Bangladesh Cricket Team
Chandika sees Tanzim as vital to Bangladesh’s World Cup lineup
Making a noteworthy debut against India in the Asia Cup, right-arm pace bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib exhibited commendable prowess. He swiftly clinched two key wickets at the onset of the innings and subsequently held fort, defending a mere 12 runs in the final over to secure a resounding victory for Bangladesh.
This triumphant performance left an indelible mark on Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, who now envisions Tanzim as a crucial asset for the impending World Cup, set to unfold later this year in India.
Bangladesh poised to be a formidable contender in World Cup, Shakib believes
In the World Cup, Bangladesh will be without the services of pacer Ebadot Hossain, as he fell prey to a knee injury that necessitated surgical intervention. He faces a lengthy recovery period before resuming his cricketing pursuits.
In light of this void, Chandika sees Tanzim as a highly promising option to step into the breach.
“Tanzim has made a compelling case for inclusion in the Bangladesh World Cup squad,” remarked Chandika in the aftermath of the India match.
Bangladesh beat India in Asia Cup after 11 years
The Bangladesh coach also emphasized his preference for a four-man pace attack in the World Cup, with Ebadot originally factoring into this strategic blueprint. However, given the pacer's slim chances of regaining fitness in time for the tournament, Chandika is inclined towards considering Tanzim.
“I firmly believe it would not be an erroneous decision to include him in the World Cup squad,” Chandika asserted. “He has demonstrated his mettle, and his ability to bat at the late order is an added asset.”
Tigers aim for a memorable end to their Asia Cup campaign by facing India
Bangladesh's upcoming challenge is a face-off against New Zealand on home turf — a final opportunity to fine-tune their World Cup roster.
Bangladesh poised to be a formidable contender in World Cup, Shakib believes
In a thrilling denouement to their Asia Cup journey, the Bangladesh cricket team secured a narrow six-run victory over India.
Following this triumph, captain Shakib Al Hasan expressed confidence in the Tigers' potential to emerge as formidable contenders in the upcoming World Cup, slated to be held later this year in India.
Asia Cup 2023 Final Preview: India or Sri Lanka — Who Will Win?
Shakib, at the helm, delivered a pivotal performance with the bat, notching up a crucial half-century. His prowess was equally evident with the ball in the face-off against India in Colombo.
While concluding their Asia Cup campaign on a high note, the Tigers did grapple with setbacks, experiencing losses against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Their other victory came against Afghanistan.
"We possess a formidable team," remarked Shakib in the aftermath of the match. "Several of our players suffered injuries during the event; some departed, while others joined midstream. Overall, it didn't bode well for our cause."
Bangladesh beat India in Asia Cup after 11 years
Shakib went on to emphasize, "However, with a fit squad, we can pose a significant threat in the World Cup."
India opted to rest some of their marquee players for the showdown against Bangladesh. Notably, Virat Kohli did not feature in the match, and Jasprit Bumrah was also granted respite.
Preview of India vs Bangladesh ODI in Asia Cup 2023
Bangladesh, too, had to contend without their star batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, while the services of right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed went overlooked.
BCB president unaware of Litton Das' Asia Cup inclusion
In a surprising turn of events, Bangladesh opener Litton Das is reportedly set to join the Asia Cup squad, according to sources within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
However, BCB President Nazmul Hasan has expressed his apparent lack of knowledge regarding Litton's inclusion in the Asia Cup roster.
Read : Bangladesh’s placement in Asia Cup Super Four confirmed?
During a media interaction on Monday, Nazmul responded, "Is he joining the Asia Cup? I've no idea. I've talked to the captain, coach, and selectors, but nobody told me!"
A source within the BCB has confirmed that Litton Das is scheduled to board a flight at 9:30 pm, with his destination being Lahore via Dubai, where Bangladesh is slated to compete in their first Super Four match.
Read : Asia Cup: Tigers crush Afghanistan to book Super 4 slot
Initially, Litton was meant to travel with the team to Sri Lanka. However, a bout of fever raised doubts about his availability for the Asia Cup, prompting the BCB to make arrangements for a replacement.
Subsequently, Litton's recovery from the illness has paved the way for his potential inclusion in the squad.
Read : Preview of Bangladesh vs Afghanistan ODI in Asia Cup 2023
Bangladesh's campaign in the Asia Cup began with a defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka. Nonetheless, they made a strong comeback in their second match, defeating Afghanistan by a convincing margin of 89 runs, thereby securing their spot in the Super Four stage.
BCB names Nic Pothas as new assistant coach
Former South African batter Nic Pothas has been appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Bangladesh cricket team.
The 49-year-old has signed a two-year agreement with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and will start his new role next month during the three-match ODI series against Ireland in the United Kingdom. The series is a part of the ODI World Cup Super League.
Pothas has an extensive coaching career spanning over a decade, during which he served as the head coach of the West Indies (2018-2019) and Sri Lanka (2017-2018) cricket teams.
Read More: BCB announces search for new assistant coach for Tigers
He also worked as an assistant coach and fielding coach for the West Indies and was the lead fielding coach for Sri Lanka. Before joining Bangladesh, Pothas was the wicketkeeping coach of Hampshire County Cricket Club.
As a right-handed batsman during his playing days, Pothas appeared in three ODIs for South Africa and made over sixteen thousand First-class and List-A runs.
Pothas expressed his excitement about his new role, saying, "I am honoured to commit to the Bangladesh National Team. The depth and array of talent running through Bangladesh is exceptional, and I believe we have some exciting years ahead of us.
Read More: Chandika Hathurasingha takes over as head coach of Bangladesh cricket
British High Commission hosts England, Bangladesh cricket teams ahead of series
British High Commission in Dhaka has hosted a reception to celebrate the England men’s cricket team’s visit to Bangladesh and the upcoming ODI and T20I cricket series between England and Bangladesh.
Players from both Bangladesh and England cricket teams, along with technical and coaching staff attended the reception.
British Deputy High Commissioner Javed Patel welcomed guests.
He said, “I am delighted to see the England cricket team, as reigning ODI and T20I world champions, visiting Bangladesh in 2023 for what I know will be an exciting series."
'When Shakib and I step onto the field, nothing else holds importance for us': Tamim
Tamim Iqbal's first press conference in months ahead of a crucial ODI series against England at home, which is also part of the World Cup Super League, was expected to focus on cricket. However, the captain ended up addressing his relationship with teammate Shakib Al Hasan, who leads Bangladesh in Tests and T20Is.
Prior to Tamim's media appearance on Sunday, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Hasan, spoke openly about the "unhealthy state" of Bangladesh's dressing room, as he indicated, due to the "strained" relationship between Tamim and Shakib.
Read more: England Men's Cricket Team Arrives Dhaka for White Ball Series
Tamim did not deny the authenticity of the speculation and refrained from playing down the issue, but emphasized that on-field performance takes priority over off-field issues.
“When Shakib and I step onto the field wearing the Bangladesh jersey, nothing else holds importance for us. Our sole focus is to represent Bangladesh to the best of our abilities and play with utmost dedication,” he said.
The BCB president had attempted to resolve the "dispute" between the two players but found it challenging, he said in the interview with Cricbuzz, a cricket website based in India. There are also rumors of factions emerging in the dressing room centered around Shakib and Tamim, which Tamim denied experiencing before.
“I’ve been playing for the Bangladesh team for the last 16 years, and this grouping thing comes up when the Bangladesh team fail to live up to the expectations,” Tamim said.
Read more: Will Jacks added to England squad to replace injured Tom Abell
“I've heard about rumors of grouping culture in the past, but I have never experienced it in the dressing room. As I was out of the national team for the last six months, I am not aware of any recent emergence of such culture,” he added.
The Bangladesh ODI captain responded diplomatically to the repetitive questions, stating that he and Shakib are willing to help each other when needed, particularly in terms of their captaincy roles. Tamim's main priority remains to perform well for Bangladesh and lead the team to success.
“This is a special series, and we are focusing to do well,” Tamim replied to one of a few questions about cricket.
‘This has been Bangladesh’s best T20 World Cup performance’: Shakib
Shakib Al Hasan has blamed the batting failure for the defeat against Pakistan in today’s match that ended Bangladesh’s journey in the T20 World Cup 2022. However, the Bangladesh captain believes this was his side's best T20 World Cup performance .
Read more: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh end campaign with another dismal batting display
"At the halfway stage, we were 70 for 1." "We wanted to get somewhere around 145-150; that would have been a reasonable total on that pitch," the Bangladesh captain said after the match.
"We could have done better." But having said that, with the new guys coming in and the changes, this is the best we could expect. On my own performance – I could have done better. "As long as I’m fit and performing, I would love to play," Shakib added.
Read more: T20 World Cup: Was the LBW call against Shakib correct?
He also added that it was Bangladesh’s best T20 World Cup performance so far, with the wins against the Netherlands and Zimbabwe. Before this, Bangladesh had never won two matches in the main draw of the T20 World Cups.
T20 World Cup 2022: How prepared is Bangladesh?
One of the main reasons for playing international series heading to the T20 World Cup 2022 is to find the right balance in the playing XI. However, the Bangladesh players' tri-nation series performances have been underwhelming. The concern of whether the Bangladeshi team has lived up to expectations in its preparatory matches still remains.
How have the players performed in the preparatory international fixtures?
The Bangladesh T20I team competed in a two-match series against the host United Arab Emirates in September following a lackluster performance at the Asia Cup 2022. The Tigers defeated the weak UAE team comfortably, but most of the players' performances fell short of expectations.
Read: Tri-Series: As Bangladesh suffer another defeat, New Zealand march to final
Bangladesh’s real test was awaiting in the New Zealand tri-nation series, and the worry has been confirmed once the series got underway. The team appears to lack a game plan; the batters have made bad shot choices and have approached the game with little effort; and the bowling unit hasn't been efficient enough on New Zealand's fast track.
Taskin Ahmed in bowling and Shakib Al Hasan in batting have shown good intentions among the players. Taskin’s accuracy, pace, and economy rates have all been satisfactory. He has picked up 2 wickets with an economy rate of 7.37 in 2 matches of the tri-nation series.
Shakib, on the other hand, has been struggling to find his rhythm with the ball. He has yet to earn a wicket and has an economy rate of 9 in two outings. However, Shakib’s 70 off 44 balls against New Zealand on Wednesday was encouraging despite Bangladesh losing the contest handsomely by 48 runs.
Among the others, none has had a particularly impressive performance in the series to date. Afif Hossain and Litton Das are considered special talents. Both had a couple of good starts but couldn’t prolong their innings. What’s more annoying is that after spending some time in the middle, they repeatedly make mistakes which cost their wickets. Yasir Ali played a hard-hitting knock in the death overs against Pakistan in the series opener, which impressed many. Bangladesh can consider him to be sent up in the batting order.
In bowling, spinners Nasum Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have maintained good economy rates, but they may not be go-to bowlers during the main event. The faster bowlers are expected to do well on fast bouncy wickets, but except for Taskin, all have failed to meet the expectations.
Bangladesh’s team performance hasn’t been up to the mark in this tri-nation series. Bowlers' main concern has been about not giving away too many runs, avoiding focusing more on picking up wickets. There is no specific strategy for batting. The batters have tried to play big shots whenever the asking rates go up. Everyone needs a specific role in batting in order to have the desired outcome from a contest. It seems every batter in Bangladesh tries, but none of them succeed.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Five potential candidates for most sixes
Empty-handed Bangladesh cricket team returns home
Bangladesh national cricket team returned home on Saturday after their disastrous performance in the Asia Cup T20 in the UAE.
Bangladesh played two matches in the event in Group B and lost both matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Batters failed in the match against Afghanistan while bowlers failed to defend a total of more than 180 against Sri Lanka.
Nearly all the senior players of the Bangladesh team failed to prove their mettle. Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim were like their shadows in the Asia Cup.
In contrast, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have done well in their respective roles, but that was not enough to conceal Bangladesh’s inefficiency in the T20 format.
Also read: Zimbabwe register historic win vs Australia
Bangladesh’s next assignment is to play in the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. Before the World Cup, the Tigers will have a chance to prepare well in New Zealand where they are scheduled to play a tri-series involving the hosts New Zealand and one more team.
The Bangladesh T20 World Cup team will start their preparation at home on September 12 in Dhaka.
The T20 World Cup will begin on October 16 with the matches of the initial round between Sri Lanka and Namibia, and the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands.
Bangladesh will play directly at the Super 12s stage. The first match for Bangladesh is on October 24 against the runners-up of the Group A of the initial round.
Also read: Asia Cup 2022: Super 4 fixtures, favourites to advance to the final
While the top eight teams of the T20 Ranking will directly play at the Super 12s, eight other teams will fight in the initial round to qualify for the Super 12s.
Along with Test playing nations— Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe and Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Scotland will take part in the initial round of the T20 World Cup. Four teams from this round will qualify for the Super 12s.
Bangladesh are in the Group 2 of the Super 12s where they have India, Pakistan and South Africa along with two teams from the initial round. In Group 1, Afghanistan, Australia, England and New Zealand will take on each other along with two other teams from the first phase.
Afif named vice captain of Bangladesh cricket team for Asia Cup
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named top order batter Afif Hossain as the vice captain of Bangladesh cricket team for the Asia Cup 2022 now underway in the UAE.
The 22-year old left-hander has played 47 T20 internationals for Bangladesh since making his debut in February 2018.
This is the first time when Afif is taking a leadership role in the Bangladesh team. He was among the best players in the world during his U19 cricketing days.
Read:Asia Cup: Afghanistan make flying start beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in opener
Shakib Al Hasan is set to lead Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. He was handed the captaincy just before the Asia Cup.
During the tour of Zimbabwe, Bangladesh's T20 captain was Nurul Hasan Sohan. Ho suffered an injury on his finger that ruled him out of the Asia Cup too.
Bangladesh’s Asia Cup will begin with the match against Afghanistan on August 30. In the second match, Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka who lost their first match to Afghanistan by eight wickets on the opening day Saturday.