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BPL sans DRS, possibly Afghanistan series too
There will be no technology available for the Decision Review System or DRS in this year’s edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a member of the event's governing council revealed Friday.
Due to the Covid-19 situation around the globe, the teams who run DRS will not be available to travel to Bangladesh for BPL, according to Ismail Haider Mallick, the member secretary of the current BPL governing council.
DRS is used in every major event organized by the International Cricket Council. Every major T20 league also uses this technology to further eliminate the element of human error in umpiring decisions.
Read: Bangladesh Cricket Captains: Performance Review for the Year 2021
“The technicians are not willing to travel to Bangladesh due to the Covid-19 situation,” Ismail told the media. “They are the only teams to operate DRS, and they are busy working somewhere else. We are also not sure whether DRS will be available for the home series against Afghanistan.”
Besides DRS, this year’s BPL may also not feature any international umpires, while the coverage too may have to do without any foreign faces. Though Ismail has said they are trying to bring umpires from Sri Lanka or India, he was unsure about their availability.
In that case, the onus will be on local umpires and commentators to fill those roles, which they can - but there are no local teams to run DRS. In recent years the use of the technology has become so integral to the game that it is hard to imagine any top-level cricket in this day and age without DRS.
Not only does it diminish the weight of the domestic franchise league by reintroducing the greater chance of human error, it also robs the game of the dramatic intervals that especially close DRS decisions have added to cricket.
Read:Ottis Gibson to step down as bowling coach: BCB
This year’s BPL is all set to begin on January 21 in Dhaka. A total of six teams will compete in this year's event, which is rebranded as Bangabandhu BPL for a second successive year, to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Matches will be played in three different venues across Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.
Double-fault: Visa revoked again, Djokovic faces deportation
Novak Djokovic faces deportation again after the Australian government revoked his visa for a second time, the latest twist in the ongoing saga over whether the No. 1-ranked tennis player will be allowed to compete in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Friday he used his ministerial discretion to cancel the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public interest grounds — just three days before play begins at the Australian Open, where Djokovic has won a record nine of his 20 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic’s lawyers were expected to appeal at the Federal Circuit and Family Court, which they already successfully did last week on procedural grounds after his visa was first canceled when he landed at a Melbourne airport.
Read: Djokovic in Australian Open draw despite visa uncertainty
A hearing was scheduled for Friday night.
Deportation from Australia can lead to a three-year ban on returning to the country, although that may be waived, depending on the circumstances.
Hawke said he canceled the visa on “health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.” His statement added that Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government “is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Morrison himself welcomed Djokovic’s pending deportation. The whole episode has touched a nerve in Australia, and particularly in Victoria state, where locals went through hundreds of days of lockdowns during the worst of the pandemic and there is a vaccination rate among adults of more than 90%.
Australia is currently facing a massive surge in virus cases driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant. On Friday, the nation reported 130,000 new cases, including nearly 35,000 in Victoria state. Although many infected people aren’t getting as sick as they did in previous outbreaks, the surge is still putting severe strain on the health system, with more than 4,400 people hospitalized. It’s also causing disruptions to workplaces and supply chains.
“This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for every Australian but we have stuck together and saved lives and livelihoods. ... Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected,” Morrison said in a statement. “This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today.”
Everyone at the Australian Open — including players, their support teams and spectators — is required to be vaccinated for the illness caused by the coronavirus. Djokovic is not inoculated and had sought a medical exemption on the grounds that he had COVID-19 in December.
That exemption was approved by the Victoria state government and Tennis Australia, apparently allowing him to obtain a visa to travel. But the Australian Border Force rejected the exemption and canceled his visa when he landed in Melbourne on Jan. 5.
Djokovic spent four nights in an immigration detention hotel before a judge on Monday overturned that decision. That ruling allowed Djokovic to move freely around Australia and he has been practicing at Melbourne Park daily to prepare to play in a tournament he has won each of the past three years.
He had a practice session originally scheduled for mid-afternoon Friday at Rod Laver Arena, the tournament’s main stadium, but pushed that to the morning and was finished several hours before Hawke’s decision was announced in the early evening.
After the visa cancellation from Hawke, media started gathering outside the building where Djokovic reportedly was meeting with his lawyers.
An Australian Open spokeswoman said tournament organizers did not have any immediate comment on the latest development in Djokovic's situation, which has overshadowed all other story lines heading into the year's first Grand Slam event.
“It’s not a good situation for anyone,” said Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion and five-time runner-up at the Australian Open. “Just want it obviously to get resolved. I think it would be good for everyone if that was the case. It just seems like it’s dragged on for quite a long time now — not great for the tennis, not great for the Australian Open, not great for Novak.”
Tennis Australia announced that nine players would hold pre-tournament news conferences Saturday, and Djokovic’s name was not on the list.
With his legal situation still in limbo, Djokovic was placed in the tournament bracket in Thursday's draw, slated to face Miomir Kecmanovic in an all-Serbian matchup in the first round.
According to Grand Slam rules, if Djokovic is forced to pull out of the tournament before the order of play for Day 1 is announced, No. 5 seed Rublev would move into Djokovic’s spot in the bracket and face Kecmanovic.
If Djokovic withdraws from the tournament after Monday’s schedule is released, he would be replaced in the field by what’s known as a “lucky loser” — a player who loses in the qualifying tournament but gets into the main draw because of another player’s exit before competition has started.
Read: Djokovic admits travel declaration had incorrect information
And if Djokovic plays in a match — or more — and then is told he can no longer participate in the tournament, his next opponent would simply advance to the following round and there would be no replacement.
Melbourne-based immigration lawyer Kian Bone said Djokovic’s lawyers face an “extremely difficult” task to get court orders over the weekend to allow their client to play next week.
Speaking hours before Hawke’s decision was announced, Bone said: “If you left it any later than he has done now, I think from a strategic standpoint, he’s really hamstringing Djokovic’s legal team, in terms of what sort of options or remedies he could obtain.”
Djokovic’s lawyers would need to go before a duty judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court, or a higher judge of the Federal Court, to get two urgent orders. One order would be an injunction preventing his deportation, such as what he won in court last week.
The second would force Hawke to grant Djokovic a visa to play.
“That second order is almost not precedented,” Bone said. “Very rarely do the courts order a member of the executive government to grant a visa.”
Independence Cup: Central and South Zone march to final
After winning two consecutive matches, Walton Central Zone lost their third match against BCB South Zone by five wickets in the ongoing Independence Cup on Thursday in Sylhet.
Despite this defeat, Central Zone, along with South Zone, marched to the final of the event which will be played on January 15.
Central Zone batted first after losing the toss and posted a moderate total of 220 runs for eight wickets. Abu Hider Rony was the most exciting batter for them hitting 54 only for 27 balls with six fours and four sixes. Along with him, Abdul Mazid and Mosaddek Hossain also have done well with the bat scoring 46 and 44 respectively.
Also read: Central Zone continue on winning streak
For South Zone, Mustafizur Rahman bagged four wickets conceding 63 runs while Mahedi Hasan took three wickets.
In reply, Pinak Ghosh and Towhid Hridoy scored 54 and 65 runs respectively to guide South Zone to a five-wicket victory. Zakir Hasan has also done well scoring 40 runs.
Hasan Murad scalped two wickets for the Central Zone but the other bowlers failed to do well for them.
In the other match of the day, Islami Bank East Zone beat BCB North Zone by four wickets. Imrul Kayes hit 71 for East Zone and won the player of the match award.
Also read: Most Fierce Bowling Performances in BPL History
North Zone batted first and posted 216 losing all wickets with the help of the fifties by Marshal Ayub, 54, and Mahmudullah Riyad, 66.
In reply, East Zone chased the target in 37.5 overs with Imrul scoring the highest for them. Tamim Iqbal scored 35 for them.
Bangladesh Cricket Captains: Performance Review for the Year 2021
Bangladesh played 46 international matches in the year 2021. They won 20 matches, lost 25, and drew one match. Bangladesh have three captains for each format, that had resulted in a variance of outcomes. ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal had the best % winning ratio among the captains, indicating that Bangladesh are a strong limited-overs team. Team tigers won the majority of international matches under T20 captain Mahmudullah's leadership, while Mominul was the most unsuccessful captain. Let's take a look at three captains' performances in 2021.
2021 International Record: Bangladesh National Men’s Cricket Team
The Bangladesh national men's cricket team had a packed calendar in the year 2021. Team Tigers played most of their international matches in the twenty20 format. As a result, they won the bulk of their matches in the shortest format. The majority of their losses also came in the T20 format, as predicted. Bangladesh won two of their historic T20 series under the captaincy of Mahmudullah Riyad, but he also had the most defeats as captain. ODI captain Tamim Iqbal did not play any international matches in the second half of the year, but he had a better winning ratio than the other two. Mominul Haque continued to struggle as Test captain in the year 2021.
Here is the format-wise Bangladesh’s international record in 2021
Format
Matches
Won
Lost
Draw
Test
7
1
5
1
ODI
12
8
4
0
T20I
27
11
16
0
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Captains' Performance Review for the Year 2021
Bangladesh began their 2021 international campaign with a three-match One-Day International series against the West Indies at home. Team Tigers thrashed the Caribbean side in that series. However, Bangladesh's year came to an end with a 2-0 Test series loss to Pakistan at home. The following is a breakdown of each Bangladesh captain's performance.
Mominul Haque (Test)
Match as Captain: 7 | Won: 1 | Lost: 5 | Draw: 1
Left-hand batter Mominul Haque is still learning the art of captaincy and will require more time to adjust as a leader. Mominul recently guided Bangladesh to a historic Test match victory in New Zealand. Winning a match in New Zealand is a huge accomplishment for Mominul and the Bangladesh Test team. However, the Mominul-led Bangladesh Test team did not do well in 2021. Team Tigers won their lone Test match away from home, against Zimbabwe in July.
Bangladesh lost the remainder of their longer-version matches last year, aside from their lone Test victory. Bangladesh lost both of their Test series against Pakistan and the West Indies. Bangladesh put up a valiant fight against the West Indies but came up short in both matches. Besides, the performance against Pakistan was subpar. Pakistan dominated both matches and deservedly won each Test match by a big margin. Bangladesh's campaign hoped for a stronger showing against Sri Lanka, however, the Lankans also won the series 1-0. Overall, Mominul had a difficult year as captain last year.
Mominul Haque Test Stats in 2021
Match
Runs
HS
Ave
100s
7
503
127
41.91
2
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Tamim Iqbal (ODI)
Match as Captain: 12 | Won: 8 | Lost: 4
A second-string West Indian squad visited Bangladesh at the beginning of 2021. Tamim Iqbal-led Bangladesh team thrashed that West Indian side 3-0 in the series. Though this type of outcome was predicted from Bangladesh. The New Zealand tour was Tamim Iqbal's toughest challenge as captain last year. As predicted, Bangladesh lost the ODI series (3-0) to New Zealand. They came close to winning in the second encounter in Christchurch but fell short against the Kiwis. Bangladesh went on to win two more ODI series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Tamim did a decent job as captain overall but all of Bangladesh's ODI victories in 2021 were predicted. Everyone would have applauded Tamim if his side had won a match on New Zealand soil.
Tamim Iqbal ODI Stats in 2021
Match
Runs
HS
Ave
100s
12
464
112
38.66
1
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Mahmudullah Riyad (T20I)
Match as Captain: 27 | Won: 11 | Lost: 16
Bangladesh lost their first and last T20I series of the year 2021 against New Zealand and Pakistan respectively. However, the captain of the Twenty20 team Mahmudullah Riyad was strongly criticized following his performance in the T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh did not win a match in the Super 12s, but more importantly, they lost a match against Scotland in the qualifiers. Fans were disappointed by Bangladesh's overall performance at the mega event.
Prior to the twenty20 World Cup 2021, Bangladesh had won two major home series against Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Many argue that winning two home series on slow pitches sent the wrong message to Bangladeshi players. As a result, Bangladeshi cricketers did not reach their full potential during the mega event. Another T20 series triumph for Bangladesh came against Zimbabwe in July. Overall, the team had made little progress in this format despite the fact that the Mahmudullah-led side won a record 11 T20 matches for Bangladesh in 2021.
Mahmudullah Riyad T20I Stats in 2021
Batting
Match
Runs
HS
SR
50s
26
496
52
105.30
2
Bowling
Match
Wickets
BBI
Ave
Econ
26
5
3/10
26.20
6.89
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Aftermath
None of the Bangladesh captains had shown much progress in terms of pushing the team to the next level last year. They all enjoyed some success as captains. but that was to be anticipated from the Bangladesh side. Winning two bilateral home series against Australia and New Zealand were two of the most noteworthy achievements in 2021, and T20 skipper Mahmudullah Riyad deserves credit for both.
Djokovic in Australian Open draw despite visa uncertainty
Novak Djokovic now knows he’ll face fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the first-round of his Australian Open title defense, if he’s allowed to play.
Djokovic’s visa status dominated attention until the moment the draw was conducted Thursday, after a postponement of 75 minutes, to determine the brackets for the men’s and women’s singles draws at the first major tennis tournament of 2022.
He was still in limbo after it.
The Australian immigration minister was still considering whether to deport the nine-time and defending Australian Open champion, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Also read: Djokovic admits travel declaration had incorrect information
Top-ranked Djokovic had his visa canceled on arrival in Melbourne last week when his vaccination exemption was rejected, but he won a legal battle on procedural grounds that allowed him to stay in the country.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has been considering the question since a judge reinstated Djokovic’s visa last Monday. The tournament starts next Monday.
If he’s allowed to stay, Djokovic’s bid for a men's record 21st major title could mean a quarterfinal against No. 7-ranked Matteo Berrettini and possibly a semifinal against Rafael Nadal or third-seeded Alexander Zverev.
He is tied with Nadal and Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles, missing a chance for the all-time record when he lost the U.S. Open final to Daniil Medvedev last year.
Medvedev, who also ended Djokovic’s run at a calendar-year Grand Slam with that win in New York, is on the opposite end of the draw as the No. 2 seed in Australia. A finalist here last year, he could meet local favorite Nick Kyrgios in the second round, and also No. 5 Andrey Rublev, No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime, John Isner in his quarter of the draw. He's seeded to meet No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis.
On the women's side, top-ranked Ash Barty and defending champion Naomi Osaka ended up in the same section of the draw, meaning two of the best players in the tournament could meet in a fourth-round match that could have the feeling of a final.
After that, No. 5 Maria Sakkari or No.9 Ons Jabeur could be waiting in the quarterfinals.
Osaka, who has been ranked as high as No. 1, slid down the list because of her lack of matches in 2021 and is seeded 13th.
Also read: Judge asks what more Djokovic could have done for a visa
French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova and No. 8 Paula Badosa are in the same half of the draw, along with 2020 champion Sofia Kenin, who has a tough opener against fellow American Madison Keys and could meet No. 18 Coco Gauff in the third round.
In the other half of the draw, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka has a first-round meeting against wild-card entry Storm Sanders and is seeded to WTA Finals winner Garbine Muguruza in the semifinals.
Muguruza is in same quarter as U.S. Open champion Emma Raucanu, who opens against 2017 U.S. Open winner Sloane Stephens, and three-time major winner Simona Halep.
The draw ceremony was delayed amid uncertainty over Djokovic’s visa status.
It was was scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. local time, but a tournament official told waiting media that the ceremony had been delayed until further notice and declined comment. It eventually started around 4:15 p.m. local time.
According to the 2022 Grand Slam Rule Book, if Djokovic is forced to pull out of the tournament before the order of play for Day 1 is announced, No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev would move into Djokovic’s spot in the bracket.
If Djokovic withdraws from the tournament after Monday’s schedule is released, he would be replaced in the field by what’s known as a “lucky loser” -- a player who loses in the qualifying tournament but gets into the main draw because of another player’s exit before competition has started.
And if Djokovic plays in a match — or more — and then is told he can no longer participate in the tournament, his next opponent would simply advance to the following round and there would be no replacement.
Ottis Gibson to step down as bowling coach: BCB
Bangladesh pace-bowling coach Ottis Gibson will step down from his post once his contract expires this month-end, a top cricket board official said on Thursday.
Replacing South African pace-bowling coach Charl Langeveldt, Gibson was appointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in January 2020 for a two-year term.
Read:BPL 2022 Live Streaming: Where to Watch the Most Anticipated Domestic Cricket Matches?
Gibson has already informed the board that he's not interested to get his contract renewed, according to Jalal Yunus, the chairman of cricket operations of BCB.
"We have to find a new pace-bowling coach. We are already on the job to find someone who can take over his role," Jalal told the media at Sylhet International Stadium.
Before joining Bangladesh, Gibson worked as the head coach of South Africa and the West Indies. He was also the bowling coach of England.
Bangladesh recently played a two-match Test series against New Zealand, which was a draw.
Read:U-19 World Cup: Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 155 runs in lone warm up match
In the first Test, Bangladesh beat the Kiwis by eight wickets, which was Bangladesh’s first-ever win on the soil of New Zealand.
Ebadot Hossain, the right-handed pacer, had played the main role for Bangladesh. At the end of the match, Ebadot had said he was improving as a pacer under the supervision of the former West Indian pacer Gibson.
Djokovic admits travel declaration had incorrect information
Novak Djokovic has acknowledged that his Australian travel declaration form contained incorrect information, as the government nears a decision on whether to deport the Serbian tennis star, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, on public interest grounds.
The men’s tennis No. 1 had his visa canceled on arrival in Melbourne last week when his vaccination exemption was questioned, but he won a legal battle on procedural grounds that allowed him to stay in the country. He still faces the prospect of deportation — a decision that is entirely at the discretion of Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke if deemed to be in the public interest for health and safety reasons.
Hawke has been considering the question since a judge reinstated Djokovic's visa on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said most Australians disapproved of the nine-time and defending Australian Open champion coming to Melbourne to compete in breach of the nation’s tough pandemic quarantine rules.
“Most of us thought because Mr. Djokovic hadn’t been vaxxed twice that he would be asked to leave,” Joyce told Nine Network television on Thursday. “Well, that was our view, but it wasn’t the court’s view.”
“The vast majority of Australians ... didn’t like the idea that another individual, whether they’re a tennis player or ... the king of Spain or the Queen of England, can come up here and have a different set of rules to what everybody else has to deal with,” Joyce added.
The draw to determine men’s and women’s singles brackets at the tournament was scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. local time (0400 GMT) in Melbourne, but a tournament official told waiting media that the ceremony had been postponed until further notice and declined further comment.
Read: Judge asks what more Djokovic could have done for a visa
There was speculation that the delay reflected uncertainty over whether Djokovic will be able to compete.
The debate over Djokovic's presence in Australia rages against a backdrop of surging COVID-19 infections across the nation.
Victoria state, which hosts the Australian Open, on Thursday eased seven-day isolation rules for close contacts of those infected in sectors including education and transport to curb the number of employees staying away from work.
The state recorded 37,169 new COVID-19 cases in the latest 24-hour period on Thursday, as well as 25 deaths and 953 hospitalizations.
Ticket sales to the tennis tournament have been limited to reduce the risk of transmission.
In a statement posted to his social media accounts on Wednesday, the tennis star blamed “human error” by his support team for failing to declare that he had traveled in the two-week period before entering Australia.
Giving false information on the form could be grounds for deportation, the latest twist in a saga over whether the athlete should be allowed stay in Australia despite not being vaccinated. The initial news that Djokovic was granted an exemption to strict vaccination rules to enter the country provoked an outcry and the ensuing dispute has since overshadowed the lead-up to the Australian Open.
Djokovic acknowledged the lapses when he sought to clarify what he called “continuing misinformation” about his movements after he became infected last month — though he did not spell out what inaccuracies he was referring to.
The statement was posted while Djokovic was in Rod Laver Arena holding a practice session, his third on the tournament’s main court since being released from four nights in immigration detention.
Djokovic remains in limbo before the year’s first tennis major starts Monday. The stakes are particularly high since he is seeking a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title.
Deportation could result in sanctions ranging up to a three-year ban from entering Australia, a daunting prospect for a player who has won almost half of his 20 Grand Slam singles titles here.
Court documents detailing Djokovic’s positive test sparked speculation over the star player’s attendance at events in his native Serbia last month. Further questions also were raised about errors on his immigration form that could potentially result in the cancellation of his visa yet again.
On the form, Djokovic said he had not traveled in the 14 days before his flight to Australia, despite being seen in Spain and Serbia in that period.
In his statement, Djokovic described recent commentary as “hurtful” and said he wanted to address it in the interest of “alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia.”
The 34-year-old Serb said he’d taken rapid tests that were negative and he was asymptomatic before he received his positive result from a PCR test he undertook out of an “abundance of caution” after attending a basketball game in Belgrade on Dec. 14.
He received the result late Dec. 17, he said, and scrapped all his commitments except a long-standing interview with L’Equipe newspaper the following day.
“I felt obliged to go ahead ... but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken,” Djokovic said.
The L’Equipe reporter who interviewed the athlete wrote in the newspaper that he and a photographer were also masked during the session — and kept their distance except for a brief moment as Djokovic said goodbye. The reporter said he tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday, and did not mention the photographer’s status.
“While I went home after the interview to isolate for the required period, on reflection, this was an error of judgment,” Djokovic said.
Read:Will he stay or will he go? Djokovic’s hearing looms large
At the time, Serbia required those who were infected with COVID-19 to isolate for at least 14 days. But Djokovic was seen a little over a week after his positive test on the streets of Belgrade, though he said he had tested negative in between.
Meanwhile, Djokovic addressed the Australian travel declaration by saying it was submitted by his support team and “my agent sincerely apologizes for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box.”
“This was a human error and certainly not deliberate,” he wrote. “My team has provided additional information to the Australian Government to clarify this matter.”
The decision could take a while — but there is time pressure since the draw to determine brackets for the Australian Open is set to take place Thursday.
Hawke’s office issued a statement on Wednesday saying Djokovic’s legal team had filed further documents and added: “Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for a decision.”
At issue is whether he has a valid exemption to strict rules requiring vaccination to enter Australia since he recently recovered from COVID-19.
His exemption to compete was approved by the Victoria state government and Tennis Australia, the tournament organizer. That apparently allowed him to receive a visa to travel.
But the Australian Border Force rejected the exemption and canceled his visa upon arrival before a federal judge overturned that decision. Lawyers for the government have said an infection was only grounds for an exemption in cases in which the coronavirus caused severe illness — though it’s not clear why he was issued a visa if that’s the case.
The initial decision to let him compete sparked complaints that Djokovic was being given special treatment — and the subsequent cancellation of his visa raised allegations that he was being targeted once the issue became political. The saga is playing out against the backdrop of growing concern in Australia over surging COVID-19 cases — and the government’s strategy to contain them.
If Djokovic’s visa is canceled, his lawyers could go back to court to apply for an injunction that would prevent him from being forced to leave the country.
Sydney-based immigration lawyer Simon Jeans said if Djokovic's visa were canceled, he would likely be held in immigration detention. Djokovic could apply for a bridging visa to compete in the tournament pending the appeal. The immigration department would have two business days to decide that application. If Djokovic were refused such a visa, an appeal would typically take weeks, Jeans said.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Federico Valverde Scores Winning Goal for Los Blancos’
Real Madrid earned a spot in the 2021-2022 season Supercopa final after winning their fifth straight El Clasico match on Wednesday. They defeated arch-rivals FC Barcelona 3-2 in the semifinal match hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Real Madrid won their 100th El Clasico overall and their 9th in the Supercopa de Espana. Real Madrid will face either Atletico Madrid or Athletic Bilbao in the championship match. Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde scored the winning goal for Los Blancos' in extra time. The match report of Barcelona vs. Real Madrid is discussed in this article.
Supercopa Semifinal Match Report: Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Central midfielder Federico Valverde scored in the 98th minute to help Real Madrid to a decisive victory over Barcelona, progressing them to the Supercopa de Espana final.
Real Madrid began the encounter with a lot of aggression, as they created many chances in the first half-hour. Madrid players tried their luck by shooting from outside the D-Box to put Ter Stegen to the test. Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior gave Real Madrid an early lead in the 25th minute after winning a one-on-one fight with keeper Ter Stegen.
Read Ballon d'Or 2021 Winner: Lionel Messi wins the coveted award record seventh time
Barcelona's attack always came to a standstill in the opponent's half despite having more ball control, demonstrating their lack of quality in the forward lines. After conceding an early goal, Barcelona players pressed Madrid's defense hard and leveled the scoreline courtesy of a lucky strike by Luuk de Jong. When a low cross came into the right post, he was in the correct place, and the ball just went into the net after being deflected by Luuk's foot. Barca leveled the score at 1-1 in the 41st minute.
After the first half, Real Madrid continued to attack in the opponents' half, creating chances, and in the 72nd minute, their star striker Karim Benzema gave Real Madrid the lead. He smashed a cross into the net after spotting it in the penalty area.
However, Real Madrid lost the advantage once again as Ansu Fati equalized with a stunning header in the 83rd minute.
The game continued into extra time when Real Madrid scored after only 8 minutes. The job was done for the Los Blancos this time by Uruguayan Valverde. Real Madrid won the match with a final score of 3-2.
Read Bangladesh’s U-19 SAFF Women’s Championship victory to serve as a harbinger of success in football
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Supercopa Semifinal Match Stats
The winner of the match Real Madrid had less possessions of the ball than FC Barcelona. According to the match statistics, the Los Blancos had 46 percent ball possession while the Blaugranes had 54 percent ball possession.
Real Madrid completed 640 passes, while Barcelona completed 704 passes. Both teams had quite a similar passing accuracy. Barcelona had a passing accuracy of 88 percent, while Real Madrid had a passing accuracy of 85 percent.
Barcelona committed 18 fouls, while Real Madrid committed 11. Each squad received two yellow cards.
Read Top 10 Most Memorable Football Moments of 2021
Aftermath
The head coach of FC Barcelona Xavi Hernandez was under pressure heading into this match since his team has been struggling this season. Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League group stage last December. They are presently in sixth place in La Liga with 32 points, 17 points behind league leader Real Madrid. Therefore, the Barcelona campaign was expecting to put up a positive effort in this semifinal match. They did play some amazing football, but Real Madrid came out on top in the end. Overall, it was an exciting Barcelona vs Real Madrid contest, with the best team advancing to the final. The Championship match will be contested at the same venue on January 16.
BPL 2022 Live Streaming: Where to Watch the Most Anticipated Domestic Cricket Matches?
After a long gap from March 2021, the opening ceremony of the 8th season of BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) is going to happen on January 21, 2022. This competition between the domestic cricket franchises will continue till February 18, 2022. Streaming channels are ready to cheer the fans with cricket fever at home. Let's find out where to keep an eye for BPL 2022 live streaming.
BPL 2022 Live Streaming Channels
GTV (Gazi TV), Maasranga, and T Sports (Titas Sports) will live telecast the BPL 2022 organized by BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board). Smartphone users can also enjoy each match from the channels app.
Furthermore, People can watch the contest between the local cricket stars on BTV (Bangladesh Television), a regular broadcaster of Bangladesh Cricket.
Read BPL 2022: The Favourites, Outsiders and Underdogs
What is more? The BPL festival is also accompanied by Rabbithole, a popular sports OTT platform in the country. This time, as always, the opportunity will be open for users of both Android and iPhone.
BPL 2022 Tournament
BCB, excluding Rangpur Rangers and Rajshahi Royals, finalized the six teams on December 12, 2021. They are- Dhaka Stars, Chittagong Challengers, Comilla Victorians, Fortune Barisal, Khulna Tigers, and Sylhet Sunrisers.
The format of the entire tournament will be Double-Robin-Round and Playoffs. Under the rules, six teams will play two matches with each other. The team that wins the least in these 30 matches will automatically be eliminated. One of the remaining five teams will be eliminated in an eliminator match. The other four teams will then face each other in two qualifier matches and the final will be held with the winner of these matches.
READ: BPL Fixtures 2022: Full Bangladesh Premier League Schedules, Dates, Times, Venues
BPL 2022 fixture
Chittagong Challengers vs Fortune Barisal - January 21 at 2 pm and February 1 at 6:30 pm
Khulna Tigers vs Dhaka Stars - January 21 at 7 pm and February 9 at 1:30 pm
Comilla Victorians vs Sylhet Sunrisers - January 22 at 1:30 pm and February 9 at 6:30 pm
Chittagong Challengers vs Dhaka Stars - January 22 at 6:30 pm and February 8 at 1:30 pm
Fortune Barisal vs Dhaka Stars - January 24 at 1:30 pm and February 11 at 7 pm
Read BPL 2022: SWOT Analysis of all Six Teams
Chittagong Challengers vs Khulna Tigers - January 24 at 7:30 pm and January 26 at 2 pm
Sylhet Sunrisers vs Dhaka Stars - January 25 at 1:30 pm and January 26 at 7 pm
Comilla Victorians vs Fortune Barisal - January 25 at 6:30 pm and February 8 at 1:30 pm
Khulna Tigers vs Fortune Barisal - January 29 at 1:30 pm and January 31 at 7:30 pm
Chittagong Challengers vs Sylhet Sunrisers - January 29 at 6:30 pm and February 12 at 1:30 pm
Chittagong Challengers vs Comilla Victorians - January 31 at 1:30 pm and February 3 at 6:30 pm
Comilla Victorians vs Dhaka Stars - February 1 at 1:30 pm and February 4 at 7 pm
Khulna Tigers vs Sylhet Sunrisers - February 3 at 3:30 pm and February 8 at 6:30 pm
Sylhet Sunrisers vs Fortune Barisal - February 4 at 2 pm and February 7 at 6:30 pm
Khulna Tigers vs Comilla Victorians - February 11 at 2 pm and February 12 at 6:30 pm
Read BPL 2022: Five Promising Young Players to Watch
Eliminator match - February 14 at 1:30 pm
Qualifier-1 match - February 14 at 6:30 pm
Qualifier-2 match - February 16 at 6:30 pm
Final - February 18 at 7 pm
READ: Liton earns career-best ranking in Test
In a nutshell
For two long years, thousands of expectations have been accumulated among cricket lovers including the players for BPL 2022. Now it's time to rejoice once again in the great performances of the favorite stars in the live streaming of BPL 2022.
Bangamata Football: Mymensingh, Rajshahi earn victories
Mymensingh and hosts Rajshahi District won their respective final round matches of the Bangamata National Women’s Football Championship at the Shaheed Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium in Rajshahi on Wednesday.
In the day’s first match, a brilliant hattrick by Shikha guided Mymensingh to beat Nilphamari District by 5-1 goals.
Apart from Shikha’s three goals in the 34th, 58th and 73rd minutes, Selina and Soma netted one goal each for Mymensingh in the 50th and 80th minutes respectively.
Masuda Akhter scored the consolation for Nilphamari in the 66th minute.
In the day’s other match, hosts Rajshahi beat Magura District by 2-1 goals.
Swornali scored both the goals for the home team in the 44th and 89th minutes while Ria Khatun netted the lone goal for Magura in the 41st minute.