United News of Bangladesh

India won the toss and chose to field first against Afghanistan in the opening match of their three-match ODI series after persistent rain reduced the contest to 25 overs per side in Dharamshala on Saturday. The toss was delayed by more than four hours due to adverse weather conditions before officials confirmed a shortened match. The series marks the first-ever bilateral ODI series between India and Afghanistan. The second match is scheduled to be played in Lucknow on June 18, while the third and final ODI will take place in Chennai on June 20. The two sides have previously met only in ICC World Cups and Asia Cups in the 50-over format, with India winning three of their four encounters and the remaining match ending in a tie. India enter the series after losing three of their last five ODIs, while Afghanistan arrived in strong form, having won their previous four one-day internationals. Earlier this month, India secured an innings-and-300-run victory over Afghanistan in a one-off Test that ended inside three days. India handed ODI debuts to left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and fast bowler Gurnoor Brar. Veteran opener Rohit Sharma returned to international action, while star batter Virat Kohli was unavailable due to a hamstring injury. All-rounder Hardik Pandya also missed the match because of injury, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was rested. With overcast conditions and the possibility of further rain, the pitch was expected to assist pace bowlers and potentially favor the team batting second. Lineups: Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna    

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has expressed serious concern and issued a strong condemnation following the harassment and abuse of national team cricketer Nayeem Hasan reportedly by members of a law enforcement agency. The incident occurred in Chattogram on Friday night, prompting an immediate reaction from the country's cricket governing body. In an official statement released on Saturday, the BCB strongly condemned the behavior directed at the off-spinner, stating that it views the matter with the utmost seriousness. The board described the treatment of a national athlete as deeply regrettable and called for swift, official intervention. “The BCB expects a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident and urges the relevant authorities to take appropriate action against those found responsible,” the board said in its release. The BCB also confirmed that it has been in close contact with Nayeem and his family since the incident occurred to ensure their well-being and offer necessary assistance. Additionally, board officials are actively engaging with the local administration and relevant authorities in Chattogram to ensure a proper resolution. Reiterating its commitment to safeguarding the welfare, dignity, and rights of its players, the BCB stated it will continue to monitor the situation closely.

The United States made a memorable start to its first home World Cup in 32 years, defeating Paraguay 4-1 on Friday night in Inglewood, California. Forward Folarin Balogun led the way with two goals during a dominant first-half display, helping the Americans build a commanding 3-0 lead before halftime—the largest halftime advantage in U.S. World Cup history. Captain Christian Pulisic played a key role in the attack, providing an assist and helping create the opening goal, which came through a Paraguayan own goal. Balogun then added goals in the 31st minute and deep into first-half stoppage time to put the match firmly under U.S. control. The Americans continued to press after the break under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose attacking system appeared to unlock a new level of creativity from the team. Midfielder Gio Reyna capped the performance with a goal in second-half stoppage time, giving the U.S. four goals in a World Cup match for the first time ever. Paraguay pulled one back in the second half through Maurício, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome in the team's first World Cup appearance in 16 years. The victory marked the largest World Cup win in U.S. history and highlighted a dramatic improvement from the team's last tournament appearance in Qatar, where it scored only three goals across four matches. Balogun's two-goal performance was especially significant, as it became the first multi-goal World Cup game by a U.S. player since 1930. Born in New York and raised in London, the 24-year-old striker chose to represent the United States over England and has quickly emerged as one of the team's most important attacking players.

The United States is set to begin its World Cup campaign on Friday night against Paraguay, marking the country's first time hosting the tournament in more than three decades. Thousands of enthusiastic fans gathered early at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to support the U.S. men's national team, which enters the competition with high expectations. Led by captain Christian Pulisic and a seasoned group of players, the Americans are currently ranked 17th in the world and hope to advance beyond the knockout stage for only the second time in World Cup history. The match also marks the World Cup debut of head coach Mauricio Pochettino with the U.S. team. The game is being played at SoFi Stadium, the state-of-the-art venue that serves as home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. Although the stadium typically uses artificial turf, natural grass was installed specifically for the World Cup. Supporters arrived hours before kickoff, creating a festive atmosphere around the stadium. Many fans wore U.S. team apparel, while others dressed in patriotic costumes, including outfits inspired by the Statue of Liberty and America's Founding Fathers. The last men's World Cup hosted by the United States took place in 1994, when the host nation won only one match before being eliminated. Since then, soccer's popularity has grown significantly across the country, fueled by increased youth participation and the development of Major League Soccer, which launched in 1996. The expanded World Cup began on Thursday with co-host Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0. Earlier Friday, co-host Canada earned a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. The United States will play two of its three group-stage matches in Inglewood, with its remaining group game scheduled for next week in Seattle.

Mohammedan Sporting Club won the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) title on a dramatic final day of complex mathematical equations and weather disruptions, ending a painful 16-year championship drought. The historic victory marks Mohammedan's first league crown since the tournament received official List 'A' status. Heading into the final round, the title race required a specific set of results across two concurrent fixtures at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) grounds. Mohammedan needed to defeat arch-rivals Abahani Limited while relying on a Prime Bank Cricket Club loss. Both results fell perfectly into place. While Dhaka Leopards pulled off a tight nine-run victory over Prime Bank via the DLS method, Mohammedan simultaneously dismantled defending champions Abahani by 63 runs under a separate DLS calculation. Mohammedan finished the campaign atop the table with 18 points from nine victories. Abahani and Prime Bank both finished tied on 16 points, with Abahani claiming the runner-up spot due to a superior head-to-head record. Sent in to bat first, Mohammedan's top order dominated the Abahani attack. Opening batsman Anamul Haque struck a brilliant 141 off 115 balls, moving past Tamim Iqbal to claim the record for the most List 'A' centuries by a Bangladeshi batsman with 25 hundreds. His partner, Parvez Hossain, blasted 150 off 116 balls to propel Mohammedan to a massive 406 for 4—the second-highest team total in DPL history. Chasing the mountain of runs, Abahani struggled before heavy rain halted play in the 25th over at 178 for 4. Anik Sarkar remained stranded on 85, and because persistent downpours prevented a restart, match officials used the DLS method to hand Mohammedan the decisive victory.

New Zealand’s record run-scorer Kane Williamson has retired from international cricket with immediate effect, cutting short his participation in the ongoing three-Test series in England. The 35-year-old batsman made the decision following New Zealand's defeat in the opening Test at Lord's, opting out of the remaining fixtures at The Oval and Trent Bridge. Williamson had already relinquished his central contract in June 2024 to balance franchise commitments, having previously retired from T20Is last November. "Over the last few days it's become clear now is the right time," Williamson said in a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement. "I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms." Williamson concludes a legendary 16-year career as New Zealand’s most prolific Test batsman, accumulating 9,515 runs at an average of 54.06 in 110 matches. He also scored 7,256 ODI runs and 2,575 T20I runs. The undisputed pinnacle of his career came in 2021, when he captained New Zealand to victory over India in the inaugural World Test Championship final. Under his leadership, New Zealand also reached the final of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup. Williamson will now transition fully into franchise cricket and backend roles, having already signed as a strategic advisor for the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants.

Bangladesh ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz has returned home from the hospital following a head injury sustained during the second ODI against Australia at Mirpur yesterday. The captain was struck on the head by a bouncer from Australian pacer Nathan Ellis. Although Miraz was seen vomiting on the field shortly after the impact, he continued to play. However, team management immediately moved him to a hospital after the match as a precautionary measure. All-round depth and 'proactive' spin power Miraz’s blueprint for Australia National team manager Nafees Iqbal confirmed the update on Friday through a video message released by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). "Miraz has returned home after being kept under observation for about 12 hours," Nafees said. "He was hit on the head by a bouncer and threw up, which was initially quite concerning. Even though he felt fine later, the BCB medical team and physios quickly decided to send him to Evercare Hospital." Hospital staff performed an initial scan on Thursday night, followed by a second scan on Friday morning. With both reports clearing him of any severe internal injury, doctors released him Friday afternoon. Despite his release, team management has not yet confirmed whether Miraz will feature in the final match of the series. Nafees noted that a definitive decision will depend on how the skipper fares during Saturday's training session. Bangladesh has already clinched the three-match bilateral series after winning the first two matches at Mirpur. The third and final ODI, now a dead rubber, will take place on Sunday.

The head of the Palestinian Football Association has said he was not granted a US visa to travel for World Cup-related events, as questions continue over entry permissions for several accredited football officials. Jibril Rajoub, who is currently in Mexico City, said he is awaiting clearance to enter the United States along with other federation representatives attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He attended the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday. He is among several accredited individuals who have either been denied US visas or are still waiting for approval, according to reports. “I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” Rajoub said in an interview with The Associated Press. Although Palestine did not qualify for the tournament, FIFA traditionally invites heads of national football associations worldwide to the World Cup, describing it as a global celebration of unity. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last year that “everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year,” adding that efforts were underway to ensure smooth access. However, the United States has reportedly denied entry to delegates from several countries, including a Somali referee and a photographer accompanying Iraq’s team. Infantino said this week FIFA was trying to resolve visa issues but acknowledged it could not override government decisions. “We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters. The US State Department did not immediately comment on Rajoub’s visa case. Last year, Washington introduced new restrictions affecting Palestinian passport holders, including individuals previously employed by the Palestinian Authority, and also revoked a visa allowing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the UN General Assembly. Rajoub and other Palestinian football officials have long accused Israel of allowing settlement-based teams in the occupied West Bank to compete in its national league, calling for FIFA sanctions. They have also raised concerns over restrictions on Palestinian players’ movement and said the war in Gaza has severely damaged sports infrastructure and killed at least 565 players, according to the association. Last month, Rajoub declined to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at FIFA President Infantino’s request, saying such gestures would not heal the conflict but would “whitewash” Israel’s actions. He also pointed to the 2018 Russia World Cup, arguing that Russia did not impose similar visa restrictions on invited participants.

Bangladeshi streaming platform Toffee has come under fire as it failed to provide smooth and uninterrupted coverage of the opening match of the FIFA World Cup for hundreds of football fans. Many have reportedly lodged complaints with the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection against the platform. While millions of fans around the world celebrated the tournament's kickoff, many viewers in Bangladesh experienced severe technical difficulties while trying to watch the match through Toffee, a freemium video streaming and digital entertainment platform owned by Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd. Subscribers alleged that they faced lengthy delays throughout the registration process. Many users reported waiting nearly 40 minutes to receive one-time passwords (OTP) required for account verification, followed by an additional 30-minute delay in obtaining payment links. Even after completing the subscription process, viewers said the livestreaming frequently froze, with videos stopping every few seconds and repeatedly displaying loading screens. The disruptions affected a large number of users during Thursday night's opening match, prompting widespread criticism on social media. Frustrated subscribers complained that despite paying for access, they were unable to watch the game properly. Industry observers noted that companies involved in World Cup broadcasting had invested heavily in acquiring broadcasting rights and launched extensive promotional campaigns to attract subscribers ahead of the tournament. However, many consumers questioned whether sufficient investments had been made in technical infrastructure to handle the anticipated surge in viewership. "Not everything should be allowed to pass without accountability. Although Tk 99 may seem like a small amount for one subscriber, I believe they have collected more than Tk 200 crore from subscribers. Everyone should file complaints," said Anisur Rahman, a Toffee user. Md Joy Hasan Nil, another Toffee subscriber, said he had filed a complaint against the platform, alleging that users had faced a similar experience during the 2022 World Cup. He said many subscribers were students who had spent their hard-earned money to purchase access to the service. Calling on other affected users to come forward, he said he had shared instructions on how to file complaints with the authorities. “If consumers do not raise their voices, the company will never improve. They will continue to benefit while ordinary customers suffer,” Nil said, urging all subscribers who purchased access to lodge formal complaints, as many of the tournament’s high-profile matches are yet to be played. Critics argued that the World Cup schedule had been known years in advance, providing ample time for service providers to prepare their platforms for increased traffic. They said the inability to deliver uninterrupted service after collecting subscription fees amounted to a failure to meet commitments made to customers. As the platform holds exclusive digital streaming rights in the country, viewers have limited alternatives, making questions of accountability and consumer protection even more significant. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Toffee attributed the disruption to issues related to the digital broadcast feed. “Due to complications with the digital broadcast feed, interruptions are occurring in the livestreaming of the World Cup. We are working tirelessly with Bangladesh Television (BTV), the broadcast rights holder, to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and will provide further updates soon,” the platform said. Launched in November 2019, Toffee operates as both a live TV and sports streaming application as well as a content creator platform across mobile devices and smart TVs in Bangladesh. Football fans have expressed hope that streaming platforms will ensure uninterrupted coverage of upcoming matches. Many also believe that if such failures continue, affected subscribers should receive appropriate compensation or refunds for services they were unable to use.

The head of the Palestinian Football Association says he is still waiting for approval to enter the United States after being denied a visa to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite receiving official accreditation for the tournament. Jibril Rajoub traveled to Mexico City and attended Thursday’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa. However, he remains unable to enter the US, one of the three host countries of the World Cup. Rajoub is among several accredited football officials and delegates who have either been denied US visas or are still waiting for them. Speaking to The Associated Press, Rajoub said it was unfair to prevent football representatives from attending one of the sport’s biggest global events. Although the Palestinian national team failed to qualify for the World Cup, governing body FIFA traditionally invites the heads of football associations from around the world to attend the tournament as part of its efforts to promote international unity through football. Last year, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said all visitors would be welcomed by the three host nations: Canada, Mexico and the United States. However, the US has reportedly refused entry to delegates from several countries. Among them are a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s national team. Infantino said this week that FIFA has been working to address visa-related problems but acknowledged that the organization cannot override decisions made by governments. The US State Department did not immediately comment on Rajoub’s case. Last year, Washington introduced additional restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including some people linked to the Palestinian Authority. It also revoked a visa that would have allowed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September. Rajoub has long accused Israel of violating FIFA rules by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank to compete in its national league. Palestinian football officials have repeatedly urged FIFA to take action against Israel and have also criticized restrictions on Palestinian players and the destruction of sports facilities in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing conflict. Last month, Rajoub declined to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation during a FIFA event, saying such a gesture would not address the suffering caused by the conflict. He also noted that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, invited guests and participants did not face similar visa restrictions.