sports
Liton to lead Tigers in 3rd T20I vs Kiwis
Liton Das is all set to lead the Tigers in international cricket for the first time, as the regular T20I captain Mahmudullah Riyad sustained a blow to his left thigh during the second game of the three-match series against New Zealand.
As Mahmudullah has been ruled out of the third T20I, Liton will lead the Tigers in this game in Auckland.
New Zealand have already won the series, with Bangladesh having lost the first two games against the hosts. In the first game, Bangladesh lost by 66 runs, and in the rain-hit second game, the Tigers endured the defeat by 28 runs in the DL method.
Liton has represented the Tigers in 22 Tests, 42 ODIs and 32 T20Is. He has become an integral part of the national team for a few years now.
Also read: Soumya hit fifty but Tigers lose T20Is series against Kiwis
However, Liton is yet to perform well in this series. Despite having some good starts, he has a lean run in the ODI series, and he has also failed to bat well in the T20I series so far.
Also read: Tigers start T20 series vs New Zealand with big defeat
The right-handed batsman has the record of hitting the highest individual ODI innings for the Tigers. He hit 176 against Zimbabwe in early 2020 in Sylhet. His highest in T20Is is 61 off 32 balls that came against the West Indies in Lauderhill in 2018.
Germany midfielder Toni Kroos criticizes World Cup in Qatar
Germany midfielder Toni Kroos said it was “wrong” that Qatar was awarded next year’s World Cup and added that it could be appropriate to highlight human rights issues during the tournament.
Kroos’ comments go beyond the criticism from several national teams, including Germany and Norway, which tried to draw attention to human rights issues ahead of recent World Cup qualifying matches.
“For this tournament to be awarded there, I consider that wrong,” Kroos said on a podcast released Tuesday that he hosts with his brother.
Kroos flagged up the working conditions for migrant workers, saying they were often “working without breaks, sometimes in 50-degree (Celsius) heat” without enough drinking water. He also noted anti-gay laws in the country and Qatar being ”not a soccer country.”
Kroos, who was on the German team which won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, said a boycott campaign was unlikely to have much effect but drawing attention to human rights issues during the tournament could help.
Also read: Agreement on new Champions League format delayed until April
“You have to ask the question: What would a boycott of a tournament like this bring? Is it really the case that something would drastically improve there? Would the working conditions change? I believe not,” Kroos said.
“Rather, I believe that it is important to draw extreme attention to these problems once again, perhaps also maybe in advance of or during a tournament like this, so that maybe something can be improved because of that.”
Kroos, who plays for Real Madrid, is not currently with the German team because of injury.
Norway began a movement of human rights demonstrations by wearing shirts reading “HUMAN RIGHTS” and “Respect on and off the pitch” before its game against Gibraltar last Wednesday. Germany followed up with its own human rights messages before games, though its players and staff avoided directly criticizing Qatar, and teams like Belgium and the Netherlands have followed.
Bangladesh want to end New Zealand tour with consolation win
he Tigers now want to end their New Zealand tour with a consolation victory in the third T20 after being swept 3-0 in the ODI series and losing the first two T20s.
Bangladesh's New Zealand tour started with the hope that the Tigers would register their maiden win in the island country against the hosts.
They have played 31 matches against the Kiwis in New Zealand, but are yet to win a game against them here.
Also read: Soumya hit fifty but Tigers lose T20Is series against Kiwis
The final T20 match of the series is slated to be played on April 1 in Auckland at 12pm (Bangladesh time).
Bangladesh top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar said, "We still believe that winning matches in New Zealand is still possible for us if we can play as a team and perform together."
"The bowlers did well in one match, the batsmen in the other – this is how we played against New Zealand. But we have to play as a team if we want to win here," Soumya told the media over a video message.
Also read: Tigers start T20 series vs New Zealand with big defeat
"We were good at fielding in the last game but failed to bowl well and continue the good momentum while chasing a tough total. We have to play well in all three departments of the game."
Bangladesh lost the first T20 of the series by 66 runs. They lost the next game by 28 runs in the DL method; Soumya hit a 50 but his effort went in vain as other batsmen failed to respond.
Before the T20 series, the Tigers faced the hosts in a three-match ODI series which they lost 3-0.
NCL: Shuvagata hits 100, Mukidul continues to shine
Dhaka Division all-rounder Shuvagata Hom Wednesday hit a 100 against Sylhet Division on the third day of the second round of the 22nd National Cricket League in Cox's Bazar.
On the same day, Rahatul Ferdous of Sylhet bagged seven wickets against Dhaka and Mukidul Islam of Rangpur registered his second six-wicket haul in the match against Khulna in Rangpur.
NCL 2nd round score after day two
Khulna vs Rangpur
Khulna 1st innings
221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54)
Rangpur 1st innings
364/10 in 97.1 overs (Ariful 97, Nasir 66, Dhiman 43, Tanbir 31; Masum 4/78, Robiul 2/41, Abdul Halim 2/88)
Khulna 2nd innings
259/10 in 69.3 overs (Amit 89, Ziaur 64, Imrul 31; Mukidul 6/67, Mahmudul 2/24)
Rangpur 2nd innings
16/0 in 7 overs (Jahid 14*, Nobin 1*)
Also read: NCL: Rajshahi pull off record win
Sylhet vs Dhaka Division
Sylhet 1st innings
370/10 in 114.4 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 67; Shuvagata 4/86, Taibur 2/31, Sumon 2/55)
Dhaka 1st innings
280/10 in 79.1 overs (Shuvagata 114, Saif 42, Joyraj 41, Arafat Sunny 37; Rahatul 7/75, Tanzim 2/63)
Sylhet 2n innings
183/6 in 64.4 overs (Asadullah 74, Zakir 33, Sayem 31; Saif 2/19, Shuvagata 2/39)
Also read: NCL: Tushar, Zakir continue to shine with bat
Barishal vs Rajshahi Division
Barishal 1st innings
82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7)
Rajshahi 1st innings
151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4)
Barishal 2nd innings
60/10 in 34 overs (Moinul 28, Kamrul 14; Sunzamul 6/15, Taijul 4/23)
Result: Rajshahi won by an innings and 9 runs and Taijul won the man of the match award.
Also read: Zakir, Nazmul best performers of NCL 1st round
Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro
Chattogram 1st innings
402/8 (declared) in 126.3 overs (Pinak 159, Shahadat 53, Yasir 49; Arafat Sunny 3/120, Shohidul 2/78, Al Amin 1/26, Abu Haider 1/30)
Dhaka Metro 1st innings
267/10 in 107.2 overs (Zahiduzzaman 71, Shamsur 68, Sharifullah 38, Al Amin 34; Hasan Murad 5/72, Mehedi Hasan Rana 2/74)
Chattogram 2nd innings
43/1 in 17 overs (Mahmudul 20*, Sadikur 19*)
Football Transfers 2021: The hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City
Sergio Aguero was transferred from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City for a world record fee of 31.5 million pounds in the summer transfer window of 2011. He scored in injury time against QPR in the final Premier League match of the 2012 season and guided Man City to win their first-ever Premier League title. Kun has since become a Manchester City legend. In an official statement, Man City announced that the Argentine forward will leave the club at the end of the 2020-2021 season. In this article, we have mentioned some names who are the hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City.
The probable candidates who can replace Man City’s Aguero as a center forward
It will be difficult for Man City to find a striker with the same agility and versatility as Sergio Aguero. However, the Citizens will seek to include one of Europe's best forwards at the moment to replace their most successful goal-scorer ever. Let's take a look at some of the striker names who could succeed Sergio Aguero at Manchester City.
Read: Pro Kabaddi Tournament Could Rejuvenate Bangladesh’s National Sport
6) Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho was bought by FC Barcelona for a record transfer fee from Liverpool in 2018. But Coutinho has struggled to live up to his full potential at the nou camp. The Brazilian forward is going through a tough time since suffering an injury at the start of the season. According to reports, Coutinho is expected to be released by Barcelona next season. No one doubts Coutinho's football ability. Therefore, Manchester City can easily sign 29 years old Coutinho at a low price.
Read Lionel Messi: The Argentine Football Star’s Most Unbreakable Records
5) Joao Felix
Joao Felix caught the attention of the major European teams because of his outstanding performances for Portugal in age-level tournaments. Felix was eventually purchased by Atletico Madrid from Benfica in the summer of 2019. But the Portuguese star has yet to reach his full potential. However, he has enough talent to make any European squad. Joao Felix could be Aguero's long-term replacement at Man City.
Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Football Next Decade
4) Lautaro Martinez
Argentina's Lautaro Martinez has successfully established himself as one of the team's best players after joining Inter Milan in 2018. Having scored nearly 50 goals for Inter so far, Martinez is regarded as one of Europe's best-rising stars. Martinez will be wanted by a lot of teams next season. No doubt, he has been listed as a potential replacement for Sergio Aguero by Manchester City. The talented striker may be seen in Pep Guardiola's Man City squad next season if he's available at a reasonable price.
Read Top Online Shops to Find Sports Equipment in Bangladesh
3) Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala has been a household name in world football since joining Juventus in 2015. Since 2017, Dybala has worn the number 10 jersey for Juventus, one of Italy's best players. He has already won several domestic titles for this club. As a result, the 26-year-old Argentine star is ready to take on a new challenge and the Premier League may be an ideal place for him to showcase his talent. So it would not be a surprise if Man City include Sergio Aguero's compatriot Paulo Dybala as a replacement.
Read: Summer Window 2021: Five Potential Big Football Transfers
2) Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is the most talked-about young footballer in the world right now. The tall Borussia Dortmund striker stunned everyone by reaching record 20 Champions League goals in the fewest matches (14). The 20-year-old Norwegian striker is in great form in this season's German Bundesliga. All of Europe's big clubs will fight to sign him next season. However, Sources have confirmed that a club has to spend at least 180 million euros to sign this talented striker, which is very expensive in the current COVID-19 situation. Though, Manchester City has no problem spending money. In addition, Haaland's father once played for Man City, so the citizens are quite hopeful to bring him to the Etihad stadium.
1) Harry Kane
Tottenham Hotspur and England captain Harry Kane is Manchester City's first choice player to replace Sergio Aguero. Kane will turn 28 in July, but he has yet to win a trophy in his professional career. He has hinted that he may switch club next season in order to win silverware. In the Premier League, Harry Kane has already scored 160 goals. To break Alan Shearer's 260-goal record, he'd have to play for a big English club for at least another five years. In that case, Man City would be the best choice for him.
Read: How Can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
Bottom Line
The Argentine forward displayed his true class by scoring two goals and providing one assist in his debut match against Swansea City in 2011. Since then he has scored 256 goals for Manchester City, which is a club record. So far, Sergio Aguero has won four Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, five EFL Cups, and three Community Shields for Man City. Aguero has the most goals (181) by a foreign player in the Premier League, as well as the most hat-tricks (12) in the league history. Manchester City would have a tough time finding a suitable replacement for such a player. However, the above-mentioned players have the talents and are the hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City.
Read Famous Bangladeshi athletes with the most unique records
DL confusion: Jeff Crowe apologises to Bangladesh
Jeff Crowe, the match referee of the second T20 between Bangladesh and New Zealand, apologised to Bangladesh due to confusion over their target in the match set following the Duckworth-Lewis Method (DL method).
New Zealand batted first on Tuesday and posted 173 for five in 17.5 overs before rain interrupted. The match referee ended the innings of the hosts at that point and set a target of 148 runs in 16 overs for Bangladesh.
But after playing nine balls, Bangladesh were told that the target had been revised to 170 in 16 overs. But later, that too was increased to 171 runs in 16 overs.
Bangladesh’s head coach Russell Domingo said the whole thing was unusual.
“I’ve never seen this sort of incident before. We didn’t know how many runs we have to score when we took the field,” he told the media after the match.
Jalal Younus, a board director of BCB and official during Bangladesh’s New Zealand tour, said the match referee apologised to Bangladesh for this incident.
“It wasn’t something that we’re used to seeing,” Jalal told the media. “It was disappointing. They failed to prove their proficiency. The match referee, however, apologised to the Bangladesh team.”
Bangladesh lost the game by 28 runs under the DL method.
While chasing 171 in 16 overs, they scored 142 for seven in 16 overs. Soumya Sarkar hit a fifty.
With this defeat, Bangladesh lost the series to New Zealand with one match in hand scheduled for April 1.
NCL: Rajshahi pull off record win
Rajshahi Division pulled off a record-breaking win in the second round of the Bangabandhu National Cricket League (NCL), the most prestigious First-class cricketing event in the country, on Tuesday.
In the four-day game, Rajshahi beat Barishal Division in less than two days. There is no precedent of winning a First-class match within this short period in Bangladesh.
Barishal scored 142 runs in their two innings, which is now the lowest match aggregate in First-class in the country.
Sunzamul Islam bagged 10 wickets conceding 33 runs, the most economical haul of ten or more wickets in the country’s first-class history, and Taijul Islam took eight wickets. The tremendous bowling efforts set the foundation for Rajshahi’s win.
Brief scores of the 2nd round games of NCL after 2nd day:
Khulna vs Rangpur:
Khulna 1st innings: 221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54)
Rangpur 1st innings: 364/10 in 97.1 overs (Ariful 97, Nasir 66, Dhiman 43, Tanbir 31; Masum 4/78, Robiul 2/41, Abdul Halim 2/88)
Khulna 2nd innings: 4/1 in 1.3 overs (Imrul Kayes 4*, Amit 0*; Mukidul 1/4)
Sylhet vs Dhaka Division:
Sylhet 1st innings: 370/10 in 114.4 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 67; Shuvagata 4/86, Taibur 2/31, Sumon 2/55)
Dhaka 1st innings: 239/6 in 63 overs (Shuvagata 89*, Saif 42, Joyraj 41, Sunny 34*; Rahatul 3/65, Tanzim 2/42)
Barishal vs Rajshahi Division:
Barishal 1st innings: 82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7)
Rajshahi 1st innings: 151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4)
Barishal 2nd innings: 60/10 in 34 overs (Moinul 28, Kamrul 14; Sunzamul 6/15, Taijul 4/23)
Result: Rajshahi win by an innings and 9 runs. Taijul man of the match
Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro:
Chattogram 1st innings: 402/8 (declared) in 126.3 overs (Pinak 159, Shahadat 53, Yasir 49; Arafat Sunny 3/120, Shohidul 2/78, Al Amin 1/26, Abu Haider 1/30)
Dhaka Metro 1st innings: 132/3 in 48 overs (Shamsur 68, Zabid 46*; Nayeem 1/42)
Agreement on new Champions League format delayed until April
A decision on the new Champions League format has been delayed until next month after hitting a late stumbling block over how the commercial and broadcasting rights will be sold to European football's elite competition.
UEFA hoped to use an executive committee meeting on Wednesday to ratify the expansion of the group stage from 32 to 36 teams, jumping from six to 10 rounds of matches from 2024.
There is broad agreement between European clubs and domestic leagues on the new format after years of wrangling. But UEFA has to resolve the broad details with the European Club Association over the creation of a joint venture to sell rights to the Champions League, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Clubs will gain a say only in the marketing and television rights sales of the competition, leaving UEFA to still control the sporting and governance aspects, the person said on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential talks.
UEFA wants a minimum guarantee of revenue to protect its financial position, while also taking a 6.5% cut of the cash generated by the joint venture that would replace Switzerland-based agency TEAM Marketing, which has had exclusive rights from UEFA to sell the Champions League since 1992.
The Champions League currently shares almost 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) each season among 32 clubs, who are split into eight groups of four to start with. The new format will add 100 games as a 36-team single-standings league is created, adding in four more clubs from the current format.
That would guarantee 10 games for each of the 36 teams, against 10 different opponents with balanced schedules based on seedings. The current format consists of six group games against three opponents. The top eight teams would advance to the round of 16. The next best 16 teams would enter a two-leg playoff to complete the bracket. The tournament would also play matches for the first time on Thursdays which has previously been reserved for the Europa League.
While the second-tier competition is envisaged to stay at 32 teams, it is also set to adopt a variation of the "Swiss System" format from chess tournaments. So the number of rounds in the group stage would rise from six to eight.
UEFA confirmed the future of club competitions from 2024 would still be discussed at the executive committee meeting on Wednesday.
"However, any official decision in this respect will only be made at the next UEFA executive committee meeting on 19 April, in order to finalize ongoing discussions," the governing body said in a statement.
European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson said last week he received "guarantees that no clubs are taking over the club competitions from UEFA" during a conversation with the governing body's leadership.
"It's UEFA club competitions and they will always have the final say," Olsson said. "That is not handed over to any other body for decision making."
Soumya hit fifty but Tigers lose T20Is series against Kiwis
Despite a blazing fifty from Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh lost the 2nd T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand at Napier on Tuesday by 28 runs in DL method.
At the end of the match, there are many talks are about the DL method under which Bangladesh’s revised target in the rain-hit game raised from 148 to 170 and then to 171. There was no official explanation about it after the game.
New Zealand batted first and scored 173 for five in 17.5 overs and right after that the rain hit the game and that was the end of the New Zealand innings.
2nd T20I: Bangladesh need 170 in 16 overs as rain hits the game
Bangladesh started chasing knowing that they have to score 148 in 16 overs to level the series. But the game stopped after 1.2 overs and the target changed to 170 by the match referee Jeff Crowe. And later, the target was reset again to 171 runs in 16 0vers.
Liton Das fell early once again, and the right-hander continued on a poor run. He scored six this time around. Some came at number three and for the first time in this series, he looked like his expected form. The southpaw hit 51 off 27 balls with five fours and three sixes.
But his aggression came to the end when he tried to clear Tim Southee and Adam Milne took a fine catch at the long-on area. The onus was on Mahmudullah Riyad to carry on the good batting display. He tried as well hitting 21 off 12 balls with four fours. But while scooping Milne through the leg area, he missed the ball and his stumps were shattered.
Also Read: Bangladesh opt to bowl first in 2nd T20 vs New Zealand
With the dismissal of Mahmudullah, Bangladesh lost the race to the Kiwis. Eventually, the Tigers ended up on 142 for seven in 16 overs and lost the game by 28 runs under the DL method.
For New Zealand, Tim Southee, Hamish Bennett and Adam Milne scalped two wickets each.
Earlier, after losing the toss and opted to bowl first, Bangladesh leaked away many runs in the first few overs. But in the fourth over of the game, Taskin Ahmed bagged the first wicket removing Finn Allen for 17 off 10 balls.
In the same over, Finn was dropped by the captain Mahmudullah Riyad. However, in the last ball of the over, Mohammad Naim took an easy catch to dismiss Finn who was playing his second ODI.
New Zealand lost two more wickets when Martin Guptill and Devon Conway fell prey to Mohammad Saifuddin and Shoriful Islam respectively. While Guptill fell in the last ball of the sixth over by a stunning catch from Taskin, Conway was dismissed off the first ball of the seventh over.
The rain hit the game for the first time in the match during the 13th over when the Kiwis were batting at 102 for four in 12.2 overs. The game was delayed by 10 minutes and no over was lost.
The rain came back when the Kiwis were batting at 173 for five in 17.5 overs and that was the end of their innings with Glenn Phillips scoring the highest— 58 off 30 balls.
For Bangladesh, Mahedi Hasan took two wickets while Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful took one wicket each.
The third and final T20 of the series will take place on April 1.
Before the T20Is series, the Tigers faced off the Kiwis in three ODIs and lost the series 3-0. Bangladesh are yet to register any win in New Zealand.
2nd T20I: Bangladesh need 170 in 16 overs as rain hits the game
Bangladesh have to chase down a target of 170 in 16 0vers to win the second T20I vs New Zealand on Tuesday at Napier after New Zealand’s innings came to an abrupt end when the rain hit the game after 17.5 overs with the hosts posted 173 for five.
Also read:Bangladesh opt to bowl first in 2nd T20 vs New Zealand
Bangladesh started chasing before knowing the target officially, and thus the chasing was stopped after at 12/0 in 1.3 overs. After a drama for a few minutes, it was decided that Bangladesh need to score 170 to win the game in 16 overs.
After losing the toss and opted to bowl first, Bangladesh leaked away many runs in the first few overs. But in the fourth over of the game, Taskin Ahmed bagged the first wicket removing Finn Allen for 17 off 10 balls.
In the same over, Finn was dropped by the captain Mahmudullah Riyad. However, in the last ball of the over, Mohammad Naim took an easy catch to dismiss Finn who was playing his second ODI.
Also read:Tigers start T20 series vs New Zealand with big defeat
New Zealand lost two more wickets when Martin Guptill and Devon Conway fell prey to Mohammad Saifuddin and Shoriful Islam respectively. While Guptill fell in the last ball of the sixth over by a stunning catch from Taskin, Conway was dismissed off the first ball of the seventh over.
The rain hit the game for the first time in the match during the 13th over when the Kiwis were batting at 102 for four in 12.2 overs. The game was delayed by 10 minutes and no over was lost.
The rain came back when the Kiwis were batting at 173 for five in 17.5 overs and that was the end of their innings with Glenn Phillips scoring the highest— 58 off 30 balls.
Also read: Bangabandhu T20 Cup: playoff begins Monday
For Bangladesh, Mahedi Hasan took two wickets while Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful took one wicket each.