United News of Bangladesh

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was picked for India's Champions Trophy squad on Saturday despite doubts about his fitness. Bumrah suffered back spasms and didn't bowl on the last day of the fifth and final test against Australia in Sydney two weeks ago. He was the leading wicket-taker in the series. India chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar suggested Bumrah may play the third one-day international against England on Feb. 12 in Ahmedabad to test his fitness for the Champions Trophy, which starts for India eight days later in the United Arab Emirates. “Bumrah has been advised to off load from bowling for five weeks and he won't be available for the first two ODIs against England. We are awaiting news on his fitness and will know in early February from the medical team,” Agarkar said. Captain Rohit Sharma added, “We were not sure about his fitness at the moment, and thus picked Arshdeep Singh to perform his roles with the new and old ball.” Opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was included even though he has yet to play an ODI. Jaiswal takes Suryakumar Yadav’s spot and will be the third opener choice after skipper Sharma and Shubman Gill. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer complete the top-four options. Jaiswal averages 54 in List A cricket and he will compete for the second opener’s slot with Gill, who averages 58.20 in ODIs. There will also be a keen spotlight on the batting form of Sharma and Kohli who both struggled in the five tests against Australia. Missing the cut from the squad which reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup were Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin has retired, and Yadav and Kishan have been dropped. Rishabh Pant and Lokesh Rahul are the wicketkeeper-batter options. Pacer Krishna and allrounder Thakur lost their spots as India bet heavy on spin. Left-arm spin allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were picked alongside off-spin allrounder Washington Sundar. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav complete India's spin options. Kuldeep Yadav has missed much of the season since October after a groin issue led to hernia surgery. In the pace department, India has opted for Bumrah, Singh and Mohammed Shami. They will be complemented by allrounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Reddy, who impressed with a maiden test century in Australia. Shami has also been picked for the Twenty20s against England before the ODIs. He took 23 wickets in the 2023 World Cup. India will play its Champions Trophy matches in the UAE after the government refused clearance for the team to travel to Pakistan owing to political tensions. While the rest of the tournament will be in Pakistan, India will play its group matches in Dubai against Bangladesh on Feb. 20, Pakistan on Feb. 23, and New Zealand on March 2. If India qualifies for the semifinals or final, both matches will also be in Dubai. If India doesn't qualify for the final, it will be staged in Lahore on March 9. India won the 2013 Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni and was runner-up to Pakistan in 2017 under Virat Kohli. Both tournaments were in England.

Bangladesh’s Under-19 women’s team kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign with a win against Nepal, clinching a five-wicket win with 40 balls to spare. In Bangi, Malaysia, Bangladesh bowled first, winning the toss. They dismantled Nepal for a mere 52 runs. Nepal lost five wickets for just 30 runs early on, including their captain, Puja Mahotar, who was run out. Bangladesh fielding coach Nic Pothas steps down Puja was instrumental in bringing Nepal to the World Cup with a 130-run knock in the qualifiers, but could not save her team this time. Jannatul Mawa led Bangladesh’s bowling with two wickets, while Nishita Akter, Fahmida Chhoya, and Mosammat Anisa each bagged one wicket. In reply, Bangladesh lost three wickets in just 11 runs. But they stabilized through contributions from Sadia Islam (16) and captain Sumaiya Akter (12). BCB to launch BPL for women Although neither batter remained unbeaten, Bangladesh comfortably reached their target. This victory continues a streak of strong performances from the Bangladeshi women’s team, who reached the Asia Cup final in December and defeated Sri Lanka and England in World Cup warm-up matches.  

Bangladesh national cricket team's Fielding Coach, Nic Pothas, has stepped down from his role, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Friday. Nic came to the decision to leave his Bangladesh job with one year to go on his contract with the BCB. He said he is leaving due to family reasons. Pothas, 49, joined the Bangladesh coaching staff in April 2023, initially serving as Assistant Coach before transitioning to the role of Fielding Coach. “We thank Nic for his dedication and valuable contributions to Bangladesh cricket. His efforts and his overall coaching expertise have been greatly appreciated,” Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, the BCB CEO said. “We respect his decision and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.” Before coming to Bangladesh, Nic was the head coach of the West Indies and Sri Lanka. It’s not clear who will replace Nic in the Bangladesh coaching staff setup. Bangladesh’s next international assignment is the ICC Champions Trophy, taking place in the USA and Pakistan next month.

Rangpur Riders continued their impeccable run in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with a 33-run victory over Chittagong Kings, marking their eighth consecutive win in the tournament at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday. Khushdil Shah led the Riders with 59 off 28 balls while batting first. Rangpur posted 164 for 7, anchored by Khushdil. He hit seven sixes. This innings rescued Rangpur after a cautious start. Steven Taylor contributed 39 off 32, but the middle-order faltered as Chittagong’s bowlers did well in that phase of the match. For the Kings, Aliss Al Islam took 2 for 28 runs and Mohammad Wasim bagged 2 for 42 runs. Chittagong’s chase never gathered momentum, with opener Usman Khan dismissed for a golden duck by Rakibul Hasan on the first ball of the innings. While Parvez Hossain Emon, 26 off 14, and Shamim Hossain, 38 off 31, showed promise, the Kings struggled against Rangpur’s disciplined bowling attack. Akif Javed scalped 4 wickets for 32 runs, while Khushdil backed up his batting heroics with bowling figures of 2 for 23. Iftikhar Ahmed and Rakibul Hasan also chipped in with crucial wickets to restrict Chittagong to 131 for 8 in their 20 overs. With this win, Chittagong’s points reached 16 in eight matches. They are yet to concede any defeat in this year’s BPL so far.

Durbar Rajshahi delivered an all-around performance to secure a big 65-run win over Sylhet Strikers in the Bangladesh Premier League on Friday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday. Sunzamul Islam, the left-arm spinner, led Rajshahi taking three wickets conceding 25 runs in four overs. It was the third win for Rajshahi in the event in seven matches, while Sylhet suffered the fifth defeat in seven matches. Rajshahi posted a challenging 184 for 7 while batting first, thanks to notable contributions from Ryan Burl, 41 off 27, and captain Anamul Haque, 32 off 22. Jishan Alam and Yasir Ali also helped them with 20 and 19, respectively. Sylhet bowlers gave away 20 runs extra that helped Rajshahi’s total pass the 180-run mark. Ruyel Miah was Sylhet’s best bowler taking up 3 for 32. BPL: Clark shines as Chittagong Kings beat Sylhet Strikers by 30 runs In reply, Sylhet never found their rhythm, falling apart in just 119 in 17.3 overs. Zakir Hasan, 39 off 28, and Jaker Ali, 31 off 20, played well with good intention, but no other batter managed to guide them. When Zakir fell with Sylhet having 71 on the board for 3 wickets, they lost the track. Sunzamul took three wickets, while Taksin Ahmed bagged two for 14 runs, and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury also bowled with two wickets for 16 runs. Sylhet lost their final six wickets in just 48 runs. Rangpur Riders are currently leading the points table with 14 points from seven wins. They are the only team so far who are yet to concede a defeat in this season of BPL.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The inaugural edition will take place after the conclusion of the ongoing men’s BPL. Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, a BCB director, confirmed the decision during a press conference at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday. “We have been thinking about how to develop women’s cricket further, and organizing a BPL for women has been on our minds. Today, we finalized the decision to hold the Women’s BPL,” Fahim said. The ongoing BPL will end on February 7th, and right after that, the board will finalize the schedule of the women’s BPL. BPL: Clark shines as Chittagong Kings beat Sylhet Strikers by 30 runs “We’ve spoken to some franchises, and they are interested. This will be the starting point for us to assess how a women’s T20 tournament impacts the sport. We are hopeful this will push women’s cricket to the next level,” he added. The women’s BPL will have a limited number of foreign players as it is financially challenging for a new tournament to play more foreign players, Fahim said. BCB’s primary focus is on establishing the tournament and creating a competitive platform for domestic players “Our goal this year is to successfully organize the tournament. For now, we’ve limited the teams to three to ensure the competition remains strong,” Fahim added.

Pakistan hopes its tried and tested spin template will be successful against the West Indies as the two bottom-placed teams in the World Test Championship gear up for the two-test series starting from Friday. The same pitch has been prepared for the first test in Multan on which Pakistan spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali neutralized England’s aggressive “Bazball” in October when the groundskeepers successfully dried out the 22-yard strip with the help of giant industrial-sized fans and patio heaters. “We emphasized during the England series that home conditions are very important in test cricket,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said on Thursday. “We adapted a style of play, style of pitches, (and) now we will try ... to carry forward the momentum of the England series.” Pakistan came from behind to beat England 2-1 on engineered dry pitches in Multan and Rawalpindi after losing the first test by an innings when the tourists amassed a record 823-7 declared in the first innings. Clark’s century powers Chittagong to big win over Khulna Off-spinner Sajid and left-arm spinner Noman grabbed 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two test matches against England, and were in the 15-man squad after being overlooked for the away series against South Africa, which Pakistan lost 2-0. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who missed the home series against England because of illness, was included as the third specialist spinner in the playing XI with off-spinner Salman Ali Agha giving the home team a fourth spin option. Pakistan has lost eight of its last 10 test matches under Masood’s captaincy since he was elevated to red-ball skipper in December 2023. But the skipper believed Pakistan couldn’t capitalize a number of times against Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa after putting opponents on the back foot. “There are lots of test matches during last year when we lost the games after coming into a winning position,” Masood said. “There were only one or two one-sided matches … we came into good positions but couldn’t finish it. The lesson for this team is how we can convert it into victories.” Pakistan will be without its in-form opening batter Saim Ayub, who was ruled out of competitive cricket for up to six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during the series in South Africa. Ayub will be replaced by Mohammad Huraira, who scored half-centuries in both innings during the three-day warmup game against the West Indies in Islamabad. The West Indies has yet to win a series in this WTC cycle. It has lost to India, England and South Africa while drawing 1-1 against Australia and Bangladesh. But captain Kraigg Brathwaite was hopeful that his team could finish the WTC cycle on a high. “This series is very important for us,” Brathwaite said. “It’s a new year … it is important to finish this cycle strong and that’s our focus.” Fast bowler Shamar Joseph was ruled of the series due to shin splits while another pacer, Alzarri Joseph, preferred to play in the ILT20 league in the United Arab Emirates. Brathwaite said the tourists have left out vice-captain Joshua Da Silva from the playing XI while fast bowler Kemar Roach misses out because of illness. Multan will also host the second test, starting from Jan. 25 due to ongoing upgrades at Pakistan’s two main stadiums in Karachi and Lahore for next month’s Champions Trophy.

Graham Clark’s century propelled Chittagong Kings to a 45-run win over Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Thursday. It was Chittagong’s fourth win in five matches. They are now in second place on the points table with eight points. Rangpur Riders are leading the table with 14 points in seven wins. Rangpur extend unbeaten run with win over Khulna Chittagong posted 200 for 7 while batting first. Clark’s explosive 101 off just 50 balls guided them to a challenging total. His knock, featuring seven boundaries and six towering sixes, set the tone for the home side. Parvez Hossain Emon scored 39 off 29 deliveries, but the middle order failed as Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Irshad each claimed three wickets to keep Chittagong in check. Chasing 201, Khulna crumbled under the pressure, losing wickets regularly. Darwish Rasooli top-scored with 37 off 31 balls, while skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 19 off 8 balls.However, Khulna’s momentum was repeatedly disrupted by Chittagong’s disciplined bowling unit. Arafat Sunny bagged three for 25. Khaled Ahmed and Shorfiul Islam took two wickets each. Khulna ended up on 155 for nine. In the other match of the day, Fortune Barishal beat Dhaka Capitals by eight wickets. Dhaka batted first and scored 139, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim scoring 62 off 44 balls. Tanvir Islam took three wickets for Barishal. Zakir, Rony shine as Sylhet edge past Khulna for second win In reply, Tamim Iqbal hit a fifty, and Dawid Malan scored 49 to guide Barishal to an easy win by eight wickets with 24 balls to play. Barishal are now in third place on the points table with four wins. Dhaka are at the bottom of the table with seven defeats in eight matches.

Pakistan hopes its tried and tested spin template will be successful against the West Indies as the two bottom-placed teams in the World Test Championship gear up for the two-test series starting from Friday. The same pitch has been prepared for the first test in Multan on which Pakistan spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali neutralized England’s aggressive “Bazball” in October when the groundskeepers successfully dried out the 22-yard strip with the help of giant industrial-sized fans and patio heaters. “We emphasized during the England series that home conditions are very important in test cricket,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said on Thursday. “We adapted a style of play, style of pitches, (and) now we will try how we can perform in our home grounds and carry forward the momentum of England series.” Australia names Matt Short, Aaron Hardie, Nathan Ellis for Champions Trophy Pakistan came from behind to beat England 2-1 on engineered dry wickets of Multan and Rawalpindi after losing the first test by an innings when the tourists amassed a record-breaking 823-7 declared in the first innings. Off-spinner Sajid and left-arm spinner Noman, who grabbed 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two test matches against England, are both named in the 15-man squad after being overlooked for the away series against South Africa, which Pakistan lost 2-0. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who missed the last home series against England because of illness, is also in the squad and it is likely Pakistan will go with three specialist spinners. Pakistan has lost eight of its last 10 test matches under Masood’s captaincy since he was elevated as red-ball skipper in December 2023. But the skipper believed Pakistan couldn’t capitalize a number of times against Australia, Bangladesh and even against South Africa after putting opponents on the back foot. New Zealand names young pacers O'Rourke, Smith and Sears for the Champions Trophy “There are lots of test matches during last year when we lost the games after coming into a winning position,” Masood said. “There were only one or two one-sided matches … we came into good positions but couldn’t finish it. The lesson for this team is how we can convert it into victories after coming into winning positions.” Pakistan will be without its in-form opening batter Saim Ayub, who was ruled out of competitive cricket for up to six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during the test match in South Africa. Imam-ul-Haq will replace Ayub in the top order after the left-hander was recalled since last playing against Australia. West Indies is yet to win a series in this WTC cycle. It has lost to India, England and South Africa while drawing 1-1 both against Australia and Bangladesh. But captain Kraigg Brathwaite was hopeful that his team could finish the WTC cycle on a high. “This series is very important for us,” Brathwaite said. “Obviously (we have) two test matches left in this cycle and it’s a new year … it is important to finish this cycle strong and that’s our focus.” Fast bowler Shamar Joseph was ruled of the series due to shin splits while another pacer, Alzarri Joseph preferred to play in the ILT20 league in the United Arab Emirates and skipped the test series in Pakistan. Brathwaite said the tourists has left out their vice-captain Joshua Da Silva from the playing XI while fast bowler Kemar Roach misses out because of illness. Multan will also host the second test, starting from Jan. 25 due to ongoing upgrades at Pakistan's two main stadiums in Karachi and Lahore for next month's Champions Trophy.

India's women's team set a national record by making 435-5 during its massive win over Ireland in a one-day cricket international on Wednesday. It was India's highest score in ODIs by either its men's or women's team. It was the fourth highest total in the history of women's ODI's, with New Zealand scoring more on three occasions. Two of those came against Ireland, including a women's world-record 491-4 in Dublin in 2018. Pakistan recalls opening batter Imam for two test matches against West Indies Pratika Rawal (154) and Captain Smriti Mandhana (135) both scored centuries in their 233-run partnership for the opening wicket in Rajkot after India won the toss and chose to bat. India then dismissed Ireland for 131 to clinch a 304-run win and a 3-0 series victory.