United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh A opener Habibur Rahman stormed his way into the record books on Friday, hitting a 35-ball century against Hong Kong China in Doha to register the fastest T20 hundred by a Bangladeshi cricketer. The previous national record belonged to Parvez Hossain Emon, who reached his century off 42 balls in the 2020 Bangabandhu T20 Cup. Habibur erased that mark with a display of power-hitting in the Rising Stars Asia Cup, helping Bangladesh A beat Hong Kong by eight wickets with 54 balls to spare. Chasing 168, Habibur set the tone in the very first over, smashing three sixes. He followed up with another over of three boundaries and a six, hitting 10 sixes overall — all inside the powerplay — as Bangladesh A amassed 107 runs in the first six overs. Habibur alone scored 88 off 25 balls during the powerplay, while other opener Zishan Alam played a supporting role with 16. Their stand of 111 off 39 balls gave Akbar Ali’s side complete control. Zishan eventually fell for 20 off 14 deliveries in the seventh over. With 88 off his first 24 balls, Habibur briefly threatened the all-time T20 record — Uganda’s Sahil Chauhan holds the world mark with a 27-ball hundred — but he slowed in the final stretch, taking 11 balls to gather his last 12 runs. Captain Akbar Ali then finished the chase in style with a blistering 41 not-out off 13 balls, including five consecutive sixes off Kinchit Shah. His late batting ensured Bangladesh A reached the target in just 11 overs.

Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales was abruptly targeted by his uncle, who threw eggs at him during a presentation for his new memoir on Thursday. Rubiales, seated on a small stage, dodged at least two eggs as one smashed against a screen behind him. He rushed toward the audience before security intervened. “A man came in — later I realized it was my uncle — someone who has always had problems,” Rubiales told reporters. “He threw eggs at me. When I first saw him, I didn’t know what he was holding and feared it might be a weapon.” Rubiales was promoting his book “Matar a Rubiales” (“Killing Rubiales”), a 500-page account of his fall from power after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 Women’s World Cup medal ceremony. According to the publisher, Rubiales claims he was the target of a coordinated campaign involving government officials and “the lucrative world of feminism.” Rubiales has repeatedly insisted the kiss was consensual. He initially refused to resign despite widespread condemnation from government leaders, football authorities, players, and fans, but eventually stepped aside under mounting pressure. Earlier this year, a Spanish court found him guilty of sexual assault for the nonconsensual kiss.

Bangladesh wrapped up a big victory by an innings and 47 runs over Ireland on the fourth morning of the Sylhet Test, completing a performance built on heavy first-innings runs and sustained pressure from a balanced attack. Ireland, resuming the day on 86 for five and still 215 runs behind, showed greater resistance through the lower order but never seriously threatened to push the match into a fifth day. They were eventually bowled out for 254 shortly after lunch, with the left-arm spin duo of Hasan Murad and Taijul Islam sharing seven wickets. The morning's first breakthrough came when Matthew Humphreys swept Taijul straight to square leg for 16. Andy Balbirnie and Andy McBrine then added 66 runs in the most substantial partnership of the innings, briefly quietening Bangladesh's momentum. Bangladesh close in on innings victory after dominating 3rd day in Sylhet Balbirnie played with composure for 38 before being trapped lbw by Murad, whose persistence paid off with sharp turn from a length. McBrine reached a fighting fifty — the third of his Test career — but his innings ended soon after the interval when he miscued a pull off Nahid Rana and offered a simple catch at midwicket. Ireland's hopes faded from that moment. Barry McCarthy swung gamely for 25, and Graham Hume and Mark Adair chipped away at the deficit, but the outcome had long been clear. Murad completed a four-wicket haul in only his second Test match, finishing with 4 for 60, while Taijul took 3 for 84. Rana ended with two wickets. "He's been doing well in first-class cricket," said Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto of Murad, who had waited long for his opportunity. "Showed what a quality bowler he is, exciting bowler." Bangladesh's victory was forged on the weight of their first-innings total. The hosts had declared at 587 for eight on the third afternoon, securing a 301-run lead — their second-largest in Test history. Sylhet Test: Tigers extend lead to 161 at lunch on day three The scorecard was stacked with contributions across the top order: Mahmudul Hasan Joy's career-best 171, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto's crisp 100, and solid innings from Mominul Haque (82), Shadman Islam (80), and Liton Das (60). Only Matthew Humphreys found a way through with any consistency, returning figures of five for 170. "Opening partnership was tremendous. Hope they'll continue," Shanto said, reflecting on the platform set by Joy and Shadman. Ireland began their second innings in trouble almost immediately. Cade Carmichael was bowled by Rana in the fourth over, and Paul Stirling's fluent 43 ended in a mix-up that produced a sharp run-out engineered by Najmul and finished by Liton. Taijul trapped Harry Tector for 18, and Curtis Campher departed to a flying catch from Shadman at extra cover. By stumps on the third day, Ireland were five down and still far from safety. Bangladesh closed out the job without alarm, completing only their fourth victory by an innings margin in Tests. Mahmudul was named player of the match for an innings he admitted left him "disappointed to not get the double century," though he remained "happy overall" with his contribution. "This track was pretty good to bat on, tried to keep my tactics simple," he said. Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie was frank in his assessment. "Tough cricket for us, they were better in every aspect," he said. "We know how good they are in their own conditions. From a skill point of view, we've to get there. That'll come with more matches." Despite the heavy defeat, Balbirnie found reasons for optimism. "Proud of how we've gone about it the last four days. The more our players are exposed to top-flight international cricket, they'll get better." Shanto, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that Bangladesh had engineered conditions to suit their spinners. "Not like we want a spin wicket, we want to play on a sporting wicket," he said after the match. "All four days wicket looked pretty good."

Richonell Margaret scored twice in two-minute span in the second half on Thursday as Suriname defeated El Salvador 4-0 in CONCACAF qualifying to move closer to securing a spot in the World Cup for the first time. Tjaronn Cherry opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 44th minute and Richonell Margaret scored in the 74th and 76th minutes while Dhoraso Moreo Klass added a goal in the 83rd. With the win, Suriname remains undefeated and reached nine points in Group A, the same as Panama which defeated Guatemala 3-2. Suriname, that has a better goal difference over the Panamanians, will visit Guatemala next Tuesday, while Panama hosts El Salvador. Twelve teams, divided into three groups, are vying for three direct spots from regional qualifying for next year’s World Cup. The United States, Canada and Mexico have qualified automatically as World Cup co-hosts. Suriname, one of CONCACAF’s founding nations in 1961, is playing in the final round of qualifying for the first time since 1978. El Salvador suffered its fourth straight loss and with three points is eliminated. Curacao controls destiny Also on Thursday, Jordi Paulina scored twice and Curacao beat Bermuda 7-0 and will play against Jamaica for a spot in the World Cup. Paulina scored in the 48th and 63rd minutes, while Leandro Vacuna (7), Juninho Vacuna (32), Sontje Hansen (59), Ar' Jany Martha (82), and Roshon van Eijma (90) added goals for Curacao, which is coached by Dick Advocaat. Advocaat was at the helm of the Netherlands national team for three stints and managed South Korea, Belgium and Russia before taking the job with Curacao, which has never qualified for a World Cup. With the convincing win, Curacao has 11 points and leads Group B over Jamaica, which had a 1-1 draw against Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica, which has only ever qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France, is coached by former England’s national team mentor Steve McLaren. The Reggae Boys will host Curacao in Kingston’s National Stadium next Tuesday. Curacao needs a win or a draw to qualify while Jamaica requires a win. Group C is up for grabs Bancy Hernandez and Jaime Moreno scored goals and Nicaragua upset Honduras 2-0 to leave the group undecided going into the last round next Tuesday. Hernandez opened the scoring in the 12th minute and Moreno secure the win at the 82nd minute for the Nicaraguans. Also on Thursday, Frantzdy Pierrot scored a goal in the first half and Haiti downed Costa Rica 1-0. Pierrot scored in the 44th minute to secure the win for the Haitians, whose only appearance in a World Cup was in 1974. With one round left to play, Honduras leads the group with eight points, the same as Haiti, but with a better goal difference. Costa Rica remains in contention with six, while Nicaragua is eliminated with four points.

Apple TV subscribers will be able to watch all Major League Soccer matches without an additional subscription beginning next year. During the first three years of MLS' 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement with Apple, a standalone Season Pass subscription was needed to access all matches. During this season, over 200 matches were simulcast on both MLS Season Pass and Apple TV, including the league's “Sunday Night Soccer” package. Dropping the separate subscription was announced Thursday at an owners' meeting. Apple has made its Friday night Major League Baseball doubleheaders available to all subscribers since its start in 2022. It recently secured U.S. rights to Formula 1 for five years which will also be available beginning next season. Making the MLS games more accessible also comes as the United States hosts the World Cup next year and the league switches to a late summer to spring calendar matching the European model in 2027. The current season runs from late February to early December, MLS deputy commissioner Gary Stevenson said Apple approached MLS early this year about the possibility of moving all of its matches to Apple TV. “We had been testing ‘Sunday Night Soccer’ on Apple TV and we got a really good reception to it. Then we talked to them about the potential schedule change and they thought that made sense. So it all kind of seemed like the perfect evolution to what we started and we think that the fans are going to find the experience and the value to be significantly better,” Stevenson said. MLS season-ticket holders will receive Apple TV subscriptions after previously receiving MLS Season Pass. MLS said it averaged 3.7 million gross live match viewers per week across streaming and linear platforms for its 15 weekly matches, a 29% increase over 2024. Apple has worldwide rights to MLS, which have benefitted them in South America after Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023. The league has also seen an influx of Asian viewers after Son Heung-Min began playing for LAFC in August. Messi and Son had the top two jersey sales in the league this season. Messi and Son's clubs have both advanced to the league quarterfinals. LAFC is at Vancouver on Nov. 22 while Inter Miami travels to Cincinnati on Nov. 23.      

Despite coming from behind and scoring twice in the second half, Bangladesh were left frustrated as Nepal netted a late equaliser in stoppage time to secure a 2–2 draw in Dhaka. Rohit Chand gave Nepal the lead before the half-hour mark with a low shot from the edge of the box. In the 46th minute, Hamza brought Bangladesh level with a stunning bicycle kick. Just four minutes later, he calmly converted a penalty after Rakib was fouled inside the box, putting Bangladesh 2–1 ahead. But in the third minute of added time, Ananta Tamang equalised with a neat finish from a corner to bring Nepal level. The match, held on Thursday at the National Stadium, saw both teams struggle for rhythm early on. Bangladesh earned their first corner in the 4th minute, but captain Jamal Bhuiyan’s delivery created no real danger. Nepal, on the other hand, managed a few attacking moves but failed to break through Bangladesh’s defence. In the 20th minute, Bangladesh came close again when Nepal’s goalkeeper fumbled Jamal’s corner, but the hosts could not take advantage. In the 29th minute, Rohit Chand capitalised on a defensive lapse, receiving a cutback and slotting home with a low shot. Bangladesh nearly equalised before halftime when Fahim’s header went straight into the goalkeeper’s gloves, leaving the hosts trailing 1–0 at the break. Cabrera brought on Shammit Som at the start of the second half, and within a minute, Hamza produced a spectacular bicycle kick to restore parity. Minutes later, his successful penalty gave Bangladesh the lead and lifted the home crowd’s spirits. In the 70th minute, Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera made a triple substitution, bringing on Shakil Ahsan Topu, Shahriar Emon, and Mohammad Hridoy. Ten minutes later, an injured Hamza was forced off after receiving brief medical attention. Nineteen-year-old Cuba Mitchel came on as Hamza’s replacement to make his international debut. Cabrera had initially planned to substitute captain Jamal Bhuiyan, who had already removed his armband, but Hamza’s injury forced a change in plan. Bangladesh appeared set for victory as the match entered stoppage time, the Red and Green leading 2–1, but Ananta Tamang’s 93rd-minute strike from a corner stunned the home crowd and denied the hosts the chance to celebrate a win. With the result, Bangladesh had to leave the field frustrated, while Nepal celebrated a hard-fought draw after being on the verge of defeat.

Bangladesh tightened their grip on the Sylhet Test by ending the third day on the brink of an innings victory, reducing Ireland to 86 for five in their second innings after declaring at a commanding 587 for eight. Ireland trail by 215 runs and must bat out the fourth day to avoid defeat. The hosts had resumed the morning on 338 for one and extended their advantage through steady scoring, despite losing Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim in the opening session. Mahmudul added just two runs to his overnight score before falling for a career-best 171, while Mominul was dismissed for 82. Mushfiqur made 23 before being undone by turn from Matthew Humphreys. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a composed century of 100, supported by Liton Das’s brisk 60, as Bangladesh pushed their total well past 500. Humphreys finished with five for 170, the best figures of his young career. The declaration gave Bangladesh a first-innings lead of 301, their second-largest ever. Ireland’s reply quickly faltered. Debutant pacer Nahid Rana bowled Cade Carmichael for 5, before Paul Stirling and Harry Tector briefly resisted. Stirling looked the most assured batter, reaching 43, but fell to a sharp run-out started by a deflection to slip and finished by Liton Das. Taijul Islam trapped Tector for 18, and Curtis Campher followed for 19 when Shadman Islam dived to his right at extra cover to pull off the catch of the day. The slide continued when Lorcan Tucker was given lbw on review, leaving Ireland at 85 for five. Hasan Murad, the debutant left-arm spinner, ended the day with two for eight, continuing an impressive start to his Test career. Bangladesh will return on the fourth morning sensing a swift finish, while Ireland face a long battle merely to force Bangladesh to bat again.  

Fast bowler Mark Wood experienced “stiffness in his hamstring” on the first day of England’s only warmup match before the Ashes series begins next week in Australia, the team said Thursday. Wood bowled eight overs – a pre-planned amount, according to the England and Wales Cricket Board — before leaving the field at Perth’s Lilac Hill in the tour match against the England Lions. The ECB said Wood “will undergo a precautionary scan" on Friday and is scheduled to bowl again Saturday. The 35-year-old Wood has been out of action for the last nine months following knee surgery. He has been training with heavy strapping on his leg. The first test starts Nov. 21 in Perth.

Bangladesh consolidated their dominance over touring Ireland on the third morning of the Sylhet Test, reaching 447 for four at lunch- a lead of 161 runs in the first innings. The hosts added 111 runs in the session but lost three wickets, including overnight centurion Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mahmudul, who began the day on 169, extended his career-best innings to 171 before edging Andy McBrine behind after facing 286 balls with 14 fours and four sixes. Mominul, who resumed unbeaten on 80, also fell to McBrine for 82 after adding only a few more runs. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto then steadied the innings with a fluent half-century — his sixth in Tests — while Mushfiqur Rahim made 23 before being deceived by left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys’ turn. At the break, Najmul was batting on 50 alongside Liton Das, who looked positive from the start and remained unbeaten on 19. Bangladesh’s batting has built steadily on the platform laid by the top order, with their first three batters all passing fifty — only the second such instance in the country’s Test history. The pitch has started to show signs of turn, suggesting a difficult task ahead for Ireland when they bat again.  In the first innings of the match, Ireland posted 286.  

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has cautioned its players and support staff after some of them expressed to leave Pakistan following a bombing in Islamabad this week. In a statement late Wednesday, the board said any player or staff member who defies its directive to continue the tour and returns home would face a formal review of their conduct. The SLC insisted it has taken “all necessary measures” in coordination with Pakistani authorities to ensure the team’s safety. The Sri Lankan squad is currently in Islamabad for a three-match ODI series. The explosion, which took place near the team’s hotel, has caused grave concern among players. Bangladesh dominate day 2 as Mahmudul, Mominul pile on runs in Sylhet According to international media reports, at least eight Sri Lankan cricketers had initially desired of leaving Pakistan. Following discussions between players, team management, and officials from both cricket boards, the remaining two ODIs have been pushed back by a day. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the matches will now be held on November 14 and 16 instead of November 13 and 15. Naqvi is also scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan team to assure them of security issues. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Islamabad has already reviewed the safety measures and expressed satisfaction, according to a PCB statement. Sri Lanka lost the opening match of the series by six runs. The team is also scheduled to take part in a T20 tri-series involving Pakistan and Zimbabwe after the ODIs. Pakistan has hosted international cricket again in recent years after a decade-long hiatus that began following the 2009 terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in Lahore.