Bangladesh registered an easy win in a low-scoring affair against touring West Indies on Wednesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

With the six-wicket win in the first ODI, Bangladesh made a flying start to the Bangabandhu Bangladesh vs West Indies Cricket Series. The second ODI will take place at the same venue on January 22 and the third match will be played in Chattogram. 

Shakib Al Hasan, the ace all-rounder who returned to international cricket after his ICC ban, won the man of the match award for his four-wicket haul conceding eight runs in 7.2 overs. 

Also read: Shakib takes four as WI tumble for 122

“My focus was to put the ball in the right areas and let the pitch do the rest,” he said after the match. “To be honest, I don't count (my batting in the) domestic games. Outside the dressing room, people may think about those performances.” 

Shakib scored 19 off 43 balls. 

Bangladesh won the toss and sent the Caribbean to bat first. The touring side, who are missing many of their regular campaigners, failed to post a challenging total on the board. With six debutants in the playing XI, West Indies tumbled for 122 for all wicket in 32.2 overs. 

Bangladesh sealed the game with six wickets and 97 balls in hand. Tamim Iqbal, the new Bangladesh captain, posted 44 to guide his team to an easy win. 

Bangladesh ended up on 125 for four in 33.5 overs. For West Indies, Akeal Hosein, the debutant left-arm spinner, bagged three wickets conceding 26 runs in 10 overs. The other wicket was taken by Jason Mohammed, the stand-in ODI captain of West Indies. 

Also read: Bangladesh bowl in first international match in 10 months

Along with Shakib, debutant right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud bagged three wickets to bowl West Indies out for 122. 

Tamim's decision to bowl first proved to be a good one as Mustafizur Rahman took the first wicket in the second over of the match. 

Sunil Ambris, 7, went to flick Mustafizur but missed the ball which hit his pad, and he was judged LBW. Sunil went for DRS, but the third umpire upheld the decision of the main umpire. 

Before posting 50 runs on the board, the WI, who fielded six new faces in this game, lost two more wickets. Along with Sunil, Mustafizur removed the other opener of WI as well- the debutant Joshua Da Silva for 9. 

Also read: WI emphasise spin bowling to check Tigers

Shakib started taking wickets by removing another debutant Andre McCarthy for 12. It was an arm ball and the batsman missed it while sweeping away. With this dismissal, Shakib completed 150 wickets at home. He also bagged the next two wickets removing Jason Mohammed and Nkrumah Bonner. 

Hasan announced his arrival removing Rovman Powell and Raymon Reifer in two consecutive deliveries. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the ninth wicket and Shakib pull off the last one to wrap the WI for 122 runs in 32.2 overs. 

At the end of the match, Tamim applauded bowling efforts from the pacers. He said: “No complaints. We bowled really well. The way Fizz (Mustafizur) started was very good. Rubel (Hossain) also started very well. The young guy, Hasan (Mahmud), bowled really well. The spinners were also really good. Shakib and Mehidy (Hasan Miraz) also bowled really well. It was a very difficult wicket to bat on. Even if you wanted to play aggressive shots, you couldn't. Initially, when I saw the wicket, I thought it would play really good. There was no sun throughout the day, so you cannot blame anyone. On this kind of wicket, you can't just go in and swing your bat. I thought whoever batted batted quite sensibly.”

Shakib Al Hasan bagged four wickets in his comeback match after serving a one-year-long ban imposed by the ICC due to failing to report corrupt approaches.

He ended up taking four wickets conceding eight runs in 7.2 overs as West Indies tumbled for 122/10 in 32.2 overs in the first ODI of Bangabandhu Bangladesh vs West Indies Cricket Series on Wednesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. 

Also read: Shakib: It’ll be tough to repeat old form

Along with Shakib, Hasan Mahmud, the right-arm pacer who was inducted to ODIs with this match, also bagged three wickets conceding 28 runs in six overs to make his debut memorable for long. 

Tamim Iqbal, the new ODI captain of Bangladesh, won the toss and opted to bowl first in this game. His decision proved to be a good one as Mustafizur Rahman pulled off the first wicket in the second over of the match. 

Also read: Bangladesh bowl in first international match in 10 months

Sunil Ambris, 7, went to flick Mustafizur but he missed the ball which has hit his pad, and the umpire declared an LBW. Sunil went for DRS, but the third umpire retained the decision of the main umpire. 

Before posting 50 runs on the board, the WI, who fielded six new faces in this game, lost two more wickets. Along with Sunil, Mustafizur removed the other opener of WI as well- the debutant Joshua Da Silva for 9. 

Shakib started taking wickets removing another debutant Andre McCarthy for 12. It was an arm ball and the batsman missed it while sweeping away. With this dismissal, Shakib completed 150 wickets at home.

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He also bagged the next two wickets removing Jason Mohammed and Nkrumah Bonner. 

Hasan Mahmud announced his arrival removing Rovman Powell and Raymon Reifer in two consecutive deliveries. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the ninth wicket and Shakib pulled off the last one to wrap the WI for 122 runs losing all wickets in 32.2 overs. 

Also read: Tigers show solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement

Bangladesh needs to score 123 runs in 50 overs to seal this game. 

The second ODI will take place at the same venue on January 22 while the third and final ODI of the series will be played in Chattogram on January 25. 

Also read: Najmul the new number 3 in Bangladesh ODI tea

Former General Secretary and Vice President of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Raisuddin Ahmed died at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on Wednesday. He was 82.

Also read:Ekushey Padak recipient actor, director Aly Zaker passes away

Raisuddin, who had been suffering from various health complications and recently developed Covid-19 symptoms, breathed his last at 10 am.

Raisuddin Ahmed was a former  Director (Admin) of national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Also read:Ekushey Padak winning writer Rashid Haider dies

He was admitted to Evercare Hospital on December 25 with Covid-19 symptoms and later he was put on life support when his condition worsened.

He was the general secretary of erstwhile Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCCB) from 1975 to 1981 and served the board as vice president from 1991 to 2001.

Also read:Senior journalist AUM Fakhruddin dies

Under his initiative, the famous MCC  team of London made their first -ever visit to Bangladesh in 1977 to play two two-day matches in Rajshahi and Chittogram against local teams and one three-day match in Dhaka against Bangladesh national team.

The namaz-e-janaza of Raisuddin Ahmed will be held at the Kakrail Circuit House Mosque after Asr prayers,

Also read:Prominent educationist Prof Atful Hye Shibly passes away

Meanwhile, the BCB expressed their deep shocked at the death of Raisuddin Ahmed.

BCB President Nazmul Hassan, MP has paid his respect to the deceased saying “Raisuddin Ahmed served Bangladesh cricket at a time when the game was struggling to take off. It is due to the selfless efforts of people like him that our cricket is where it is today. On behalf of the Board I extend condolences and sympathies to his family and pray for the salvation of his soul.

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On the eve of the first match of Bangabandhu Bangladesh vs West Indies Cricket Series,  Bangladesh and West Indies cricket teams showed solidarity with  Balck Lives Matter movement, a decentralized political and social movement.

Also read: BD v WI: First sighting of Tigers in 10 months

Along with the Tigers, the West Indies cricket team also joined the cause as all of them kneeled down and raised one hand to show their solidarity with the movement— Black Lives Matter.

Also read:West Indies in Dhaka for series against Bangladesh

The Black Lives Matter movement erupted last year after a policeman killed an unarmed black man, George Floyd, at Charlotte in North Carolina of the United States last year. Right after this incident, the movement spread throughout the world. The movement was also addressed as George Floyd protests.

Also read:Bangladesh to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement

The movement was initiated first time in 2013 when three women started the movement after the acquittal Gorge Zimmerman, who shot dead unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

Also read:West Indies series: Bangladesh ODI, Test teams announced

During West Indies’ England tour in June-July last year, they kneeled down to show solidarity with the movement. Hosts England also joined the cause.

Also read:West Indies to arrive in Dhaka Sunday

Bangladesh are taking on the West Indies in three ODIs and two Tests. The first ODI is taking place in Mirpur on January 20 while the second match will also be played at the same venue on January 22. The third ODI and first Test will take place in Chattogram on January 25 and February 3, and the final match of the series, the second Test, will be played in Mirpur from February 11.

Bangladesh won the toss against West Indies and opted to bowl in their first international match in 10 months after the breakout of Covid-19 pandemic. With this match, Bangabandhu Bangladesh vs West Indies Cricket Series began on January 20 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Also read:West Indies in Dhaka for series against Bangladesh

Bangladesh gave a chance to Hasan Mahmud, the young right-arm pacer, in this game. He earlier played a T20I for the Tigers. Hasan is the only debutant for the hosts while West Indies are fielding six uncapped players as many of their regular players have opted out from this series citing Covid-19 situation.

Also read:West Indies to arrive in Dhaka Sunday

This series will be marked as Shakib Al Hasan’s comeback series after he served a one-year ban imposed by the ICC due to failing to report corrupt approaches made to him.

Also read:Bangladesh to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement

At the same time, it will be the first series under Tamim Iqbal’s full-time captaincy. He is appointed as Bangladesh’s ODI captain after Mashrafe Bin Mortaza stepped down from his post during Bangladesh’s last ODI series before this.

Also read:Akram Khan: Bangladesh shouldn't take West Indies lightly

Bangladesh XI: Tamim Iqbal (capt), Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain

Also read: West Indies series: Bangladesh ODI, Test teams announced

West Indies XI: Sunil Ambris, Joshua da Silva, Andre McCarthy, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Mohammed, Rovman Powell, Kyle Mayers, Jahmar Hamilton, Raymon Reifer, Alzarri Joseph, Chemar Holder