United News of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday announced the squad for the 1st and 2nd ODIs of this month’s series against Australia in Dhaka, with all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, and wicketkeeper batter Nurul Hasan Sohan making a comeback.   The three-match series will begin on June 9, with the second and third matches scheduled for June 11 and 14, respectively. From the squad that played in the last ODI series in April against New Zealand, batsmen Afif Hossain and Mahidul Islam Ankon have been left out. Mosaddek makes a return to the Bangladesh fold after four years. The 30-year-old right-hander had last played an ODI in August 2022. Wicket-keeper batsman Nurul is also back after missing the series against New Zealand. Australia will play a bilateral ODI series in Bangladesh for the first time in 15 years, making their first visit to the country since 2011. The hosts face a daunting historical challenge, having lost all previous home ODIs against the tourists. Overall, Bangladesh have managed just a single victory against Australia in their 22 encounters in the format. Bangladesh squad against Australia: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana.

England will begin its home Test season against New Zealand at Lord’s on Thursday, hoping to put behind it the disappointment and criticism that followed a heavy Ashes defeat in Australia. The series marks England’s first Test action at home since a difficult tour in which the team suffered one of its quickest Ashes losses in more than a century. The defeat sparked criticism over England’s preparation, tactics and off-field conduct. Despite the backlash, director of cricket Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes retained their positions following a review of the tour. McCullum acknowledged the disappointment among supporters but said the team had to accept criticism and focus on improving. England has since introduced several changes, including stricter team discipline measures and additional coaching support. Former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has joined the coaching staff, becoming the first woman to work with England’s men's Test team. The hosts have also made changes to their batting lineup. Openers Zac Crawley and Ollie Pope have been left out, with Durham batter Emilio Gay and young talent Jacob Bethell earning opportunities. Bethell scored his maiden Test century during the final Ashes Test in Sydney earlier this year. Fast bowler Ollie Robinson has also returned to the squad after being dropped in 2024 over concerns about fitness and attitude. Robinson has taken 76 wickets in 20 Tests and will strengthen England’s pace attack while Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse remain unavailable through injury. New Zealand, meanwhile, arrives with a strong bowling unit led by tall fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke, who are expected to play together in a Test match for the first time after recovering from back injuries. The visitors have also welcomed the return of white-ball captain Mitchell Santner from a shoulder injury. All-rounders Santner and Glenn Phillips are competing for places in the playing XI. Attention will also be on veteran batter Kane Williamson, whose long-term international future remains uncertain after stepping away from a full national contract in 2024. The 35-year-old is closing in on the milestone of 10,000 Test runs and has suggested this could be his final Test appearance at Lord’s. Williamson described Lord’s as one of cricket’s most special venues, praising its traditions and unique atmosphere. The three-match series offers England an opportunity to rebuild confidence after the Ashes setback, while New Zealand will be aiming to continue its strong recent Test performances.

Fast bowler Nathan Ellis produced a career-best performance of 4-33 as Australia defeated Pakistan by 41 runs in the second one-day international on Tuesday, leveling the three-match series 1-1. Defending 231, Australia bowled out Pakistan for 190 on a challenging pitch that offered significant turn for spinners and uneven bounce for seamers. Ellis played a key role with the ball, striking early and regularly to derail Pakistan’s chase. Reflecting on the conditions, he said Pakistan’s pitches for the series were unlike most ODI surfaces seen around the world. "It's definitely different to the traditional one-day cricket we see around the world at the moment," Ellis said. "It's no secret that today it was pretty low and slow we saw the cutters and the slow balls working a lot today, and the ball started to tail and reverse swing through the 35-to-45-over mark." Australia’s innings was built around half-centuries from captain Josh Inglis (51) and Cameron Green (53), while Matthew Renshaw contributed a brisk 43 and teenager Oliver Peake added 31 off 32 balls. After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi chose to field first. Left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas, who impressed on ODI debut in the first match, claimed 2-27, while leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed took 2-34. Afridi and Haris Rauf shared five wickets, finishing with figures of 3-36 and 2-49 respectively. Pakistan’s chase was led by all-rounder Shadab Khan, who scored 71 from 104 balls after enduring a difficult outing with the ball. He shared a 59-run partnership with Arafat Minhas (33) to revive the innings after Pakistan had slumped to 78-6. However, Ellis broke the partnership by trapping Minhas lbw in the 32nd over. Shadab reached his half-century and struck two sixes, but he was eventually the last batter dismissed, stumped by Inglis off leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha. Ellis had earlier removed opener Maaz Sadaqat in his first over before dismissing Babar Azam for 16 with a delivery that sharply moved back into the batter. Australia captain Inglis said his side felt confident once they crossed the 200-run mark. "It was a pretty good total in the end," Inglis said. "It would have been nice for someone to go on and get a big score, but we thought anything over 200, we were right in the game. "You can always call on Nello (Ellis) on those sort of pitches, his variations are outstanding, and when you've got on-pace at 145 and then your slow balls at just over 100k an hour, it's really tough." Earlier, Australia's innings got off to a poor start when Alex Carey was bowled by the first ball of the match from Afridi. Pakistan quickly introduced spinners Minhas and Abrar during the power play and both found success. Abrar dismissed Matthew Short, while Minhas removed Marnus Labuschagne for 5. Inglis and Green then steadied the innings with a 51-run partnership, showing patience on the difficult surface. Inglis reached his fifty before being bowled by Minhas, while Green added another valuable stand with Renshaw. After completing his half-century, Green was caught at long-on off Abrar. Rauf later bowled Renshaw, but Peake’s late cameo, featuring two sixes and a boundary, helped Australia post a competitive total. Pakistan captain Afridi admitted his team conceded too many runs in the closing overs. "We gave away 20-30 extra runs towards the end," Afridi said. "We lost wickets early on and that built pressure on us it is a spinning track, not easy to bat on, but the way Nathan Ellis bowled - stump to stump - that brought him success." The deciding third ODI will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

The Colombo Kaps has drafted Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud for the 2026 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The Colombo franchise confirmed Hasan's selection during the tournament's official player draft. And with this, he became the latest Bangladeshi cricketer to secure an international league contract. As a regular spearhead of Bangladesh's multi-format pace attack, the young fast bowler is expected to significantly bolster Colombo's bowling lineup with his raw pace and proven wicket-taking ability. Hasan's selection underscores a remarkably strong Bangladeshi contingent in the Sri Lankan franchise tournament this season. He joins several high-profile national teammates who have already secured spots in the competition. Earlier in the draft, veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was recruited by the Jaffna Kings, while opening batter Litton Das joined the Galle Marvels.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said this week that it will trial pink cricket balls in traditional Test matches to prevent play from being interrupted by fading light. The strategic shift addresses a persistent issue in the sport's longest format. While red balls become virtually invisible under murky skies, white limited-overs balls degrade too quickly to survive the rigorous demands of a five-day match. Pink balls, which are currently reserved exclusively for day-night Test matches under stadium floodlights, offer a durable and highly visible alternative. According to an official statement, the ICC Executive Board has approved "trialling the use of a pink ball in Test matches, with prior agreement from both teams, to maximise play in case of anticipated bad light." The governing body has also sanctioned fresh research into advanced stadium lighting technology to help match officials and host venues further reduce the amount of time lost to poor visibility. "Our discussions... have reinforced the ICC's commitment to governance, administration and the growth of cricket globally," said ICC Chief Jay Shah following the board's high-level meeting in India.

Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 75 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the final on Sunday. Chasing a modest target of 156 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru reached 161-5 in 18 overs after restricting Gujarat to 155-8 in their allotted 20 overs. Kohli anchored the chase with a 42-ball knock featuring nine fours and three sixes, sealing the victory with a six. It was his sixth score of 50 or more this season. Venkatesh Iyer also played a crucial cameo, scoring 32 off just 16 deliveries. With the triumph, Bengaluru became only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles, joining Chennai Super Kings (2010-11) and Mumbai Indians (2019-20). Kohli ended the season with 675 runs in 16 matches, while pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 28 wickets. Earlier, Kumar claimed 2-29 and Josh Hazlewood took 2-37 as Bengaluru’s bowlers kept Gujarat’s batting lineup under control. Washington Sundar top-scored for Gujarat with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, including five boundaries. No other batter managed to score more than 20 runs. Rasikh Salam Dar was the pick of Bengaluru’s bowlers with figures of 3-27 from four overs.

Bangladesh women’s captain Nigar Sultana Joty believes a successful campaign at the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup can serve as a catalyst for local players to break into lucrative global franchise tournaments. The national team suffer from a severe lack of regular fixtures and international exposure throughout the calendar year. While women's franchise leagues are expanding rapidly worldwide, Bangladeshi cricketers are consistently overlooked. Nigar views the world stage as the definitive platform to alter that narrative. "Our team receive very little exposure," she stated during a press conference in Dhaka on Sunday. "The World Cup is a massive stage where the entire cricket community is watching. Delivering strong performances here forces people to talk about Bangladesh cricket, and that is our primary goal." The skipper emphasised that individual brilliance in the tournament will directly translate into personal career advancements for her squad. "When players excel individually on this stage, global opportunities naturally follow. The team is in a very positive frame of mind. A strong showing is vital for the collective growth of women's cricket in our country, but it will also immensely benefit the players on a personal level." The tournament is set to commence in England on June 12. In preparation, the Bangladesh squad will depart Dhaka in two separate flights tonight and tomorrow morning. They will initially land in Scotland to play a preparatory T20 triangular series involving the hosts and the Netherlands to acclimate to European conditions. "We have a great chance to win against the Netherlands and Pakistan," Nigar analysed. "We also have a lot of experience playing India, and we have beaten both India and South Africa in the past. Our strategy is to focus on one game at a time. Securing an early victory will give us the rhythm we need to carry us through the tournament." Bangladesh enter the tournament desperate to correct a poor historical record, having managed just three wins from 25 matches across previous editions. To secure a historic semi-final berth from a demanding group featuring Australia, India, South Africa, Pakistan, and the Netherlands, Nigar has mapped out a target of three group-stage victories.

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared an emotional message on social media after his son, Arjun Tendulkar, made his IPL 2026 debut for Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. Despite LSG’s defeat, Arjun delivered an impressive performance by dismissing Prabhsimran Singh and ending with figures of 1/36 from four overs. In his now-viral post, Sachin praised Arjun for his patience, dedication, and positive mindset throughout the season, especially after waiting until the final league match to get an opportunity. In his heartfelt message, Sachin wrote that he was proud of how Arjun stayed confident in his abilities, continued working hard quietly, and handled the challenges of cricket with maturity. He also reminded him to stay humble and keep enjoying the game. With LSG already out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, Arjun finally received his debut cap in the team’s last league-stage match. He scored 5 runs off five balls and made a notable impact with the ball. The left-arm pacer maintained an economy rate of 9, the best among his teammates. He nearly claimed a wicket in his opening over, but captain Rishabh Pant dropped a simple catch. Arjun eventually got his breakthrough in his third over, trapping Prabhsimran LBW with a sharp yorker. IPL 2026 has been a significant chapter in Arjun’s career, marking his first season away from Mumbai Indians after being traded to LSG ahead of the auction. Source: NDTV

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished at the top of the Indian Premier League standings on Friday despite suffering a 55-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bengaluru ensured their top-table position by net run rate and will now host Gujarat Titans in the first playoff on Tuesday. The winner will advance directly to the IPL final on May 31 in Ahmedabad. Hyderabad, level on points with Bengaluru and Gujarat but placed third, will host the second playoff on Wednesday against an opponent yet to be decided. Hyderabad posted a massive 255-4, their ninth total above 200 this season, powered by half-centuries from Ishan Kishan (79), Abhishek Sharma (56) and Heinrich Klaasen (51). Chasing the target, Bengaluru needed only 166 runs to guarantee a top-two finish. After an aggressive start from Venkatesh Iyer and the early dismissals of Virat Kohli and Devdutt Paddikal, captain Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya focused on reaching the required target rather than chasing victory, reaching it in the 17th over. They eventually went past 178 to seal the top position. Bengaluru ended on 200-4, with Pandya unbeaten on 41 after Patidar was dismissed for 56. “The top priority was to be on the top (of the table). The target was a lot,” Patidar said. “The top five (Hyderabad) batters played very well and they dominated … (and when we batted) the slower bouncer was gripping and they executed the bouncers and yorkers very well.” Iyer, opening for the first time this season, struck four sixes and four boundaries in a quick 44 off 19 balls, but after his dismissal and Kohli’s catch at cover for 15 off 11 balls during the powerplay, Bengaluru shifted focus to qualification rather than victory. For Hyderabad, bowlers Eshan Malinga (2-33) and Sakib Hussain (1-31) delivered standout performances. Earlier, Hyderabad’s top order dominated Bengaluru’s pace attack, including experienced bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who together conceded 106 runs in eight wicketless overs. Sharma benefitted from three dropped catches on his way to a 21-ball fifty, smashing five sixes and four boundaries. Kishan and Klaasen maintained the momentum, taking on both the pace and spin attack, including Krunal Pandya, who conceded 24 runs in two overs before dismissing Klaasen in the 17th over. Hyderabad finished with their highest total of the season. “It’s pretty impressive to get the score that we did,” Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins said. “Everyone's hitting their straps.”

Barrister Zaima Rahman, daughter of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, on Thursday evening shared a warm and lively interaction with members of the Bangladesh women's national cricket team, extending her best wishes ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to be held in England and Wales this June. At a special send-off reception hosted by British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke in honour of cricket team members, Zaima was seen engaging in friendly conversations with the players, exchanging pleasantries and posing for selfies in a cheerful atmosphere. The reception at the British High Commissioner’s residence celebrated Bangladesh team’s achievements and wished them success as they prepared to represent Bangladesh on the global stage.