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Bangladesh’s female booters rewrite history beating India in SAFF U-19 to clinch title
Bangladesh emerged unbeaten champions in the five-nation SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship’21 beating their giant neighbour India by 1-0 goal in the final at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Wednesday.
Defender Anai Mogini brought laurel for the country scoring the match-winner in the 80th minute by a long distance shot, off a back hill of Shaheda Akhter Ripa to colour the 50th year celebration of Independence of Bangladesh.
READ: Defending Champion Bangladesh to face India in 2021 SAFF U19 Women’s Championship Final
In the just concluded SAFF Tourney, Bangladesh clinched the trophy with unbeaten record scoring 20 goals without conceding any.
This was the 2nd consecutive victory for Bangladesh against India in the ongoing meet after beating their neighbour, also by 1-0 goal, in round robin stage.
Nayeem takes six to stun Central Zone in BCL
Right-arm spinner Nayeem Hasan scalped six wickets for 48 runs in the fourth innings to stun Walton Central Zone on Wednesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Riding on his imperious bowling display, Islami Bank East Zone beat Central Zone by 10 runs. Central Zone won their first-round match but failed to register another win in the second round despite being on top at the start of the last and fourth day.
Central Zone needed 112 runs to seal the match, but Nayeem made it impossible for them. Mohammad Mithun and Soumya Sarkar hit 60 and 73 respectively but failed to help the team avoid the defeat.
In the last innings of the match, Central Zone ended up on 188 for all wickets. They needed to score 199 to win the match.
In the first innings of the match, East Zone posted 245 with Shahadat Hossain Dipu scoring 72, and Central Zone pacer Abu Hider Rony bagged five wickets. In reply, Central Zone posted 227 with Taibur Rahman hitting 76 and Zakir Hasan scoring 92.
East Zone posted 180 in their second innings with wicketkeeper-batter Pritom Kumar and Nayeem Hasan scoring a fifty each, and Central Zone bowlers— Hasan Murad bagged four wickets, and Rony, and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury taking two wickets each.
The other match of the second round of BCL played between BCB North Zone and BCB North Zone, ended in a draw.
Riding on the century of Naeem Islam, BCB North Zone had scored 385 in the first innings of the match. In reply, at the end of day three, BCB South Zone scored 350 for three with Amite Hasan (131) and Towhid Hridoy (159*) hitting a century each. Eventually, Towhid ended his maiden First-class century at 217, and BCB South Zone scored 499 in their first innings.
BCB North Zone batted for 26 overs in the last afternoon of the match and scored 62 for one at stumps.
Champs Trophy Hockey: India finish 3rd beating Pakistan 4-3
India finished 3rd in the 6th edition of the five-nation Hero Men’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey’ 2021 beating their traditional sub-continental rivals by 4-3 goals in a 3rd place play-off match at Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here on Wednesday. After the day’s seven goals thriller, India clinched the bronze medal of the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey’21 after lifting the bronze medal in this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Earlier, India also defeated Pakistan by 3-1 goals in the round robin league stage of the ongoing meet to finish top of the points table, securing nine points in four matches with three wins and a draw against Korea. Two joint champions of the last meet in 2018 and the South Asian giants of the Asian Hockey India and Pakistan miserably eliminated from the continental hockey in the semifinals on Tuesday. Japan emerged as surprise finalists stunning hot favorite India by 5-3 goals while Korea entered the final frustrating Pakistan by 6-5 goals in keenly contested semis. In the day’s play-off, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Varun Kumar and Akashdeep Singh scored one each for India while Arfraz Khan, Abdul Rana and Nadeem contributed one each for Pakistan. Indian captain Manpreet Singh was adjudged the player of the match displaying his brilliance in the mid field of the match.
Akram to stay in his BCB position for now, next decision on Dec 24: Nazmul
President of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Nazmul Hasan on Wednesday said that Akram Khan will continue as the chairman of the cricket operation department of BCB for now.
“Akram did not say that he is going to resign,” Nazmul said. “Akram said the final decision is expected from me. He also said there is a lot of work in the cricket operation committee and he has no objection if he is appointed in another post.”
Read:Akram Khan set to resign from his BCB post, reveals family
A day earlier, Akram’s wife revealed that he is going to resign from his BCB post so he can spend more time with the family.
However, former BNgladesh captain Akram told the media on Tuesday that he was expecting Nazmul to make a decision about his future at BCB.
He didn’t elaborate why he suddenly needed the board president to make the decision about his future.
“We will form the new committees on December 24, and we will decide if Akram will continue as the chief of the cricket operation or not. Currently, he is working as the head of this committee on an interim basis,” Nazmul added.
It’s understood that after the T20 World Cup debacle of Bangladesh, the board was overlooking Akram in many ways.
Read:BCL: Central Zone on verge of second win
Sources close to him said he was not informed well when the team has started preparation ahead of the Pakistan series at home. He was not also consulted when BCB has asked Mohammad Salahuddin to take the role of the assistant coach at BCB.
These things might have played a big role for Akram and his family to decide to quit.
Christmas Traditions in European Football Leagues
December signifies the beginning of worldwide preparations for the New Year and Christmas celebrations. However, western countries are the most opulent in terms of celebration because of the great number of Christians. Christmas is observed across Europe by the cultures and customs of various countries. Football matches on Boxing Day are quite popular in the United Kingdom. However, other European football leagues take winter break during this time of the year. Let's have a look at how major football leagues in Europe celebrate Christmas.
Football Leagues in Europe at Christmas
Premier League football has recently taken up a large part of England's Christmas celebrations. Therefore, footballers in the English Premier League find it difficult to spend Christmas with their families. Though players from other European leagues spend quality time with their families. Let's look at some of the major leagues over the holiday season.
Read Akram to stay in his BCB position for now, next decision on Dec 24: Nazmul
Christmas in the Premier League of England
During the Christmas season, the English Premier League is the only football competition that takes place. Players don't get a vacation over the holidays because many league games are planned around Christmas and New Year's Day.
English teams used to play football games on Christmas Day in the past, but this habit changed in the 1950s, as December 25 was designated as a family day only. As a result, Boxing Day football became a tradition in the United Kingdom.
Premier League teams that play on Boxing Day must practice on Christmas Day in order to stay sharp. Teams normally practice twice as much for away games, and they also travel on Christmas Eve to stay overnight. Teams who are lucky enough to be playing at home on Boxing Day typically have a morning workout so that they may spend time with their family for the Christmas party.
Read Bangladesh-New Zealand Test Series: Three Inspiring Knocks From Bangladeshi Batters
It is tough for Premier League players to adjust to the custom. Players frequently have to practice when many families in the UK are enjoying a traditional Christmas feast since they have crucial matches throughout the festive season. It is always chilly at this time of year, and rain, snow, and hail are common. Players from all clubs usually visit local hospitals during the Christmas period.
Christmas in Europe's Other Major Leagues
Unlike England, all of Europe's major leagues are closed for two weeks over the holiday season. Though, fans from those leagues have increased their voices to have football matches scheduled at this time so that they may enjoy like the way British fans do in the English Premier League.
Boxing Day has always attracted the interest of coaches in other European football leagues. In 2018, the Italian Serie A attempted to schedule several matches around the Christmas season. However, their efforts did not go as planned. The stadium attendance and the broadcast audience were both low for the fixtures. The lack of a winter break harmed players' performance and increased their risks of becoming injured.
Read Champions Trophy Hockey: Korea V Japan final after South Asian favourites eliminated
A few months later, Serie A declared that the usual two-week Christmas vacation break will be resumed. In this regard, there are also cultural and customary reasons for not holding matches during holiday seasons.
Footballers, like everyone else, enjoy a pleasant holiday with their loved ones because there are no football games over the Christmas season.
Bottom Line
People in Europe get plenty of time to celebrate because of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Therefore, the English Football League usually plans to host a large number of games at the time. Footballers are likewise preoccupied with preparation for the match after spending time with their families on Christmas Day, and as a consequence, they do not have much time to enjoy. On the other hand, footballers in other European leagues usually go for a vacation with their family to spend Christmas because of winter break. Overall, the Christmas season is a happy occasion for everybody in Europe.
Read Top 10 Most Memorable Football Moments of 2021
Bangladesh-New Zealand Test Series: Three Inspiring Knocks From Bangladeshi Batters
The two-match Bangladesh-New Zealand Test series will begin on January 1. This will be Bangladesh's second series in the second cycle of the ICC Test Championship. Bangladesh's Test team has been under pressure lately after losing a 2-0 home series against Pakistan. A less-experienced Bangladesh side has no realistic chance of making a strong comeback against New Zealand. However, batters can take inspiration from some of Bangladesh's outstanding individual innings. Three of Bangladesh's most inspiring innings against New Zealand are highlighted here.
Three Best Performances by Bangladesh Batters in Bangladesh-New Zealand Test Series
Over the years, Bangladesh batters have produced some excellent individual performances against New Zealand in the Test format. Take a look at the Tigers' best three Test innings against the Blackcaps.
Read:New Zealand vs Bangladesh: Head-to-Head Record, Stats in Test Cricket
3) Mominul Haque (126*)
Match: Bangladesh vs New Zealand (2nd Test, 2013)
Venue: SBNCS, Mirpur
Result: draw
The opening match of the two-match series ended in a draw. As a result, the second match was important for both teams to win the series. Bangladesh chose to bat first and scored 282 runs in the first innings at SBNCS, Mirpur. New Zealand took a 155-run advantage after scoring 437 runs in their first innings. Bangladesh required a strong batting performance in the second innings in order to save the match.
Thankfully, Mominul Haque rose to the occasion and scored an unbeaten 126* run knock. The left-handed batter and opener Tamim Iqbal put on a crucial 157-run partnership to help Bangladesh take the lead in the third innings. Bangladesh ended day four with 269/3 on the board, a 114-run lead. However, the fifth day's play was canceled owing to inclement weather. Bangladesh needed Mominul Haque's superb knock to avoid a potential loss. He certainly saved the game with that knock.
Read: Akram Khan set to resign from his BCB post, reveals family
2) Mushfiqur Rahim (159)
Match: New Zealand vs Bangladesh (1st Test, 2017)
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
Result: New Zealand (7 wickets)
In 2017, Bangladesh faced New Zealand in Wellington in the opening Test of a two-match series. New Zealand chose to bat first in order to keep Bangladesh's total small. However, Bangladesh batters shocked the host with a good middle-order batting effort, scoring a massive 595/8d in the first innings. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan put on a record partnership of 359 runs for the fifth wicket after Bangladesh were reduced to 160/4. They carried it to 519 runs in the innings. Mushfiqur's first-inning contribution with the bat was 159 runs in 260 balls.
A big hundred on a New Zealand surface was a genuinely spectacular feat. Bangladesh went on to lose by 7 wickets in the match. However, Mushfiqur Rahim and other Bangladesh batters should take inspiration from such performance in the upcoming Bangladesh-New Zealand Test series.
Read Asia Cup: Junior Tigers to leave Dhaka this evening
1) Shakib Al Hasan (217)
Match: New Zealand vs Bangladesh (1st Test, 2017)
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
Result: New Zealand (7 wickets)
Bangladesh's arguably best-ever player Shakib Al Hasan recorded the highest individual Test innings of 217 runs in the first innings in the 2017 Wellington Test against New Zealand. Shakib produced a 359-run partnership with Mushfiqur in the fifth wicket, ensuring a massive total in the first innings. Bangladesh scored 595/8 and was declared the innings.
Read Tigers out for preparation in New Zealand
However, they lost the match due to a poor second-inning batting performance. In that innings, Shakib was brilliant with the bat and wasn't afraid to take on Kiwi pacers. Without a doubt, Shakib Al Hasan's 217-run innings is one of the finest in Bangladesh cricket history, and it was a benchmark performance for future generations of cricketers.
Way Forward
Can Bangladesh make a strong impression against New Zealand in the Test format? Bangladesh's recent performances in the longer format suggest that a victory over New Zealand is impossible. Furthermore, the Bangladesh team has yet to win a match in New Zealand in any format. So, team tigers have little chance against the Blackcaps in the Bangladesh-New Zealand Test series. Therefore, the expectation would be to play good cricket and extend each match to the fifth day. Batters must shoulder most of the burden in this regard, and they can take some inspiration from the three aforementioned individual knocks.
Read Bangladesh Cricket in 2021: Performance Analysis by Series
Champions Trophy Hockey: Korea V Japan final after South Asian favourites eliminated
Japan and South Korea stormed into the final of the 6th edition of the Hero Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2021, shocking joint defending champions India and Pakistan in nerve shattering semifinals at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here on Tuesday.
South Korea will play Japan in the final on Wednesday at 6 pm while two traditional subcontinental rivals India and Pakistan will meet each other in the 3rd place deciding match earlier at 3:30 pm at the same venue.
The round robin match between the finalists had ended in an exciting 3-3 draw, while India beat Pakistan 3-1 when they met in the group phase.
In the day’s first semifinal, South Korea eliminated former World and Olympics Champions Pakistan 6-5 in an 11-goal thriller, featuring four goals by Jang Jong Hyun.
Korea and Pakistan had qualified for the semifinals in 2nd and 3rd slots respectively with only one win, against hosts Bangladesh.
Read: Both semis of Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tuesday
In the day’s 2nd semi, India, the Olympics bronze medalists and only unbeaten team in the ongoing meet, made their exit from the prestigious Asian meet after suffering their first defeat losing to Japan 5-3 in Tuesday’s second semifinal.
With the day’s well-merited victory, Japan not only qualified for the final of the prestigious meet for the first time since 2013 with their first victory against India after suffering 17 consecutive defeats, but also took sweet revenge for a 6-0 drubbing in the league stage of this year’s meet.
In the keenly contested first semis, captain Umar Bhutta put Pakistan ahead in the very 3rd minute with a spectacular field goal (1-0) while Jang Jong Hyun leveled the margin for Korea in the 11th minute from penalty stroke (1-1)
In the following minute, Jang Jong Hyun put Korea ahead from behind scoring his 2nd goal, also from a penalty stoke to lead the first quarter (2-1) . Korea got penalty stroke when Shakil Butt of Pakistani pushed a Korean player inside the D area.
Junaid Manzoor of Pakistan neutralized the match in the 22nd minute tapping ball home (2-2).
Jang Jong Hyun of Korea completed hat-trick in the 24th minute from penalty corner (3-2).
Afroz again leveled Pakistan margin in the 29th minute by a field goal after playing discipline game (3-3) while Jihun Yang of Korea again neutralized the match from a penalty corner in the dying moment of the 2nd quarter (4-3) .
Junwoo Jeong further sounded the Korean margin in the dying moment of the 3rd quarter by a field goal utilizing a lapse of Pakistani defender Mubashar Ali (5-3).
Mubashar Ali reduced the Pakistan margin in the 47th minute by a penalty corner (5-4).
The match turned into an exciting stage when Mubashar Ali leveled the margin in the 51st minute converting another penalty corner (5-5).
But lady luck finally smiled on Korea when their hattrick maker Jang Jong Hyun hit the match-winner scoring his 4th goal in the 55th minute (6-5) to the frustration of former World and Olympics champions Pakistan.
Jang was adjudged the man of the match.
Read: Asian Champions Trophy Hockey: Pakistan play 3-3 draw with Korea
Besides, Korean goalie Jaehyeon Kim also deserved appreciation for foiling a good number of Pakistani attempts.
In the second semi, Japan took advantage of a fast start, quickly racing to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter. Although India quickly clawed a goal back in the second quarter, Japan earned a penalty just before half-time that Kirishita converted to restore the 2-goal advantage.
The third quarter proved fatal for India, as Japan again came flying out of the blocks and scored twice, through Kosei Kawabe and then Ooka.
Although the Indians tried to mount a brave comeback in the final quarter, it was never going to be enough, except for restoring some pride to the scoresheet, as the game ended 5-3 to Japan.
BCL: Central Zone on verge of second win
Walton Central Zone is on the verge of the second win in the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) against Islami Bank East Zone at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
At the end of day three, Central Zone needs 112 runs with nine wickets in hand. They were batting at 87 for one, with Mohammad Mithun and Soumya Sarkar were batting 42 and 33 respectively.
READ: Asia Cup: Junior Tigers to leave Dhaka this evening
In the first innings of the match, East Zone posted 245 with Shahadat Hossain Dipu scoring 72, and Central Zone pacer Abu Hider Rony bagged five wickets. In reply, Central Zone posted 227 with Taibur Rahman hitting 76 and Zakir Hasan scoring 92.
East Zone posted 180 in their second innings with wicketkeeper-batter Pritom Kumar and Nayeem Hasan scoring a fifty each, and Central Zone bowlers— Hasan Murad bagged four wickets, and Rony, and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury taking two wickets each.
In the final innings of the match, Central Zone needs to score 199 to seal the match. They have won their first-round match as well.
READ: Tigers out for preparation in New Zealand
The other match of the second round of BCL, being played between BCB North Zone and BCB South Zone, is heading for a draw.
Riding on the century of Naeem Islam, BCB North Zone had scored 385 in the first innings of the match. In reply, at the end of day three, BCB South Zone scored 350 for three with Amite Hasan (131) and Towhid Hridoy (159*) hitting a century each.
Asia Cup: Junior Tigers to leave Dhaka this evening
Bangladesh U-19 cricket team is all set to leave Dhaka for the UAE this evening to take part in the U-19 Asia Cup. After this event, the Junior Tigers will fly to the West Indies to take part in the ICC U-19 World Cup as the defending champions.
In the World Cup, slated to be played between January 14 and February 5, Bangladesh will face Canada, the UAE and England in Group A.
Read: Tigers out for preparation in New Zealand
“We have to play well to win matches against any opponent, and at this level, there is no big or small opponent. We have to play well against every team to do well,” Rakibul Hasan, Bangladesh’s captain, told the media.
Rakibul was part of Bangladesh team when they won the World Cup in 2020 in South Africa.
Bangladesh have recently played a series against India U-19 A and B team, and won the series. Rakibul believes that win will help them to do well in the Asia Cup and in the World Cup.
Squad: Rakibul Hasan (Captain), Prantik Nawrose Nabil (Vice-Captain), Mahfijul Islam, Iftakhar Hossain Ifti, SM Meherob Hasan, Aich Mollah, Abdulla Al Mamun, Gazi Mohammad Tahjibul Islam, Ariful Islam, Md Fahim, Mohammad Musfik Hasan, Ripon Mondol, Md Ashiqur Zaman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Naimur Rohman Noyon
Read: Akram Khan set to resign from his BCB post, reveals family
Traveling Reserves: Ahosun Habib Leon, Jishan Alam, Stand By: Mohiuddin Tareq, Tawhidul Islam Ferdus, Shakib Shahriyer, Golam Kibria
Tigers out for preparation in New Zealand
After waiting for about one and a half weeks, the Bangladesh team is finally out for preparation ahead of the two-match Test series against New Zealand starting from January 1.
In the latest Covid-19 Test, all the members of the Bangladesh team returned negative which allowed them to come out from the quarantine and start preparation ahead of the series.
Read:New Zealand vs Bangladesh: Head-to-Head Record, Stats in Test Cricket
This series is part of the ICC World Test Championship. Bangladesh played their first series of this event against Pakistan at home before flying for New Zealand. Bangladesh lost both the matches they played against Pakistan at home.
Bangladesh team left Dhaka on December 9 for New Zealand, and since then, they had been maintaining a strict quarantine. In the first Covid-19 test after arriving there, all the players and support staff returned negative. But in the second test, Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach Rangana Herath returned positive which prevented the Tigers to take the field after completing three days of in-room quarantine.
“It’s Great to be out,” Russell Domingo, Bangladesh’s head coach, said. “Eleven days in our rooms been pretty challenging for the boys after a long year. So, boys are happy to be out in bright sunshine and blue sky.”
Bangladesh team will continue to be practising for two days to get themselves accustomed to batting and bowling once again, and by the time they will get to Tauranga for a six-day preparation camp before the first Test of the series.
The strict quarantine measures had cast doubts over the fate of this series. Had not everybody of the Bangladesh team returned negative in the last Covid-19 test, the period of quarantine might have been extended more which could force both the boards to reschedule the series in a later date.
After the New Zealand series, Bangladesh players will need to maintain another quarantine period when they will play the new season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) which is yet to be scheduled. And after that, Afghanistan will visit Bangladesh, and the players will have to maintain another tight bio-secured environment.
Bangladesh have been suffering in the field for a while now. They won two T20I series against Australia and New Zealand ahead of the T20 World Cup. But in the World Cup, they failed in every way—which was started with the defeat against Scotland.
Read: Akram Khan set to resign from his BCB post, reveals family
After the shocking defeat in the first match, Bangladesh won against Oman and Papua New Guinea and qualified to the next phase of the event which was full of disappointment for the Tigers where they failed to win any match.
After the World Cup, Bangladesh lost two consecutive Tests against Pakistan. Now, they are taking the challenge of New Zealand at their home ground. Before this series, Bangladesh played 15 Tests against New Zealand and failed to win any of them.
In this tough series, Bangladesh are set to miss the service of Shakib Al Hasan who is currently on leave due to family commitments. The allrounder has great records against the Blackcaps. Along with him, Bangladesh’s most successful opener, Tamim Iqbal, is also out of this series. The opener is currently going through a rehabilitation program to come out from injuries that prevented him to take part in the Pakistan series.