United News of Bangladesh

Australia began its title defense at the Women’s T20 World Cup with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday. Medium pacer Megan Schutt picked 3-12 in four overs, while left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux took 2-20, as Sri Lanka was restricted to 93-7 in 20 overs. In reply, Beth Mooney led Australia’s charge as it overhauled the total in only 14.2 overs. It was down to 35-3 at one stage, but Mooney scored 43 not out off 38 balls to lead her side to victory. In the second game of the day, Bangladesh faces England. Women's T20 World Cup: Bangladesh start confidently beating Scotland, ending run of 16 straight loss Opting to bat, Sri Lanka suffered crucial early blows. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu was out lbw to Ashleigh Gardner for just three runs. Schutt and Molineux then combined to hit the top-order hard, as Sri Lanka was down to 25-3 in 6.4 overs. Nilakshi de Silva scored 29 not out off 40 balls, while Harshitha Madavi scored 23 runs. Their 31-run partnership for the fourth wicket saved the Asian champions some embarrassment. Molineux broke that partnership in the 13th over, and then Sri Lanka went down to 89-7 within another 6.2 overs. Its innings struggled on either side of that partnership, thus finishing with a below-par total. In reply, Australia’s top-order struggled as well. Skipper Alyssa Healy was dismissed for four, while Georgia Wareham was run out for three runs. When Sugandika Kumari bowled Ellyse Perry for 17 in the sixth over, there was some trouble. Jayawickrama who took 11 wickets against Bangladesh banned by ICC But Mooney dug in deep, and found support from Gardner, who put in 12 runs. Together they added 43 off only 40 balls as Australia sped up its chase in the second half. Sri Lanka has now lost both its opening matches in group A and is nearly out of contention from advancing to the semifinals.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said the team is looking forward to starting preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup with the three-match series against India, set to begin on Sunday in Gwalior. The city last hosted an international match back in 2010. Now, after nearly a decade and a half, it is hosting another international fixture, this time at a new venue. India have rested some of their key players for this series, opting instead to field a team that includes several inexperienced players, three of whom have yet to make their international debuts. The Indian squad has collectively played fewer than 400 T20Is, while the Bangladesh team has over 600 T20I appearances. However, this difference in experience might not play a decisive role, as the Indian side boasts more diversity in skills compared to Bangladesh. Ahead of this series, Bangladesh have played 14 T20Is against India, winning only once—in Delhi. Bangladesh will need to play aggressive cricket to improve this record. Key players like Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Mustafizur Rahman must perform to their full potential. At the same time, younger talents like Tanzid Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Tamim, and Rishad Hossain will have to prove their worth against India. Despite their relative lack of experience compared to Bangladesh, the Indian squad includes players with impressive records in the Indian Premier League (IPL). For instance, Sanju Samson, who may open for India in this series despite poor performances in his last two T20I appearances against Sri Lanka, has shown what he is capable of in the IPL, which could inspire him to do well in this series. While Bangladesh aims to begin their preparations for the next T20 World Cup, they will undoubtedly miss the services of Shakib Al Hasan, who has retired from the format. In Shakib's absence, Bangladesh have brought in Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who is not a regular in the T20I setup. Despite his limited experience in this format, captain Najmul expressed confidence in Mehidy’s ability, hoping he will quickly adapt and fill the gap left by Shakib. The first match of the series will kick off at 7:30 pm (Bangladesh team) on Sunday. The remaining matches will be played in Delhi and Hyderabad on October 9th and 12th.

Despite retiring from T20 Internationals, former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan might continue playing in T20 leagues around the world. But will he be able to participate in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at home? This question has been raised by his BPL team, Rangpur Riders, who have yet to confirm Shakib's participation in the next season of the BPL due to uncertainty over his return home amid the risk of public anger related to his political identity. Shakib was a member of the parliament under the Sheikh Hasina government, which was overthrown by an unprecedented uprising led by students and citizens. Facing this uprising, which resulted in at least 800 deaths and tens of thousands wounded by government forces, Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5th. In the aftermath, Sheikh Hasina, along with Shakib and other party members, face legal action for the deaths of protesters, making Shakib vulnerable to both legal consequences and public backlash. It is understood that this situation played a role in Shakib's decision to retire from two formats of international cricket. While he has kept himself available for ODIs, his participation in those for Bangladesh is now also uncertain given the political climate. When announcing his retirement ahead of the Kanpur Test against India, Shakib mentioned his desire to play his last Test in Mirpur. However, he also expressed concern about his security at home, though he noted the board would be responsible for overseeing his protection. However, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Faruque Ahmed, said that the board could not ensure the security of an individual player. He suggested that such assurances should come from high-ranking government officials. Shakib’s return to Bangladesh became even more uncertain when the interim government's sports adviser said that they would provide the same level of security for Shakib as they would for other players. The adviser, Asif Mahmud, further added that no one could be guaranteed security if people in Bangladesh were against them. Later, however, the adviser clarified that they would provide Shakib with the highest level of security so that he could play his final Test in the country. All these factors have made Shakib's potential participation in the BPL uncertain. A top official from the Rangpur Riders, for whom Shakib played in the previous season of BPL, said they would only be able to confirm Shakib's inclusion if he returns home to play international cricket.

The Bangladesh team is set to begin their T20I campaign on October 6 without the services of long-time stalwart Shakib Al Hasan. The former Bangladesh captain recently announced his retirement from the format, leaving the team with a pressing question: who will replace Shakib in the T20I format? It was expected that Shakib would play in the three-match T20I series against India following the two-match Test series. However, ahead of the second Test in Kanpur, Shakib surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from both Test and T20I formats, making him unavailable for the T20I series. Mashrafe sued over hostile takeover of shares in BPL franchise In response, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) included Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the squad. But the question remains: will Mehidy truly replace Shakib in this format? Shakib played 129 T20Is, amassing over 2,500 runs and taking 149 wickets. In contrast, Mehidy has played just 25 T20Is, scoring 248 runs and claiming 14 wickets. These stats clearly demonstrate that Shakib has been an irreplaceable figure in Bangladesh’s T20 setup. While Mehidy is a spinning all-rounder like Shakib, he cannot yet replicate what Shakib brings to the table. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed hope that Mehidy can rise to the challenge left by Shakib. However, he stopped short of calling Mehidy a direct replacement. “It will be a bit difficult to adjust now. There will be some challenges in forming the playing eleven,” Najmul said. “Shakib used to provide balance on both fronts—batting and bowling. We have brought Mehidy into the team, and I hope he will quickly adapt to that role.” Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging that finding a like-for-like replacement for Shakib would be difficult. Authorities unable to provide Shakib 'guarantee of safety' from public anger After the Kanpur Test, which Bangladesh surprisingly lost in just over two days, Hathurusingha expressed his shock at Shakib’s sudden retirement announcement. In T20Is, Bangladesh has struggled to perform consistently, but Shakib was a steady presence, which earned him spots in various private leagues worldwide. While Bangladesh may find someone capable of performing well in the format, Shakib’s absence will undoubtedly haunt the team for some time.

The Indian authorities have banned protests and the circulation of inflammatory materials on social media ahead of a T20I match between India and Bangladesh on October 6. The ban will remain in place until October 7.  A political party named Hindu Mahasabha called for a protest on the match day. They have earlier called for the same, alleging that religious minorities are being persecuted in Bangladesh.  Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has urged the Indian authority to ensure the required security measures for the Bangladesh team.  Security was also heightened in Kanpur, the site of the India-Bangladesh Test match, following similar threats. Indian news outlet NDTV reported that more than 1500 police personnel have been deployed to manage traffic flow in Gwalior.  Ruchika Chauhan, the district magistrate in Gwalior, issued the prohibitory instruction under a Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) law. They said different right-wing organisations called to cancel the match, and they also conducted processions and other types of demonstrations.  According to the Indian media report, anyone in the district will face legal action if they share anything inflammatory on social media, and banners, posters, and cutouts with questionable content will remain banned.  The situation was created after some right-wing groups questioned the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. Recently, Bangladesh saw a change in the regime after a popular uprising among students and citizens ousted the previous government under Sheikh Hasina. Upon her ouster, there were incidents of attacks on Hindus in several parts of the country.

Bangladesh started their campaign in the 10-team ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 with winning note beating debutante Scotland by 16 runs  in the opening match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE on Thursday (Oct 3). This was the first victory for Bangladesh in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 10 years, after conceding 16 successive defeats in the last four editions of the tournament since 2014. With the day's victory, Bangladesh maintained their all win record  against World Cup's  newcomer Scotland beating them in all the five occasion. The day's long awaited victory also featured 100th T20 International match of the Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Jyoti and the 100th T20 wickets for Nahida Akter in her 87th innings of 88 matches. The ongoing Women's World Cup 2024 was scheduled to take place in Bangladesh. But, due to the political instability in the country, the ICC shifted the World Cup to the UAE from Bangladesh All the matches will be in the UAE city Dubai and Sharjah from October 3-20,  But, Bangladesh still holds the rights of tournament 's organiser.  In the day's opener, Bangladesh batted first after winning the toss and scored 119 runs for 7 in stipulated 20 overs featuring 42 runs in the 2nd wicket partnership by Opener Shathi  Rani and Sobhana Mostary. One down Sobhana Mostary contributed the team's highest 36 runs off 38 balls hitting two boundaries while opener Shathi Rani scored 32-ball 29 runs with three hits to the fence. Besides, captain Nagar Sultana Joyti (18), opener Murshida Khatun (12) and lower order Fahima Khatun (10) were the other Bangladeshi batters reaching the double figure. Saskia Horley made major damage in Bangladesh innings  claiming three wickets for 13 runs in two overs. Chasing a target of 120 runs, Scotland folded their innings at 103 for 7 in 20 overs with Sarah Bryce scoring the match highest 49 runs off 52 balls including one boundary. Bangladeshi right arm medium pacer Ritu Moni, who scored  five runs,  grabbed two wickets for 15 runs in her four over spell and was adjudged the player of the match. Besides, Marufa Akter, Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan Fahima Khatun of Bangladesh took one wicket each. In the remaining Group B matches, Bangladesh will play stronger England on Oct 5,  meet West Indies on Oct 10,  both in Sharjah, and South Africa on October 12 in Dubai. Top two teams from each of the two groups will play in the semifinals.  The first semifinal will be held on October 17 in Dubai while the semifinal is scheduled for October 18 in Sharjah.  The final will be held on October 20 in Dubai.

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's weakness under the high ball is increasingly obvious. Although PSG coach Luis Enrique has not made an issue of it, Donnarumma’s errors may prove costly to them if the French league title race is closer this season. PSG tops the table on goal difference from Monaco ahead of Sunday's trip to face Nice, which scored eight goals in its previous home game. Donnarumma’s blunders were exposed in Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Arsenal in the Champions League. Although Enrique did not blame him for the goals, the mistakes were evident and worryingly similar to ones last season in Europe's elite competition. Arsenal’s first goal saw a hesitant Donnarumma beaten as Kai Havertz — hardly the most renowned at headers in world soccer — anticipated a cross from Leandro Trossard and nodded the ball in. Italy’s No. 1 goalie was beaten again when Bukayo Saka’s low free kick from the right went straight under him. He was not entirely at fault, since his view of the ball may have been obscured, but there seemed to be no talking between Donnarumma and his defenders. It all looked very familiar. Last season in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Barcelona, Donnarumma failed to come for a corner and central defender Andreas Christensen headed in the winner. Despite his imposing stature — Donnarumma is 1.96 meters tall — he stood rooted to his line and seemed unsure how to judge the ball's flight. Earlier in that match, Donnarumma struggled with Lamine Yamal’s cross and Raphinha put Barcelona ahead. Donnarumma's hesitancy repeated itself in the semifinal return leg against Borussia Dortmund when central defender Mats Hummels rose unchallenged to head in Julian Brandt’s corner from the left — a carbon copy of Christensen's goal. Donnarumma also made blunders trying to pass the ball out from defense in some Ligue 1 games last season. On Tuesday night, a few minutes after Arsenal's second goal, television cameras showed him muttering to himself and throwing up a hand in exasperation. For all of his shot stopping and excellent reflexes on the goal line, the 25-year-old Donnarumma does not appear as strong overall as his PSG predecessor Keylor Navas, who was a more commanding presence in the penalty area. Despite having just had an outstanding season for PSG, Navas was unceremoniously moved aside when Donnarumma arrived from AC Milan following the 2021 European Championship which Italy won thanks in parts to Donnarumma's penalty-saving exploits. PSG fans could not understand why the highly regarded Navas was suddenly the designated No. 2 without competition for places. Donnarumma was brought into the club by PSG's then-sporting director Leonardo. The Brazilian's strong ties with each club as a former player for PSG and Milan helped to facilitate the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, star defender Thiago Silva, and Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, his friend. Donnarumma's arrival was seen as somewhat of a coup, given his young age and reputation. He had long been tipped for stardom after making his debut for Milan at age 16 in 2015. But Donnarumma’s trajectory is not going the way many observers expected it to

Sri Lankan spinner Praveen Jayawickrama, who made a sensational debut against Bangladesh by taking 11 wickets, has been banned for one year from all forms of cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit found him guilty of failing to comply with its regulations. Jayawickrama, 25, was under investigation for a corruption-related incident that occurred during the 2021 Lanka Premier League. The ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit had requested information regarding a specific transaction, which Jayawickrama was unable to provide. Following his admission of guilt, the ICC has imposed the one-year ban as per its regulations. Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan white-ball captain The ICC, in an official statement, noted, “Praveen Jayawickrama has admitted to his offence, and following the ICC’s constitution, he has been suspended for one year.” This suspension comes as a significant setback for Jayawickrama, who has been out of the Sri Lankan national squad for the past six months due to the ongoing investigation. Jayawickrama, who made his international debut in 2021, took 11 wickets in his maiden Test against Bangladesh, earning the Player of the Match award. He played five Tests and took 25 wickets, along with five wickets in five One Day Internationals. His last appearance for Sri Lanka was in June 2022 against Australia. Mehidy named among top-five Test all-rounders Despite his early success, Jayawickrama has struggled to maintain his position in the national side, and this ban is likely to further delay his return to international cricket. The incident serves as a stern reminder of the ICC’s stringent stance on maintaining the integrity of the sport.   Source: Agencies    

This was how 2024 started for Inter Miami: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, all former Barcelona teammates who won multiple titles together, sitting side-by-side after the first official training session of the new season. And here's the latest scene: Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets were sitting together again Wednesday night, holding their newest prize — the Supporters Shield, the trophy given to the top regular-season team in Major League Soccer. Inter Miami will be the No. 1 seed for the MLS Cup playoffs, the team wrapping up that spot with a 3-2 victory at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night. It was the league's most-hyped regular season match of this season, maybe the most-hyped in a long time. “I'm happy,” Messi said. “Happy for this group.” Messi scored twice to push his total to 17 goals in 17 MLS matches this season, Suarez scored the eventual winner for Inter Miami on Wednesday, and goalkeeper Drake Callender made four saves — including one on a penalty kick late in the second half. “We still have more goals to go after in the playoffs,” Callender said. True, what was awarded Wednesday is not the prize Inter Miami wants most — the MLS Cup is still the biggie — but the shield represents the biggest step yet for the franchise that sputtered through the majority of its first three seasons, then saw everything change on June 7, 2023 when Messi stunned many in the soccer world by saying he was coming to South Florida to continue his career. Messi's arrival, which was quickly followed by Busquets and Alba joining Inter Miami, helped the team win the Leagues Cup last year for its first trophy. And when Suarez made his long-rumored move to the club official by signing a one-year deal back in December, Inter Miami's spot as the MLS Cup favorite was further solidified. So far, so good. “The idea was clear from the beginning: to be protagonists, to want to control possession, and to challenge opponents through our style of play,” Messi said. “Then key players arrived, which made the team grow even more in terms of gameplay, personality and competitiveness.” At 20-4-8, Inter Miami has 68 points with two matches left in the MLS season. In terms of playoff seed, those matches are meaningless. In terms of league history, they are not. With two wins — Saturday at Toronto and then Oct. 19 against New England — Inter Miami could finish with 74 points. That would break New England's record of 73, set in 2021. It's unclear how much Messi will play in either of those two remaining matches. Messi is expected to play for Argentina in World Cup qualifying matches on Oct. 10 (at Venezuela) and Oct. 15 (in Argentina against Bolivia). Then having to fly back to the U.S. and play again on Oct. 19, even if the points record is at stake, might seem a bit much to ask a week before the MLS postseason starts. “I believe surpassing the points record is secondary,” Messi said. “While we have a nice opportunity to make history in that regard as well, I think it matters less.”

A court has authorized the removal of the remains of soccer legend Diego Maradona from a private cemetery so they can be placed at a public mausoleum that is under construction in Buenos Aires. The court in San Isidro, outside the Argentinian capital, issued the ruling Tuesday at the request of Maradona's children. The 1986 World Cup winner died in 2020 at age 60. “We always knew that his place was with people, but we also understood that all the security guarantees were a priority,” Dalma Maradona, one of the daughters of the Argentine great, said on her social media channels. “What we want is for those who love him to be able to go and show him their love, leave him some daisies.” Maradona's body was buried at the Jardín de Bella Vista cemetery, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires. The court granted the rights of removal to Maradona's five children due to “humanitarian and emotional reasons.” It also added that his family should decide when to make the change. The mausoleum project is named “M10 Memorial” and was introduced in 2023 in a ceremony attended by most of Maradona's children. A pantheon is being built in the upscale neighborhood of Puerto Madero. Eight people, including doctors and nurses, are set to stand trial for their alleged responsibility in Maradona's death due to a cardiorespiratory arrest.