sports
SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives
Bangladesh national football team tasted their first defeat in the five-nation SAFF Championship 2021 as hosts the Maldives beat them 2-0 Thursday.
After a scoreless first half at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male, striker Hamza Mohamed put the hosts ahead in the 55th minute with a bicycle-kick off a header (1-0).
Ali Ashfaq, named man of the match, added another in the 74th minute from a penalty (2-0).
Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India
The Maldives won the spot-kick as Bangladesh's Sohel Rana made a rash tackle inside the danger zone.
The archipelagic state wrapped up the win they deserved after dominating the match against the men in red and green.
Five Bangladeshi booters – Md Ibrahim, Yeasin Arafat, Jewel Rana, Tariq Kazi and Jamal Bhuiyan – were cautioned with yellow cards. However, goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico pulled up some brilliant saves.
Bangladesh last beat the Maldives in SAFF Championship in Dhaka in 2003.
Read: Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener
Despite Thursday's defeat, the men in red and green remained in second place of the standings with four points from three matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 and playing out to a 1-1 draw with India.
So far, Nepal have dominated the competition with an unbeaten run, securing six points from two matches. Bangladesh will face the Himalayan nation on October 13 at 5pm at the same venue.
Club Cup Hockey: Abahani, Mohammedan make flying start
Dhaka Abahani Limited and Dhaka Mohammedan SC made flying start in the SIBL Club Cup Hockey Tournament outplaying their rivals in the opening day’s matches at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here on Thursday.
In the day’s opening match, Dhaka Mohammedan SC outplayed Ajax SC by 8-2 goals featuring four goals by Ashraful Islam in the 16th, 25th, 36th and 58th minutes.
Read: Victory Day Hockey: Army, Navy earn comfortable wins
Rajib Das struck, Sarwar Morshed and Nasir Hossain scored one each for the black and whites Mohammedanx while Sabbir Hossain and Mosharaf Hossain Kuti contributed one each for the Elephant Road outfit Ajax SC.
In the day’s 2nd match, Dhaka Abahani crushed Police AC by 5-0 goal.
Read: Women's Hockey: Narail DSA crush Jashore 4-0
Shafiul Alam Shisir struck twice, Roman Sarkar, Pushkar Khisa Mimo and Arshad Hossain scored one goal for the sky blues Dhanmondi outfit Abahani.
Earlier, Additional Managing Director of the meet sponsor SIBL M Tajul Islam inaugurated the meet Thursday afternoon.
I didn't ask for votes in BCB election: Nazmul
After becoming the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the third consecutive term on Thursday, Nazmul Hassan said he didn’t ask for votes from anyone in last week’s election.
In category one, Nazmul had the possibility to get a maximum of 57 votes. Out of 57, he got 53 votes— the highest by anyone in the October 6 contest.
Read: Nazmul becomes BCB president for next four years
“I got the highest number of votes, but to be honest, I didn’t ask for votes from anyone. I wanted to see what the people think about me, and how far I can go without asking for the votes,” Nazmul said on Thursday in his first meeting with the media after taking on the role of president for the next four years.
Nazmul came to the BCB for the first time in 2012 when the Bangladesh government appointed him as the president after then-president AHM Mostafa Kamal stepped down and joined ICC.
“There are some voters I thought would not vote for me. But they actually voted for me. This is the first time when I got a real taste of election at BCB,” Nazmul added.
A total of 23 directors were elected in the election with seven winning unopposed. Two other directors-- Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam-- were nominated by the National Sports Council.
Read: ICC Player of the Month: Nasum Ahmed Favourite to Win for September
Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud Pilot contested in the election but failed to win, but the other former captain Naimur Rahman Durjoy won the election from the Dhaka division.
Nazmul becomes BCB president for next four years
Nazmul Hassan will steer Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as its president for a new four-year term as he was predictably chosen by all the newly-elected directors on Thursday.
He served as the president of the board in the last two terms as well.
After taking on the full-time role for the consecutive third time, Nazmul said his main goal in the new term is to complete the construction of the Sheikh Hasina International Stadium in Purbachal.
Read: Unofficial result: Nazmul set to become BCB president again
“The main thing we have to do in the term is to build the Sheikh Hasina Stadium. We need this stadium if we would like to host the World Cup. This stadium is something must for us to hold big events,” Nazmul said on Thursday in this first media interaction after the election.
“As a team, we are slightly good in ODIs only, but we have to work more to be a better team. We should target number five in the ODI ranking as a team. There are many big teams who we need to beat if we want to become the number five team,” Nazmul added.
Ahead of the BCB general election, Nazmul had said that his biggest failure was not being able to work on the regional cricket bodies.
Read:Khaled Mashud concedes defeat in BCB election, thanks voters
“In the new term, we will work on forming regional cricket bodies. And to do that, we have to make some changes to our constitution,” Nazmul further added.
The general election of BCB took place on October 6. A total of 23 directors were elected in the election with seven who won the election unopposed.
A J M Nasir Uddin, Akram Khan (Chattogram), Kazi Inam Ahmed and Sheikh Sohel (Khulna), Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel (Sylhet), Anwarul Islam (Rangpur), Alamgir Khan Alo (Barishal) have won unopposed in category 1 while Naimur Rahman and Tanvir Ahmed Titu have been added in this list from Dhaka division as two of their rivals— Syed Ashfaqul Islam and Khalid Hossian— recalled their participation on the day before the election day.
All eyes were on category 2 where 16 candidates contested for 12 director posts. Along with Nazmul, Gazi Golam Mortaza (Gazi Group Cricketers) and Enayet Hossain Siraj (Azad Sporting Club) bagged 53 votes each.
The other nine who are elected from category two are Najib Ahmed (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Mahbubul Anam (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Obed Rashid Nizam (Shinepukur Cricket Club), Salahuddin Chowdhury (Kakrail Boys Club), Ismail Haider Mallick (Sheikh Jamal Cricketers), Fahim Sinha (Surjo Tarun Club), Iftekhar Rahman (Fear Fighters Sporting Club), Monjur Kader (Dhaka Assets), Monjur Alam (Asif Shifa Academy).
Masuduzzaman, Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, Abdur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam were defeated in category 2.
In the other category, category 3, former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud beat Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.
Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam were nominated as directors by the National Sports Council (NSC). They were BCB directors in the last term as well.
ICC Player of the Month: Nasum Ahmed Favourite to Win for September
The player of the series winner in the BAN vs. NZ series, Nasum Ahmed is the favourite to win the ICC Player of the Month for September. The ICC has nominated the left-arm spinner for the award. Nasum Ahmed was brilliant with the ball in Bangladesh's recent T20I series against New Zealand, which they won 3-2. The other two nominees are Jaskaran Malhotra of the United States and Nepal's leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Why Nasum Ahmed is the favourite to win the coveted award for the month of September is discussed in this article.
Read: Tamim’s EPL stint comes to an abrupt end
ICC Player of the Month for September: The Nominees
Nasum Ahmed, Jaskaran Malhotra, and Sandeep Lamichhane have been selected for the September edition of the ICC Men's best player award. They all performed well for their respective nations last month. Therefore, they are worthy of this honour. Let's take a closer look at how they performed during September.
Nasum Ahmed (Bangladesh)
M: 5 | Wkts: 8 | BBI: 4/10 | Econ: 4.78 | Ave: 8.37 | SR: 10.5
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed put a lot of pressure on the New Zealand batting order during the bilateral T20I series in September. Because of the slow nature of the wicket, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad chose him mostly to open the innings. Nasum can bowl wicket to wicket to prevent batsmen from freeing their arms for big shots. With this quality, Nasum did an excellent job and helped Bangladesh with regular breakthroughs.
Overall, Nasum Ahmed bagged 8 wickets in the 5-match T20I contest, guiding Bangladesh to their first-ever bilateral T20I series victory over New Zealand. Nasum's best bowling figure (4/10) came in the crucial fourth match of the series. Bangladesh clinched the series with a game to spare thanks to his outstanding bowling. The left-arm spinner was awarded player of the series for his outstanding performance in the bilateral contest. He is a strong contender for the ICC's best player of the month award.
Read: Unofficial result: Nazmul set to become BCB president again
Jaskaran Malhotra (USA)
M: 6 | Runs: 261 | HS: 173* | Ave: 87.00 | SR: 104.40 | 100: 01
USA's hard-hitting batsman Jaskaran Malhotra impressed the crowd with a mesmerizing performance in a One-Day International match against Papua New Guinea. He hit an undefeated 173* off 124 balls, including six sixes in a single over. He became the fourth player in history to accomplish the feat after Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, and Kieran Pollard.
This wicket-keeper batsman scored 261 runs at an average of 87 in six ODI matches for the USA in September. ICC has honoured Malhotra by nominating him for the best player of the month award. Earning a spot among the candidates is a huge accomplishment for Jaskaran Malhotra.
Read BCB Election 2021: all set for Wednesday's polling
Tamim’s EPL stint comes to an abrupt end
Bangladesh opening batter Tamim Iqbal’s stint in the Everest Premier League (EPL) of Nepal came to an abrupt end as the batter injured his left thumb.
The left-handed batter returned home on Thursday morning after sustaining the blow. He will now undergo a rehabilitation program under the medical department of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Read: Tamim set to fly for Nepal to take part in EPL
Tamim played five matches in the EPL and bagged 75 runs with the best score of 40.
The left-handed batter has been going through a bad patch for a long time now. He has earlier withdrew himself from the ICC T20 World Cup which is set to begin in Oman on October 17.
Tamim also has a knee injury which forced him to stay out of the action for a while.
Read: Tamim Iqbal desires to win the 2023 World Cup as Captain
While Tamim is set to stay out of competitive cricket for a while, the Bangladesh national cricket team is busy preparing for the World Cup.
In the first round of the World Cup, Bangladesh will take on Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea.
Unofficial result: Nazmul set to become BCB president again
Nazmul Hassan was elected a director in the election of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday paving his way to hold the board’s top post for the third consecutive term.
He bagged 53 votes in the second category where 16 candidates contested for 12 director posts, according to unofficial results.
On Thursday, he is expected to be the BCB president for the new term by the votes of the newly-elected directors.
Nazmul was first appointed as the board president by the Bangladesh government in 2012.
He was later elected as the president unopposed in the last election in 2017.
Ali Reza, the returning officer of the BCB election, announced the unofficial result on Wednesday evening.
BCB has a total of 25 posts for the directors, and two will be nominated by the National Sports Council (NSC). The election is for the other 23 posts.
Read: Khaled Mashud concedes defeat in BCB election, thanks voters
A total of 32 candidates had collected nomination papers, and two of them had recalled their participation before the election. The election was held for 16 posts, which later reduced to 14 posts as two other candidates recalled their participation on the day right before the election day. However, their name was printed on the ballot papers as they recalled their participation after the deadline.
A total of 10 directors are supposed to be elected from the representatives of regional and district cricket bodies, which is named as category 1, 12 directors are supposed to be elected from the representatives of the Dhaka-based clubs, which is labelled as category 2, and one director is supposed to be elected from another category or category 3.
According to the unofficial result, seven directors have been elected unopposed in category 1. This number increased to nine when two candidates from the Dhaka division recalled their participation on the day before the election day.
From this category, the only contest was between former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud and Saiful Islam Saiful Alam Swapan Chowdhury where Saiful Alam won by a big margin. However, the total number of votes is due to be revealed on Thursday.
A J M Nasir Uddin, Akram Khan (Chattogram), Kazi Inam Ahmed and Sheikh Sohel (Khulna), Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel (Sylhet), Anwarul Islam (Rangpur), Alamgir Khan Alo (Barishal) have won unopposed in category 1 while Naimur Rahman and Tanvir Ahmed Titu have been added in this list from Dhaka division as two of their rivals— Syed Ashfaqul Islam and Khalid Hossian— recalled their participation on the day before the election day.
All eyes were on category 2 where 16 candidates contested for 12 director posts. Along with Nazmul, Gazi Golam Mortaza (Gazi Group Cricketers) and Enayet Hossain Siraj (Azad Sporting Club) bagged 53 votes each.
The other nine who are elected from category two are Najib Ahmed (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Mahbubul Anam (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Obed Rashid Nizam (Shinepukur Cricket Club), Salahuddin Chowdhury (Kakrail Boys Club), Ismail Haider Mallick (Sheikh Jamal Cricketers), Fahim Sinha (Surjo Tarun Club), Iftekhar Rahman (Fear Fighters Sporting Club), Monjur Kader (Dhaka Assets), Monjur Alam (Asif Shifa Academy).
Masuduzzaman, Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, Abdur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam were defeated in category 2.
In the other category, category 3, former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud beat Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.
It is expected that two former BCB directors nominated by the NSC, Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, will be nominated once again for the period of another four years.
According to the returning officer, the total number of votes that the candidates have bagged will be declared on Thursday. And, the new president of the board will also be elected by the votes of the newly-elected directors on the same day.
SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night
Bangladesh national football team will play upper ranked and hosts Maldives in their 3nd match of the five-nation SAFF Championship’2021 at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male on Thursday night.
T-Sports will telecast live from the big bowl at 10 pm (Bangladesh Time).
In Thursday’s other match, former champions India will take on all losers Sri Lanka at 5 pm (BST) at the same venue.
Bangladesh remained unbeaten in ongoing meet securing four points from two matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 featuring a goal from defender Topu Banman in the first match and a 10-men Bangladesh, coming from behind, snatched an important point from their giant neighbor India in 1-1 draw, also featuring a goal from another defender Yeasin Arafat.
Himalayan nation Nepal dominated the meet securing full six points from two matches after beating hosts Maldives 1-0 and defeated Sri Lanka by 3-2 goal.
Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India
Former champions India are in the 3rd slot bagging one point from their lone match against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka and Maldives are yet to open the account playing two and one match respectively.
Thursday’s match will be equally important for both the teams. Bangladesh wants to brighten the final berth beating the Maldives while hosts Maldives seriously needed a win to keep their final berth alive.
It will be another acid test for the newly appointed Spanish interim Head Coach of Bangladesh national football team Oscar Bruzon after proving his worth in the first two matches.
In the remaining matches of the South Asian biggest soccer tournament Bangladesh will play hosts Maldives on Oct 7 at 10 pm and Nepal on Oct 13 at 5pm , both at the National Football Stadium in Male.
Two top teams of the five–nation meet will play the final on October 16 at the same venue.
The present record are not in favor of Bangladesh as they suffered three successive defeats against the Maldives in the last 18 years, featuring a 0-5 goal losses in the FIFA International friendly in Male in 2016.
Read: Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener
Bangladesh beat the Maldives last in 2003 to win SAF Championship in Dhaka, beating the Maldives 1-0 in group stage and overcame them by 5-3 goals in tie-breaker in the final.
But in the initial stages, Bangladesh started campaign brilliantly beating the Maldives by 5-0 goal in the Kathmandu SAF Games in 1984 and crushed them again Maldives by 8-0 goal in the Dhaka SAF Games in 1985..
Ahead of the Thursday’s match, Bangladesh team made their practices at the Henveiru Training Pitch in Male Wednesday afternoon
Three key players of Bangladesh team are likely to miss the Thursday’s match against the Maldives. Defender Bishwanath Ghosh will miss the match for receiving red card, Rakib Hossain for two yellow cards and medio Atiqur Rahman Fahad is likely to miss the for his back injury.
Khaled Mashud concedes defeat in BCB election, thanks voters
Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud Pilot conceded defeat in the general election of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday.
Mashud took part in the election from Rajshahi Division.
The result of the election will be announced formally on Thursday. An unofficial result is expected on Wednesday night.
Read: BCB Election 2021: all set for Wednesday's polling
“You may have already known that I have been defeated in the BCB election,” Mashud said in his social media handle. “I would like to thank the councillors who have voted for my opponent. You might have thought that he is more capable of doing good for Bangladesh cricket.”
Saiful Alam Swapan Chowdhury was Mashud’s rival in this election. He has previously served the BCB as a director for two terms.
“On the occasion of the BCB election, many fans, well-wishers, cricketers and many more people have called me and wished me good luck. I would like to thank you all. For me, the biggest win is your love. I’ve always been with cricket, and I will be the same,” Mashud added.
Read: BCB election 2021: 32 candidates submit nomination papers
BCB has a total of 25 posts for the directors, and two will be nominated by the National Sports Council (NSC). The election is for the other 23 posts.
A total of 32 candidates had collected nomination papers, and two of them had recalled their participation before the election. The election was held for 16 posts, which later came down to 14 posts as two other candidates recalled their participation on the eve of the election.
However, their name was printed on the ballots as they recalled their participation after the deadline.
A total of 10 directors are supposed to be elected from the representatives of regional and district cricket bodies, 12 directors are supposed to be elected from the representatives of the Dhaka-based clubs, and one director is supposed to be elected from another category.
It is expected that two former BCB directors nominated by the NSC, Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, will be nominated once again for another four years.
UEFA Nations League 2021: Semifinals Preview
The UEFA Nations League is an international football competition held every two years in which the European men's national team competes. Portugal won the inaugural tournament in 2019. The champions of the four groups in the second edition, Italy, Belgium, France, and Spain have qualified for the semifinals. EURO 2020 champion Italy will face Spain in the first semifinal on Thursday (October 7) at 12.45 p.m. (BST). One day later, Belgium will confront France in the second semifinal on Friday (October 8) at 12.45 p.m. (BST). The previews of the Nations League semifinals are discussed in this article.
Favorites to reach the UEFA Nations League 2021 Final
1st Semi-Final (Italy vs. Spain)
Venue: San Siro Stadium, Milan | Date: August 7 | Time (BST): 12.45 am
Verdict: Italy 2-1 Spain
The first semi-final of Euro 2020 featured Italy vs Spain. Italy won the final 4-2 on penalties thanks to goalkeeper Donnarumma's individual brilliance. Therefore, football fans may get a sense of déjà vu as this match approaches. Italy will have a little advantage over Spain in terms of strength in the Nations League semi-final encounter. This is because Italy set a new world record last September by being undefeated in 36 consecutive matches under Coach Roberto Mancini. So, Spain will find it difficult to beat them. Though they have a number of talented players. Spain will be able to beat Italy if they can play together as a team with the proper plan.
Read: Portugal adds to Italy's struggles with Nations League win
Italy’s starting XI (probable)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (RB), Giorgio Chiellini (CB), Leonardo Bonucci (CB), Emerson (LB), Manuel Locatelli (MF), Jorginho (MF), Marco Verratti (MF), Federico Chiesa (MF), Moise Kean (FW), Lorenzo Insigne (FW)
Spain’s starting XI (probable)
Unai Simón (GK), Pedro Porro (RB), César Azpilicueta (CB), Aymeric Laporte (CB), Sergio Reguilón (LB), Sergio Busquets (MF), Sergi Roberto (MF), Koke (MF), Rodri (MF), Ferran Torres (FW), Pablo Sarabia (FW)
Read South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil to face Uruguay in October
2nd Semi-Final (Belgium vs. France)
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin | Date: October 8 | Time (BST): 12.45 am
Verdict: Belgium 3-2 Spain
Belgium were eliminated from Euro 2020 after losing to Italy in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, France were defeated by Switzerland in the Round of 16. So, both teams will be eager to reach the UEFA Nations League 2021 final. Both sides are equally strong in terms of squad strength. France have three of the best players in the world in the attacking third. On the other side, Belgium's midfield is presently rated among the best in the world. The team that can outsmart the other team's tactics has a better chance of winning this contest.
Read Ballon d'Or 2021: Five favorites to win the coveted award
Belgium’s starting XI (probable)
Thibaut Courtois (GK), Thomas Meunier (RB), Jan Vertonghen (CB), Jason Denayer (CB), Timothy Castagne (LB), Axel Witsel (MF), Yannick Carrasco (MF), Kevin De Bruyne (MF), Eden Hazard (MF), Romelu Lukaku (FW), Michy Batshuayi (FW)
France’s starting XI (probable)
Hugo Lloris (GK), Benjamin Pavard (RB), Presnel Kimpembe (CB), Raphaël Varane (CB), Lucas Digne (LB), Paul Pogba (MF), Adrien Rabiot (MF), Aurélien Tchouaméni (MF), Antoine Griezmann (FW), Kylian Mbappé (FW), Karim Benzema (FW)
Read Barcelona coach Koeman says rumors of firing 'probably true'
Verdict
Based on the current form of the semifinalists, Italy and Belgium are the two favorites to advance to the UEFA Nations League 2021 final. However, both Spain and France have very strong squads, and it wouldn't be surprising if they beat their respective opponents in the semifinals and proceed to the championship match. Neutral football fans will anticipate the top two teams to go to the final, in which they will compete in an entertaining match. The final match of the tournament will be staged at the San Siro stadium in Milan.
Read Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener