sports
Rangana Herath, Ashwell Prince join Bangladesh coaching team
Sri Lankan legendary spinner Rangana Herath and South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince have been appointed as Bangladesh National Team’s consultants for spin bowling and batting respectively, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed Saturday.
Herath will join the Bangladesh coaching team in Zimbabwe and will be in the role until the end of Bangladesh’s campaign in this year’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
Prince has reached an agreement with the BCB to work with the Bangladeshi batsmen for the Tour of Zimbabwe 2021.
READ: From U-19 star to national team prospect: The incredible journey of Shamim
43-year-old Herath, the most successful left-arm spinner in the history of Test cricket with 433 wickets taken in a remarkable career lasting two decades, is an ICC/SLC Level 3 coach specialising in spin bowling.
Herath represented Sri Lanka in 93 matches and scalped 433 wickets with 34 five-wicket hauls. He also has an incredible record of taking nine wickets in a single innings of a Test.
Left-hander Prince has been capped 119 times by South Africa in the three formats. The 44-year-old is also a Level 3 coach who has worked as the batting consultant for South Africa A and had also been the A side’s interim-Head Coach.
READ: T20 WC shifted to UAE from India
Ashwell played 66 Tests, 52 ODIs and only T20I for South Africa. He played his last international match in 2011, a Test against Sri Lanka in Durban. He has 11 centuries and as many half-centuries under his belt in Tests.
Mahmudullah added to Test squad for Zimbabwe tour
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made a change into the Test squad which will tour Zimbabwe later this month by including allrounder Mahmudullah Riyad to the squad.
BCB has previously announced a 17-member squad, and now it increased to 18- member.
READ: From U-19 star to national team prospect: The incredible journey of Shamim
Mahmudullah played his last Test during Bangladesh’s Pakistan tour last year. He was later omitted from the longer format of the game.
The right-handed allrounder played a total of 49 Tests to date and amassed 2764 runs with four centuries and 16 half-centuries. He also scalped 43 wickets with one five-wicket haul.
The Zimbabwe series will kick off with the one-off Test on July 7 while three ODIs will take place on July 16, 18 and 20 while the T20Is will be played on July 23, 25 and 27 respectively.
Test and ODIs will be started at 1:30 pm (Bangladesh time) while T20Is will be commenced at 4:30 pm (Bangladesh time).
READ: T20 WC shifted to UAE from India
All the matches of this series will be hosted at the Harare Sports Club.
Mohammedan clinch a consolation win to end Dhaka League
Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club in the ongoing Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League by 25 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
In the rain-hit game, which was reduced to 13-over a side, Mohammedan batted first and posted 103 runs for five in 13 overs, with Parvez Hossain Emon hitting the highest of 26.
READ: From U-19 star to national team prospect: The incredible journey of Shamim
For Prime Doleshwar, Enamul Haque junior bagged two wickets.
Under the DLS Method, Prime Doleshwar needed to score 107 in 13 overs to seal the game. But they only managed to score 81 for all wickets and lost the game by 25 runs.
For Mohammedan, Ruyel Miah bagged five wickets conceding 21 runs in 2.4 overs, his best bowling figures in T20s.
It was the only win for Mohammedan in the Super League stage of the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League, which is all set to end on Saturday.
In the initial part of the league, Mohammedan won six matches out of 11. They had marched to the Super League as the fifth out of six teams.
Shakib Al Hasan led Mohammedan in most part of the initial part of the league. But before the Super League takes place, Shakib went on a leave. Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, the all-rounder, led Mohammedan later.
READ: T20 WC shifted to UAE from India
Parvez Hossain, the left-handed top-order batsman, scored 330 runs, most by any Mohammedan batsman, from 14 matches with one fifty, while Asif Hasan and Abu Jayed were the best bowlers for this team taking 12 wickets each.
BAN vs ZIM 2021: Significant Test and T20I Records Between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe have only won one Test and one Twenty20 International in the past two years. Zimbabwe's latest Test victory came against Afghanistan last March, and they defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in a T20 match at home for the first time in nearly two years. On the other side, Bangladesh have only won one Test match in the previous two years, and that triumph came against Zimbabwe. During this period, Bangladesh have won some Twenty20 matches, although most of its triumphs have come against weaker opponents. Let’s take a look at some significant Test and T20I records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Head to Head Bilateral Test and T20I Records
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will play a three-match Twenty20 series as well as a one-off Test next month. The following is the head-to-head bilateral Test and T20I series records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Read BAN vs. ZIM 2021: Individual Milestones expected to Reach
Tenth bilateral Test series:
The forthcoming series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will be the tenth bilateral Test series between the two countries. Bangladesh had won three of the previous nine bilateral Test series, while Zimbabwe had won four, and two series had ended in a draw. Both sides have won seven Tests against each other, with the rest of the three Tests ended in a draw.
Sixth bilateral T20I series:
The sixth bilateral T20 series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will be held at the end of the next month. Bangladesh had won two of the previous five bilateral Twenty20 series, while the other three were all drawn. Overall, Bangladesh have won seven T20 international matches, while Zimbabwe have won four.
READ: Ashraful steer Sheikh Jamal to win against Abahani
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe: Significant Test and T20I Records
The following are some of the most noteworthy Test and T20I records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Test
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe
Matches Played (17)
7
7
Most Runs
Mushfiqur Rahim (846 runs in 17 innings)
Brendon Taylor (1066 runs in 22 innings)
Highest Score
Mushfiqur Rahim (219*)
Brendon Taylor (171)
Most Hundreds
Mominul Haque (3)
Brendon Taylor (5)
Most Wickets
Taijul Islam (41)
Kyle Jarvis (24)
Best Bowling Figures
Taijul Islam (8/39)
Douglas Hondo (6/59)
Most Matches
Mohammad Ashraful & Mushfiqur Rahim (9)
Brendon Taylor (11)
T20I
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe
Matches Played (13)
9
4
Most Runs
Shakib Al Hasan (196 runs in 9 innings)
Hamilton Masakadza (377 runs in 9 innings)
Highest Score
Shakib Al Hasan (65)
Hamilton Masakadza (93*)
Most Hundreds
-
-
Most Wickets
Mustafizur Rahman (15)
Graeme Cremer (11)
Best Bowling Figures
Shakib Al Hasan (4/21)
Neville Madziva (4/34)
Most Matches
Mahmudullah Riyad (12)
Sean Williams (12)
Source: Espncricinfo
Read New Zealand Win Inaugural ICC Test Championship Final
Key Players to watch out in BAN vs ZIM 2021 Test Series
Bangladesh
Three Key Players: Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim
Predicted Playing XI
Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Shoriful Islam
Read BAN vs AUS 2021: Australia Announce Squad For The Bangladesh T20 Series
Zimbabwe
Three Key Players: Regis Chakabva, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano
Predicted Playing XI
Kevin Kasuza, Tarisai Musakanda, Regis Chakabva (wk), Brendan Taylor (Captain), Milton Shumba, Tendai Chisoro, Luke Jongwe, Donald Tiripano, Roy Kaia, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
READ: T20 WC shifted to UAE from India
Key Players to watch out in BAN vs ZIM 2021 T20I Series
Bangladesh
Three Key Players: Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman
Predicted Playing XI
Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad (Captain), Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed
Zimbabwe
Three Key Players: Brendan Taylor, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams
Read Racism in Cricket: Five Racist Incidents in the Gentleman’s Game
Predicted Playing XI
Wesley Madhevere, Tarisai Musakanda, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brendan Taylor, Regis Chakabva (wk), Sean Williams (Captain), Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Ryan Burl, Richard Ngarava
Bottom Line
Bangladesh are now well ahead of Zimbabwe according to significant Test and T20I records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Both teams have struggled to play well in these two formats in recent years. So, the upcoming series between the two teams will be an interesting contest. Though, on paper Bangladesh are the favorite to win both the Test and T20I series.
Read BAN vs. ZIM Series 2021: Key ODI Records Between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe
Record-chasing Italy becoming the team to fear at Euro 2020
Italy’s unbeaten streak won’t last forever, and Austria coach Franco Foda is plotting to be the one to stop it.
The Italians have become one of the favorites at the European Championship after winning all three of their games in the group stage, scoring seven goals and conceding none. Those three victories at Euro 2020 extended the team’s unbeaten streak under coach Roberto Mancini to 30 games — matching the previous record set in the 1930s.
Read: UEFA Euro 2020: All you need to know
“Initially it seemed to be an insurmountable and impossible challenge for us, because they haven’t lost for an eternity,” Foda said. “But sooner or later even Mancini’s team will lose.”
Austria, which has reached the round of 16 at the tournament for the first time, will get its chance on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.
“The team achieved something spectacular. We are in the round of 16 and now we want to put everything to take the next step to make it into the quarterfinals,” Foda said Friday. “We have lots of confidence ... we’re focused and prepared very well for this upcoming match against Italy.”
Besides the unbeaten streak, Italy will also be trying to set another record. The team has not conceded a goal in 11 matches, a total of 1,055 minutes. If Austria fails to score, Italy will surpass the record of 1,143 minutes set between 1972 and 1974.
For a team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Italy’s recent results are quite remarkable.
Read: Italy opens Euro 2020 with 3-0 win over Turkey
“It’s something that makes us proud, especially considering what they thought of us before the tournament started,” Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne said. “But we have to stay focused, calm and think about ourselves. We haven’t done anything yet. Our objective is to go all the way, it wasn’t just to get through the group stage.”
The 30-year-old Insigne embodies Italy’s transformation under Mancini.
The previous coach, Gian Piero Ventura, lost the squad’s support during a World Cup playoff loss to Sweden when he left Insigne — considered the team’s most talented player — on the bench.
Insigne has formed a strong partnership with Ciro Immobile, who has finally been able to translate his scoring success in Serie A to the international stage.
“It’s the first time that I’ve played in such an important event at this level, in such an important role,” Insigne said. “In the past other coaches have used formations that were less compatible with my style of play, although I have always made myself available.
“Now Mancini is using a system of play that is more suited to me and to other players’ characteristics.”
Insigne already has experience scoring at Wembley, in a 1-1 draw against England in a friendly in 2018.
“It was only a friendly but it was incredible,” Insigne said. “I think it’s everyone’s dream to score in such a stadium. We will try to go to London and give a great performance, as we have always done until now.
“Our strength is that we don’t change our nature ever. Austria runs a lot and creates pressure, we’ll study our opponents but we will prepare for the match thinking about what we have to do.”
Italy has drawn praise for its free-flowing, attacking style of play. But veteran defender Leonardo Bonucci said the team is prepared to forget “the beautiful game” in order to get a result.
“I’ve always said that there are situations in matches where you need to be bad and ugly,” Bonucci said Friday. “And we’ve done that in matches when we needed to defend the result, when we’ve sat deep, when we’ve battled in front of our box.
“There are a whole host of moments in a knockout match and you need to be able to read those correctly just like in tomorrow night’s game.”
Italy is playing with such spirit that the buzzword among the Azzurri players is “fairytale.”
No one embodies that more than Giacomo Raspadori, a 21-year-old Sassuolo forward who hadn’t even played a game for Italy when he was named in the 26-man squad for the tournament.
Raspadori was brought on as a substitute in Italy’s final group match against Wales, making only his second appearance for his country.
“This is all a fairytale, for the team and for me,” Raspadori said. “In four months so many things have changed.
“Those who are now my Italy teammates were who I saw as sporting idols a short while ago.”
The winner of Saturday’s match will head to Munich to face either defending champion Portugal or Belgium in the quarterfinals on July 2.
T20 WC shifted to UAE from India
The upcoming T20 World Cup has been shifted to UAE from India, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo.
The world event is scheduled to begin from October 17 with the final being held on November 14.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Things the Bangladesh Team needs to address
It was originally scheduled to be held in India in October-November this year. But the scale of India's COVID-19 crisis had been fueling speculation for weeks that it would have to be shifted.
"As per the current plan, the first round of the T20 World Cup will be split across two groups and played in the UAE and Oman," read the report.
Read: ICC announces major changes to cricket world cup format
Besides, the remainder of IPL, which was suspended in May, will resume from September 19 in UAE and the T20 World Cup will begin just days after the IPL final.
BPL Football resume Saturday; Bashundhara face Rahmatganj
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football will resume Saturday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium after one and half months.
The league remained suspended for a long time as the national football team was busy with Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers.
Also read: BPL Football: Arambagh KS pull off biggest upset outplaying Sheikh Jamal DC 3-1
League leader and star-studded Bashundhara Kings will play Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society in the second phase match of the league at 5pm Saturday.
Dhaka Abahani will face arch rival Dhaka Mohammedan Sunday at the same time and venue.
Also read: BPL Football: Baridhara taste 2nd victory crushing Brothers 3-0
Kings comfortably dominated the league as the only unbeaten team, securing 43 points from 15 matches while Dhaka Abahani earned 32 points from as many chances. Rahmatganj remained at the ninth slot with 14 points from 15 matches.
All BPL matches will initially be held in Dhaka due to existing restrictions on movement across the country.
Women's Football: Brahmanbaria beat Suddopuskorini 3-2
FC Brahmanbaria earned a 3-2 victory over Suddopuskorini Jubo Sporting Club SC in the second phase match of the Women's Football League 2020-21 Friday.
The winners dominated the first half by 2-1 at the Kamalapur Stadium.
Also read: Women's Football: Bashundhara hands 20-0 drubbing to Nasrin DA
Sadia Akter struck twice in the 17th and 41st minutes while Selina Khatun netted the other goal for FC Brahmanbaria in the 46th minute.
Soma Akter and Tonni Biswas scored one goal each for Suddopuskorini in the 21st and 85th minutes.
Also read: Women's Football: Ataur Rahman College thump Suddopuskorini 6-0
The day's other league match between Cumilla United Club and Jamalpur Kacharipara Ekadash ended in a goalless draw at the same venue.
Archery World Cup: Bangladesh recurve men's, women's teams eliminated
Bangladesh recurve men's and women's teams were eliminated from the pre-quarterfinals of the Archery World Cup 2021 Stage-3, a final qualification tournament of the Olympic Games, in Paris Friday.
Bangladesh recurve men's team of Ruman Shana, Hakim Ahmed Rubel and Ram Krishna Saha – conceded a 1-5 set points defeat to the US.
Also read: Asia Cup Archery: Bangladesh team earn two silver, one bronze medal
Recurve women's team of Diya Siddiqui, Nasrin Akhter and Mehnaj Akhter Monira suffered a 2-6 set points defeat against Mexico at the same venue.
Earlier, Bangladesh's celebrated archer Ruman Shana directly qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after winning the bronze medal in the recurve men's singles of the Archery World Championship in 2019.
Also read: Bangladesh win first silver in Archery World Cup
Women archer Diya Siddiqui also got a wild card to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
From U-19 star to national team prospect: The incredible journey of Shamim
Shamim Hossain was one of Bangladesh's best performers during his U-19 cricketing days. He was picked for the primary squad of the Bangladesh U-19 team for World Cup 2018 but was overlooked in the main tournament.
The all-rounder's wait for playing in the U-19 World Cup ended in 2020 when he and Bangladesh lifted the title of the event for the first time, beating India. Shamim could not do much for the team in the World Cup with the bat but was one of the best fielders of the tournament.
Despite the pandemic, Shamim kept himself fit and ready to do well whenever a chance arrives. In the Bangabandhu T20 League, which took place later last year, he won the best fielder's award. The all-rounder also proved his batting prowess during the death overs over the last two years.