upper leg injury. Boult has bowled lightly for the last two days but New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watlingt said Boult was not yet 100% fit and a call on his availability would be taken later in the week.The third Test begins at Seddon Park on Saturday.

Mustafizur Rahman’s opinion was taken into consideration while deciding to omit him from the squad for the one-off Test against India, according to Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim also agreed leaving the fast bowler out was a “wise decision” when he not 100% fit to return to five-day cricket.Mustafizur injured his shoulder while bowling for Sussex in the English T20 tournament last July, and underwent surgery for it in August. He returned against New Zealand in December, in the limited-overs series, taking four wickets in two ODIs and only a single wicket in two T20 matches. He also had hamstring trouble during the tour, and was said to be underprepared to throw from the outfield.Hathurusingha said his pace dropped dramatically in New Zealand, a sign that he still needed time to recover fully from his surgery. “You can’t do anything about it because he has had a major operation,” he said. “It will take time for him to come back. He is in the process of coming back. When he bowled in New Zealand, he was 120-128kph but he has usually bowls at 140kph. It will take time for him to get into full fitness. We are planning [to have him ready] for the Sri Lanka tour [that follows the India Test].”It’s a different thing when you are under pressure in the middle to bowl. We have to go by the player and how he feels because medically we can’t find anything. We have to go by his word. Most players, when they get injured, are a bit reluctant; even if you break a leg once, you feel it will take time. We have to give him more time.”Mushfiqur said making sure Mustafizur was fit in the long term was more important, and so they did not want to rush him. “We want a fit Mustafiz to play for us for a long time, not as though he will just play one Test and be done with. It’s difficult for any player to play a five-day match right after operation. I don’t remember when he last bowled 10 to 15 overs in the nets.”So no matter how good a player is, if he can’t bowl in full strength against the No. 1 team, then there is no point. So this is a wise decision. Our target is to get the best possible out of Mustafiz.”Bangladesh has a long season ahead with tours to Sri Lanka (all three formats), Ireland (ODI tri-nation), England (Champions Trophy) and South Africa (all three formats), as well as scheduled visits by Australia and Pakistan in July and August.Mushfiqur said it was important to let Mustafizur recover to the point where he was comfortable playing Test cricket again. “We all want Mustafizur to play all three formats always but at the same time, he returned from injury and although everyone says he is fit, but only a player can say what his problem is,” he said. “I always want him in the Test team, but we have to keep in mind that we have the Sri Lanka series, Champions Trophy and Pakistan series coming up.”

Fast bowler Ebadot Hossain is likely to miss the Bangladesh preparatory squad’s training camp in Australia next month after he was diagnosed with a side strain. A replacement has not yet been named.Ebadot had sustained the injury during a training session on October 23, soon after he returned to Dhaka from the practice match against England in Chittagong. “He has a grade two tear for which it can take three to four weeks to recover,” team physio Bayjidul Islam said.Ebadot was a surprise pick in the 22-man squad announced on Friday, especially with Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain being ignored for the Australia camp.Ebadot works for Bangladesh Air Force, for whom he played volleyball before winning a pace-bowling hunt earlier this year. He was picked in the BCB’s high performance programme in which he impressed former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed, who was a consultant with the BCB, before making his first-class debut for Sylhet Division.The Bangladesh squad will depart for Sydney in two batches on December 9 and 10 for a ten-day camp before heading to New Zealand to play three ODIs, three T20s and two Tests.

D Siva Kumar took his sixth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket to help Andhra gain a 150-run first-innings lead over Haryana at the Wankhede Stadium. Having bowled Haryana out for 103, Andhra lost three second-innings wickets in extending their lead to 245, with Hanuma Vihari and KR Sreekanth putting on 61 for the third wicket before the latter fell an over from stumps.Resuming on 217 for 6 in their first innings, Andhra lost their last four wickets in just 10.3 overs, for the addition of 36 runs, as the legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal finished with figures of 5 for 81. Haryana’s response lasted only 45.3 overs, with only the debutant opener Virender Dahiya and No. 6 Shubham Rohilla passing 20 as Siva Kumar ran through their line-up.Kerala chipped away at Chhattisgarh‘s line-up to move towards a narrow first-innings lead in Jamshedpur. Replying to Kerala’s 207, Chhattisgarh went to stumps 179 for 9, having scored their runs at less than two an over as spinners Karaparambil Monish, Jalaj Saxena and Iqbal Abdulla ended the day with combined figures of 63-19-110-8.Five Chhattisgarh batsmen got to 20, but none of them carried on as far as 40, with Sumit Ruikar, batting on 21 at stumps, key to their chances of taking the lead. Earlier in the day, Ruikar had taken Kerala’s last two wickets with his left-arm spin to finish with figures of 5 for 50. Kerala, resuming on 194 for 8, only managed to add 13 to their total.Overnight centurion Rahul Singh stretched his score to 182 as Services posted 477 in their first innings against Jammu & Kashmir. Parvez Rasool chipped away at the wickets to finish with figures of 48.5-11-117-5, his eighth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and his second of the season, as Services added 190 to their overnight total of 287 for 3. Rahul was seventh out for a 276-ball 182, with 21 fours, before the last three wickets added 54 between them. In reply, J&K were 96 for 1, with Shubham Khajuria batting on 34 and Ian Dev Singh on 30.Tripura moved towards a useful first-innings lead as Goa, replying to 283, went to stumps 220 for 8 in Bhubaneswar. Opener Swapnil Asnodkar scored 57 and added 71 for the third wicket with Snehal Kauthankar to move Goa to a strong 137 for 2 before Tripura struck back with six wickets for 83 runs to hold a clear edge at stumps. Left-arm spinner Gurinder Singh was Tripura’s most successful bowler with figures of 3 for 40, while seamers Manisankar Murasingh and Bunti Roy took two wickets each.

ScorecardBen Cox bolstered Worcestershire’s total•Getty Images

Sussex seamer Steve Magoffin reached 50 wickets for the fifth successive season before Worcestershire fought back on an entertaining first day at Hove.Both sides are eyeing runners-up prize money in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship and when Sussex took four wickets in 22 balls in the afternoon to leave Worcestershire on 178 for 7 they looked to have stolen a march on their rivals.But skipper Ben Cox led an excellent counter-attack by Worcestershire’s lower order which saw 128 runs scored in 24 overs for the last three wickets with Cox last man out for an excellent 69 in a total of 306.They then made inroads into a frail Sussex line-up which, in the absence of the injured Ed Joyce and Luke Wells, contained just four specialist batsmen, three of whom are uncapped.Miguel Cummins removed two of them – Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Craig Cachopa – for ducks and then had nightwatchman Ollie Robinson leg before in the final over of the day. Chris Nash was trapped on the crease by Joe Leach as Sussex stumbled to 50 for 4 at stumps to trail by 256.Magoffin’s enduring excellence was one of the highlights as the Australian finished with 5 for 38 in 19 overs to take his tally for the season to 54.His landmark 50th victim Tom Fell was claimed in only his third over when Fell was leg before for a duck playing across a straight one.Worcestershire had already lost Brett D’Oliveira to a catch at slip in Chris Jordan’s first over but from 11 for 2 skipper Daryl Mitchell and Joe Clarke fought back against Sussex’s five-man seam attack in a stand of 97 either side of lunch.Jordan made the breakthrough after lunch when Clarke flashed fatally outside off stump but Mitchell and George Rhodes added 57 for the fourth wicket before Worcestershire collapsed.Mitchell was caught behind trying to dab Magoffin through the off side and in the next over Tom Kohler-Cadmore endured his third successive Championship duck when he offered no shot to an arm ball from left-arm spinner Danny Briggs.Magoffin then struck twice in successive overs as Rhodes gloved a lifter and Leach was taken low down at slip before Cox led the recovery.With Ed Barnard giving him solid support, they plundered 48 in six overs after tea with Cox striking Briggs for three sixes down the ground. After adding 75 in 15 overs, Barnard was held on the mid-wicket boundary but Cummins muscled 25 off 20 balls including an outrageous flat-batted six back over the head of bowler Jofra Archer.Magoffin was belatedly brought back into the attack and completed his fifth five-for of the season with the second ball of his spell when he bowled Cummins. Cox was last out for 69 from 87 deliveries, which also included nine fours, when he was well caught by the diving Archer at mid-on two deliveries after David Wiese had taken the second new ball.

He has been an international cricketer for barely nine months, and has only played as many ODIs, but great expectations are already being thrust upon Kusal Mendis. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has labeled Mendis “the future” of the national side.”He’s going to be a big player for us,” Mathews said of Mendis, who scored his second consecutive half-century in Wednesday’s 82-run win over Australia. “He’s going to be the future of our batting. If he keeps going like this he will do wonders for the Sri Lanka team and I wish him all the very best. It was a fantastic knock today.”Mendis’ half-century in the second ODI at Khettarama was the quickest of Sri Lanka’s three fifties, despite Sri Lanka having lost both openers cheaply. It was also his fifth fifty in his nine ODIs so far – one having come in Dublin, two in England, and now two at home against Australia.Mendis was particularly good at the end of the Powerplay, as Australia attempted to sneak in an over from one of their part-timers. Travis Head saw Mendis hit the first two balls of his spell for four, before the batsman struck two more boundaries and a three to complete 19 runs off the bat in that 10th over.Mendis’ early attack on Head created problems for Steven Smith, who resorted to bowling Aaron Finch, partly because Head was proving expensive in conceding 41 from four overs. Mathews said there had been no particular plan to score quickly off Head, and gave a glowing appraisal of Mendis’ approach.”He’s just very positive,” Mathews said. “Especially after losing a couple of wickets in quick succession, the way he went out there and the way he batted was brilliant. Not too many people do that – you take a bit of time and settle in and take a look at the wicket. But he’s just going out there and playing with a lot of freedom. He’s just a different kind of player.”Mendis is just one of several young players who have produced encouraging performances during the Australia tour. The latest to impress is 23-year-old left-arm spinner Amila Aponso, who took 1 for 27 in his first ODI on Sunday, and claimed the game’s best figures of 4 for 18 in Wednesday’s second ODI.”Not all the spinners bowled very well out there, apart from Amila Aponso – in the first game as well as this game,” Mathews said. “He’s bowled in these two matches like he’s played internationals for a long time. He’s just landing it on the spot and keeping it pretty simple – just bowling it there and letting the ball do the rest. He’s been turning a few and sliding a few. It’s been extremely difficult for the batters.”More experienced players also contributed to the 82-run victory as Mathews scored 57 and claimed two wickets while Thisara Perera took 3 for 33. Also in the runs again was Dinesh Chandimal, who narrowly missed out on the Sri Lankan record for most ODI fifties on the trot, when he was given out on review for 48 to end the streak at six half-centuries.”Chandimal’s been tremendous for us in the Test series and also in England,” Mathews said. “He’s matured. He’s also playing with a lot of responsibility – as a senior. He’s anchoring the innings and that’s what we want from him. Him batting at No. 4, we want him to bat until the 46th over, so that guys like Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka can go out there and play with a lot of freedom. In our batting line up myself and Chandimal have to take the responsibility to let the youngsters play with freedom.”With young players now winning matches for Sri Lanka, it is the oldest man in the ODI side that has now been placed under pressure. Tillakaratne Dilshan, 39, collected scores of 22 and 10 in the first two games, and the selectors now may consider dropping him in order to make way for players who could conceivably play in the 2019 World Cup. However, Mathews defended Dilshan’s recent performances.”No matter how experienced you are, it doesn’t mean you will play well all the time,” Mathews said. “You can get unlucky and get out. I got out cheaply in the last game as well. Though Dilshan failed in this match, others played well and won it. We trust that he will play well in the future.”

A five-wicket win for Surrey in a rain-affected game against Middlesex at Lord’s completed the quarter-final line-up of the Royal London Cup. Surrey, last year’s beaten finalists, sneaked above their London rivals into fourth place in the South Group, securing a last-eight trip to face North Group winners Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Royal London Cup QFs

• Somerset v Worcestershire, Taunton, August 17, 11am

• Warwickshire v Essex, Edgbaston, August 17, 11am

• Kent v Yorkshire, Canterbury, August 18, 2pm

• Northamptonshire v Surrey, Wantage Road, August 18, 1.30pm

Confirmation that Somerset would top the South Group, setting up a quarter-final with Worcestershire at Taunton, came with the abandonment of Essex’s game at Gloucestershire earlier in the day.Essex were then left waiting on results elsewhere to see if they would go through; Kent’s victory at Sussex moved them up to second but Hampshire narrowly failed to beat Somerset, sending Essex to play Warwickshire in the last eight and turning the match at Lord’s into a straight knockout.Kent will host Yorkshire in their quarter-final. Yorkshire had gone into the final round of North Group games on Monday hoping to secure a home fixture but a heavy defeat to Warwickshire at Headingley saw them slip to third.The first two quarter-finals, at Taunton and Edgbaston, will be day games played on August 17; the games at Wantage Road and Canterbury will start in the afternoon on August 18. The semi-final draw sees the winner of Warwickshire v Essex playing either Somerset or Worcestershire, while Kent or Yorkshire will go on to face one of Northants or Surrey, with the ties taking place on August 28-29.

Misbah-ul-Haq has admitted it was a worrying moment to see his star spinner, Yasir Shah, poleaxed in the nets when he took a blow on the shoulder on Wednesday.Yasir was sent for a precautionary scan but Misbah said he would be “okay” for a match where he is expected to have another significant impact on a ground with a history of helping spinners.He is the fulcrum of Pakistan’s attack, allowing them to operate with four frontline bowlers. The one Test he has missed since his debut was against England in Abu Dhabi last year, after he suffered a back spasm. England were able to score 598 for 9 and almost stole a victory on the final day. Yasir may not have made a major difference on what was a dead pitch for four days and two sessions, but Pakistan’s attack was far less daunting without him.Since Yasir returned, Pakistan have won three consecutive Tests against England – at Dubai, Sharjah and Lord’s – during which he has taken 25 wickets.Seven of the last 12 five-wicket hauls in Tests at Old Trafford have been taken by spinners and although that period overlaps the rotation of the square the surface has retained his characteristics of offering bounce and turn.However, even buoyed by their success at Lord’s, Misbah was eager to stress how the players start with a blank sheet of paper in this match, despite Yasir riding on the crest of a wave following his 10-wicket haul which propelled him to No. 1 in the world.”It doesn’t matter which ground we play on,” Misbah said. “If a bowler is really good he can produce results anywhere. He bowled beautifully at Lord’s but everyone will need to bowl well again, not just Yasir. All four need to step up.”How England respond to the challenge posed by Yasir has been a recurring theme and their performance at Lord’s, especially in the first innings when they were well placed to compete with Pakistan’s 339, revived memories of collapses inspired by Shane Warne, which came more from within the mind of the batsmen than the actual threat posed by the surface.But saying that Misbah is outwardly calm is an understatement so it was hardly surprising that he was not shouting from the rooftops about a repeat performance in Manchester and instead was preparing for a better showing from England’s batsmen”It’s all about how you apply yourself, overcome mistakes of previous Test. Every game is new, wicket different, you have to adjust and that could sometimes be a challenge when you’re a little bit down and short on confidence, but international players can do that. We have to be ready for that. If they play Yasir well we should have other plans.”Yasir Shah did not look in discomfort when bowling in the middle at Old Trafford•Getty Images

While there are many reasons for Pakistan to be a content, confident side going into the second Test they may want to look with caution at the example of India in 2014 when they won at Lord’s only to fold in the following three Tests. The matchwinning skills in Pakistan’s first-choice attack – injuries would test their depth – mean that such a swing in fortunes is more unlikely. There is even an argument to say that in Mohammad Amir’s case, with the pressure of his comeback Test dealt with and overs under his belt, he may be better for the run out.Another key difference is that in the India series two lively surfaces at Old Trafford and The Oval played firmly into England’s hands. In this series, Pakistan’s attack is as likely to enjoy such conditions as England’s.Still, Pakistan are not without issues the main one being their opening combination of Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood. They made scores of 40, 7, 0 and 24 at Lord’s, meaning that Azhar Ali was exposed early at No. 3 and Younis Khan was at the crease inside 20 overs in both innings.Pakistan nailed their colours to the mast by playing the same batsmen in both their pre-series warm-ups and the only chance for the reserve players to have a hit will be in the two-game against Worcestershire following the second Test. Still, Masood could find himself under pressure if he does not deliver at Old Trafford with England’s seamers seemingly having his number outside off stump.”It can happen in these conditions against the new ball,” Misbah said. “Don’t be impatient, give them confidence and back them. You have got to believe they can deliver, that’s the only way.”Hafeez has now completed his 12-month suspension for a suspect action and is eligible for a re-test, which Pakistan are considering trying to fit in before the third Test at Edgbaston.”That could give us a big advantage,” Misbah said, “if we have him when the opposition have four or five left-handers.”A serious fifth-bowling option, and a spinner who turns the ball the opposite direction to Yasir. It would make an already compelling Pakistan attack look even more threatening. For now, they are managing superbly well with what they have available although they would probably appreciate Yasir not being peppered by his team-mates.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha’s contract has been extended until the 2019 World Cup. The decision was approved at a BCB board meeting on Sunday.Assistant coach Ruwan Kalpage, fielding coach Richard Halsall and fitness and conditioning coach Mario Villavarayan were also retained for another three years.Hathurusingha, who was appointed head coach in July 2014, will also hold a place on the six-man selection committee, along with Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud, who is also a BCB director, and the cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan.The proposal to expand the selection committee was put forward last month and ratified by the BCB on Sunday. This means Bangladesh’s national squads will be picked by a six-member panel, which would include three selectors, two board officials and the head coach.”We have only legalised the current process,” Hassan said of the change. “The cricket operations committee chairman will call the meeting with the selectors, coach and manager. The coach will give his strategic input, if he has any. The manager will give his and the captain’s input.”Former Bangladesh batsman and junior selector Sajjad Ahmed was promoted to the three-man panel under Faruque. He replaced former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, who has been put in charge of picking Bangladesh’s women’s teams. Minhajul Abedin retained his place as senior selector on the panel.Former Bangladesh players Hannan Sarkar and Hasibul Hossain have also been made junior selectors.Another outcome of Sunday’s board meeting was the reinstatement of Bangladesh fast bowler Rubel Hossain’s central contract. He had been omitted from the National Player Contract list in February 2016 due to a disciplinary breach. Simon Helmot, who was named BCB’s High Performance coach a week ago, has been retained until 2019.The BCB are also in the midst of preparing a response to the two-tier Test proposal, although discussion on that matter was not entertained at Sunday’s meeting.”I stopped the CEO when he was giving a presentation on the two-tier system because the discussion itself is now at an early stage,” BCB president Hassan said. “It was only discussed at the CEC [Cricket Executives Commitee] level in the ICC.”