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SAFF U-17 Women's Championship: Bangladesh face Nepal in their last match Tuesday
Hosts Bangladesh will play Himalayan nation Nepal Tuesday in their fourth and last league match of the five-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-17 Women's Championship 2023.
The match will kick off at 3:15pm at the Birshrestha Shaheed Sipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in the capital's Kamalapur.
Bangladesh made a flying start to the regional competition with an 8-1 win against Bhutan. But they lost to Russia 0-3 in their second match.
However, Bangladesh made a comeback in the third match, beating India 1-0.
Tournament favourite Russia won all their matches against Bangladesh (3-0), Nepal (3-0), and Bhutan (9 1). They will play their last match against India Tuesday; a win in the match will see Russia win the title.
India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and Russia are taking part in the nine-day competition organised by SAFF under the supervision of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in collaboration with UEFA.
Bangladesh face Seychelles in FIFA international series closer Tuesday
Bangladesh will face visiting Seychelles in the second and last match of the FIFA Tier-1 International Football Series Tuesday at the Sylhet District Stadium.
The match will kick off at 3:45 pm local time.
Bangladesh Television will telecast the match live while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentary.
In a pre-match press conference at Krira Bhaban in Sylhet Monday, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said Tuesday's match would be tougher and more challenging compared to the first one.
Bangladesh started their series against Seychelles with a 1-0 win at the Sylhet District Stadium Saturday.
Finland-born Bangladeshi defender Tariq Raihan Kazi scored the winner, his first goal for the national side, in the 43rd minute (1-0).
Earlier, the only match between Bangladesh and Seychelles ended in a draw in the four-nation football tournament in Colombo in 2021.
The current FIFA ranking of Bangladesh is 192, and Seychelles ranks 199.
This was the second win for Bangladesh in their last nine international matches, after their 1-0 win against Cambodia, under the Spanish coach Javier Fernández Cabrera.
Also, the dream of Nigeria-born Eleta Kingsley, who has earned Bangladesh citizenship, was fulfilled. He entered the field in the second half, for the first time wearing the national jersey of Bangladesh.
Eketa, who scored seven goals in the Premier League for Dhaka Abahani, came close to scoring twice.
Bangladesh vs Ireland: Taskin takes four as Tigers win rain-hit T20 opener
Bangladesh beat Ireland by 22 runs in the rain-affected first T20 in Chattogram Sunday.
Under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, Ireland's target was revised to 104 runs in eight overs, but they could only manage to score 81 for five wickets, with Taskin Ahmed registering a career-best 4-16.
Ireland, who scored 18 and 14 runs off the first two overs bowled by Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman respectively, lost their first wicket in the third over when Hasan Mahmud removed Ross Adair for 13.
Taskin struck thrice in the next over, ripping through Ireland's middle order.
Earlier, the match was interrupted by rain when Bangladesh had scored 207 for 5 in 19.2 overs, the highest T20I total in Chattogram.
After an hour and 23 minutes of delay because of rain, the pitch covers were removed. But it started raining again within three minutes.
After another 40-minute delay, the match restarted with a revised target for Ireland.
Earlier, put in to bat first Bangladesh reached 100 runs in just nine overs. Litton Das scored 47 off 23 deliveries before being caught by Harry Tector off Craig Young in the eighth over.
Rony Talukdar scored 67 off just 38 balls before being dismissed by Graham Hume in the 14th over.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shamim Hossain scored 14 and 30 runs, respectively. Towhid Hridoy scored a quickfire 13 off just eight balls.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 20 off 13 balls.
Craig Young was the most successful bowler for Ireland, taking two wickets.
The next two matches of the series will be played on March 29 and 31.
Rain interrupts first T20I: Ireland need 104 in 8 overs to win
After more than two hours of rain, Ireland got a revised target of 104 in eight overs in the first T20I against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Sunday.
The fate of the match was uncertain as rain interrupted the game at around 3:37 pm (Dhaka time) after Bangladesh scored 207 for 5 in 19.2 overs, the highest T20I total in Chattogram.
After an hour and 23 minutes of rain, the pitch covers went off but quickly returned within three minutes due to persistent rains.
Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl first, but they may have to rethink their decision.
Bangladesh reached 100 runs in just nine overs, thanks to the blistering start of the openers Litton Das and Rony Talukdar. Litton scored 47 off 23 deliveries, including 4 boundaries and 3 sixes before being caught by Harry Tector off Craig Young in the 8th over.
Rony provided more impetus to the innings with his blistering knock of 67 off 38 balls. He smashed 7 fours and 3 sixes before being dismissed by Graham Hume in the 14th over. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shamim Hossain contributed 14 and 30 runs respectively while Towhid Hridoy scored a quickfire 13 off 8 balls.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 20 off 13 balls, including 3 boundaries. Mehidy Hasan Miraz started giving the finishing touch before the rain came in.
Craig Young was the most successful bowler for Ireland, taking 2 wickets.
Landmark series win for Afghanistan against Pakistan
Afghanistan showcased another impressive run-chase to beat new-look Pakistan by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international with one ball remaining and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday.
It is the first time that Afghanistan has won a series against a top-six ranked ICC team.
Pakistan chose to bat first but its inexperienced top-order again disappointed before recalled Imad Wasim smashed 64 not out off 57 balls and captain Shadab Khan made 32 to increase the final total to 130-6.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44) and Ibrahim Zadran (38) led Afghanistan’s chase before Najibullah Zadran scored a rapid unbeaten 23 and Mohammad Nabi was 14 not out to guide their team to 133-3 with a ball to spare.
“It’s a great honor and pleasure to lead this wonderful team,” Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said. “Great effort with the ball, and then we took it deep and finished it … We have players to finish it like Nabi and Najib.”
Needing 22 off the last two overs, Najibullah and Nabi struck a six each in Naseem Shah’s penultimate over which went for 17 and effectively ended Pakistan's hopes.
Afghanistan recorded a memorable six-wicket win against Pakistan on Friday after pinning down Shadab’s team to 92-9.
In the absence of five rested frontline players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan continued to struggle against the pace and spin of Afghanistan on the slow wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Saim Ayub, who made his T20 debut in the first game, edged behind the second ball of the game from Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-19). Abdullah Shafique became the first men’s batter in T20 history to record a fourth straight duck when he was trapped leg before wicket by Farooqi in his first double-wicket maiden over, leaving Pakistan at 0-2.
Mohammad Haris (15) and Tayyab Tahir (13) also couldn’t gauge the wicket well upfront. Azam Khan (1) was baffled by Rashid's sharp googly and was out lbw as Pakistan slipped to 63-5 in 11 overs.
Imad and Shadab then combined in a 67-run stand with Imad hitting two sixes and three fours before Shadab was run out off the last ball while going for a second run.
Gurbaz made a powerful start for Afghanistan when he smashed Naseem (0-39) for a six and a boundary in the first over and took the game deep by adding 56 runs with Ibrahim. Gurbaz was run out when his reverse lap shot went straight to Naseem at short third man and Ibrahim declined a sharp single.
Fast bowler Ihsanullah (1-23) had Ibrahim caught behind in the 18th over but Najibullah and Nabi sealed the game with their belligerent hitting against Naseem in the penultimate over.
“We were struggling again,” Shadab said. “When you lose three wickets in powerplay, you lose 70% of the games … The young players were nervous. They are playing for the first time for Pakistan, but we have to back them.”
The third T20 is on Monday.
Ireland win toss, send Bangladesh in to bat in 1st T20
Ireland captain Paul Stirling won the toss and sent Bangladesh in to bat in the series-opening Twenty20 International on Monday. Bangladesh won the ODI series 2-0 with big victories in two matches and posted a national record 349-6 in the second game before it was washed out. The home team is aiming to continue a winning streak in the T20 format after sweeping the three-match series against world champion England. Stirling is leading Ireland in the absence of regular captain Andrew Balbirnie.Lineups:
Bangladesh: Liton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud.
Ireland: Paul Stirling (captain), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Craig Young, Graham Hume, Ben White
Preview of BAN vs IRE 1st T20I 2023
Bangladesh are going to play three three-match T20I series against Ireland in Chittagong starting on March 27. The other two matches will be on March 29 and 31. Bangladesh and Ireland already reached Chittagong on Friday afternoon. Bangladesh will be looking to continue their dominant run in the format, while Ireland will be eager to come back from their recent ODI loss. The 2023 BAN vs IRE 1st T20I game will start at 2 PM.
Preview of Bangladesh vs Ireland First T20I 2023
Hosts Bangladesh played brilliantly in the ODI series against Ireland in Sylhet. The Irish could not give their best in the 3-match ODI series. The visitors, however, survived a sure whitewash as the second ODI was abandoned with the blessings of rain. In the remaining two matches, Bangladesh won with a record. And through this, the differences in strength and ability between the two teams have become clear. Now, it is expected that Bangladesh will beat them in T20 too.
In the ICC T20 world ranking, Bangladesh is 9th, and Ireland is 12th. However, there have been very few encounters between the two teams in the T20 format. The last T20 fight between each other was in 2012. In other words, in the last 11 years, the two teams have not met in the T20 format.
Read More: Hathurusingha's mantra for success hinges on players feeling 'psychologically safe'
However, in the 2016 T20 World Cup, Bangladesh-Ireland met in the preliminary round at Dharamsala. But in that match, after Bangladesh scored 94 runs for 2 wickets in 8 overs, the match was abandoned due to rain. This statistic is for the global event or a tournament. And in the bilateral series, the last meeting between the two teams was in 2012. Bangladesh toured Ireland that year and returned home after whitewashing them 3-0.
In total, only 1 of the 5 T20 matches between the two teams has been abandoned, and Bangladesh has won 3 and lost 1. In the 2009 T20 World Cup, the Irish defeated Bangladesh by 6 wickets in Nottingham. After that, Bangladesh won 3 consecutive matches. Considering the statistics, the Tigers are clearly ahead.
The Ireland team played the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. However, they played the preliminary round at Sylhet and departed. Therefore, Bangladesh-Ireland has not met on the country ground so far. After 11 years, they are going to meet again in a bilateral series. Bangladesh is certainly the favorite in this series, as they have beaten the Irish in Sylhet in the ODI series.
Read More: National duty takes precedence: Shakib and Liton uncertain for IPL
Ireland will enter the T20 series with the same squad. The Irish have not played an international match in any format before in Chittagong. So, they will have a completely new experience this time. Earlier this month, the Tigers defeated the world champions England in the previous series at this venue. They lost to Bangladesh at this ground in the third and last ODI of the series after leading by 2-0. Later they lost in the first T20 match in Chittagong as well.
So, it will be a tough challenge for the Irish to do well against Bangladesh in Chittagong. However, Ireland is a very strong team in the T20 format. In the last World Cup, they defeated England by 5 runs. Won against West Indies as well. So, Bangladesh will need to play cautiously.
BAN vs IRE 1st T20I Probable Squad
Bangladesh Playing XI (Predicted)
Litton Das (wk), Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud.
Read More: Bangladesh’s ODI Series Win Against Ireland: Records, best performances, milestones achieved
Ireland Playing XI (Predicted)
Paul Stirling, Ross Adair, Andy Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Matthew Humphreys, George Dockrell, Curtis Campher, Craig Young, Mark Adair, Graham Hume.
Changes in the Teams
Leg spinner Rishad and wicketkeeper Batter Zaker are going to get a chance in this series. Apart from this, everyone will have a special eye on Towhid Hridoy, who made his debut against England, and Rony Talukdar, who returned after a long time. In this series, they have a chance to make their place in the team by doing something great.
On the other hand, 24-year-old pace all-rounder Fionn Hand has been included in the T20 squad. Conor Olphert has been omitted from the short version announced team. He was injured.
Read More: Analysis of Bangladesh T20 Squad Against Ireland
Key Players to Watch
Bangladeshi Players to Watch
Najmul Hossain Shanto, the left-handed top-order batter, has been having the form of his life. Earlier this month, he hit scores of 51, 46 not out, and 47 not out against England in T20s.Shakib Al Hasan, the team's captain, is one of the most feared left-arm spinners in T20 cricket and is noted for his economic run. He is also a dependable batsman across all formats, having hit 93 against Ireland in the opening ODI.
Taskin Ahmed, the right-arm pace bowler, has been in outstanding form against Ireland and England. He claimed five wickets from two innings against Ireland in the ODIs.
Irish Players to Watch
Paul Stirling, the opener, boasts an impressive track record in the T20 format and has participated in the majority of the top leagues. His aggressive batting style makes him a powerful asset.Lorcan Tucker, a 26-year-old wicket-keeper-batsman, has scored five IT20 half-centuries in the past 16 months, with his highest score reaching 84.
Read More: Mushfiq’s Record-Breaking Fastest ODI Century
Graham Hume, a right-arm fast-medium bowler, was the only Ireland bowler to have earned any recognition in the ODI series. He is likely to be the most confident bowler in the Irish squad for this game.
Tickets
The Cricket Board announced the ticket prices in a statement on Saturday (March 25). To enjoy the T20 series, tickets can be purchased for a minimum of Tk 200 in the western stand gallery of the stadium. Eastern stand ticket price is 300 taka.
Apart from this, Club House Gallery is Tk 500, International Stand Tk 1000, and Rooftop Hospitality and Grand Stand Gallery tickets are Tk 1500. As always, tickets can be purchased in person from Sagorika Ticket Counter and MA Aziz Stadium booth. Apart from this, tickets can be bought online. To buy tickets online, you have to go to the BCB website.
Read More: Shakib launches cancer foundation to support underprivileged patients
Final Words
While Bangladesh is determined to win the T20 series, too, Ireland will surely try to come back. However, T20s are more unpredictable than the one-day match. So, guessing the winner is difficult for T20 matches. On top of that, Ireland is better at playing T20 than the ODIs. Hence, we can expect a great fight in BAN vs IRE 1st T20I 2023.
Hathurusingha's mantra for success hinges on players feeling 'psychologically safe'
Shortly after Chandika Hathurusingha took over as head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team for the second time, Bangladesh suffered their first ODI series defeat in seven years, sparking doubts about whether Hathurusingha would be able to replicate his previous success.
However, those doubts quickly faded away as Bangladesh won four consecutive international matches, including one ODI and three T20Is, against England after losing the first two ODIs.
Bangladesh then posted their highest-ever ODI total against Ireland in the first of a three-match series in Sylhet. In the second match, they broke their own record by posting 349, their new highest in ODIs.
So, what did Hathurusingha do to change the Tigers overnight? The answer is: ensuring psychological safety for the players.
Ahead of the three-match T20I series against Ireland, Bangladesh's coach was asked how he changed the team, which was struggling with many problems, including a rift between two senior players, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. Hathurusingha said he just wants to ensure an environment where everyone will be psychologically safe.
"If you can create an environment where the players can do their best without worrying about the outcome - not only from coaches or selectors, even from their peers, and if they can be free to try things; if they fail, they are still okay. They are the same players, and we trust them," Hathurusingha explained.
Creating such an environment, or at least preaching for it, is the biggest change in Bangladesh's dressing room since he made a comeback as head coach, Hathrusingha added.
The idea seems to be working well, at least for some players who were struggling in recent times. For example, in the 12 ODI innings before Hathurusingha's return as coach, Mushfiqur Rahim scored only one fifty, and after Hathurusingha took over, Mushfiqur hit a fifty and a century in five innings, indicating that a free mind is helping him come out of his shell.
"I know that if you create an environment like that, the only way forward is if they can do their best. If their best is not good enough on some days, we will lose. That's the game," Hathurusingha said on Sunday.
As Bangladesh prepares for the 50-over World Cup later this year in India, it is important for them to be on a winning streak. It is clear that Hathurusingha's new mantra of psychological safety is helping them to achieve that goal.
National duty takes precedence: Shakib and Liton uncertain for IPL
Bangladesh is all set to begin their three-match T20I series against Ireland on Monday in Chattogram. Ahead of the first T20I, Bangladesh's head coach Chandika Hathurusingha emphasized that national duty takes precedence over any other commitment, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), and hinted that Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das may not be granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the IPL if Bangladesh has international matches during the same period.
Shakib and Litton were recently signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming season of IPL, while Mustafizur Rahman was retained by his old team, Delhi Capitals. However, since Mustafizur is not a regular face in Bangladesh's Test team, he may be allowed to play in the IPL after the Ireland T20I series.
"The decision of the board is to prioritize playing for the national team over any other league, and this message has been conveyed to all the players, even before they put their names in the players' draft," Chandika said on Sunday.
While it is common for teams to release their players for IPL matches during international tours, Bangladesh has chosen not to take that route. The country's cricket board has made it clear that national duty takes precedence, and players will not be released for IPL matches if they conflict with international fixtures.
This year's IPL is scheduled to begin on March 31, and Bangladesh has a Test match against Ireland starting from April 4. Therefore, it has been confirmed that Shakib and Liton will not be granted NOCs to play in the IPL.
Some Indian media outlets have reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may ban Bangladeshi players from the IPL in the future, in response to Bangladesh's decision not to release players for IPL matches. However, neither the BCCI nor any IPL team has confirmed the veracity of these reports.
FIFA international series: Bangladesh beat Seychelles 1-0 in 1st match
Bangladesh started their two-match FIFA Tier-1 International Football Series against Seychelles with a 1-0 win at the Sylhet District Stadium Saturday.
Finland-born Bangladeshi defender Tariq Raihan Kazi scored the winner, his first goal for the national side, in the 43rd minute (1-0).
Earlier, the only match between Bangladesh and Seychelles ended in a draw in the four-nation football tournament in Colombo in 2021.
The current FIFA ranking of Bangladesh is 192 and Seychelles ranks 199.
This was the second win for Bangladesh in their last nine international matches, after their 1-0 win against Cambodia, under the Spanish coach Javier Fernández Cabrera.
Also, the dream of Nigeria-born Eleta Kingsley, who has earned Bangladesh citizenship, was fulfilled today. He entered the field in the second half, for the first time wearing the national jersey of Bangladesh.
Eketa, who scored seven goals in the Premier League for Dhaka Abahani, came close to scoring twice.
The second and last match of the series will be held on March 28 at the same venue.
Bangladesh Television will telecast both matches live while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentary.
Seychelles arrived in Dhaka Wednesday at 5pm. They reached Sylhet on the same day.
Bangladesh
Anisur Rahman Zico, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barman, Sohel Rana, M Sohel Rana (Masuk Miah Zony), Remon Hossain, Jamal Bhuyan (Matin Miah), Majubur Rahman Jonny (Rabiul), Rakib Hossain ( Sumon Reza, Saaduddin and Aminur Rahman Sajib (Eketa Kingsley)