United News of Bangladesh

Brandon King and Keacy Carty scored centuries in a 209-run partnership which steered the West Indies to an eight-wicket win over England in the third one-day international Wednesday and a 2-1 win in the series. Earlier, the England innings saw West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph leave the field in a remarkable protest at field placements set by his captain Shai Hope. Carty reached his maiden century from 97 balls, eclipsing his previous best score in 27 ODIs of 88. He finished 128 not out while King fell just before the end for 102, having reached his third century from 113 deliveries. Before Wednesday, King had gone 13 innings without a half century and had not scored a century against a full ICC member nation. His earlier hundreds came against Oman and the United Arab Emirates. King and Carty's partnership was the second-highest for any wicket by the West Indies at home and guided them past England's 263-9 with 42 balls to spare. “I've been getting a fair amount of starts and I just haven't been carrying on so I was just fortunate it came in such a crucial game and with the series still in doubt,” King said. “If you're putting in a lot of work off the field you have to believe it's just a matter of time, keep your processes and intensity and just believe in your ability.” Earlier, Phil Salt and Dan Mousley grafted half centuries which helped England overcome a poor start to reach a competitive total on a pitch which had offered variable bounce. After England lost the toss, Salt made 74 at the top of the order, sharing 70-run partnerships with Sam Curran (40) and Mousley who posted his maiden ODI half century before falling for 57. Jamie Overton made 32 from 21 balls and Jofra Archer an unbeaten 38 from 17 deliveries as England added 100 runs from the last 10 overs. Joseph and Hope engaged in a lengthy argument before the fourth over which was bowled by Joseph and had to be urged by the umpires to resume play. After a ball was played away on the off side during the over, Joseph remonstrated angrily with Hope and, when the over ended he walked from the field, returning after a short break. West Indies coach Daren Sammy had to move down to the boundary rope to attempt to calm the dispute between bowler and captain. England slumped to 24-4 at the end of the 10-over power play in the face of some hostile early bowling from West Indies, especially from Joseph who remained visibly angry. He dismissed Jordan Cox (1) with a brute of a ball which spat from just short of a length at 148 kph and which Cox couldn't avoid and gloved to Hope behind the stumps. Salt reached his fifth ODI half century from 79 balls and went on to 74 when he fell to Matthew Forde after a superb combined catch by Brandon King and Joseph. King reached Salt's towering shot into the deep, took the ball in both hands and flicked it back to Joseph as he balanced before running over the boundary. Salt's dismissal ended his 70-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Mousley who reached his half century from 64 balls.

Bangladesh stumbled to a disappointing 92-run defeat against Afghanistan in the opening ODI of their three-match series in Sharjah on Wednesday. AM Ghazanfar proved to be the wrecker-in-chief for the Bangladeshi side, claiming 6 wickets for a mere 26 runs as the Tigers' batting faltered. In reply to Afghanistan’s 235, Bangladesh started cautiously. But they kept losing wickets on a regular basis. Tanzid Hasan was the first man to fall in the fourth over as the first victim of Ghazanfar. In the second wicket stand, Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar added 53 runs to recover from earlier damage. Azmatullah Omarzai broke the stand, removing Soumya for 33 runs. Bangladesh kept control as Shanto and Mehdiy Hasan Miraz added 55 runs in the next wicket. The stand was broken by Mohammad Nabi, who removed Shanto for 47. Following that, Mehidy’s dismissal by Ghazanfar triggered the final collapse. From 132 for four, Bangladesh stumbled to 143 all out, losing the last six wickets for 11 runs. In the 33rd over, Ghazanfar’s six, the bowler bagged three wickets with two in two consecutive deliveries. He ended up taking six wickets for 26 runs, which is his best in the format so far. Rashid Khan bagged two wickets, conceding 28 runs in eight overs. Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first, and they posted a competitive total of 235 runs with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi hitting a fifty each. For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman took four wickets a piece— the first time in ODI when two Bangladesh pacers took four wickets each.

Neymar is expected to miss two weeks with an injury, intensifying speculation over the Brazilian's future with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Neymar made just his second club appearance following a 12-month injury layoff by coming on as a substitute in the 58th minute of Al-Hilal's 3-0 win over Esteghlal of Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday. The former Barcelona star then pulled up after stretching for the ball with three minutes remaining and had to be replaced. “Unfortunately, it is not a simple injury and he seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue,” Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said Wednesday in a press conference in Riyadh. “He is expected to be out for two weeks.” Neymar took to social media to update his fans. “Hopefully nothing too much…” he wrote. “It’s normal that after one year (out) this happens, the doctors had already warned me, so I have to be careful and play more minutes.” Saudi Arabian media speculated that the absence could last as long as three weeks and that Al-Hilal may not register Neymar, whose contract ends in June 2025, for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season. Neymar has played just seven games for the 19-time Saudi champion since signing in August 2023 for a reported fee of $90 million. He is not currently registered to play domestic league games as the club has a full contingent of 10 foreign players, but is allowed to play in continental competitions. A new registration window opens in January.

Newly elected Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President, Tabith Awal, visited the federation’s office in Motijheel on Wednesday afternoon, marking his first visit since taking office eleven days ago. The visit comes shortly after the Bangladesh Women’s Football team made history by winning the prestigious SAFF Championship for the second consecutive time, just three days after the BFF election in 2024. At the time of the victory, Tabith Awal was abroad. During his visit, the BFF president, along with the newly elected executive committee, met with federation officials and staff and also paid a courtesy call to the SAFF Women’s Championship-winning team. Later, Awal addressed the media in a press conference at the BFF House. He shared that no major discussions took place during the visit, stating that details of future plans would be shared after the first executive committee meeting, scheduled for Saturday, November 9. "We are very glad to start our journey with a champions' trophy. Our women's football team has brought immense pride to the country, and they truly deserve recognition. We will announce incentives for them after our first EC meeting on Saturday," he said.

Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman took four wickets each and helped Bangladesh restrict Afghanistan to 235 all-out runs in the first ODI on Wednesday in Sharjah. Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first on the tricky Sharjah surface. It’s Bangladesh’s first ODI in Sharjah after 29 years. Mohammad Nabi, the Afghan veteran, posted 84, while captain Hashmatullah Shahidi also scored a fifty. Taskin Ahmed drew the first blood, removing dangerous Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just five. The delivery was moving away, and Gurbaz tried to drive but only managed to reach the wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim with a thick edge. Mustafizur Rahman took the second wicket for Bangladesh in his first over, to be specific, in his second ball, as Rahman Shah prodded it to the keeper. Mustafizur continued to trouble Afghanistan's batting line. In his fifth over, Mustafizur struck twice to remove debutant Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai consecutively for 21 and a duck. Afghanistan opt to bat first against Bangladesh in Sharjah Atal missed the line while playing a delivery toward the middle and leg stumps and was trapped lbw. Azmatullah fell to a typical Mustafizur delivery that went away from the body of the batter, who tried to defend but only managed an outside edge to the wicketkeeper. When Gulbadin Naib and captain Shahidi were trying to build a partnership to recover from early wickets, Taskin struck again, scalping Naib for 14. In the next partnership, Mohamamd Nabi and Shahidi added 104 runs in a bid to guide Afghanistan to a competitive total. Mustafizur broke the stand to earn a breakthrough for the Tigers. He bowled Shahidi for 52 to reduce Afghanistan to 175 for six in 40.2 overs. Nabi kept the scoreboard afloat until the 48th, when Taskin trapped him. It was a sharp delivery outside off, and Nabi pulled it to the square leg, where Tanzid Hasan Tamim took the catch. Off the next delivery, Taskin bowled Am Ghazanfar for a duck. Taskin finished taking four for 53 in his 10 overs. And Mustafizur ended up taking four for 58. And it was the first time in ODIs that two Bangladeshi pacers took four wickets apiece.

Tamim Hossain of Bangladesh, Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), clinched the gold medal in the National School Athletics Championship of Taiwan on Wednesday. Tamim won the gold medal in the triple jump of the meet, jumping 14.77 meters. Leading athletes from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and hosts Taiwan are taking part in the competition. Besides, Hafizur Rahman and Sumaiya Akter of BKSP reached the semifinals of the boys 400-meter and the girls 100-meter sprints, respectively. A 10-member BKSP athletics team that consists of eight athletes and two officials, which left Dhaka for Taiwan Sunday night, will return home on November 11.

Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first in Sharjah on Wednesday in the first ODI against Bangladesh.  This is the first time in three decades Bangladesh are playing an ODI in Sharjah. Bangladesh lost in the five previous matches, with the last in 1995.  Bangladesh played a total of 16 ODIs against Afghanistan and won 10 of those matches. In the last six meetings, Bangladesh won three, and Afghanistan won the other three. Sediqullah Atal, an opening batter, is making his debut in this match. He has four first-class fifties.  Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam Afghanistan XI: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rahmat Shah, Hashamtullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Nangeyalia Kharote, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Excitement is building as the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) prepares for its 2025 season. The player draft for this eleventh edition, held on October 14, 2024, at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Dhaka, saw top talents strategically picked by each team. With squads now taking shape, teams are gearing up for the tournament’s launch on December 27, 2024. Cricket enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the chance to see their favorite stars in action. Here, we dive into the standout changes from this year’s player draft and how they’re set to impact team dynamics and signing deals. BPL 2025 Players Draft Highlights The payout system for cricketers in categories A, B, and C has experienced notable reductions this season. Category A athletes will now earn BDT 6 million, a decrease from BDT 8 million. In Category B, salaries have been trimmed by BDT 1 million, resulting in a new total of BDT 4 million. Meanwhile, Category C players will take home BDT 2.5 million, instead of BDT 3 million. In contrast, the remuneration for categories D, E, and F remains constant at BDT 2 million, BDT 1.5 million, and BDT 1 million, respectively. Leading the charge in Category A are prominent figures such as Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mahmudullah. Notably, Rishad's ascent from Category E to Category A is significant. This category features a total of 12 players. Section B is also home to 12 players, showcasing talents like Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tanzim Sakib, Afif Hossain, and Jaker Ali. Meanwhile, Section C comprises 22 players, including esteemed cricketers such as Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Saifuddin. Categories D, E, and F collectively include 28, 51, and 63 players, respectively. Read more: Ireland Women's Cricket arrives here on Nov 22 to play three-match ODI, T20I series with Bangladesh This season marks the absence of the Comilla Victorians, with Durbar Rajshahi stepping in to fill the void. The Dhaka team will now be competing as Dhaka Capitals under the ownership of film star Shakib Khan’s Remarque Harlan. Joining the league is the rebranded Chittagong Kings, formerly the Chattogram Challengers. According to The Business Standard, 440 overseas players are listed for selection. Among them, 20 elite players in the top A category could earn up to USD 70,000, roughly BDT 8.3 million (USD 1 = BDT 119.56). The highest remuneration for overseas players was USD 80,000 in the 2024 draft. Category B includes 38 players, Category C has 66, Category D features 135, and Category E lists 181 cricketers. The pay structure for these categories is outlined as follows: - USD 50,000 (around BDT 5.9 million) for the B category- USD 30,000 (approximately BDT 3.5 million) for the C category- USD 25,000 (nearly BDT 2.9 million) for the D category- USD 15,000 (BDT 1.7 million) for the E category. Read more: First batch of Bangladesh cricketers in Dubai to play ODI series against Afghanistan BPL 2025 All Teams Full Squad Table: Overview of the list of Bangladeshi and overseas players in BPL 2025 Team Name Bangladeshi Players Foreign Players Dhaka Capitals Direct Signings - Mustafizur Rahman- Tanzid Hasan Tamim From the Draft - Liton Das (C)- Habibur Rahman Sohan- Mukidul Islam- Abu Jayed- Sabbir Rahman- Musfik Hasan- Munim Shahriar- Shahadat Hossain- Asif Hasan- Rahmatullah Direct Signings - Johnson Charles- Stephen Eskinazi- Thisara Perera- Amir Hamza- Shahnawaz Dahani From the Draft - Saim Ayub- Mir Hamza- Farmanullah- Zahoor Khan- Chaturanga de Silva- Riaz Hassan- Shubham Ranjane Chittagong Kings Direct Signings - Shakib Al Hasan (C)- Shoriful Islam From the Draft - Shamim Hossain- Parvez Hossain Emon- Khaled Ahmed- Naeem Islam- Aliss Islam- Mohammad Mithun- Maruf Mridha- Rahatul Ferdous- Sheikh Parvez Jibon- Marshall Ayub Direct Signings - Moeen Ali- Angelo Mathews- Usman Khan- Mohammad Wasim- Haider Ali- Binura Fernando From the Draft - Graham Clark- Tom O'Connell- Khawaja Nafay- Lahiru Milantha- Zubaid Akbari Fortune Barishal Retaining Players - Tamim Iqbal (C)- Mushfiqur Rahim Direct Signings - Towhid Hridoy From the Draft - Nazmul Hossain Shanto- Mahmudullah Riad- Ripon Mondol- Tanvir Islam- Rishad Hossain- Taijul Islam- Ebadot Hossain- Nayeem Hasan- Shohidul Islam- Ariful Islam- Pritom Kumar Direct Signings - Mohammad Nabi- Kyle Mayers- Dawid Malan- Faheem Ashraf- Mohammad Ali- Jahandad Khan From the Draft - James Fuller- Pathum Nissanka- Mohammad Imran Khulna Tigers Retaining Players - Nasum Ahmed- Afif Hossain Direct Signings - Mehidy Hasan Miraz (C) From the Draft - Hasan Mahmud- Naim Sheikh- Imrul Kayes- Mahmudul Hasan Joy- Mahidul Islam Ankon- Abu Hider Rony- Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby- Ziaur Rahman- Rubel Hossain Direct Signings - Oshane Thomas From the Draft - Mohammad Nawaz- Mohammad Hasnain- Lewis Gregory Sylhet Strikers Retaining Players - Tanzim Hasan Sakib- Zakir Hasan Direct Signings - Jaker Ali Anik From the Draft - Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (C)- Rony Talukder- Arafat Sunny- Al-Amin Hossain- Ruyel Miah- Ariful Haque- Nihaduzzaman- Nahidul Islam Direct Signings - Paul Stirling- George Munsey From the Draft - Samiullah Shinwari- Rahkeem Cornwall- Reece Topley Rangpur Riders Retaining Players - Nurul Hasan Sohan (C)- Mahedi Hasan Direct Signings - Mohammad Saifuddin From the Draft - Nahid Rana- Saif Hassan- Soumya Sarkar- Rakibul Hasan- Irfan Sukkur- Tawfique Khan- Kamrul Islam Rabbi- Rejaur Rahman Raja Direct Signings - Khushdil Shah- Allah Ghazanfar- Alex Hales- Saurabh Netravalkar- Steven Taylor From the Draft - Iftikhar Ahmed- Akif Javed- Curtis Campher- Sediqullah Atal Durbar Rajshahi Direct Signings - Anamul Haque Bijoy (C) From the Draft - Akbar Ali- Taskin Ahmed- Jishan Alam- Sunzamul Islam- SM Meherob- Yasir Ali- Hasan Murad- Mohor Sheikh- Sabbir Hossain- Shafiul Islam- Mizanur Rahman- Zahiduzzaman- Asaduzzaman Payel From the Draft - Saad Nasim- Lahiru Samarakoon Read more: BCB meeting: Several lose directorship, resignation of three accepted Signing Amounts of Some Key Players The Dhaka Capitals have brought on Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzid Hasan Tamim with contracts valued at BDT 6 million and BDT 4 million, respectively. Meanwhile, the Chattogram Kings secured Shakib Al Hasan and Shoriful Islam, each for BDT 6 million. Defending champions, Fortune Barishal, retained Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, and added Towhid Hridoy to their lineup, with all three earning BDT 6 million. The Sylhet Strikers kept local favorites Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Zakir Hasan and signed Jaker Ali directly. Tanzim and Jaker’s contract is settled at BDT 4 million each, while Zakir’s remuneration is set at BDT 2.5 million. For Khulna Tigers, Nasum Ahmed and Afif Hossain were brought back at BDT 2.5 million and BDT 4 million, respectively, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz joining the team for BDT 6 million. Former champions Rangpur Riders retained Nurul Hasan Sohan and Mahedi Hasan at BDT 4 million each and secured Mohammad Saifuddin for BDT 2.5 million. Durbar Rajshahi completed their lineup by enlisting Anamul Haque Bijoy for BDT 4 million. Read more: Pre-Draft Signings: Who’s joining each BPL team for 2025? Wrapping Up The BPL 2025 Players Draft significantly impacts both team squads and the players' financial aspects. Local players’ highest salaries drop to BDT 6 million, while foreign players' maximum earnings are set at USD 50,000. The league witnessed the exit of the Comilla Victorians, making way for Durbar Rajshahi. The Dhaka team has been rebranded as the Dhaka Capitals, now under the ownership of Dhallywood superstar Shakib Khan. Overall, the draft features 188 local players and 440 overseas players vying for a spot in the tournament. Read more: Series against Afghanistan: Bangladesh back in Sharjah after three decades to restore some pride

Salah Uddin has been appointed as the Senior Assistant Coach for the Bangladesh national cricket team, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced. He will be on the role until March 15, 2025, giving him a great time period to prove his mettle to work at the highest level. No stranger to the national setup, Salah Uddin previously served as Assistant and Fielding Coach from 2006 to 2010. His coaching journey, spanning over 20 years, includes time at the BCB National Cricket Academy and a successful tenure as Head Coach of Singapore, leading them in the ICC World Cricket League Division 4 in 2014. With an ACC-Cricket Australia Level 3 accreditation and multiple domestic achievements, Salah Uddin’s resume speaks for itself. He has coached teams to victories in both the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 and the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. BCB President Faruque Ahmed, who took on the post after the previous fled the country after the recent change in political climate, expressed excitement over the appointment, emphasizing the value of local coaching talent. “I pledged to create opportunities for qualified individuals when I assumed my role,” Ahmed said. “Salah Uddin’s experience and expertise make him a perfect fit for this position.” This appointment reflects a shift in the BCB’s strategy to acknowledge and uplift Bangladeshi coaching talent, positioning the national team to benefit from his seasoned leadership.

All the eleven newly included footballers of BPL champions Bashundhara Kings joined the residential national training camp of Bangladesh team on Tuesday evening to play a two- match FIFA International Friendly series against the Maldives. Hosts Bangladesh Football team will play touring Maldives national side in two FIFA Int'l Friendlies on November 13 and 16 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in the capital. The Spanish head coach of Bangladesh Football team Javier Cabrera, who earlier announced a 16-member partial national squad without the players of Bashundhara Kings, completed the 27-member Bangladesh preliminary line up on Monday (Nov 4) adding eleven booters of the Kings, who were in Bhutan to play the AFC Challenge League. The eleven footballers who joined national camp today (Tuesday) are: Anisur Rahman Zico, Mehdi Hasan Srabon, Chandan Roy, Saad Uddin, Topu Barman, Rabbi Hossain Rahul, Mojibur Rahman Jony, Sohel Rana, Rakib Hossain, Shekh Morsalin and Foysal Ahmed Fahim. The residential training camp of Bangladesh national team with 16 booters already started last Friday (November 1), now Bangladesh's head coach Javier Cabrera will start training camp with full fledged team on Wednesday, where there will be no media session. Member of previously announced 16-member partial Bangladesh squad are: Goalkeeper- Mitul Marma, Sujon Hossain Defender-Murad Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Shakil Ahad Topu, Rahmat Mia, Shakil Hossain, Isa Faysal and Taj Uddin. Midfielder- Mohammad Hridoy, Syed Shah Quazem Kirmanee, Papon Singh and Didarul Alam Forward- Shahriar Emon, Arman Foysal Akash and Mirajul Islam.