Sports
Bangladesh bowl first in T20I series opener
Bangladesh lost the toss and were asked to bowl first in the first T20I of the three-match series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club Saturday.
The Tigers lost their last T20I series against the West Indies 2-0. But they are a better side considering the strength of Zimbabwe. So, the visitors have a great chance to bounce back.
Bangladesh fielded three pacers – Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam in this match. Anamul Haque, who recently returned to the national team but failed to impress, got another chance to bring his domestic prowess to the international level.
Munim Shahriar and Najmul Hossain Shanto were included in Bangladesh playing XI for the first match.
Read: Mithun hopes for competitive cricket in WI tour
Nurul Hasan Sohan is leading the Tigers in this series. He replaced Mahmudullah Riyad as Bangladesh's T20I captain.
Bangladesh playing XI
Litton Das, Anamul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Munim Shahriar, Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (w/c), Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam
Zimbabwe playing XI
Regis Chakabva (w), Craig Ervine (c), Wesley Madhevere, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Tanaka Chivanga
4 wounded in sport stadium blast in Afghanistan's Kabul
At least four people were wounded in an explosion at a sport stadium during a cricket match in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on Friday, according to an eyewitness.
Four people were wounded in the blast, Nasib Khan Zadran, an organizer of the match, told local media, adding that no one, including players and foreigners attending the match, was killed in the blast.
Read: 3 siblings killed in Feni septic tank blast
Kabul police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, also confirmed the incident and said that the blast was the result of a hand grenade thrown by an unknown person.
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe: T20 series begins Saturday
The three-match T20I series between visitors Bangladesh and hosts Zimbabwe is set to begin Saturday.
The first match will take place at 5pm at the Harare Sports Club.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan will lead Bangladesh in this series. He replaced Mahmudullah Riyad as the T20I captain of the Tigers for this tour. If Sohan does better as a captain, he has all the chances to lead the Tigers in the shorter format of the game for a longer period.
However, Bangladesh will miss the services of Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Riyad in this series.
While Shakib is out for personal reasons, Mushfiqur and Riyad were rested by the team management. Shakib will also miss the ODI series, but Mushfiq and Riyad will take part in it.
Bangladesh included uncapped left-handed batter Parvez Hossain Emon in this tour. Parvez did well in the Bangladesh Premier League. Also, he was an important member of Bangladesh during their ICC U-19 World Cup triumph in 2020.
Read: ZIM vs BAN 2022: T20I series fixtures, H2H record, 1st match preview
Pacer Hasan Mahmud has also been added to the team.
The second and third T20Is will be played on July 31 and August 2. All the matches will take place at the same venue.
After the T20I series, both the teams will lock horns in a three-match ODI series starting on August 5. The last two ODIs will be played on August 7 and 10.
Bangladesh T20I squad
Nurul Hasan (captain and wicketkeeper), Munim Shahriar, Anamul Haque, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Parvez Hossain Emon
Daley protests LGBTQ+ intolerance at Commonwealth Games
Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley protested intolerance toward the LGBTQ+ community at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.
The British diver, who is married to Oscar-winning director Dustin Lance Black, played a key role as one of the last bearers in the Queen’s Baton Relay.
The 28-year-old Daley entered Alexander Stadium surrounded by a group carrying Pride flags as part of a broader campaign regarding the toxic culture toward homosexuality held by more than half of the competing nations in the Games.
The two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist did so with a broad smile, mindful the event is celebrating a theme of diversity and inclusion, though he also paid tribute to the six people who walked into the stadium carrying the Pride flags.
“In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in 3 of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence," Daley wrote on his Instagram account. "These laws are a legacy of colonialism. This opening ceremony for us is about showing LGBTQ+ visibility to the billion people watching...”
The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport Olympic-style event made up of mostly former British colonies. Seventy-two countries and territories are represented.
Denise Lewis, an Olympic gold medalist from Birmingham, was the final baton bearer and handed it to Commonwealth Games Foundation president Louise Martin.
Read:22nd Commonwealth Games starts in Birmingham early Friday;athletes to start campaign in four events
The opening ceremony was described as a love letter to Birmingham, its history and its vibrant, multi-cultural community, with 30,000 tickets sold for the occasion.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived at the stadium in an Aston Martin he bought in 1970.
The vehicle was a nod to a tribute that featured in the opening ceremony to the West Midlands’ automotive industry featuring cars forming the Union Flag.
Prince Charles read a message on behalf of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to open the competition, which will run over the next 11 days.
“My warmest thanks go to all those who have worked so hard to ensure the success of this particularly special sporting event and I wish each athlete and team every success,” he said on the Queen’s behalf.
Daley is not competing in Birmingham, and Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir said the organization was aware of his stand.
“We have been working with Tom and we have been working with a wider group,” she said. “You will see Pride flags (in Birmingham). This is a city that absolutely embraces Pride and Pride messaging and it’s definitely something that we’re working in close co-operation with Tom Daley on.”
Daley will feature in a BBC documentary titled “Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me,” scheduled to be released in August at the completion of the event in Birmingham.
“I’ve experienced homophobia all my life, competing in countries where it’s illegal to be me and where I don’t feel safe to leave the venue I’m competing in,” he told the BBC. “If I feel like that as a privileged man, I can’t imagine what day-to-day life is like for LGBTQ+ people around the commonwealth. We wanted it to be something that actually makes a difference.”
The LGBTQ+ community demonstrated in Birmingham on Thursday to greet the arrival of the Queen’s Baton at Aston Hall after a journey that began at Buckingham Palace in October 2021.
A massive global audience was expected to watch the opening ceremony, which has been planned by Steven Knight, the creator of hit Birmingham-based series Peaky Blinders.
More than 5,000 athletes have arrived in England for the competition and it has been reported that more than 1 million tickets have been sold.
The Progress Pride flag is on display throughout the city and organizers are promoting the inclusivity of the sixth edition of the Commonwealth Games held in England.
But Sadleir conceded there were limits to the action the Commonwealth Games Foundation is able to take when it comes to the intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community of several participating nations.
“We can’t go in to change the rules in countries, but what we can do is create opportunities for people to discuss issues in a safe environment,” she said. “Whenever we’re given the opportunity to talk about our values, we do that.”
England and Germany set for historic Euro 2022 final
England against Germany at Wembley Stadium. A final that underlines the growing stature of women’s soccer in Europe and echoes decades of history.
When host nation England takes on Germany in the European Championship final Sunday, it will have a tournament-record crowd of nearly 90,000. Euro 2022 as a whole will be easily the best-attended ever. It beat the previous mark of 240,000 part-way through the group stage.
“It’s going to be a great festival of football,” German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said Wednesday. “That’s a classic in soccer, England-Germany.”
England is aiming to win its first major women’s tournament title on the site where the English men’s national team beat West Germany to win its only major title to date, the 1966 World Cup.
Germany has won all eight European finals it’s played — and crushed England 6-2 in the 2009 final — but its momentum had seemed to slow in recent years as other countries invested heavily in women’s leagues.
Read: UEFA Women’s EURO 2022: Previews for the semifinals
England has scored a tournament-leading 20 goals on its way to the final, more than half in two storming wins over former European champions, 8-0 against Norway in the group stage and 4-0 against Sweden in the semifinals.
Beating eight-time winner Germany would be the perfect way for England to write history.
England showed it is possible back in February, winning 3-1 in Wolverhampton for its first-ever victory against Germany on home soil.
Germany’s fans are used to their team winning titles, even if it’s not quite the all-conquering dynasty it once was. Since Germany won the Olympic gold medal in 2016, Euro 2022 marks the first time it has got past the quarterfinals of a tournament.
Forwards Alexandra Popp and Alessia Russo have made very different contributions. Captain Popp has scored in each of Germany’s five games — a new record — and started all except the opening game against Denmark. Russo has started none but is the ultimate impact substitute.
After missing the 2013 and 2017 European Championships with injuries, Popp is making up for lost time as the joint top scorer with England’s Beth Mead on six goals. Popp has her club teammates around her as one of five Wolfsburg players in the starting lineup for the 2-1 win over France, when she scored twice.
Popp started out as a full back at now-defunct FCR Duisburg and won her first European club title aged 18. She studied at a sports-focused high school with a special permission to let her take soccer classes as the only girl alongside boys from the academy of men’s club Schalke, and is also a fully qualified zookeeper.
Russo’s explosive impact off the bench has been crucial. The Manchester United forward, who played college soccer at the University of North Carolina, has scored four goals as a substitute at Euro 2022, including a backheel through the goalkeeper’s legs against Sweden in the semifinals. Her assist for Ella Toone’s goal to send the quarterfinal against Spain to extra time was just as valuable.
“I think when you’re enjoying your football you play your best,” Russo said. “Maybe (the backheel against Sweden) does show a bit of confidence — but I’m just loving playing football.”
22nd Commonwealth Games starts in Birmingham early Friday;athletes to start campaign in four events
The 22nd Commonwealth Games' 2022, the biggest sports carnival of the Commonwealth countries, set to begin early hours of Friday (Bangladesh time) at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham amid a colorful opening ceremony.Some 6500 athletes and officials from 72 countries will participate in the 12-day sports festival of the Commonwealth Games, which was introduced in 1930 as the British Empire Games.A 50-member contingent will represent Bangladesh in seven disciplines of sports --Athletics, Boxing, Gymnastics, Swimming, Weight-lifting, Wrestling, and Table Tennis.
Also read: SAFF U-20 Championship: Bangladesh to play Maldives on FridayCountry's famed weight-lifter Mabia Akther Simanta, who clinched the gold medals in the last two SAFF Games, is scheduled to carry the national flag during the march past of the opening ceremony of the Birmingham Games.Bangladesh will start their campaign on the very first day of the games (Friday) in four disciplines of sports--Boxing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Table Tennis.Bangladesh gymnastics team will start their campaign first at 9 am local time at the Birmingham arena, in the men's team event and preliminary round of the men's singles. Three gymnasts --Shisir Ahmed, Abu Sayed Rafi and Ali Kader Haque--will represent Bangladesh in the events .The first round of the Men's Table Tennis competition will also begin on Friday at the same time. Mufdradul Khair Hamza, Ramhin Loon Boom, Rifat Mahmud Sabbir and Muhtasim Ajmed Hridoy will participate in the events.
Also read: Sri Lanka to host Asia Cup in UAE, ACC confirmsThe preliminary round of the swimming competition will also begin on Friday at 10:30 pm at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre there. swimmer Mahmud-Un Nabi Nahid will compete in 50-meter butterfly while Marium Akhter in the 50-meter breaststroke.Three boxers will take to the ring on the day. Hossain Ali, Suro Krishna Chakma and Salim Hossain will fight in their respective events.
SAFF U-20 Championship: Bangladesh to play Maldives on Friday
With a sweet memory of beating defending champions India 2-1, last time runners up Bangladesh will play the Maldives in their 3rd match of the five-nation SAFF U-20 Championship'2022 at the Kalinga Stadium in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar on Friday (July 29).
The match will kick-off at 7:30 pm (Bangladesh time).
Holders India will play all losers Sri Lanka at 3:30 pm (BST) in the day's other match at the same venue.
After the 2nd matches, Nepal and Bangladesh dominated the meet securing full six points from straight two matches while hosts India yet to open the account losing their first match to neighbor Bangladesh.
But, in the goal differences, Nepal top the list scoring seven goals without conceding any (7-0) while Bangladesh is in the 2nd slot scoring three goals against conceding one (3-1).
In the remaining match, Bangladesh will face two times champions and league leader Nepal on August 2.
Bangladesh made a good start in ongoing meet after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 by a Merazul goal in the first match and they brightened their change to reach the final upsetting holders India by 2-1 goal in the 2nd match, thanks to Pias Ahmed Nova for scoring a brace.
Read: SAFF U-20 Football: Nova forces India to concede 1-2 goal defeat against Bangladesh
The Himalayan nation Nepal made a flying start crushing the Maldives by 4-0 goal in the opener and outplayed the Islanders Sri Lanka by 3-0 goal in the 2nd match
Ahead of the Friday's match, Bangladesh team, divided in two groups, made strength and conditioning, gym, ice bath and pool session at the team hotel Thursday morning and made their practices at the Capital Practice ground in the afternoon.
Five South Asian nations – India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka-- are taking part in this year's fourth edition of the regional youth soccer meet.
After the league basis matches, top two teams will play in the final on August 5.
Nepal are the most successful nation in the meet winning the title twice while India lifted its first title in 2019 after beating two times runners-up Bangladesh.
Mithun hopes for competitive cricket in WI tour
Mohammad Mithun, the top-order batter and the captain of Bangladesh A team, said he is hoping for competitive cricket in West Indies tour.
Bangladesh A will take on their West Indian counterparts in two unofficial Tests and three one-dayers. All the matches will be played at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium.
“I believe the series will be more competitive than the domestic cricket,” Mithun said on Thursday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium before leaving Dhaka for West Indies.
“The West Indies A team is a strong opponent. The players who would play for the national team are part of their A team. So this series is going to be a tough one for us,” Mithun added.
Mithun played his last international match back in 2021. He has been out of the national setup since. But this time, he is going to lead the A team on an important tour.
“It’s a challenge for me,” Mithun said. “But I’m not feeling any extra pressure. We are going to represent Bangladesh A team. If someone does better in this tour, he might get a chance in the national team.”
Read: Mithun, Mizan shine in BCL with centuries
Abdur Razzak, the national selector, who is traveling with the team to the West Indies, this series may provide Bangladesh with a solution for their Test debacle.
“We know how we play in Tests. We want the players of the Bangladesh A team to get competitive cricket so that they can prepare themselves for the toughest form of cricket,” Abdur Razzak told the media.
Sri Lanka to host Asia Cup in UAE, ACC confirms
After much speculation, the Asian Cricket Council finally confirmed that the ACC Asia Cup will be hosted by Sri Lanka Cricket in the UAE.
It means, the Lankan cricket board remained the official organizer of the event, but they’ll have to host the event in the UAE due to the ongoing political turmoil in the island nation.
This year’s Asia Cup will be played in T20 format between August 27 and September 11.
The decision was earlier announced by Sourav Ganguly, the president of BCCI, but an official announcement from the Asian Cricket Council was due until Wednesday.
Also read: Bangladesh T20I team leaves Dhaka for Zimbabwe
In a press release, the Asian Cricket Council said considering the current political situation in Sri Lanka, the board has decided it would be appropriate to relocate the event venue to the UAE.
“We were really looking forward to hosting our Asian neighbours in Sri Lanka for the much-anticipated Asia Cup,” as Shammi Silva, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket quoted in the press release. “While I fully stand by the ACC's decision to shift the Asia Cup to the UAE considering the current context and the magnitude of the event, Sri Lanka Cricket will work closely with the ACC and Emirates Cricket Board to ensure that we still have an exciting edition of the Asia Cup.”
Also read: Will try our best to win ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Joty
Jay Shah, the president of the Asian Cricket Council, said it took much deliberation to decide the relocation of the Asia Cup. He also said that the effort was high to host the event in Sri Lanka.
A total of five teams— Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka— are scheduled to take part in this year’s Asia Cup which will be played in the T20 format.
ZIM vs BAN 2022: T20I series fixtures, H2H record, 1st match preview
The Bangladesh Cricket Board made a crucial decision by resting veteran players for the ZIM vs BAN 2022 T20I series, which will enable the other cricketers to stand up and demonstrate leadership abilities on the international stage. Oppositely, Zimbabwe's recent dominance in the Twenty20 World Cup Global Qualifier has instilled some faith in their abilities. Zimbabwe are well aware that they have a good chance of avenging their most recent series defeat against Bangladesh. Let's look at the schedule for the bilateral T20I series and the preview of the first match.
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe: Head-to-Head T20I Records
Bangladesh first met Zimbabwe in a T20 format match back in November 2006, which they won by 43 runs. Since then, two teams have played against each other in 16 Twenty20 international matches. Bangladesh have led the head-to-head contest with 16 wins, while Zimbabwe have won 5 matches. Bangladesh have never lost a bilateral series against Zimbabwe, winning three series and drawing three.
Read ENG vs SA 2022: The T20I series a World Cup dress rehearsal
Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh h2h T20I statistics (as on July 28, 2022)
Matches
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe
16
11
5
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2022 Fixtures
All the matches of the ZIM vs BAN 2022 Twenty20 International series will be played at the Harare Sports Club ground. Here are the fixtures for the bilateral T20I series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe-Bangladesh T20I Series 2022 Fixtures
Match
Date
Match Starts (Bangladesh Standard Time)
First T20I
July 30 (Saturday)
5 p.m.
Second T20I
July 31 (Sunday)
5 p.m.
Third T20I
August 2 (Tuesday)
5 p.m.
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Mahedi aims to take a bigger role in Bangladesh team
BAN vs ZIM 1st T20I 2022: Match Preview
When the BCB decided to name wicket-keeper batter Nurul Hasan the captain of Bangladesh for the ZIM vs BAN 2022 T20I series, excitement among Bangladesh cricket fans increased. There is no doubt that all eyes will be on Nurul Hasan’s captaincy. On the other hand, Zimbabwe recently ensured their qualification for the T20 World Cup 2022 main event by winning the Global Qualifier B competition. They will be up to putting up a real fight against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh
In the ZIM vs BAN 2022 T20I series, Bangladesh expect Nurul Hasan to demonstrate his potential as captain. His leadership ability will be closely monitored by the BCB in the series as the cricket board is in search of a new leader for the future.
Besides, finding the right opening combination is another key area where they need a solution. There are five top order batters in the squad, and the team management has to come up with a decision on which two they want to back up. Other than that, the remaining spots are more or less confirmed for the opening match.
Read BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2022: 3 challenges for Nurul Hasan as captain
Probable Playing XI (first T20I)
Top Order: Munim Shariar, Anamul Haque, Litton Das;
Middle-Order: Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan;
Lower-Order: Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed.
Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Cricket Board is yet to announce their squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh. But the expectation is that the players who have performed well in the recent ICC Global Qualifier B get a chance in the series.
With less than three months left before the T20 World Cup 2022, the selectors may not want to make unnecessary experiments for this bilateral series. Apart from winning the series, finding the right combination for the forthcoming World Cup would be Zimbabwe’s main goal from this bilateral contest.
Read Is the future of ODI cricket in jeopardy?
Probable Playing XI for first T20I
(Based on their recent team combination in the ICC World Cup Qualifier 2022)
Top-Order: Regis Chakabva (wicket-keeper), Craig Ervine (captain), Sean Williams;
Middle-Order: Wessley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga;
Lower-Order: Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava
Aftermath
Will Nurul Hasan-led Bangladesh team be able to meet expectations in the absence of experienced cricketers in the series? The ability is certainly there; they just have to execute the game plan on the field. Oppositely, the confidence level is high at the moment for the Zimbabwean Twenty20 side.
The home side can feel that they have a genuine chance to overcome the visitors in the 3-match T20I series, especially in the absence of some of the key Bangladeshi players. Therefore, the ZIM vs BAN 2022 Twenty20 series promises an interesting contest to watch.
Read BAN vs ZIM 2022: 5 Bangladeshi players who can capitalize on Zimbabwe series