sports
BFF friendly football match on Sunday to mark Independence Day
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has arranged a friendly football match on Sunday (March 26) on the occasion of the country's Independence and National Day
Former national booters, split into two groups--Bangladesh Red Team and Green team-- will compete in the match.
The match will kick-off at 3:30 pm at the BFF Artificial Turf in Motijheel.
Women's Chess: Holders Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Police take joint lead
Defending champion Bangladesh Navy and runners-up Bangladesh Police dominated the Walton First Division Women’s Chess League'2023 jointly securing eight points each after the 4th round matches held at the Bangladesh Chess Federation Hall-Room here on Saturday.
In the day's 4th round, Bangladesh Navy beat Shahin Chess Club by 4-0 game points.
Wadfa Ahmed, WCM Ahmed Walijah, WFM Noshin Anjum and Warsia Khusbu of Bangladesh Navy won against Afrin Jahan Munia, Neelava Choudhury, Sabikun Nahar Tonima and Jannatul Preety of Shahin Chess Club respectively.
Bangladesh Police beat Sheikh Russel Chess Club also by 4-0 game points.
WCM Jannatul Ferdous, Indian WGM Srija Seshadri, WFM Tanima Parveen and Indian WGM Velavan Varshini of Bangladesh Police won against Nazia Jafrin Mohona, Jarin Tasnim, Inaaya Zaman Khan & Fatiha Eyenoon Diya of Sheikh Russel Chess Club respectively.
Basir Memorial Chess Academy beat Team Barisal by 3-1 game points.
Rashma Alam, Monika Kundu & Sayeda Nusaibah Mahmud of Basir Memorial Chess Academy won against Sidratul Muntaha, Tahira Amani and Ramisa Sayeara Mumina of Team Barisal respectively.
Sonia Akhter of Team Barisal won against Sanjeedah Khanam Mitul of Basir Memorial Chess Academy.
Uttara Central Chess Club drew with Basir Memorial Chess Club by 2-2 game points.
Essaba Manun and Fariha Sumona of Uttara Central Chess Club won against Sharmin Khan and Fahmida Afroz of Basir of Memorial Chess Club respectively.
Kaumudi Nargis and Mahjabbeen Islam of Basir Memorial Chess Club won against Nazmin Khan and Warisa Haider of Uttara Central Chess Club respectively.
The 5th round matches will be held on Sunday from 11 am.
5th round matches are: Uttara Central Chess Club Vs. Basir Memorial Chess Academy, Shahin Chess Club Vs. Basir Memorial Chess Club, Sheikh Russel Chess Club Vs. Bangladesh Navy, Team Barisal Vs. Bangladesh Police.
Bangladesh’s ODI Series Win Against Ireland: Records, best performances, milestones achieved
Bangladesh finished a great series against Ireland. The tigers touched new heights in the first two matches as the team scored the highest total. Bangladesh wanted to demonstrate their power and expertise through its performance in the field by playing an aggressive style of cricket. And the plan worked well as the tigers won the three-match series by 2-0 against the young Ireland team.
2023 BAN vs IRE ODI Series Analysis
In the Bangladesh vs Ireland series, Bangladesh won the three-match ODI series by 2-0. The first match was won by Bangladesh with a huge margin of 183 runs. The second match was washed away by rain, and Bangladesh got a 10 wicket victory in the last match.
Considering the performance in three matches, Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto have been very consistent. And as a new batter, Towhid Hridoy’s performance was also eye-catching. In addition to that, Shakib’s 93 for 89 in the first match was also remarkable. For the bowling part, Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossian’s performance played a crucial role in winning the first and third matches. Overall, all the Bangladeshi players gave their best on the field.
From Ireland, George Dockrell played a brilliant inning of 45 runs off 47 balls, including six fours in the first match. But the rest of the Irish batting lineup failed to perform in both games they batted. If we look at Ireland’s bowling in all three matches, Graham Hume was the only bowler that stopped Bangladeshi batters. Although Hume’s economy rate was quite high, he took 7 wickets in total.
Read More: Shakib launches cancer foundation to support underprivileged patients
Records and Achievement for Bangladesh
We have seen aggressive cricket from both Bangladeshi batters and blowers. And In the eyes of captain Tamim, Bangladesh just completed the perfect series. Let's take a look at the accomplishments of this remarkable series.
Biggest Win by Runs
Bangladesh achieved a record-breaking victory in their first match, winning by an incredible 183 runs - the largest margin of victory in the nation's ODI history. After winning the toss, Ireland sent Bangladesh to batting, and the Tigers scored 338 runs. In response, the Bangladeshi bowlers stopped them to 155 runs.
Shakib’s 7000 Runs Milestone
After Tamim Iqbal, Shakib became the second Bangladeshi cricketer to cross 7,000 runs milestone in ODIs. Shakib achieved a remarkable feat with his 93-run score. He entered the field with 24 runs away from 7000 runs, and Shakib achieved the landmark easily.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s 7000 Runs
Mushfiqur Rahim scored a century in the second ODI, and he also crossed 7000 runs in ODI cricket. Mushfiqur has become the third batsman from Bangladesh to achieve 7000 runs landmark after Tamim and Shakib. He needed 55 runs to reach the milestone but achieved it with the century, and now Mushfiques total ODI runs are 7045.
Read More: Analysis of Bangladesh T20 Squad Against Ireland
Mushfiqur Rahim set another record in this match. He took five catches as the wicketkeeper in the first match. He has taken the most catches as a wicketkeeper in ODIs for Bangladesh. However, Khaled Masud Pilot had five dismissals with three catches and two stumpings against Kenya in 2006.
Mushfiq’s Fastest Century
In 2009, during a match in Bulawayo, Shakib achieved an impressive accomplishment by scoring a century in only 63 balls against Zimbabwe. Mushfiqur topped Shakib's 14-year record as he hit a century off just 60 balls in the second ODI. He achieved his ninth century in the last ball of the innings, scoring 14 fours and 2 sixes for a total of 100 runs.
Shakib launches cancer foundation to support underprivileged patients
On his birthday, one of the best cricketers in the world, Shakib Al Hasan, announced the launch of the Shakib Al Hasan Cancer Foundation on Friday in Dhaka.
The foundation aims to support the treatment of underprivileged cancer patients in Bangladesh. Shakib's ultimate goal is to build a world-class cancer hospital in the country, as he believes that early diagnosis is crucial for better treatment and survival.
“Cancer is often referred to as a deadly disease, but succumbing to fear won't help us overcome it,” Shakib said during the launching ceremony. “The foundation is dedicated to helping those who cannot afford costly cancer treatments or diagnoses.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the President of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association, Nazmul Hasan Papon, have pledged to support the foundation.
Shakib's previous foundation, The Shakib Al Foundation, has done commendable work during the peak of the Covid-19 crisis in Bangladesh.
Messi mania grips Argentina in 1st match as World Cup champs
Messi mania gripped Buenos Aires as the Argentina national team led by Lionel Messi beat Panama 2-0 on Thursday in a friendly match that was essentially a celebration of their World Cup victory last December.
Although the world champions dominated the game, they didn’t get a goal until the 78th minute when Thiago Almada scored after a free kick by Messi hit the goal post.
Ten minutes later, it was Messi’s turn and he scored the 800th goal of his professional career with a perfectly executed free kick. He is now one short of the 100-goal mark for the national squad.
After the match, the celebrations got into full swing and Messi took center stage, smiling from ear to ear as he received awards and accolades.
“I want to thank you for all the love we've been receiving . . . We told you we were going to do everything possible to win this,” a visibly emotional Messi said as he was handed the microphone. “Let’s enjoy this because we went a long time without winning it, and we don’t know when we’ll win it again.”
When it was coach Lionel Scaloni’s turn to speak, the first thing he did was lead the packed stadium on a chant praising Messi.
“Eternally grateful to this group of players,” Scaloni said as tears streamed down his face and he thanked fans for their support.
The players’ families later joined them in the pitch and each of the players proceeded to lift a replica of the World Cup trophy in celebration. The players then walked around the pitch waving to fans as fireworks lit the night sky.
Earlier in the day, news channels carried live images of the players traveling to the stadium with a police escort as excited fans waited to see the team's first game since it beat France in a thrilling final in Qatar.
Outside the Monumental Stadium there was a party-like atmosphere from early in the afternoon as somebody impersonating Pope Francis blessed a World Cup replica, children almost universally donned Messi’s No. 10 jersey and street sellers hawked Messi dolls.
Amid the celebrations there were also recriminations as many fans lamented they'd bought tickets for several times their face value from resellers that ended up being fake. The frustration led to scuffles with law enforcement officials who fired tear gas to disperse the angry fans.
“This World Cup was a miracle,” Marcelo Saracho, 49, said while dressed up like the pope, an Argentine, but with his cheeks painted in the light blue and white colors of the national flag.
Messi, the Paris Saint-Germain star who only last week was whistled by a group of fans of the French club that had been knocked out of the Champions League, received a massive ovation when he and his Argentina teammates entered the stadium filled with 83,000 fans.
When the anthem played the cameras zoomed in on Messi, who looked to be holding back tears as fans sang along triumphantly.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Sofía Clavero, 12, said as her eyes welled up with tears while describing how she was eager to see her “idol” for the first time on the field.
The match culminated a week in which Messi, 35, was widely celebrated as a hero after helping Argentina win its third World Cup title, a marked change for the player who once suffered the indifference and even apathy from many Argentina fans who blamed him for the team’s failings in previous championships.
Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi’s Records, Argentina’s Road to Victory
It all started Monday night when hundreds of fans mobbed a steakhouse in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo when word spread that Messi was inside having dinner. He needed a police escort to leave but was all smiles as people shouted “Messi I love you” and “Thank you, Leo.”
The next day, a group of fans realized the car next to them on the highway was carrying the man who is often described as the world’s best soccer player. They immediately started shouting, “I love you, Messi!” and “Let’s go, Messi!”
That’s when Messi proceeded to roll down his window and wave. The brief video of the encounter quickly went viral.
On Wednesday, the hosts of a morning network TV show went wild when they received an audio message from Messi.
“Good morning everyone,” Messi said in the message that the hosts huddled to hear. “I’m happy to be here, to enjoy everything we keep experiencing after what happened in December, and excited to enjoy tomorrow’s game.”
To avoid any issues, the players were taken to the stadium six hours before the start of the match flanked by a security operation that involved dozens of law enforcement officers. Plans for the transfer had been kept under wraps to avoid a repeat of what happened in December when a celebratory open-top bus throughout the capital had to be cut short when millions of fans made it impossible for the vehicle to advance.
Tickets to Thursday’s match sold out quickly but the game was just one chapter of the celebration that included local musicians and a trailer of a documentary about the World Cup-winning squad. The fan who wrote “Muchachos,” which became the unofficial anthem for the Argentina squad in Qatar, was also present.
The party continues next Tuesday when the team will play another friendly match against Curaçao in Argentina’s central Santiago del Estero province.
Argentina beats Panama in 1st match after World Cup title
The 83,000 screaming fans were not disappointed in Lionel Messi and his Argentina team's first international match since lifting the World Cup title last December.
Messi's Argentina beat Panama 2-0 with two late goals Thursday night at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires, in the first of two matches for the team to celebrate its triumph in Qatar.
Thiago Almada opened the scoring in the 78th minute, pushing the ball into an empty net after a free kick taken by Messi hit the post. Eleven minutes later, the Argentine great netted the second with another free kick to the delight of the capacity crowd.
“I always dreamed of this moment, celebrating with you,” an emotional Messi said after the match, standing with his family on the pitch. He lifted the World Cup trophy once more in front of his fans and took a slow victory lap with his teammates, who carried miniatures of the same trophy, as fireworks erupted over the stadium.
It was Messi's 800th goal in his professional career. If he scores another in Argentina's next friendly against Curacao on Tuesday, he will hit the mark of 100 goals for the national team.
Argentina's full squad in Qatar attended the match. Messi and others brought their families to the stadium. Coach Lionel Scaloni was one of the most emotional; he was tearful before and after the match.
The match culminates a week in which the 35-year-old Messi was widely celebrated as a hero after helping Argentina win its third World Cup title, a remarkable change from years when some of the same fans accused him of apathy with the national team.
Analysis of Bangladesh T20 Squad Against Ireland
After winning the ODI series against Ireland, Bangladesh is now hoping to repeat its performance against Ireland. Bangladesh will play three-match T20 series against Ireland on March 27, 29, and 31. All these matches will be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Previously Bangladesh whitewashed the World Champion England in a T20 series ten days ago. And the team has enough confidence to whitewash Ireland too. Let's take a look at the Bangladesh T20 Squad against Ireland in the upcoming 2023 BAN vs IRE T20 Series.
Bangladesh T20 Squad Against Ireland
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Litton Das (wk), Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Jaker Ali.
Changes in Bangladesh Team for BAN vs IRE T20 Series 2023
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a team of fourteen members to compete in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland, starting on March 27th. Two new players, Rishad Hossain, and Jaker Ali Anik, have been included in the Bangladesh squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland.
Leg spinner Rishad has been a part of the senior setup for a few years now but has yet to be given a proper chance - even in the domestic tournaments. The last time he played in a domestic tournament was two years ago in the Dhaka Premier League T20s.
Read More: Bangladesh vs Ireland: Tigers earn first 10-wicket ODI win to seal series
Unfortunately, Rishad has only bowled 5.1 overs in the current first-class competition. This makes his inclusion in the team the most interesting call. Chandika Hathurusingha, the head coach, likely wanted to observe his performance at the international level. The such experiment is not new for Hathurusingha. During his first period as the coach for the Bangladesh team in 2014, he chose leg spinner Jubair Hossain too.
On the other hand, Jaker has been a standout performer in the Bangladesh Cricket League, notching up three consecutive centuries and finishing as the tournament's highest run-scorer with 492 runs in six innings. He was also a key contributor to Comilla Victorians' BPL championship victory this season.
However, the regular T20 players Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan were left out of the squad. Afif, along with Shoriful Islam, was also excluded from the ODI squad for the last game. The exclusion of Afif is a major disappointment for the young, energetic batter. His 61 consecutive appearances in T20I had come to a halt when he was excluded from the third T20I match against England. Until recently, Afif was guaranteed to be chosen for both the white-ball formats, but he currently finds himself on the sidelines.
But Shoriful was released from the ODI roster to participate in the Dhaka Premier League but is included in the T20 team against Ireland. Additionally, Tanvir Islam and Rezaur Rahman, who were in the squad that played against England, were not included against Ireland.
Read More: Hasan Records Maiden Five-wicket Haul as Ireland Tumble for 101
Bangladesh Squad Analysis
Apart from the changes mentioned above, the squad remains similar to the squad that whitewashed Bangladesh. So, it can be assumed that Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Shakib Al Hasan will be Bangladesh’s trump card as they have shown their class against England.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Najmul Hossain Shanto's stellar performance in Bangladesh vs England T20 series was remarkable, amassing a total of 144 runs and an impact of 153.2 over three matches. He displayed his remarkable proficiency at the highest level of cricket, with an average impact per match of 51, ultimately leading to Bangladesh's victory.
His BPL experience was evident, as he put in an exceptional effort across all three matches, making an invaluable contribution to the team's success. In addition to that, he scored 98 runs in the ongoing ODI series against the Irish.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Miraz is also in good form. Mehidy Hasan Miraz put on an impressive show during Bangladesh's T20 series against England, offering a well-rounded performance in both batting and bowling. Across two matches, his total impact was a formidable 104.4, averaging out to an impressive 52.2 per match.
Read More: Bangladesh vs Ireland: Tigers call up two uncapped players to T20 squad
His most noteworthy performance came in the second T20, where he took four crucial wickets for just 12 runs, helping his team to secure a victory. Demonstrating his versatility, Miraz made a valuable contribution through both bowling and batting, earning him praise for his efforts.
Shakib Al Hasan
And finally, the captain Shakib Al Hasan is the man behind the whitewash against England. His game plan and tactics are noteworthy for Bangladesh. Often, analysts speak of Shakib Al Hasan's acuity in cricket, and he displayed both good judgment and composure in Bangladesh vs England series. He demonstrated amazing skill when it came to managing his bowlers. So, it is expected that we will see his brilliant captaincy against the Irish too.
Under Hathurusingha, it seems the Bangladesh team has got a boost. And the coach’s strategy appears to outrank the team’s weakness.
Final Words
Bangladesh has taken one year plan to develop the T20 team targeting the World Cup in 2024. That’s why the management and the coach want to look at new cricketers to move forward with the plan. Apart from that, the dropped cricketers will also be under their watch. So, this Bangladesh’s T20 squad against Ireland will bring some new experience for the management.
Read More: Mushfiq’s Record-Breaking Fastest ODI Century
FIFA international series: Bangladesh to lock horns with Seychelles Saturday
Bangladesh will face visiting Seychelles at the Sylhet District Stadium Saturday.
The two-match FIFA Tier-1 International Football Series will kick off at 3:45pm.
The second and last match of the series will be held on March 28 at the same time and same venue.
Bangladesh Television will telecast both matches live while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentaries.
Member of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and President of Sylhet District Football Association Mohiuddin Ahmed Salim disclosed the match schedules at a press conference in Sylhet Thursday.
The current FIFA ranking of Bangladesh is 192 and Seychelles ranks 199.
The only match between Bangladesh and Seychelles ended in a draw in the four-nation football tournament in Colombo in 2021.
Tickets for both matches would cost Tk50 each, he said.
Seychelles arrived in Dhaka Wednesday at 5pm. They reached Sylhet on the same day.
Bangladesh vs Ireland: Tigers earn first 10-wicket ODI win to seal series
Bangladesh secured their first 10-wicket victory in ODIs in the third and final match of the three-match series against Ireland on Thursday in Sylhet after restricting visitors to 101 runs in 28.1 overs.
With this win, Bangladesh bounced back to the ODI series winning streak at home after their previous series loss to England, their first ODI series defeat as hosts in over seven years.
Chasing 102, Bangladesh reached the target in 13.1 overs. Liton Das scored fifty off 38 balls, and Tamim Iqbal 41 off 41 balls.
Earlier, right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud recorded his first five-wicket haul, conceding 32 runs in 8.1 overs.
Ireland won the toss for the third time in the series and chose to bat first, unlike the first two matches.
Stephen Doheny was the first to fall, caught by Mushfiqur Rahim off Hasan for just eight runs. Paul Stirling followed him soon after scoring seven runs.
The Irish batters continued to struggle as Andy Balbirnie was caught by Najmul Hossain Shanto at the slip cordon off the bowling of Taskin Ahmed for six runs, and Harry Tector made a duck. Lorcan Tucker showed some resistance, scoring 28 runs.
The only bright spot for Ireland was Curtis Campher's knock of 36 runs, which included four boundaries. However, he was eventually caught by Taskin Ahmed off Hasan. The remaining Irish batters failed to make any significant contributions.
Apart from Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain took three and two wickets, respectively.
Both teams will now leave for Chattogram to play a three-match T20 series, starting on March 27. After that, they will play a Test.
Hasan Records Maiden Five-wicket Haul as Ireland Tumble for 101
In a disappointing display of batting, Ireland only managed to score 101 runs in 28.1 overs in the third and final ODI of the three-match series in Sylhet on Thursday.
Hasan Mahmud, the right-arm pacer, recorded his maiden five-wicket haul, conceding 32 runs in 8.1 overs.
Ireland won the toss for the third time in the series and opted to bat first, unlike the first two matches.
Stephen Doheny was the first to fall, caught by Mushfiqur Rahim off the bowling of Hasan for just 8 runs. Paul Stirling followed soon after, also dismissed by Mahmud, this time leg before wicket for 7 runs.
Irish batting order continued to struggle as Andy Balbirnie was caught by Najmul Hossain Shanto at the slip cordon off the bowling of Taskin Ahmed for 6 runs, and Harry Tector was dismissed leg before wicket by Mahmud for a duck. Lorcan Tucker showed some resistance, scoring 28 runs before also falling leg before wicket, this time to Ebadot Hossain.
Read more: Ireland win toss, bat 1st in 3rd ODI against Bangladesh
The only bright spot for Ireland was Curtis Campher's knock of 36 runs, which included 4 boundaries. However, he was eventually caught by Taskin Ahmed off the bowling of Hasan. The remaining Irish batters failed to make any significant contributions.
Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking 5 wickets for 32 runs in 8.1 overs. Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain also chipped in with 3 and 2 wickets respectively, while Nasum Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz went wicketless.
Bangladesh now have an easy target to chase to seal the series as they won the first match and the second match was washed away due to rain.