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T20 warm-up: Bangladesh suffer a heavy defeat to Afghanistan
Batting woes continue for Bangladesh with a few days to go before their battle in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup.
On Monday, Bangladesh suffered a humiliating 62-run defeat to Afghanistan in their first of the two warm-up matches ahead of the main event.
Bangladesh top-order- Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, and Shakib Al Hasan - failed to come up with the required batting intention when they needed in a chase for 161 runs for victory.
Afif Hossain, who has been playing well in T20Is for a while, suffered the first-ball duck too.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the ‘best’ batter for Bangladesh scoring 16 off 31 balls.
In pursuit of 161 runs, Bangladesh were bundled for only 98 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs.
For Afghanistan, pace-bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi bagged three wickets. He once again proved that he is too good for Bangladeshi batters.
Earlier, Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi scored 46 and 41 respectively to propel Afghanistan to 160.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup: Only Shakib and Rohit have competed in all events to date
Right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed did well taking three wickets.
Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first in Brisbane. Hazrat Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz added only 19 runs in the opening stand.
But the number three Ibrahim came up with a steady innings and Nabi also did well to post a big total.
For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed bagged three wickets while Shakib Al Hasan and Hasan Mahmud scalped two wickets each.
As the days go by, Afghanistan are strengthening their position as an unbeatable opponent for Bangladesh in the T20 format. While Bangladesh are an ever-struggling side in this format, Afghanistan are, in contrast, a new force to offer a challenge to any country.
Bangladesh will take on South Africa in their second warm-up match on October 19.
ICC T20 World Cup: Only Shakib and Rohit have competed in all events to date
A notable number of players who took part in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup announced their retirement after the 2021 edition in the UAE. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma, who have captained their respective countries this year, participated in the 2007 tournament. Let’s take a look at both the cricketers' records in the Twenty20 format World Cup.
Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma’s records in the ICC T20 World Cup events
15 years ago, in September 2007, the inaugural ICC World T20 took place in South Africa. The ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 is the eighth edition of the competition. The veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and India’s top-order batter Rohit Sharma have taken part in every event of the competition. Interestingly, both the players have captained their respective sides in this year’s event. Here are their records in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh may play Sri Lanka, West Indies in Super 12s
Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh’s T20I captain, Shakib Al Hasan, was a newbie when he took part in his first Twenty20 World Cup in 2007. The left-hander made 67 runs and picked up 6 wickets in 5 matches in that tournament.
Shakib was initially regarded as a bowling all-rounder. He has gradually improved his batting and become a genuine all-round cricketer, which reflects his performances in later World Cup events. Overall, Shakib Al Hasan has made 31 appearances in T20 World Cup events.
He has 698 runs with an average of 26.84 and a strike rate of 124.64, which is eighth highest overall. Shakib has scalped 41 wickets, which is the highest in T20 World Cup history. He has a 17.29 average and a 6.43 economy rate with the ball.
Read: Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2022 Squad: Who’s in, who’s out?
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma played four matches in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup and won the tournament with India. The present India’s captain made 88 runs in 3 innings with a stunning 144.26 strike rate, including a half century.
Over the years, Rohit has evolved as a player and is now one of the leading run scorers in the Twenty20 internationals. Rohit’s record in the T20 World Cup tournaments has been impressive as well. He is the tournament’s 4th highest run scorer with 847. Rohit’s average in the tournament is 38.50 and he has a strike rate of 131.52.
Aftermath
Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma have come a long way since making their international debuts in the mid-2000s. They have elevated their status by consistently putting up strong performances year after year. The ongoing competition is most likely the last ICC T20 World Cup event for both players. They will therefore be even more driven to succeed in the competition.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Where to watch live in Bangladesh via TV, OTT, and apps
T20 World Cup: Ibrahim, Nabi propel Afghanistan to 160 vs Bangladesh, Taskin takes three
Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi scored 46 and 41 respectively to propel Afghanistan to 160 against Bangladesh in the warm-up match.
Right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed did well taking three wickets.
Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first in Brisbane. Hazrat Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz added only 19 runs in the opening stand.
But the number three Ibrahim came up with a steady innings and Nabi also did well to post a big total.
For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed bagged three wickets while Shakib Al Hasan and Hasan Mahmud scalped two wickets each.
After this match, Bangladesh will play their second warm-up match against South Africa on October 19 at the same venue.
T20 World Cup: Scotland steal the show, beat West Indies by 42 runs
What a start to the T20 World Cup! After Namibia defeated Sri Lanka yesterday (October 16, 2022), Scotland today (October 17, 2022) stole the show – beating West Indies by 42 runs – in Hobart.
Scotland batted first in the match after losing the toss, and riding on George Munsey’s 66 off 53 balls, they posted a big total of 160 for five. West Indies, the former T20 champions, have failed to chase it down.
The West Indies, while chasing a target of 161, tumbled for 118 all wickets in 18.3 overs. They got a good start with Kyle Mayers and Evin Lewis playing a few big shots, but the Scotland bowlers did not allow them to continue on the good run.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh may play Sri Lanka, West Indies in Super 12s
Mark Watt bagged three wickets for the Scottish conceding only 12 runs in four overs. Brad Wheal and Michael Leask scalped two wickets each to seal the game.
Jason Holder was the only West Indian batter to offer some resistance scoring 38 off 33 balls, but that was never enough to chase a tall target of 161 runs.
The way West Indies played in this match, it’s quite safe to say that it was not really “an upset”. The former champions never were in a position to challenge the total of Scotland. They rather kept losing the wickets when they needed to come up with partnerships.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Namibia stuns in opening match by beating Sri Lanka
In the last World Cup, Scotland were close to beating New Zealand, but they failed to do so. But this time, they finally beat a Test-playing nation.
T20 World Cup: Bangladesh bowl first vs Afghanistan in warm-up match
Bangladesh bowl first in their first warm-up match against Afghanistan on Monday in Brisbane.
The Tigers will play two warm-up matches ahead of the main event. While the first match is against Afghanistan, the Tigers will take on South Africa in the second on October 19 at the same venue.
Bangladesh will test their final squad in these two matches.
Ahead of the World Cup, Bangladesh played a Tri-Series in New Zealand where they lost all four matches against the hosts and Pakistan. Prior to the Tri-Seris, Bangladesh failed to do well in the Asia Cup as well.
Due to consecutive failures in the T20 format, the supporters do not expect much from the Bangladesh team in the World Cup.
Bangladesh playing XI:
Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Afif Hossain, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam.
T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh may play Sri Lanka, West Indies in Super 12s
Bangladesh was expecting at least one associate nation in their Super 12 round group, but Namibia gave a huge blow to that after beating Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the T20 World Cup 2022 opener yesterday. The Tigers now should be ready to face both Sri Lanka and West Indies, along with India, Pakistan, and South Africa in their group fixtures.
How can Sri Lanka and the West Indies end up in Group 2?
Two teams from each of the two groups in the first round will advance to the Super 12s. The winner of group A and runner-up of group B will play in the next round's Group 1. On the other hand, the winner of Group B and the runner-up of Group A will play in Group 2 of the Super 12 phase.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Namibia stuns in opening match by beating Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, Namibia, Netherlands, and UAE are battling each other to finish in the top two in the first round's Group A. The West Indies, Scotland, Zimbabwe, and Ireland are playing against each other for a spot in the next round. If Sri Lanka finishes second in group A and the West Indies finishes first in Group B in the first round, then both teams will play in Group 2 in the Super 12 phase.
Group A Scenario
The Sri Lankan team was considered the favourite to finish top of Group 1 prior to the tournament. But after a comprehensive defeat by Namibia on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s possibility of finishing top of the points table is not in their hands anymore. The Lankan side’s main priority at the moment is to win the remaining fixtures of the group and earn a place in the Super 12s.
Namibia, on the other hand, will finish top of the group if they win all of their matches. However, if they lose one match in their remaining two fixtures of this round, they could end up being second depending on how Sri Lanka performs in their other games.
The Netherlands started their campaign with a 3-wicket victory over the UAE on Sunday. They have a good chance to advance to the next round if they beat Namibia. The UAE is the weakest team in this group and will likely lose all of their fixtures. If Namibia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka all have two points each, then net run rates will decide which two teams will advance to the Super 12s.
Read: Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2022 Squad: Who’s in, who’s out?
Bangladesh’s fixtures against Sri Lanka and West Indies if they meet in the Super 12s
If Sri Lanka play in Group 2 in the Super 12s, Bangladesh will start their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a match against the Lankan side at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart, on October 24. If the West Indies play in Group 2, Bangladesh will meet them on October 30 at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Bangladesh’s remaining Super 12 round fixtures are against South Africa on October 27 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They will play against India on November 2 at the Adelaide Oval, and at the same venue, they will meet Pakistan on November 6.
Bottom Line
After a disappointing loss to Namibia, Sri Lanka has a good chance of finishing second in Group A. On the other hand, the West Indies are the hot favourites to win Group B. It would be quite concerning for Bangladesh's bid to win at least one game at the T20 World Cup 2022 if both Sri Lanka and the West Indies qualified to play in Group 2 of the Super 12.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Where to watch live in Bangladesh via TV, OTT, and apps
French league: Neymar leads PSG to win over Marseille
Neymar scored his ninth goal in the French league this season to guide Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-0 win over bitter rival Marseille in French soccer’s biggest game on Sunday.
Still unbeaten this campaign, PSG posted its ninth win in 11 league games to move three points clear of Lorient at the top of the standings. Marseille slumped to a second straight loss and dropped to fourth place, six points behind PSG.
Only Lille forward Jonathan David has scored as many goals as Neymar in the French league this season. Neymar has also delivered seven assists.
The Brazil striker broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time at the conclusion of a counterattack.
Back from injury, Lionel Messi hit the crossbar and combined well with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé throughout the game with the “MNM” combination creating many chances on the break in a lively match at the Parc des Princes.
Marseille was well organized and continued to press even after it was reduced to 10 players in the 73rd minute when Samuel Gigot was sent off for a late tackle on Neymar.
PSG could have won by a larger margin but Marseille goalkeeper Pau Lopez made eight saves to keep his team in the match.
Known as “Le Classique,” the game between PSG and Marseille became popular during the 1990s when the arrival in the French league of stars such as Rudi Voeller and George Weah ignited a strong rivalry.
But Marseille, the only French team to win the Champions League back in 1993, has fallen well behind since PSG was taken over by Qatari investors in 2011.
The southern French club is, however, enjoying a strong revival under coach Igor Tudor and hoped for its first win against PSG in two years.
The game started at a high tempo with PSG taking control immediately.
Messi tested Lopez twice, before Achraf Hakimi lost his one-on-one with the Marseille goalkeeper. Lopez was decisive again in the 19th to deny a low shot from Mbappé with a diving save to his right side.
In the 28th, Neymar found Mbappé behind the defense with the World Cup winner forcing Lopez to parry the ball away with a firm left hand.
PSG continued to push and was rewarded with a free kick on the edge of the box after Messi was brought down. The former Barcelona player took the free kick and fired onto the crossbar. Lopez did not move.
Marseille waited for openings and stuck to its game plan with a high press. It finally cracked at the stroke of halftime when Amine Harit gave the ball away in its own half. Vitinha launched a quick counterattack, with Mbappé finding Neymar at the penalty spot. The Brazil forward slotted the ball in off the post.
Marseille fought hard for an equalizer, with good efforts from Chancel Mbemba and Jonathan Clauss that were denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
NO BLANC EFFECT
Laurent Blanc could not turn Lyon’s fortunes around in his first match in charge.
The former Bordeaux and PSG coach was appointed last week as the replacement for Peter Bosz with the mission to put the seven-time champions back on track.
His arrival did not produce an immediate effect, though, and Lyon lost 3-2 at Rennes to extend its current winless run to six matches.
Lyon started the season with big ambitions, aiming for Champions League qualification, but it has won just four of 11 league matches so far.
Forward Alexandre Lacazette scored twice for Lyon, but his brace was not enough to make up for the team’s defensive frailties.
“When you concede three goals, you need to score four, it’s too much,” Blanc said. “And my players did not come back on the field focused enough after halftime, so I’m pretty upset.”
Rennes winger Martin Terrier also scored twice against his former club, taking his season’s tally to seven goals. His fine header from Adrien Truffert’s cross in the 77th minute capped his team’s sixth win of the season. Amine Gouiri scored Renne’s other goal.
The 56-year-old Blanc has been successful during his previous stints managing French clubs, winning the league title in 2009 with Bordeaux when he ended Lyon’s long reign, then three times at the helm of PSG from 2014-16.
Elsewhere, Nantes moved out of the relegation zone with a 4-1 thrashing of last-place Brest and Toulouse beat Angers 3-2. Ajaccio drew 1-1 at Troyes and Auxerre was held 1-1 at home by Nice.
Quickly reduced to 10 men against Clermont at home, Monaco broke the deadlock through a penalty converted by Breel Embolo at the half-hour mark but could not hold onto its lead. Komnen Andric leveled the scoring in the second half of the 1-1 draw.
On Saturday, second-place Lorient had missed the chance to move to the top of the league after drawing with 10-man Reims 0-0 at home.
Haaland fails to prevent Liverpool from ending City's unbeaten start
Mohamed Salah ended Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season with his second-half goal securing a 1-0 win for Liverpool against the defending Premier League champion on Sunday.
On a dramatic day at Anfield, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was sent off for furiously running out of his technical area, while City coach Pep Guardiola angrily remonstrated with the home fans after seeing Phil Foden’s goal ruled out by VAR.
Salah — who scored the fastest Champions League hat trick in history against Rangers on Wednesday — provided the decisive moment in the 76th minute after Alisson’s clever long clearance landed straight at his feet.
Racing clear, Salah swept a shot past Ederson to fire Liverpool ahead.
Just minutes earlier, the forward thought he was about to be substituted when his number was erroneously raised as Klopp prepared to make changes.
Defeat for City leaves Guardiola’s team four points behind leader Arsenal, which won 1-0 at Leeds earlier in the day.
Victory provides hope for Liverpool that it can recover from an unconvincing start to the season, which left it 13 points adrift of City before kickoff.
Despite Liverpool’s struggles so far this term, this still felt like a meeting of the Premier League’s elite after the two teams’ dominance in recent years.
That was underlined by an even first half, with both having chances to take the lead.
Andy Robertson fired Liverpool’s best chance over, while Erling Haaland forced two saves from Alisson and might have done better with at least one close range header.
The game burst into life after the interval when Salah raced through on goal and looked certain to score.
But the Egyptian’s effort went wide of the post, with replays later showing Ederson had provided a crucial touch.
That went unnoticed by the officials and City restarted the play with a goal kick, from which Foden eventually found the back of the net.
With the visiting fans rejoicing, VAR invited referee Anthony Taylor to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
Walking past a furious Guardiola, who remonstrated wildly, Taylor ruled the goal out for a foul on Fabinho in the buildup.
City’s manager was furious, repeatedly turning to the Anfield fans behind the dugout to gesticulate.
The crowd delighted in his anger and erupted shortly after when Salah fired Liverpool in front.
When Alisson collected an inaccurate free kick from Kevin de Bruyne, the goalkeeper then launched a kick downfield to perfectly pick out his teammate.
This time Salah made no mistake with his finish.
There was still time for more drama when Klopp raced out of his technical area to appeal a decision, leading to him receiving a red card.
Substitute Darwin Nunez might also have doubled Liverpool’s lead when making a mess of a late chance with only Ederson to beat.
Real Madrid show Barcelona still have a long way to go
Carlo Ancelotti learned his lesson, and Real Madrid won the "clásico" Sunday.
After an embarrassing 4-0 loss at home to Barcelona last season, the Madrid coach made sure he did not try anything different with his team this time as Madrid won 3-1 to take the lead of the Spanish league.
It also handed Barcelona another painful blow four days after the Catalan club's hopes of advancing to the Champions League all but ended.
Ancelotti had used midfielder Luka Modric in the "false nine" position in attack last season and Barcelona took advantage to rout Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
"I thought about what happened last season when I tried something different," Ancelotti said. "For this match, I did not try to come up with anything, I left the players in their positions and Modric played a spectacular match in midfield."
Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde scored first-half goals, and Rodrygo added another in second-half stoppage time as the defending champions won the first "clásico" of the season to move three points ahead of Barcelona in the league standings. The rivals had entered the match tied on points, with Barcelona ahead on goal difference.
It was Madrid's sixth win in the last seven "clásicos," with the only setback the 4-0 result the last time the teams met at the Bernabéu.
Sunday's defeat was another frustrating setback for Barcelona after they were held 3-3 by Inter Milan at home Wednesday to be virtually eliminated from the Champions League with two rounds left in its group stage.
"We had our chances, but we are going through a bad moment and nothing goes our way," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said. "We need to change this dynamic as soon as possible."
Barcelona did not advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League last season, their first without Lionel Messi, but elimination this time would be extra disappointing considering the club went on a spending spree to boost its squad with players such as Roberto Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Lewandowski, the league's leading scorer, wasted his greatest chance in the first half, missing high from near the goal line.
Barcelona dominated possession and created scoring chances, but it was Madrid who capitalised on their opportunities and took advantage of Barcelona's defensive struggles.
"We knew how to suffer when they controlled possession, but we were effective up front and scored the three goals," Modric said.
Benzema opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a shot from inside the area, off the rebound from a save by goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen in a one-on-one situation with Vinícius Júnior. It was Benzema's first goal in six matches. He also had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half.
Valverde added to the lead with a low shot from just outside the area in the 35th, with Ferran Torres getting a goal back for the visitors in the 83rd.
Substitute Rodrygo sealed the victory for Madrid by converting a penalty kick in stoppage time after being brought down inside the area.
"We are very disappointed," Barcelona defender Jules Koundé said. "We did not play a bad match but we made mistakes in transition in the first half and they took advantage."
Madrid were still without injured goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while Barcelona were also hit by injuries and Xavi had to improvise Koundé as a centre back.
It was Madrid's eighth win in nine league matches, with their only setback a 1-1 draw at home against Mallorca in the seventh round.
Barcelona, whose only draw had come in the first round against Rayo Vallecano at home, entered the match having conceded only once in eight league matches.
India hope to end long title drought at T20 World Cup
Form at the T20 World Cup has been something of an anomaly for India since it won the inaugural title in 2007.
India stages cricket's biggest and most lucrative franchise T20 competition, which regularly features the biggest stars of the international game and homegrown stars such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The national team boasts some of the finest batters and bowlers in both spin and pace departments, and all-rounders who can make a difference.
Yet India have not won the T20 world title since the very first in South Africa and have only reached the final once in the six subsequent editions.
Even last year, as host, India did not make it out of the group stage in a surprising run that included losses to arch-rival Pakistan and eventual finalist New Zealand.
For context, though, rules in place for the Covid-19 pandemic meant India was host in name and funding only, with all matches played in the United Arab Emirates or Oman.
So Rohit's so-called Men in Blue are desperate to turn things around in Australia.
Group
After unofficial warm-ups against Australia on Monday and New Zealand on Wednesday in Brisbane, India's campaign will start with a blockbuster against Pakistan on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is sold out. They will then play Bangladesh and South Africa, as well as two qualifiers from the first round.
India have been acclimatising in Western Australia, where they had a win and a loss in practice matches against a West Australian XI.
Regroup
Following last year's T20 World Cup embarrassment in the UAE, India made some changes to the composition of the team and coaching staff.
Rohit Sharma now leads the team following Virat Kohli's decision in 2021 to step down as captain. Rahul Dravid has replaced Ravi Shastri as head coach.
Under a new captain and coach, India have played 35 T20s at home and away, with 26 wins and eight losses. They hold the record for maximum wins in a calendar year, taking this form into the World Cup.
India missed the final of the Asia Cup in the UAE but rallied for 2-1 T20 series wins at home against Australia and South Africa before the top squad headed Down Under for the global tournament.
"We can get caught up with what happens during T20 matches in India. The boundaries are shorter there. In Australia, the boundaries are far bigger and give the bowlers a bit of licence to work with," veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said during the training camp in Perth.
Strengths
Suryakumar Yadav has been one of the T20 stars for India in recent months. He has scored 864 runs in 26 matches at a strike rate of 180 and is currently ranked No. 2 in the ICC's Men's T20 batting charts.
He has risen to be the fulcrum of India's lineup, and its hopes for a second T20 title will rely on Yadav staying in form.
India's batting depth is strong, with Rohit, Kohli and Lokesh Rahul making a formidable top-order, backed up by Yadav at No. 4. Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik are assigned finishers.
Rishabh Pant is both a backup opener and wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad. Despite mercurial performances on Australian soil in the past, Pant is not expected to feature regularly in India's first-choice XI.
Setbacks
In a major blow to its title aspirations, India will be missing leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja because of long-term injuries, and Deepak Chahar was ruled out with a back injury earlier this week.
Bowling remains a concern for India in the absence of Jadeja and Bumrah, who is a brilliant T20 bowler and excels particularly in the late overs.
In his absence, young pacers Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh have struggled to come to terms with the high-pressure job. Even the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggled during the recent Asia Cup and against Australia at home.
Axar Patel has come in as a left-arm spinner in place of Jadeja, who also will be sorely missed in the field.
On Friday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said Mohammed Shami would replace Bumrah as the 15th player in the squad. Shami already landed in Australia and will join the Indian team in Brisbane for two warm-up matches against Australia and New Zealand next week.
Shami has experience playing in Australia and was India's second-highest wicket-taker during the ODI World Cup in 2019. The right-arm fast bowler was due to play in the home T20 series against Australia and South Africa last month but pulled out after he tested positive for Covid-19.
He has not played a T20 international in almost a year since claiming six wickets in five matches during the last T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Squad
Rohit Sharma (captain), Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami.