Tamim's maiden ton charges Bangladesh to series win

Tamim Iqbal's 129 was the second-highest ODI score by a Bangladesh batsman...

Tamim Iqbal's maiden ODI century allowed Bangladesh to complete a clean sweep against Ireland. Tamim's 129, the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi in ODIs, was complemented by breezy knocks from opener Shariar Nafees and Mahmudullah as the hosts galloped to 293. For Ireland, Niall O'Brien offered the lone resistance with a 73-ball 70 but it only delayed the inevitable.

Choosing to bat, Bangladesh were off to a flier with Nafees being the early aggressor, taking four fours off Kevin O'Brien's first two overs. Tamim soon cut loose as well and was given a life in the 12th over when Andre Botha shelled a return catch. Ireland pulled things back as medium-pacer Alex Cusack bowled a double-wicket maiden and Bangladesh soon found themselves at 179 for 5 after 37 overs, having slipped from 105 without loss.

With wickets tumbling at the other end, Tamim soldiered on, moving smoothly towards his century. Mahmudullah played a superb hand, clobbering 49 off 44, and the pair put on 82 from just 10.5 overs. Tamim was finally dismissed with the score at 260, after an excellent knock which featured 15 fours and a six. Mashrafe Mortaza also swung his bat around to push Bangladesh to their second-highest score in one-dayers and virtually shut Ireland out of the match.

Ireland got off to a promising start, reaching 34 in a little more than seven overs before a series of run-outs derailed the chase. William Porterfield, the opener, was the first to be dismissed, stranded by a sharp effort from Abdur Razzak before Reinhardt Strydom joined hands with Niall to provide momentum to the chase. But at 126 for 3, Strydom fell and Bangladesh tightened the noose with three more run-outs as Ireland slumped to 154 for 7.

Bangladesh v Ireland, 3rd ODI, Mirpur

Trescothick retires from international cricket

Marcus Trescothick in his pomp...

Marcus Trescothick, the England and Somerset batsman, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Having suffered from a stress-related illness since 2006 Trescothick, 32, doesn't feel able to return to the high-pressure world of international cricket.

"I have tried on numerous occasions to make it back to the international stage and it has proved a lot more difficult than I expected," he told the Somerset website. "I want to extend my playing career for as long as possible and I no longer want to put myself through the questions and demands that go with trying to return to the England team."

It cuts short his career on 76 Test matches, in which he made 5825 runs and struck 14 hundreds, including a top score of 219. He was just as valuable, if not more effective, in one-day cricket where he was able to capitalise on his natural power and timing. In 123 one-dayers, he cracked 4335 runs at 37.37 - second only to Alec Stewart as England's leading one-day run-scorer.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing for England, and I am very proud of having been selected for 76 Test matches and over 120 ODIs. It has been great privilege to represent my country and I am grateful to the game of cricket for giving me the opportunity to excel at a sport that I enjoy so much.

"My desire to play cricket is as strong as it ever was. But, due to the problems that I have experienced, travelling abroad has become extremely stressful for me. I now think that it is in the best interests of all concerned that the issue is put to rest so that the England team can concentrate on moving forward, and I can concentrate all my efforts on playing well for Somerset."

Trescothick's problems first came to light, albeit under a shroud of secrecy, in February 2006 when he pulled out of England's tour of India, days before the first Test. Weeks later, he dispelled the rumours by admitting he had been suffering from a viral infection, though doubts lingered as to whether something more sinister - or long-term - persisted.

And so it did. He pulled out of the Champions Trophy in India later that year, pledging to get himself fit for the Ashes in November, but that was a tour too far. After flying home from Australia, the news emerged that Trescothick had broken down in the dressing room with a recurrence of the stress-related illness. It was clear by this stage that any return to the international fold would not happen overnight, if at all.

Despite a promising season with Somerset in 2007, and occasional signs of encouragement - "I'm desperate to play for England again" he admitted midway through the season - he eventually publicly conceded his depressive illness to his friend and former team-mate, Iain Fletcher. It was increasingly evident that no amount of time away from the game would help cure this particular illness. When he pulled out of Somerset's pre-season tour to the UAE a few weeks ago, not even the cheeriest of optimists could deny that his England career was probably over.

Trescothick's England captain, Michael Vaughan, on tour in New Zealand, paid tribute to his former opening partner. "On behalf of all the England players, I would like to thank Marcus for his contribution to the team. He has been an outstanding player for England in both forms of the game, a pleasure to captain, and a terrific influence on our dressing room.

"This is a tough decision for any international cricketer to make," said Vaughan, "but I believe it is the right one for him and he has my full support as he now embarks on the next stage of his cricketing career. I know how much Somerset County Cricket Club means to him and I'm sure he will now be devoting all his energies to helping the club achieve further success in the future."

IPL shadow over Sri Lanka's Pakistan tour

Have the Sri Lanka and Pakistan boards bowed to pressure from the IPL?...

Pakistan's proposed series of ODIs with Sri Lanka has hit the rocks before even properly setting sail because of a probable clash of dates with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Though the PCB said it will ensure the best side available for the series - tacitly acknowledging there might be a clash - it appears likely the series will be postponed to protect the IPL, which will raise further questions about whether a window needs to be found in the international calendar for the league.

The bilateral series was hurriedly agreed upon a couple of days ago with Arjuna Ranatunga, chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), accepting an invitation from his Pakistan counterpart Nasim Ashraf in Lahore, as Pakistan rushed to fill the gaps in their calendar left by Australia's pull-out from a full tour in March-April.

Though dates were not decided, reports suggested that the series would go ahead between April 23 and May 5, after Sri Lanka complete their tour of the Caribbean. However, the IPL begins on April 18 and a number of players from both sides are involved.

The IPL has told heads of various franchises that players from both sides will be available for the tournament and has urged them to work according to plan. Franchise heads have been assured that the IPL has the cooperation of both boards, who plan to schedule the series after the IPL ends on June 1.

Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, strenuously denied the IPL had come in the way of the series, but admitted a window was yet to be found. "You will have to ask the IPL [about whether assurances had been given], because I have no knowledge of that at all," Ashraf told Cricinfo. "This is our schedule and it has nothing to do with the IPL."

But no dates for the series could be pinpointed and the April-May window was not mentioned. "In principle, SLC have accepted our invitation. The question is of finding dates," Ashraf said. "Tentatively, June is an option, but essentially sorting out dates is up to us."

Duleep Mendis, the SLC chief executive, says the board is not even aware of the series. "It was just a suggestion, I believe, from Pakistan," he told Cricinfo. "But nothing has been discussed yet, and there has been no confirmation in this regard. Officially, such a tour is not on the cards yet. We don't know anything about this tour."

Despite assurances, some franchises remain concerned at the prospect of losing out on star players, if only for a couple of weeks. Deccan Chargers, the Hyderabad IPL team who have Shahid Afridi, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa and Chamara Silva, are worried about the proposed series and hope that it will be rescheduled. But Vijay Mohan Raj, the franchise's chief executive, says they have not taken up the issue with the IPL council.

"Of course, the series would be a huge worry for us," Raj told Cricinfo. "It's not fair. We were informed clearly about who would be available during the first auction, and we bought our players depending on that. This series, if it happens, will change everything. We are hoping that it is rescheduled."

When it can be rescheduled to is another matter. The only window is between June 1, when the IPL concludes, and June 24, when the Asia Cup - also to be held in Pakistan - begins. But the extreme summer temperatures in most of Pakistan during June seemingly rule out that period, unless the entire series consists of day-night matches in Karachi.

After the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka are due to host India for a series of three Tests and five ODIs, which will take them to the end of August. In September Pakistan is scheduled to host the ICC Champions Trophy.

Indian Premier League