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Nahida Akter Takes Fifer as Bangladesh Thump Kenya in Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022
The Bangladesh Women's team beat Kenya Women's team by 80 runs in their second Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Qualifier match on Wednesday (January 19). The Bangladesh Women's team has consolidated their place atop the table with four points after winning this match. The Sri Lankan Women's team is presently in second place with two points. Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter took five wickets for 12 runs, the best T20I bowling figure by a Bangladeshi bowler. The match report between Bangladesh women and Kenya Women is discussed in this article.
Match Report: Bangladesh Women vs Kenya Women
The Bangladesh Women's team was asked to bat first and they scored 125/6 in 20 overs on a bowler-friendly ground at Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur.
Shamima Sultana and Murshida Khatun got Bangladesh off to a good start with a blistering 24-run opening partnership. Skipper Nigar Sultana and Murshida added 18 more runs on the second wicket. Bangladesh had 42 runs in 5 overs and seemed to be on their way to a big total. However, Bangladesh's innings suddenly crumbled as they lost four more wickets in the first ten overs.
Read BPL 2022: Most Impactful Foreign Players from Six Teams
The Tigresses were reduced to 50/6 in 9 overs. However, Salma Khatun and Ritu Moni put up an unbroken 75* runs stand in 54 balls to help Bangladesh achieve a challenging total to defend.
Veteran Salma Khatun struck an unbroken 33* off 32, while Ritu Moni made an unbeaten 39* off 34. Queentor Abel was outstanding with the ball for Kenya, taking the most wickets with three.
Kenya women's team was bowled out for 45 runs in 12.4 overs in the chase. They continued losing wickets from the start of the innings and were unable to build a productive partnership in the middle.
Read Bangladesh Women clinch thumping victory over Malaysia in Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 opener
Skipper Margaret Ngoche and Sharon Juma formed Kenya's most successful partnership. They put up a 16-run stand for the fourth wicket. Sharon Juma led the Kenya Women's team with 24 runs.
The most successful bowler for the Bangladesh Women's team was left-arm spinner Nahida Akter. She broke the record for best bowling figures in Twenty20 internationals for Bangladesh after taking 5 wickets for only 12 runs. Apart from her; Salma Khatun, Suraiya Azmin, Rumana Ahmed, and Sanjida Akter Meghla each took one wicket for the team tigress.
Read South Africa Clinch Test Series with a Dominant Victory Over India in the Third Test
Bangladesh Women's top five best bowling figures in T20I
Player
Bowling Figure
Opposition
Ground
Date
Nahida Akter
5/12
Kenya Women
Kuala Lumpur
January 19, 2022
Panna Ghosh
5/16
Ireland Women
Utrecht
July 14, 2018
Jahanara Alam
5/28
Ireland Women
Dublin
June 28, 2018
Salma Khatun
4/6
Sri Lanka Women
Guangzhou
October 28, 2012
Fahima Khatun
4/8
UAE Women
Utrecht
July 10, 2018
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Player of the Match
Slow left-arm spinner Nahida Akter was named player of the match for her exceptional bowling effort. Her final bowling figure was 3.4-1-12-5.
Read Where does Virat Kohli stand among the all-time best Test Cricket Captains?
Bottom Line
Bangladesh Women's team thrashed Kenya Women's team by a huge margin in their second encounter of the competition. The Kenyan women's team, on the other hand, was completely outplayed by the Bangladesh women's side. Spinner Nahida Akter had a memorable day, who took a fifer in the match. The Bangladesh Women's team will play Scotland at the same venue on January 23 (Sunday). They must win both of their remaining matches to finish first in the points table and earn a spot in the 2022 Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket tournament.
Read Cricket Qualifier for 2022 Commonwealth Games: Bangladesh Women’s team to start Campaign on January 18
BPL 2022: Most Impactful Foreign Players from Six Teams
The eighth season of the eagerly anticipated Bangladesh Premier League 2022 will kick off on Friday (January 21), with six teams competing. All of the franchise teams are underway putting together their best game plans for the upcoming season. The most difficult task for the team management is picking an ideal playing XI. The BCB has made some adjustments to the rules for the BPL 2022, one of which is that only three players are permitted to compete in a match. Therefore, only the top overseas players will be featured regularly on the lineups. Let's take a look at each team's most crucial foreign player.
2022 Bangladesh Premier League: Most Important Overseas Players of Each Team
Picking the top players from a pool of talented and experienced overseas cricketers is a difficult task. Here are the six cricketers who could be the most important for their respective BPL 2022 teams.
Andre Russell (Minister Dhaka)
T20 M: 392 | Runs: 6513 | HS: 121* | SR: 169.38 | Wkts: 346 | BBI: 5/15 | Econ: 8.45
The Minister Dhaka squad features some good international players, but none of them have the same level of experience and success as West Indian Andre Russell. The dynamic Caribbean all-rounder is nicknamed as Dre-Russ for his fighting spirit. Russell is the only foreign captain to win a BPL trophy. Rajshahi Royals won the BPL 7 title under his leadership. Andre Russell will most likely be Minister Dhaka's most important player in the BPL 8.
Read: BPL 2022: SWOT Analysis of all Six Teams
Will Jacks (Chattogram Challengers)
T20 M: 64 | Runs: 1299 | HS: 87 | SR: 154.82 | Wkts: 18 | BBI: 4/15 | Econ: 7.17
English batting all-rounder Will Jacks has a promising career ahead of him, particularly in the Twenty20 format. He scored 309 runs in 12 innings with a strike rate of over 150 in the 2020 Vitality Blast. Jacks was voted the Vitality Blast best player of the year in 2020 after his mesmerizing performance in the season. This young talented all-rounder will undoubtedly be one of the overseas players to watch in the BPL season 8.
Read BPL 2022: Five Promising Young Players to Watch
Sikandar Raza (Khulna Tigers)
T20 M: 117 | Runs: 2075 | HS: 95 | SR: 123.88 | Wkts: 44 | BBI: 4/16 | Econ: 7.61
Khulna Tigers do not have enough quality international players for the BPL 2022. Zimbabwean Sikandar Raza has the best record among foreign players in the Twenty20 format. Raza is a solid all-rounder who is equally adept with the bat and the bowling. Sikandar Raza has the potential to be a key player for Khulna in the death overs when the team requires quick runs. He also has the capacity to make crucial breakthroughs when they are needed.
Read BPL 2022 Live Streaming: Where to Watch the Most Anticipated Domestic Cricket Matches?
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Fortune Barishal)
T20 M: 164 | Runs: 178 | HS: 27 | SR: 96.73 | Wkts: 180 | BBI: 5/15 | Econ: 6.68
Afghan off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is a household name in T20 franchise leagues around the world. He is a true wicket-taker who is capable of changing the flow of a game on his own. Mujeeb's addition to the squad will undoubtedly benefit Fortune Barishal. He will be one of Barishal's most important bowling weapons. Mujeeb is also the early favorite to take the most wickets in the competition.
Read BPL 2022: The Favourites, Outsiders and Underdogs
Ravi Bopara (Sylhet Sunrisers)
T20 M: 403 | Runs: 7886 | HS: 105* | SR: 120.65 | Wkts: 243 | BBI: 6/16 | Econ: 7.50
The Sylhet team boasts a number of good international players, but Ravi Bopara is the most experienced of them all. Furthermore, Bopara formerly played for the Sylhet franchise and is well-versed in the BPL. He also has a solid record in the BPL, which will benefit Sylhet in the competition. Ravi is a capable all-rounder who can make a significant contribution to his side. Therefore, Ravi Bopara is Sylhet's main international recruit.
Read BPL Fixtures 2022: Full Bangladesh Premier League Schedules, Dates, Times, Venues
Moeen Ali (Comilla Victorians)
T20 M: 203 | Runs: 4338 | HS: 121* | SR: 140.34 | Wkts: 135 | BBI: 5/34 | Econ: 7.53
The most challenging task was picking the main overseas player for the Comilla Victorians team. Faf du Plessis, Sunil Narine, and Moeen Ali are among the six overseas players. All three have a lot of experience and have had a lot of success in T20 cricket. However, Moeen Ali is in excellent form and has made big contributions to England's national T20 team in recent years. All-rounder Moeen has the potential to be a game-changer for Comilla in the main event.
Read Most Fierce Bowling Performances in BPL History
Aftermath
The international players mentioned above are extremely talented and have vast experience playing Twenty20 cricket across the world. They have the potential to be important players for their respective BPL 2022 teams. Besides, one of the primary objectives of the T20 format Bangladesh Premier League is to provide local players the chance to play with international stars. Playing with foreign players assists native cricketers in their development as players. They can share their knowledge and ideas with local players, which would enhance Bangladesh cricket as a whole.
Read Top Five Memorable Individual Knocks of BPL History
V-Day Volleyball: Army clinch title beating Navy by 3-2 set
Bangladesh Amy clinched Walton Victory Day Volleyball title beating Bangladesh Navy by 3-2 set in the final at the Volleyball Stadium here on Tuesday.
Chairman of the Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd Mohammad Younus witnessed the day’s final as chief guest and later he distributed the trophies.
Read:Central Asian Volleyball Challenge: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh to be crowned men’s champions
General Secretary of Bangladesh Volleyball Federation Ashiqur Rahman Miku and Sr Executive Director of the meet’s sponsor Walton Group FM Iqbal Bin Anwar were also present on the occasion.
Champions Bangladesh Army received prize money of Tk 20,000 while runners-up Bangladesh Navy got Tk 15,000 as prize money.
Rhodes follows Bangladesh cricket even after BCB fired him
Steve Rhodes was appointed as Bangladesh’s head coach in 2018 for a two-year contract. But right after the World Cup 2019, he was sacked without a reason given officially by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Read:Bangladesh Women clinch thumping victory over Malaysia in Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 opener After more than two years, Rhodes is back in Dhaka, and he said in his first media interaction, he followed Bangladesh cricket closely even after he lost his job. Rhodes came to Bangladesh again as the consultant of the BPL team Comilla Victorians. On Tuesday, Rhodes said he feels great to be back in Bangladesh after a while. “It's great to be back. The one great thing when I arrived is that the Comilla Victorians made me feel very welcome which was very special, and I feel very honoured to be back here with good people in the place that I do really enjoy,” Rhodes said. It was not clear what role Rhodes would play for the Victorians. But Rhodes made it clear that he came as a team consultant for the Victorians who have great success in BPL. “He is (Mohammad Salahuddin) the head coach, and I'm here to assist, to help, not just the players, but the coaches as well. And hopefully, my experience and my knowledge of cricket will be able to add a little bit here and there. I got on really well with Salahuddin. I think it's going to work very, very well. It's important that players know the head coach is Salahuddin. It's important the players know that I'm here just to help-- a little bit here and there,” Rhodes added. Rhodes was reluctant to talk about his unexpected departure from Bangladesh after the World Cup 2019. He believes that Bangladesh put in a great show in the World Cup.
Read:Covid cloud shrouds BPL “I don't really want to get dragged into any conversation about the BCB or anything. I don't think that's fair, that's history. All I can say is the World Cup- If you look back at the games; apart from the Pakistan game, we played pretty well in all the games,” the former Bangladesh coach said. “So even in defeats against England and against India, we put up a good show. It wasn't an annihilation of Bangladesh. We played some really good cricket and mixed in between in the World Cup, we actually had some good wins, and against New Zealand, we pushed them close in the World Cup. I don't really want to get too involved in all that now. All I can say is how pleased I am to be back,” he added. Under Rhodes’ coaching, Bangladesh won their first multi-national event in Scotland right before the World Cup beating West Indies in a tri-nation ODI tournament. Rhodes said he believes that Bangladesh is going to be a better team in the years to come.
Bangladesh Women clinch thumping victory over Malaysia in Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 opener
The Bangladesh Women's team defeated Malaysia Women's team by eight wickets in their first match of the Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Qualifier on Tuesday (January 18). Bangladesh Women's team has moved to the top of the points table with 2 points after this victory. Only the top team in the points standings will proceed to the Commonwealth Games' main event, where they will compete in the Women's cricket tournament. The match report between Bangladesh women and Malaysia Women is discussed in this article.
Bangladesh Women vs Malaysia Women: Match Report
Bangladesh Women's team captain Nigar Sultana Joty chose to bat first after winning the toss. Bangladesh's bowling unit replied with some impressive performances in the match. They only allowed Malaysia to score 49 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The Malaysian batters had no idea how to deal with the Bangladeshi bowlers and were losing wickets at a regular interval.
Winifred Duraisingam (12) and Mas Elysa (11) put up a 15-run third-wicket partnership, which was the highest in the Malaysian innings. These two batters attempted to rebuild the innings after losing two quick wickets in the first five overs. However, their efforts only resulted in a total of 21 runs in 8 overs. Following that, Malaysia's innings came to a halt at frequent intervals, and they were forced to settle for a low total to defend.
Read Where does Virat Kohli stand among the all-time best Test Cricket Captains?
Bangladesh captain Joty utilized a total of six bowlers in this match, each of whom was outstanding in terms of bowling variation. With the exception of Nahida Akter and Fahima Khatun, none of the bowler economy rates more than 2 runs per over. Bangladesh's Rumana Ahmed and Suraiya Azmin both took two wickets. Salma Khatun, Nahida Akter, and Ritu Moni each claimed a wicket.
With only 50 runs to chase, Shamima Sultana and Murshida Khatun set the tone for Bangladesh with a 38-run opening partnership in five overs. Bangladesh then lost two wickets in two overs; However, this had no impact on the match's outcome. Bangladesh reached the winning target in just 8 overs, losing two wickets in the process.
Bangladesh's leading run-scorer in this match was Shamima Sultana. She scored 28 runs in 19 balls, including four boundaries and a six. Murshida Khatun made 14 runs off 16 balls. Nur Arianna Natsya was outstanding with the ball for the Malaysia Women team. She took two wickets for 14 runs in two overs.
Read Cricket Qualifier for 2022 Commonwealth Games: Bangladesh Women’s team to start Campaign on January 18
Bangladesh will play Kenya in their second encounter of the competition at the same venue tomorrow (January 19).
Player of the Match
Leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed was awarded player of the match for her outstanding bowling performance in the match. She finished with a 4-0-4-2 bowling figure.
Bottom Line
Bangladesh Women's team trounced Malaysia Women's side throughout their qualifier tournament opener, winning by 8 wickets. On the other hand, the Malaysian women's team was totally outplayed by the Bangladesh women's national team. They showed no battling spirit during the contest. The Bangladesh team must finish in the first position at the end of the competition to qualify for the Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket competition. Therefore, the Bangladesh team's remaining matches would be crucial.
Read South Africa Clinch Test Series with a Dominant Victory Over India in the Third Test
Covid cloud shrouds BPL
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has been hit by the latest outbreak of the Covid pandemic, as "several players and staff" are down with the virus, according to the chief physician of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
For the last two days, some players took part in individual or unofficial practice sessions at the BCB Academy. None of them was part of the team bio-bubble as it's yet to come into effect.
Read: BPL: Chattogram Challengers unveil their jersey
“A few players and staff members have tested positive for Covid-19,” Debashis Chowdhury, the chief physician of BCB, told the media on Tuesday. “Most of the players are scheduled to give their specimen on Tuesday, and we will see how many return positive.”
He, however, did not disclose the names of the players or teams down with Covid.
The players who will return negative will join their respective team's bio-bubble, and those who test positive will need to maintain isolation, Debashis added.
This year’s BPL has been rebranded as the Bangabandhu BPL to celebrate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The first match of the BPL will take place on January 21 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
A total of six teams are taking part in this year’s BPL, which will be played in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.
Read: BPL 2022: 3 days to go, but no official preparation by the teams as yet
With only three days to go, no team started their official preparations. But they are expected to do so by Wednesday.
Many foreign recruits are already in Dhaka, and many are scheduled to reach the capital soon. Some members of the foreign coaching staff have already reached Dhaka and joined their respective teams too.
The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2021: Robert Lewandowski Retains the Award Beating Lionel Messi
Poland and Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewadownski received the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2021 award on Monday (January 17). This is Lewandowski's second time winning Men's Player of the Year. He was also the recipient of this prestigious award in 2020. FIFA held a poll to choose the winner, and everyone was able to vote for their favorite players. The award went to the Polish striker by just four points over the Argentine forward. Let's have a look at the FIFA award winners for 2021.
The Best FIFA Football Award Winners
Apart from the award for the best male player, FIFA also presented individual honors in a number of categories. Among the awards are the Women's Player of the Year, Women's Coach of the Year, Men's Coach of the Year, Best Women's Goalkeeper, Best Men's Goalkeeper, and the Puskas Award. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal is currently the most international goal scorer. He achieved that feat after surpassing Ali Daei’s (109) record last year. Ronaldo won a special award for his remarkable achievement in football.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal now holds the record for scoring the most international goals. He broke Ali Daei's (109) record last year. Ronaldo received a special award for his outstanding achievements in football.
Read Real Madrid win Spanish Supercopa with victory over Athletic Bilbao in the final
FIFA Men’s Player of the year 2021
Journalists, national team leaders, coaches, and fans gave Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich the most votes (48 points). Lionel Messi of PSG finished second with 44 points, followed by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah with 39 points.
FIFA Men’s Player 2021 (Top 3)
Player
Club
Points
Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich
48
Lionel Messi
Barcelona & PSG
44
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
39
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
The Best FIFA Women’s Player
Alexia Putellas of Barcelona won the Best FIFA Women’s player 2021. Chelsea’s Sam Kerr came in the second position, followed by Jennifer Hermoso of Barcelona.
Read Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Federico Valverde Scores Winning Goal for Los Blancos’
FIFA Women’s Player 2021 (Top 3)
Player
Club
Points
Alexia Putellas
Barcelona
52
Sam Kerr
Chelsea
38
Jennifer Hermoso
Barcelona
33
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
FIFA Puskas Award 2021
The Puskas award is presented to the best goal scorer of the year. Argentine midfielder Eric Lamela won the prestigious award for his outstanding goal against Arsenal in March 2021.
Read Favourite to Win the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2021 Award
Puskas Award 2021 (Top 3)
Player
Club
Points
Erik Lamela
Tottenham Hotspur
22
Mehdi Taremi
Porto
21
Patrik Schick
Bayer Leverkusen
21
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
The best FIFA Men’s best goalkeeper award for 2021 went to Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy. PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer finished second and third respectively.
Read Bangladesh’s U-19 SAFF Women’s Championship victory to serve as a harbinger of success in football
Men’s Goalkeeper of the year 2021 (Top 3)
Player
Club
Points
Edouard Mendy
Chelsea
24
Gianluigi Donnarumma
PSG
24
Manuel Neuer
Bayern Munich
12
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
Olympique Lyon’s goalkeeper Christiane Endler won the best FIFA Women’s goalkeeper award with 26 points. Stephaine Labbe of PSG finished second, followed by Ann Katrin-Berger of Chelsea.
Read Top 10 Most Memorable Football Moments of 2021
Women’s Goalkeeper of the year 2021 (Top 3)
Player
Club
Points
Christiane Endler
Olympique Lyon
26
Stephaine Labbe
PSG
20
Ann Katrin-Berger
Chelsea
14
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Chelsea’s Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel won the best FIFA Men’s coach of the year 2021. Italy’s Roberto Mancini and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola finished second and third respectively.
Read Cristiano Ronaldo denies aiming to win more Ballons d'Or than Lionel Messi
Men’s Coach of the year 2021
Player
Club
Points
Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea
28
Roberto Mancini
Italy
15
Pep Guardiola
Manchester City
14
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
The women's wing coach for English side Chelsea, Emma Hayes was named Best FIFA Women's Coach of the Year 2021. She beat Barcelona's Lluis Cortes and the Netherlands' Sarina Wiegman in the vote.
Read Ballon d'Or 2021 Winner: Lionel Messi wins the coveted award record seventh time
Women’s coach of the year 2021
Player
Club
Points
Emma Hayes
Chelsea
22
Lluis Cortes
Barcelona
19
Sarina Wiegman
Netherlands
14
Source: https://www.fifa.com/
Bottom Line
Robert Lewandowski helped Bayern Munich secure the Bundesliga 2021 title last season. He was a standout performer for Bayern Munich in club tournaments and also had a good record with the Polish national team. Lewandowski also surpassed Gerd Muller's record of scoring the most goals in a single Bundesliga season in 2021. Lionel Messi, who came in second, had a fantastic year with the Argentina national team. He was instrumental in Argentina's 2021 Copa America victory. However, the majority of voters chose Lewandowski as the winner of the Best FIFA Men's Player 2021 award.
Read Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal may not qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022
AFC Cup: Bashundhara Kings drawn in Group D with South Asian counterparts
The ceremonial draw of the AFC Cup 2022 was held on Monday (Jan 17) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with 39 teams drawn in nine groups of four teams and one group with three teams.
The BPL champions Basundhara Kings are in four-team Group D along Gokulam Kerala of India, Maziya SRC of the Maldives and the winners of South Asian play-off match.
The matches will be held from May 19-24 at a central venue.
READ: AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh concede 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh Federation Cup champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd will also play in the AFC Cup’ 2022 in the play-off stage of preliminary round as the 2nd Bangladesh team.
They will play the winners of Valencia of Maldives and Paro FC of Bhutan in their first preliminary round match on April 12.
READ: AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh to face Saudi Arabia on Tuesday
Bashundhara Kings, which took part in the last AFC Cup, but failed to overcome the group stage while Dhaka Abahani Ltd reached the zonal semifinal of the AFC Cup as the first Bangladesh team.
BPL: Chattogram Challengers unveil their jersey
The Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Chattogram Challengers unveiled their jersey at a a hotel in Gulshan on Monday.
The Chattogram Challengers will be carrying the symbol of golden jubilee of country’s independence on their jersey.
The website of Chattogram Challengers was also inaugurated at the day’s programme, where all the details of the team will be available.
The six-team Bangabandhu BPL begins on Friday (Jan 21) at the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur with Chattogram Challengers taking on Fortune Barishal in the opening match at 2 pm.
Chairman of the Chattogram Challengers Akhterzaman, Managing Director KM Rifatuzzaman, and vice chairman Shaznin Khan were present at the function and handed over the team jersey to head coach Paul Nixon.
Team’s bowling coach Shaun Tait, cricketers Nasum Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Will Jacks and Rayad Emrit were also present at the function.
Chattogram Challengers were due to start their official preparation on Monday.
Meanwhile Dhaka franchise team also unveiled its official jersey on Monday. They are expected to start their official practice session on Tuesday.
A total of six teams are taking part in this year’s BPL, named after father of the nation Bangabandhu, which will be played across the country in three venues in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.
BPL 2022: 3 days to go, but no preparation by teams yet
The new season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is all set to begin on January 21, but with three days to go no team has started official practice yet!
According to the official practice schedule, every team was to start their preparation on January 15— the day when only a few players were seen at the BCB Academy Ground— the only practice ground for all BPL teams in Dhaka.
On Monday, Comilla Victorians, Fortune Barishal and Minister Group Dhaka have held unofficial practice sessions with some of the players of their respective squads. The other three teams— Chattogram Challengers, Khulna Tigers and Sylhet Sunrisers— were not even seen in unofficial practice sessions.
“There is a lot of cricket around,” Mohammad Salahuddin, coach of the Victorians told the media on Monday.