United News of Bangladesh

A senior Democratic lawmaker has asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to testify before the US House Judiciary Committee as questions mount over the governing body's relationship with President Donald Trump before and during the 2026 World Cup. Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee, has requested that FIFA submit records of its contacts with Trump, his administration and the Trump Organization by August 9. He also wants Infantino to sit for a transcribed interview. In a letter sent Sunday, Raskin asked FIFA to provide details of any money, gifts, awards or other benefits given to Trump, members of his administration, their relatives or businesses linked to them. He also requested visitor logs for FIFA's offices in Miami and New York and called on the organization to preserve all communications with administration officials, including messages sent through encrypted apps. The inquiry follows criticism of Infantino's close relationship with Trump in the lead-up to the World Cup, which was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Among the issues raised is Trump's intervention during the tournament after he urged Infantino to review the suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun. FIFA later cleared Balogun to play, saying the decision had been made independently. Raskin also questioned FIFA's ticketing practices, including its use of dynamic pricing and the sharp rise in prices for the World Cup final, and sought records of any communication with US authorities on those matters. The White House rejected the criticism, saying Trump's leadership helped deliver one of the most successful World Cups in history, generating billions of dollars in economic activity while ensuring a safe and smooth tournament.  

Bangladesh fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed left for Australia ahead of the rest of the national squad, with both set to consult specialists before the upcoming two-Test series. Nahid, who has already been ruled out of the series after suffering a Grade 2 side strain during the T20I series in Zimbabwe, is scheduled to fly out on Sunday night. But the main purpose of his trip is to seek treatment for a long-standing shinbone problem rather than the side injury that forced him out of the Australia tour. The pacer has been managing discomfort in his shin for some time and will undergo specialist assessment in Australia. Taskin is also travelling early to have his shoulder examined by a specialist before linking up with the Bangladesh squad. The senior fast bowler is expected to spearhead Bangladesh's pace attack in Nahid's absence. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said earlier this week that Nahid is expected to need six to eight weeks to recover from his side strain, which effectively ruled him out of both Tests. Bangladesh begin the series against Australia in Darwin on August 13, with the second Test scheduled for August 22 in Mackay.

West Indies held a 155-run lead over Pakistan with three wickets remaining in their second innings at the end of the third day of the first Test on Monday, after a day dominated by the bowlers. Justin Greaves claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, taking 5-27, as Pakistan lost six wickets for just 38 runs after Shan Masood completed his seventh Test century. Pakistan, who resumed the day at 199-3, were 244-4 when Masood reached 109, but collapsed to 282 all out, giving West Indies a 29-run first-innings lead after the hosts had made 311. Mohammad Abbas then produced another impressive spell with the new ball, taking 3-14 in 13 overs as West Indies slipped to 126-7 at stumps. Kemar Roach was unbeaten on five, while Shamar Joseph struck a quick 22 off 13 balls as the hosts sought to build their lead toward 200, which would present Pakistan with a challenging fourth-innings chase. Masood reached his century from 163 balls after resuming on 88. He and Salman Agha initially made steady progress as Pakistan looked well placed to match or surpass West Indies' first-innings total. But Shamar Joseph changed the momentum when he bowled Agha for 20 with a delivery that seamed past the outside edge, leaving Pakistan at 244-4. Greaves then removed Masood, who was bowled after an inside edge sent the ball onto the stumps. Aamir Jamal was dismissed for three after missing a straight delivery from Greaves. Ali Usman was then trapped lbw for a duck, while Mohammad Rizwan was caught behind for 12, leaving Pakistan at 259-8 before lunch. Greaves completed his five-wicket haul when Abbas was caught behind, and Pakistan were soon bowled out when Roach dismissed Khurram Shahzad for 19. Abbas continued his impressive form in West Indies' second innings, dismissing Brandon King for five and Kavem Hodge for a duck to reduce the hosts to 7-2 in the fifth over. Mohammad Ali then caught Amir Jangoo for four off his own bowling before Khurram Shahzad bowled Shai Hope for 10, leaving West Indies at 43-4. Tagenarine Chanderpaul offered some resistance with 35 before Aamir Jamal dismissed him. Abbas returned to remove Greaves for 20, while Shahzad claimed the wicket of West Indies captain Roston Chase for eight. Roach and Joseph then steadied the innings, with Joseph attacking Pakistan's bowlers in an effort to extend the lead before the close. Pakistan had entered the third day in a strong position at 199-3 after Masood's unbeaten 88 helped them recover from early setbacks. The first Test is being played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Chief Selector Habibul Bashar on Monday said Nahid Rana's appearance in the T20I series against Zimbabwe was part of a workload management plan designed to keep the fast bowler match-ready ahead of the Australia Tests, describing his injury as "unfortunate" rather than avoidable. Nahid suffered a side strain during the second T20I in Bulawayo and has since been ruled out of the two-Test series in Australia, raising questions over whether he should have played in Zimbabwe. Bashar said Bangladesh's medical and performance staff monitored the workload of all fast bowlers through GPS data rather than relying on subjective assessments. "Workload management is not just something we talk about anymore," he told reporters. "Every movement is tracked through GPS, and that data helps determine how many matches a player should play. The same process applies to Nahid, Taskin and all our fast bowlers." He said Bangladesh had already managed Nahid's workload during the home series against Australia by resting him from the Test matches after he featured in two One-Day Internationals and two T20Is. "According to the workload data and the physio's assessment, he was fit to play Test cricket," Bashar said. "But because the Australia series is important, we took extra precautions and did not play him in those Tests." He said keeping a fast bowler out of matches for too long can also increase the risk of injury. "We classify bowlers into red, yellow and green zones," the chief selector said. "Bowling too much can push a player into the red zone, but bowling too little also creates risk. To stay in the green zone, a fast bowler needs to maintain a certain workload."    

Opener Soumya Sarkar has earned a recall to Bangladesh's Test squad for the first time in more than five years, with selectors backing his domestic form and experience against pace ahead of next month's series in Australia. Habibul Bashar, the chief selector of Bangladesh, said injuries have complicated the selection process, while the Bangladesh A team's four-day series against South Africa Emerging also influenced several decisions. Soumya, who last played a Test against the West Indies in February 2021, replaced Mahmudul Hasan Joy after scoring 633 runs in seven National Cricket League— Bangladesh’s first-class domestic event— matches last season to finish as the competition's leading run-scorer. "Soumya has played international cricket for a long time," Bashar said on Monday. "The pace and bounce we expect in Australia are conditions he is familiar with." Mahmudul, meanwhile, will join the Bangladesh A squad after a lean run at the top of the order. He has reached fifty once in his last six Test innings, four of which ended in single-digit scores. Towhid Hridoy has also been omitted after making 2 and 9 on his Test debut against Zimbabwe last month. Bashar said Mehidy Hasan Miraz's return left little room for Hridoy in the playing XI, but stressed the selectors still view him as part of Bangladesh's long-term Test plans. "We see Hridoy as a Test player," Bashar said. "The four-day matches against South Africa Emerging will be important for his development." Wicketkeeper-batter Mahidul Islam will also feature for Bangladesh A after missing out on the Australia squad. Jaker Ali returns to the Test squad for the first time since June last year. Bashar said the wicketkeeper-batter had regained form and confidence through the High Performance programme after struggling before his omission. Bangladesh begin the two-Test series against Australia in Darwin on August 13, with the second Test starting in Mackay on August 22. The Bangladesh A side will play South Africa Emerging in four-day matches beginning on Aug. 16 and August 23. Bangladesh squad for Australia series:Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Musfik Hasan.

Ghana will aim to win its first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title when the 2026 tournament begins in Morocco on Saturday. The Black Queens finished third at the previous edition, with the Ghana Football Association and coaching staff confident the team can challenge for the continental crown. Ghana Football Association president Kurt Simeon-Okraku has backed the team to surpass its most recent performance, while head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren said the squad has made significant progress over the past year. "I believe the team is overall in a much better place now compared to one year ago. I'm really looking forward to starting up the WAFCON," the Swedish coach said. Bjorkegren added that many of his players have improved physically and tactically since he took charge of the team last year. Ghana has qualified for every edition of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations and is making its 14th appearance at the tournament. The Black Queens finished as runners-up in 1998, 2002 and 2006 but have yet to lift the trophy. The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations runs from July 26 to August 16 in Morocco. Ghana has been drawn in Group D alongside Cameroon, Mali and Cabo Verde.  

The inaugural edition of Notun Kuri Sports 2025-26, one of the country's largest grassroots sporting events featuring the participation of more than 1 lakh children and teenagers from across Bangladesh, will conclude on Monday with a grand closing and prize-giving ceremony. The ceremony will be held at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka at 4:00pm in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to a PID handout issued on Sunday. The nationwide programme was launched simultaneously on May 2, 2026, from Sylhet District Stadium with the aim of identifying promising young sporting talents from the grassroots and encouraging children across the country to participate in sports. Organisers said the maiden edition has created a new milestone in Bangladesh's sporting landscape by engaging a large number of young participants from across the country. Competitions were held in eight disciplines – football, cricket, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, chess, swimming and martial arts. After competitions at the upazila, district and regional levels, the national finals in Dhaka will mark the successful conclusion of the country's largest sports initiative.

Luis Suárez converted an 81st-minute penalty to secure Inter Miami’s 1-0 victory over CF Montreal on Saturday night after Germán Berterame was injured and taken away in an ambulance following a collision. Berterame suffered the injury after colliding head-to-head with Montreal defender Efraín Morales. No immediate update on the 27-year-old forward’s condition was provided initially, but interim coach Guillermo Hoyos later said Berterame was conscious and recovering. “The blow was very strong but he is recovering,” Hoyos said after the match. Suárez calmly sent a low shot past goalkeeper Sébastien Breza to score his ninth goal of the season and sixth in his last three games, helping Inter Miami extend their winning streak to six matches. Goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo made two saves for Miami, recording his second clean sheet of the season as the club improved to 11-2-4. Breza made one save for Montreal, who dropped to 4-10-3. He made his second start of the season but is still searching for his first career shutout. Lionel Messi missed Inter Miami’s first two matches after the World Cup following Argentina’s runner-up finish. However, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro made his MLS debut for the club after a successful spell with Spanish giants Real Madrid. Inter Miami have now defeated Montreal in three consecutive meetings. Montreal have struggled since the World Cup break, scoring only one goal in three matches and posting a record of 0-2-1.

Ishan Kishan hit 81 off 44 balls as India crushed Zimbabwe by 90 runs in the second Twenty20 and clinched the three-match series with a game to spare on Saturday. Kishan struck nine fours and two sixes as India piled up 219-5. Tilak Varma contributed 60 not out off 29 balls, including three sixes, while the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a speedy 20. In reply, Zimbabwe was bowled out for 129 in 17.5 overs. India debutant Yash Thakur picked up 2-30, Abhishek Sharma took 3-17 and Prince Yadav claimed 2-10 in 1.2 overs before walking off with an injured hamstring. Put into bat, Sooryavanshi provided a blistering start, hitting three fours and one six in the powerplay, but Sharma fell to Blessing Muzarabani for the second match running. Muzarabani then caught Sooryavanshi off Richard Ngarava as India slipped to 29-2. Kishan, however, put on 66 off 42 balls with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored 25 before being caught at backward point off Brian Bennett. It brought Kishan and Varma together and they added 94 off 43 balls for the fourth wicket. Kishan scored his 13th T20 half-century off 31 deliveries, while Varma hit three sixes to race to his half-century off 23 balls. Kishan fell in the 18th over but Varma saw India past 200. Zimbabwe’s reply never really took off. Bennett made 32 off 19 balls, including three fours and three sixes, but didn’t get much support. India won the first T20 on Thursday by seven wickets. The third game is on Sunday at the same venue.

Atletico Madrid has completed the signing of South Korea international footballer Lee Kang-In from Paris Saint-Germain on a long-term deal, the Spanish club announced on Saturday. The 25-year-old midfielder has agreed to a contract that will keep him at Atletico until June 2031. While the club did not reveal the transfer fee, Spanish media reported the deal is worth between €35 million and €40 million euros ($39.8 million and $45.5 million). Lee represented South Korea at the FIFA World Cup, featuring in all three group-stage matches. However, the Asian side failed to progress to the knockout rounds after suffering two defeats. Born in Incheon, Lee moved to Spain at the age of 10 to join Valencia's youth academy. He went on to make 62 first-team appearances for the club before spending time at Mallorca. He joined French champions Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 and scored 16 goals in 124 appearances across all competitions during his two-year spell in Paris. Lee joins an Atletico side that finished fourth in La Liga last season and reached the Copa del Rey final. He is expected to strengthen the club's attacking midfield options following the departure of veteran forward Antoine Griezmann, Atletico's all-time leading scorer, who recently moved to Major League Soccer (MLS).