United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh left-arm pacer Shorfiul Islam has been left out of the India Test series starting late this month. The pacer suffered a blow during the first Test against Pakistan, which he is still recovering from. The same blow on his side left Shoriful out of the second Test against Pakistan. According to the physician at the BCB, the kind of injury that Shrofiul suffered takes around 10 days to recover. But in his case, it’s taking more time. It’s expected that Shoriful will join the Bangladesh team for the T20I series against India. Shoriful’s absence is the only change to the team that played in Pakistan. In the place that Shoriful left vacant, Bangladesh included right-arm wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali. Jaker played T20Is for Bangladesh, but he got the call to the Test team for the first time. The first Test of the India series will be played in Chennai from September 19, and the second Test will kick off on September 27th in Kanpur. Before this series, Bangladesh played 13 Tests against India but failed to win any of them. Two Tests ended in a draw, and Bangladesh lost 11 of those matches. Following the Test series, both the teams will take on a three-match T20I series. Bangladesh squad for India Tests: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Nayeem Hasan and Khaled Ahmed.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the Test squad for the upcoming tour of India on Thursday. The Bangladesh team has just returned from playing a Test series in Pakistan, winning 2-0, their maiden Test and Test series win over Pakistan. The Bangladesh team's preparation camp is taking place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, keeping the India series in mind. In the 16-member team, Bangladesh included wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali. Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently busy playing in England, has also been included in the team. The first Test of the series will be played in Chennai from September 19, and the second Test will kick off on September 27 in Kanpur. Before this series, Bangladesh played 13 Tests against India, but failed to win any of those. Two Tests ended up in a draw. Bangladesh lost 11 of those matches. Following the Test series, both the teams will take on a three-match T20I series. Bangladesh squad for India Tests: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Nayeem Hasan and Khaled Ahmed.

Heavy overnight rain, followed by persistent morning drizzle Thursday, forced play to be abandoned again on Day 4 of the one-off cricket test between Afghanistan and New Zealand. This is the fourth continuous day when weather or wet outfield conditions have delayed the start of the match. The toss is yet to happen and, with 80% of the match already lost, a complete washout of the game is likely. The region has received more than a week of drenching rain, leaving the ground staff at Greater Noida Sports Complex struggling to get the ground fit for play The ground staff reportedly completed repairs of the patchy outfield on day three, despite rain showers, but weather conditions didn’t allow any window for the game to start with the story now repeating on day four. The toss is now rescheduled for 9 a.m. local local time on Friday. This is Afghanistan’s third cricket test in 2024, following once-off matches against Ireland and Sri Lanka. New Zealand was scheduled to kick off a three-month subcontinental tour that will involve series against Sri Lanka and India.

A TV cameraman said Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez “slapped me” after Colombia's 2-1 win in a World Cup qualifying match. Jhonny Jackson told Colombian media he approached Martínez after the final whistle in Barranquilla on Tuesday as the goalkeeper greeted another player. Footage he captured shows the World Cup winner who Argentines know as Dibu hitting the camera, which quickly shakes to the ground after the impact. “Out of the blue he slapped me,” Jackson told RCN Deportes on Wednesday. “I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like he was. He was playing and I was shooting with my camera." He also sent a message to Martínez: “Dibu, my brother, how are you? I am Jhonny Jackson, the cameraman you assaulted in the match against Colombia. I wanted to tell you it is all good, my brother. Everyone has lost a match in their life. This defeat clearly meant a lot to you. But look ahead, Dibu.” Jackson works for a company that delivers footage to channels Caracol Televisión and RCN Deportes. Footballers have been suspended from games in similar situations, and that is what Colombia's association of sports journalists — known as ACORD — wants FIFA to do. Its president Faiver Hoyos Hernández said in a statement that Martínez attacked freedom of expression. “As the journalistic authority in this country, ACORD wants FIFA to produce an exemplary sanction against Mr. Emiliano Dibú Martínez, who is no role model for new generations," the statement said. Martínez and South American soccer body CONMEBOL did not make comments. Argentina leads the South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight matches, two points ahead of Colombia. All teams have two more qualifying matches next month. The top six teams will get automatic spots at the 2026 World Cup.

Two South American soccer powerhouses lost in World Cup qualifying Tuesday in the absence of their biggest stars, with Lionel Messi missing Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Colombia and Neymar still on the sidelines for Brazil’s upset defeat in Paraguay. James Rodríguez scored from the penalty spot and had an assist to help Colombia edge defending champion Argentina 2-1 in Barranquilla. Diego Gómez netted the winner for Paraguay in a 1-0 victory over Brazil at Asunción. Both Argentina and Brazil struggled without their injured stars, with the replacements for Messi and Neymar unable to deliver away wins for their teams. Yerson Mosquera opened the scoring for Colombia with a close-range header in the 25th minute but Argentina equalized in the 48th after Nico Gonzalez intercepted a Rodríguez pass. Rodríguez made amends on the hour with his penalty, awarded after a video review, securing the win at the Metropolitano Stadium. Gómez scored for Paraguay from the edge of the box, with the ball deflecting in off goalkeeper Alisson's right post. Brazil had few opportunities to equalize, and gave coach Dorival Júnior his first defeat since taking over in January. In other games Tuesday, Bolivia upset Chile 2-1 at Santiago, Ecuador beat Peru 1-0, and Venezuela drew 0-0 with Uruguay. Argentina leads the round-robin competition with 18 points after eight matches, two points clear of Colombia. Uruguay is in third position with 15 points, followed by Ecuador with 14. Brazil is in fifth with 10. All teams have two more qualifying matches next month. The top six teams in South American qualifying will get automatic spots at the 2026 World Cup. COLOMBIA 2-1 ARGENTINA The 2022 World Cup winners also lifted the Copa America trophy in July after a 1-0 overtime victory over Colombia. The Colombians seemed to have that match on their minds as they found a way to beat Arrgentina for the first time since 2019. “It is a great win against an Argentina team that has won it all," Rodríguez said. “The weather was tough, it was so hot, but we had an excellent match. It is a fair win.” Colombia once again had the 33-year-old Rodríguez to thank after he gave a perfect cross for Mosquera's opening header. That equalized Carlos Valderrama's record of 11 assists in South American World Cup qualifying. When he fired past Dibu Martínez, a prolific penalty stopper, in the 60th minute, Rodríguez equalized Falcao García's mark of 13 goals in World Cup qualifying. Argentina's strikers Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez failed to offer as much danger as they do when veteran Messi is there to create opportunities for them. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the heat had an impact on the match. “The heat is the same for both, but it is evident that there were not good conditions for us to see a spectacle," the coach said. PARAGUAY 1-0 BRAZIL Brazil's coach, usually reserved in front of the media, told a news conference on Monday that his team will be in the next World Cup final. The defeat at Paraguay suggested he is still miles away from delivering on that promise. His idea of starting against a defensively sound Paraguay team with a trio of Real Madrid strikers __ Vinicius Júnior, Endrick and Rodrygo __ clearly failed. Midfielder Lucas Moura said “the game was over” as soon as the hosts opened the scoring in the 20th minute. “They already came to defend, even more so after they scored,” substitute Moura said. Defender Marquinhos said Brazil's squad doesn't have “the usual confidence” in recent times. “We are trying to find the best way to play," he said. “There are many pieces being changed.” Paraguay collected a historic win that keeps the team in contention for a spot in the next World Cup. The squad assembled by new coach Gustavo Alfaro seemed doomed to miss out in 2026 until it held Uruguay to a draw last week and then upset Brazil.  

Former Bangladesh captain and director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Khaled Mahmud, has resigned. Mahmud, who had been with the board for years, played a crucial role in developing the U-19 squad that famously won the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2020. He was also known as a popular coach to the local players, including some of the national players who have great records for Bangladesh. However, he was often criticized for holding multiple roles both within and outside the board, which many believe led to an unprecedented level of internal conflict. Along with board duties as a director, Mahmud also served as the director of the Bangladesh national team on several occasions. His tenure, however, was marked by some of the most controversial moments in the country’s cricket history, for which he was often blamed. Mahmud is the latest director to step down, following the resignations of Nazmul Hasan Papon, the former BCB president, along with Jalal Yunus, Tanvir Ahmed, Naimur Rahman, and Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel. Apart from them, Ahmed Sazzadul Alam, a director appointed by the National Sports Council, has been suspended. Before the suspension, the NSC requested that he resign, but he refused to do so. After his suspension, he alleged that the board’s actions were interfered with by the new interim government. Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the CEO of BCB, confirmed Mahmud's resignation to UNB, saying that he stepped down due to personal reasons, without providing further details. The BCB is undergoing an overhaul after the previous government, led by Sheikh Hasina, was ousted by a popular uprising spearheaded by students and citizens. Within days of the government's fall, former board president Papon resigned, and the National Sports Council appointed former Bangladesh captain Faruque Ahmed as a director. At a subsequent board meeting, Faruque Ahmed was named the new president of the BCB.

Former captain of Bangladesh national cricket team Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is set to play in the six-team US Masters T10 League to be held in Texas in November next. Detroit Falcons included Mashrafe in their squad for US Masters T10 League with four other Bangladeshi players-- Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Ariful Haque and Enamul Haque Jr. Nurul Hasan Sohan is the other Bangladeshi cricketer to play in the tournament as the icon player of Atlanta Riders after getting the team on direct signing. Six teams--Detroit Falcons, Morrisville Unity, Chicago Players, California Bolts, New York Warriors and Atlanta Riders --will participate in the season -2 league to be held in Texas from November 8-17. Mashrafe did not officially retired from the national team but was out of the national side since 2018 despite playing almost regularly in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Dhaka Premier League (DPL). Mashrafe was a former MP and Whip of the ouster Awami League Government. Besides, four other Bangladeshi cricketers --Elias Sunny, Arafat Sunny, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Al-Amin Hossain--will also play in the US T10 League for other teams.

The Bangladesh national cricket team is preparing for their upcoming tour of India after making history by defeating Pakistan in a two-match Test series. A former India captain remarked that although the win in Pakistan could inspire Bangladesh, it may not be enough to overcome India. Bangladesh will play two Tests and three T20Is against India. The first Test begins on September 19th in Chennai, followed by the second Test in Kanpur on September 27th. Bangladesh has played eight Test series against India in the past but has yet to win any. India claimed victory in seven series, with one ending in a draw. Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, acknowledged the difficulty of winning a Test series in Pakistan and congratulated the Bangladesh players. However, he expressed doubt about their chances in India. According to Sourav, India’s strong batting lineup, adaptable to various conditions, makes them formidable opponents. “I don’t see Bangladesh winning; India will win the series. But India must expect good and tough cricket from Bangladesh because they are coming into the series with a lot of confidence after beating Pakistan in Pakistan,” Indian media quoted Sourav as saying. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the Bangladesh allrounder who took a five-for-five in the Pakistan series, stated that Bangladesh is confident and ready to challenge India. While he didn’t explicitly mention aiming to beat India, he emphasized their commitment to playing their best cricket. India has already announced its squad for the Test series, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has yet to do so.

Jamie Smith's counterattacking half-century rescued England after a batting collapse brought Sri Lanka back into the third and final test at The Oval on Sunday. England took a 62-run lead into the second innings on Day 3 after dismissing the Sri Lankans for 263, but stumbled to 82-7 to put the match in the balance. Enter Smith, England's young and confident new wicketkeeper, who smashed Sri Lanka's bowlers to all parts of the ground in a 50-ball 67 before getting himself out in the last ball before tea. The English were 140-8 and leading by 202 as they looked to wrap up the series 3-0 and complete a clean sweep of victories this summer, having beaten the West Indies 3-0 in July. Smith hit 52 off his last 19 balls in a brilliant knock that illuminated an England innings that was going off the rails. Aside from Dan Lawrence's cavalier 35, no other batter got above 12 in the face of some fine swing and seam bowling by the tourists until Smith arrived. Joe Root (12), Harry Brook (3) and Gus Atkinson (3) all were trapped lbw and Chris Woakes edged behind for a duck. Earlier, Sri Lanka resumed on 211-5 but was dismissed after adding 52 runs in the morning session, with 20-year-old left-armer Josh Hull removing captain Dhananjaya de Silva (69) and Vishwa Fernando (0) to finish with figures of 3-53 in his first test match.

An added time goal by substitute booter Wangchuk Kinga helps hosts Bhutan to beat Bangladesh by 1-0 goal in the 2nd match to level two match FIFA International Friendly Series 1-1 at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu Sunday evening. Earlier on last Thursday, Bangladesh took 1-0 lead in the two-match FIFA International Friendly Series beating Bhutan by 1-0 goal in the first match featuring a goal by Sheikh Morsalin in the 6th minute. This was the 2nd defeat for Bangladesh in their 16 international meetings with Himalayan nation Bhutan after eight years and incidentally both at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. Bangladesh suffered their first defeat against Bhutan by 1-3 goals in a pre-qualifier match of the Asian Cup held in Thimphu in October, 2016 that deprived Bangladesh from playing FIFA and AFC matches for the 17 months. However, the FIFA ranked 184th Bangladesh, are in the upper hand against FIFA ranked 182nd Bhutan by winning 12 matches out of 16 and the remaining two matches between them ended in draw. When the day's match were almost heading for a goalless draw after stipulated 90-minute, then substitute forward Wangchuk Kinga came to rescue Bhutan scoring the match-winner in the first minute of the added time (90+1 minute) by a placing shot from close, utilizing a right wing cross of his team mate (1-0). Bangladeshi booters protested the goal, demanding an offside but the referee blew his whistle for the goal. A good number of Bangladeshi fans gathered at the stadium carrying the national flag to encourage the team, but the Bangladesh team failed to fulfill their expectations. In the day's match, Bhutan made two to three good attempts toward Bangladesh territory but failed to take its fruit while Bangladesh played an average football against Bhutan and failed to manage good opportunities throughout the match. Captain Jamal Bhuyan was not included in the day' s best eleven like the first match, defender Bishwanath Ghose not considered for day'd match while forward Rakib Hossain also missed the day's match due to injury. Bangladesh team ( First Eleven): Mitul Marma, Isa Faysal, Md. Saaduddin, Topu Barman, Shakil Hossain, Mohammad Hridoy, Sohel Rana (captain), Md Sohel Rana, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Shahriar Emon and Sheikh Morsalin.