Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has tested positive for COVID-19 again, confirmed sources close to his family.

Mashrafe had tested positive for the virus on June 20. He has been getting treatment at his home in Dhaka since then. He never complained about his health condition.

The former captain gave his sample for test again on June 30 and he tested positive. However, his health condition is stable.

Also read: Mashrafe infected with coronavirus

Mashrafe will take another test after a few days, confirmed sources.

After Mashrafe was tested positive, his younger brother, Morsalin Bin Mortaza, was also tested positive. He, however, is also doing well.

Not only Mashrafe, but also Nazmul Islam Apu, Nafis Iqbal had also been tested positive, but the latter duo has been tested negative last week.

Due to coronavirus, all cricketing activities are on hold in Bangladesh since mid-March. BCB, however, is planning to resume cricketing activities from the last of July or early August.

Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), said starting domestic cricket is the first priority of the board in the post-COVID-19 era.

In a recent media release, BCB said they have prepared all the major cricketing venues so the cricketers can start preparation. However, the board is yet to give permission to start training.

“We're thinking to resume cricketing activities at the end of July or early August. If the coronavirus situation improves, there's a chance to resume training. We've prepared all the major venues of the country keeping this in mind,” Minhajul told the media.

“We can’t start international cricket right away after the COVID-19 situations. We've to play plenty of domestic cricket before going to play cricket on a bigger stage. So we are planning to start domestic cricket first,” he added.

Read Also: BCB to look to government for instruction regarding SL tour

The last cricket match in Bangladesh took place on March 16 in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. Since then, all cricketing activities are on hold.

Bangladesh played their last international match on March 11 this year against Zimbabwe. Since then, Bangladesh’s 14 international matches were postponed due to the pandemic, that includes six Tests (three against Sri Lanka, two against Australia, one against Pakistan), four ODIs (three against Ireland, one against Pakistan) and four T20Is (all against Ireland).

While BCB is trying to resume cricketing activities in the country, international cricket is also around the corner to resume as Pakistan will take on the Netherlands in the maiden ODI of the tri-nation series, that also includes England, on July 4 at Amstelveen.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday said they have prepared all major cricketing venues of the country to ensure practising facilities of the cricketers.

They also said more than a hundred groundsmen have been working hard to prepare these venues for the players.

Due to coronavirus, all cricketing activities are on hold in Bangladesh since March 16 this year. All cricketers have been passing time at home doing nothing. Top players have fitness training facilities at their home. But most cricketers depend on the practising facilities of the board.

“As part of the BCB’s continuing efforts at facilitating its exit strategy following the disruption to programmes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, major international and first-class venues such as the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Dhaka, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) in Sylhet, Khan Shahaeb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOAS) in Fatullah, Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium (SKICS) in Cox’s Bazar, Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium (SANS) in Khulna, Shahid Chandu Stadium (SCS) in Bogra and Shahid Kamaruzzaman Stadium (SKS) in Rajshahi have been undergoing constant maintenance,” a recent BCB media release reads.

The groundsmen are following hygiene and safety standards as per the COVID-19 guideline of the board. BCB said, despite the challenges of ensuring adequate workforce during coronavirus, a sufficient number of cleaners have been assigned at the BCB facilities.

“Over 100 groundsmen and venue personnel have remained active with pitch, outfield and facilities maintenance at the stadiums which is an ongoing process. Regular work includes watering, trimming and cutting of the grass, administering fertilisers and insecticides, top dressing, planting of Bermuda grass, removal of weed, rolling and sand filling. In addition, checking and servicing of ground equipment and machinery is mandatory at all stadiums. Technicians for power supply and water substations are also on duty,” BCB release also reads.

Nizam Uddin Chowdury, the BCB CEO, said the board is eagerly waiting to see the cricket is backed to the field, and to ensure that, they are have been working hard.

“We are very mindful of the fact that we have to get our cricketers back on the field sooner rather than later. The process of resumption should start with training and for that, we have kept our grounds and practice facilities fully prepared and functional,” he said in the media release.

While BCB is trying to secure players’ return to the field, international cricket is also around the corner to resume as Pakistan will take on the Netherlands in the maiden ODI of the tri-nation series, that also includes England, on July 4 at Amstelveen.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF)  reappointed  Paul Smalley of England as the national Technical Director for two years on Wednesday (June 1)  for its technical department.

His tenure will start in the middle of August like the two other Englishmen -- national football team head coach Jamie Day and assistant coach Stuart Watkiss.

Paul Smalley was reappointed for the post as per the recommendation of BFF technical committee and as well as the written consent of majority BFF members.

Of the 21 member BFF Executive Committee, 15 members gave their consent in favour of Paul, four opposed his candidature and the rest two were refrained from giving their consent.

Paul Smalley left the BFF job on October 20 last year after completion of his three-year contract as the Federation  didn’t extend his contract due to his demand of a higher salary.

Smalley, who had later joined The National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam after BFF, but was keen to return to his old workplace in Bangladesh.

"I am excited to be given the opportunity to join the Federation again as I really enjoyed my time previously. The president rekindled my desire by a passionate vision and plan to continue the development of football in Bangladesh" .Paul Smalley was quoted in a BFF media release.

BFF president Kazi Salahuddin also welcomed his return.

"We are excited and pleased to have Paul back with the Federation. Paul is an experienced and modern technical director and enjoyed a successful time previously with us."said BFF boss Kazi Salahuddin.

During his previous tenure, Smalley mostly worked with the women’s age-group teams and conducted some coaching courses but failed to make any notable contribution to the national team.

Imran Khwaja was made interim chairman of the International Cricket Council  on Wednesday until fresh elections for the post is held.

The decision was taken by the ICC Board on Wednesday after incumbent chairman Shashank Manohar of India stepped down from the post after completing his two terms.

Khwaja, who is a former president of the Singapore Cricket Association, was elected as ICC's deputy chairman in 2017, a year after Manohar became the global cricket body's inaugural independent chairman, said a ESPN.Cricinfo report

The deputy chairman's position was part of the new ICC constitution which came into effect from 2017. That constitution was drafted by a five-person working group which included Khwaja.

A lawyer by profession, Khwaja, 64, has been an ever-present but little-heard figure - publicly at least.

He remains, however, a powerful voice on the ICC Board and is part of a number of influential committees. Currently, the committees Khwaja sits on include the Finance & Commercial Affairs, Nominations, Development (chair) and Membership.

It was Khwaja who played a significant role in convincing Manohar to continue as ICC chairman in 2017 after the former BCCI president had opted to step down even before finishing a year in the post. Although he is the chairman of Associates, Khwaja has had a say in significant reforms the ICC carried out under Manohar's leadership, including the overhaul of the governance structure, the finance model and creating a democratic structure at the ICC board where even the smaller countries have had a say.

In the media release on Wednesday(June 1) the ICC said that the Board would finalise the nomination process to elect Manohar's full-time successor "within the next week".

Normally the new chair would have been installed at the ICC's annual conference, which this year is believed to have been postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the annual general meeting will still take place virtually.

Khwaja, along with the outgoing ECB chairman Colin Grave, has been talked about as the frontrunner to replace Manohar on a full-time basis, although neither has made their desire to contest public.

Also in the reckoning could be BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who became eligible after he participated in his first ICC Board meeting this March. A fellow ICC Director said that Ganguly brought good cricketing arguments to the Board which has traditionally been populated by administrators who have not played the game.

The BCCI has been actively looking for support for Ganguly, although the former India captain has not made his intention known either in public or within BCCI circles.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, now director of cricket at Cricket South Africa, said global cricket needed a "strong leadership" which Ganguly was "best positioned" to provide.

Hours after Smith made his comments, CSA president Chris Nenzani said the South African board did not want to "anticipate any candidates to be nominated" until the process was finalised.

Over the last couple of months, a number of board heads have had their name attached to the chairmanship, though none have said anything of their intentions publicly and the process for how they are elected has not even been finalised.

The latest hat in the ring has been thrown by Dave Cameron, former president of Cricket West Indies (CWI). Cameron, who lost the CWI presidency to Ricky Skerritt in 2019, has been recommended by the United States Cricket Hall of Fame. Cameron has been lobbying for support in the Caribbean and has at least one backer in Conde Riley, the president of Barbados Cricket Association, who also sits on the CWI Board. Kishore Shallow, the CWI vice-president, said that he would not support Cameron, but said that was his personal decision, and a final decision would be taken by Skerritt.

The ICC last held elections for the chairman's position in 2016, when Manohar was elected through a secret ballot.

In 2018, Manohar retained his position for a second term having been elected unopposed as the sole candidate. To be eligible, the candidate needs to be either a present or past ICC Director - one who attends at least one ICC Board meeting - and has to be nominated by one current ICC Director. Nominees with the support of two or more Directors are eligible to contest an election