United News of Bangladesh

Australia reached the Champions Trophy semifinals after its last group game against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain and a wet outfield on Friday. Australia, which achieved a record chase of 352 against England in the opening game, finished the group stage with four points after its last two games were washed out in Rawalpindi and Lahore. Afghanistan had three points and was on the verge of an exit. To advance, it needs South Africa to lose by an improbable margin of more than 200 runs against already eliminated England in Saturday’s Group B game. Afghanistan was bowled out for 273 on the final ball and Australia cruised to 109-1 in 12.5 overs when the rain returned. The outfield became too sodden to continue. “The first objective was obviously to get to the semifinals, (and) we are there now,” Australia captain Steve Smith said. “The guys did a really good job to restrict them to 270 and then we were in a pretty good position when the game got called off.” Travis Head’s 34-ball half-century gave Australia a rollicking start against some scratchy Afghanistan fielding and poor fast bowling. Rashid Khan couldn’t hold onto a regulation catch when Head was on 6. Head cut loose and motored Australia to 90-1 in the batting powerplay. Substitute fielder Nangeyalia Kharote dropped Matthew Short off Azmatullah Omarzai but Short was dismissed two balls later when Gulbadin Naib took a smart catch over his shoulder at mid-on while running backwards. Fast bowling allrounder Omarzai, who grabbed his maiden five-wicket haul in Afghanistan’s stunning eight-run win over England at the same venue, was smacked for 43 off his five overs while Fazalhaq Farooqi also erred a lot in his lengths and went for 32 off his three overs. Atal and Omarzai strike half-centuriesLeft-handed batter Sediqullah Atal (85) missed out on a century but Omarzai held one end up with a 67-ball 63 that included five sixes. Spencer Johnson (2-49) and Ben Dwarshuis (3-47) struggled to control the swing with the new ball but both fast bowlers came back strongly with the old ball. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell early for the third consecutive time when Johnson yorkered him without scoring off his fifth legitimate ball. Ibrahim Zadran, who recorded the tournament’s highest score of 177 against England at the same venue on Wednesday, made 22 and was gutted when he was caught at point in Adam Zampa’s (2-48) first over. Captain Steve Smith squeezed Afghanistan in the middle overs with his spinners as Matthew Short (0-21) conceded just one six in his tidy seven overs and Glenn Maxwell bowled a maiden while finding the edge of Rahmat Shah’s bat (12). Atal tried to accelerate after captain Hashmatullah Shahidi struggled to keep the scoreboard moving, but Atal was caught by Smith at short cover in Johnson’s return spell. Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib went cheaply and Afghanistan slipped to 199-7. Omarzai farmed the strike and completed his half-century off 54 balls and boosted Afghanistan’s morale. “We should have scored 300 plus, but they bowled really well, especially in the middle overs,” Shahidi said. “We didn’t started well (with the ball), and gave too many hitting options to them, hopefully we learn from this.”

Jos Buttler resigned as England white-ball captain on Friday after his team made an early exit from the Champions Trophy with back-to-back defeats against Australia and Afghanistan. “It’s the right decision for me and the right decision for the team," Buttler said. "Hopefully somebody else who can come in alongside Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) will take the team to where it needs to be.” England lost two high-scoring games in Lahore and conceded the tournament’s highest-ever chase of 352 against Australia. Buttler said he will lead England for the final time against South Africa in the last group match at Karachi. England had a disastrous preparation for the Champions Trophy when it won only one of its eight white-ball matches against India before arriving in Pakistan. “The overriding emotions are still sadness and disappointment,” Buttler said while expressing his willingness to continue represent England as a player. “I’m sure, in time, that (disappointment) will pass and I can get back to really enjoying my cricket, and (will) also be able to reflect on what an immense honor it is to captain your country and all the special things that come with it.” Buttler replaced Eoin Morgan as England’s white-ball captain in 2022 and only months later won the T20 World Cup in Australia. However, there was a sharp decline in England’s white-ball cricket with three unimpressive runs at the 2023 World Cup in India, 2024 T20 World Cup in the U.S. and the West Indies and now the Champions Trophy. England lost six of nine games at the 50-over World Cup in India before getting eliminated from the tournament. England has a poor ODI record losing 18 of its last 25 ODIs, including the two defeats in the Champions Trophy. “It was quite clear that this tournament was going to be important: results-wise and for my captaincy,” Buttler said. “Two losses and being out of the tournament (was) a bit of a hangover of tournaments before. I’d just reached the end of the road for me and my captaincy, which is a shame and I’m sad about that. “With Brendon coming in only recently, I was really excited to work closely alongside him and hope for a very quick turnaround and to take the team forward. But it’s not quite worked out that way, so just feels like the right time for me and the team to have a change.”  

Persistent rain washed away Bangladesh’s last match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which was against the hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Thursday. As the match was washed away, both Bangladesh and Pakistan got one point each. In their first two matches, Bangladesh lost to India and New Zealand. Pakistan have also lost both their first two matches. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Afghanistan knocks out England in historic win Bangladesh’s batting performance in this event was below par. Towhid Hridoy hit a century against India, which was Bangladesh’s only bright spot from this year’s Champions Trophy. As the Champions Trophy is now over for Bangladesh, they are set to play a two-Test series against Zimbabwe at home in mid-April before travelling to Sri Lanka for two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is in June-July. And the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is also in talks for a home series against Pakistan. Champions Trophy 2025: Ibrahim Zadran steers Afghanistan to 325 vs England If the Pakistan home series is confirmed, it will take place just before Bangladesh hosts India in August-September for another white-ball series. Bangladesh will then participate in the Asia Cup in September before hosting West Indies for three Tests and three T20Is in October, followed by a home series against Ireland in November, which includes two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

Afghanistan pulled off a stunning eight-run victory over England in the ICC Champions Trophy, powered by a record-breaking century from Ibrahim Zadran and a decisive bowling display in the final overs. With this defeat, England are out of the race for the next phase of the tournament. Zadran’s 177 off 146 balls set the foundation for Afghanistan’s imposing total of 325 for 7 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. It was the highest-ever ODI score by an Afghan batter, surpassing his previous best of 162. His innings included 12 fours and six sixes, anchoring Afghanistan’s recovery after they lost three wickets for just 37 runs. Supported by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (40), Azmatullah Omarzai (41 off 31), and Mohammad Nabi (40 off 24), Afghanistan built a competitive total. Jofra Archer was England’s most effective bowler, taking 3 for 64, while Liam Livingstone picked up two wickets. Chasing 326, England relied on Joe Root, who played an innings of 120 off 111 balls. However, regular wickets at crucial moments derailed their chase. Afghanistan’s bowlers, led by Omarzai’s 5 for 58, held their nerve under pressure. Nabi and Rashid Khan also chipped in with key breakthroughs. Despite late resistance from Jamie Overton (32) and Jofra Archer (14), England fell short, bowled out for 317 in 49.5 overs. The victory marks Afghanistan’s first-ever win over England in an ICC tournament and keeps their hopes alive in the Champions Trophy.  

Ibrahim Zadran smashed 177, the highest-ever ODI innings by an Afghan batter, and guided his team to a record total of 325 against England on Wednesday in the ICC Champions Trophy in Lahore. The right-handed batter hit 12 fours and 6 sixes to surpass his previous highest of 162 and set a new record. Riding on his ton, Afghanistan set a challenging total for England, who won two of the previous three ODIs of these two teams. Bangladeshi cricketers slip in rankings amid Champions Trophy struggles Before this match, Afghanistan never passed the 300-run mark in an ODI against England. Afghanistan won the toss in this match and opted to bat first, but they lost quick wickets early in the innings. Jofra Archer sent back three of Afghanistan's top four batters in just 37 runs. In the fourth wicket stand, Ibrahim and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi forged a 103-run stand to recover from the early setback. Hashmatullah fell prey to Adil Rashid for 40, but Ibrahim was firm at one end of the wicket and kept the scoreboard afloat. Bangladesh in talks to host Pakistan for white-ball series Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Nabi supported him well with 41 off 31, and 40 off 24 balls, respectively. Before falling in the last over, Ibrahim reached 177 off 146 balls. It was only the third 150-plus innings in an ODI by an Afghan batter. For England, Jofra bagged three wickets, and Liam Livingstone took two. Before coming to this match, both Afghanistan and England lost their first matches to South Africa and Australia, respectively.

Despite their lean show in the field, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will still earn at least Tk  3 crores from the ongoing edition of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.  A total of eight teams are participating in this year's Champions Trophy, and they are playing in two groups. All these teams will get USD 125,000 for participating in the event.  On top of that, Bangladesh will earn USD 140,000 even if they end the tournament as the lowest team, or the eighth team in the points table. In total, Bangladesh will earn at least USD 265,000, which is more than BDT 3 crores in current exchange rate.  Bangladesh lost the first two matches in the event— one against India, and another one against New Zealand. In the last match, they will take on the hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Thursday. If they can win this match and end their campaign on a high note, they will earn more USD 34,000, or BDT more than 40 lakh.  Bangladeshi cricketers slip in rankings amid Champions Trophy struggles Total prize money of this year’s Champions Trophy is USD 6.9 million— more than 56% increased compared to the last edition of the Champions Trophy that took place in 2017— and the winner of the event will get USD 2.24 million, and the runners up will receive USD 1.12 million.  Tw0 teams who will be eliminated from the semifinals will get more than half a million USD each.  This year’s Champions Trophy is being played across venues in the UAE and Pakistan. All the matches were supposed to be hosted in Pakistan, but due to India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan, some matches are taking place in the UAE. 

Poor performance of Bangladeshi cricketers in the ongoing edition of the ICC Champions Trophy reflected on the newly published ICC Rankings, where they slip from their position. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, despite scoring 77 against New Zealand, has fallen two spots to 27th in the ODI batting rankings. Shanto has endured a tough run with the bat in recent months. His poor form in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) saw him dropped from Fortune Barishal’s squad, and he failed to score in the Champions Trophy opener against India. His half-century against New Zealand provided some relief, but it was not enough to prevent a further fall in the rankings. Meanwhile, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad have also suffered notable drops. Mushfiqur, who managed just two runs in the Champions Trophy, has fallen nine places to 42nd, his first time outside the top 40 since February 2014. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Shanto stands by Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah amid Bangladesh’s early exit   Mahmudullah, who scored just four against New Zealand after missing the India match due to injury, has slipped seven places to 43rd. On a positive note, Towhid Hridoy has climbed 18 places to 64th, boosted by his century against India. The young batter has been one of the few bright spots for Bangladesh in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Taskin Ahmed, who bowled well despite Bangladesh’s struggles, has climbed six places to 30th, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz has dropped four places to 31st. Elsewhere, India’s Virat Kohli moved up to fifth in the ODI batting rankings after scoring a century against Pakistan, overtaking New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell. Shubman Gill continues to hold the top spot. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Dazzling Ravindra leads New Zealand to comfortable win as Tigers come up short once again Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana remains the No. 1 ODI bowler despite his team missing the Champions Trophy. Bangladesh’s early exit from the tournament has intensified discussions about the team’s future, particularly regarding senior players. With a packed schedule ahead, including series against Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India, Bangladesh will need to find solutions to their recurring batting struggles if they are to regain lost ground in the rankings.

With two consecutive defeats to India and New Zealand, Bangladesh’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 reignited the discussion about the performance of senior players like Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim. Their repeated poor display in crucial games have raised serious questions about whether the team can afford to rely on them any longer. Both Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur have nearly two decades of experience of playing top-tier cricket. They are expected to guide the team in pressure situations, but they have been regularly failing to deliver when the team needs them most. Bangladesh in talks to host Pakistan for white-ball series In the recent New Zealand match they contributed only six runs together, leaving Bangladesh struggling to post a competitive total. Their dismissals were a result of poor shot selection, a pattern that has become all too familiar in major ICC events.  “I thought Mushfiq and Mahmudullah both were going to retire after the 2023 World Cup, but that didn't happen and I was very shocked,” former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik was among those who expressed surprise at their continued selection. Karthik believes keeping them on the side sends the wrong message to the younger bunch of the cricketers. English cricket gets 'seminal moment' as $650M raised by investors Another Indian star Wasim Jaffer, who has experience of coaching Bangladesh’s young cricketers, was also disappointed seeing Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur going for poor shots in the Champions Trophy. “Even the shot selection we've seen today was very disappointing. Mushfiq played that shot, and Mahmudullah played that wild shot. And this is a must-win game. You want them to step up in these kinds of games and make themselves count,” Jaffer said recently. Mahmudullah will celebrate his 40th birthday next year, while Mushfiqur stands at 38 now. Both have illustrious careers, but their recent performances indicate a decline. Mushfiqur scored only 184 runs in the last season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), while Mahmudullah also failed to prove his experience in recent matches. Bangladesh’s former captain Mohammad Ashraful thinks the Champions Trophy would have been a great stage for Mahmdullah and Mushfiqur to retire. He even said it would have been better for them to retire after the 2023 World Cup. “If Mahmudullah had retired after the 2023 World Cup, he would have received immense respect,” Ashraful said. With two defeats, Bangladesh’s exit is confirmed from the Champions Trophy. Still, the Tigers can earn some respect if they can beat the hosts Pakistan in the last match on February 27. And if Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur can perform in the last match, that would save them from further criticism. But the truth is, for a long-term goal, Bangladesh now should turn the page overlooking the veteran cricketers.          

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about hosting a white-ball series in July-August, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is. While no final decision has been made, officials from both boards are optimistic about the potential series. BCB cricket operations head Shahriar Nafees confirmed the talks. “BCB and PCB are in discussion about it, and at the moment both boards are positive about it,” he said it to the cricket news website Cricbuzz. The discussions took place between PCB head Mohsin Naqvi and BCB president Faruque Ahmed during the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai. English cricket gets 'seminal moment' as $650M raised by investors The series, if finalised, would add to Bangladesh’s already-packed cricket calendar. The team is scheduled to tour Pakistan at the end of May for a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series under the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP). Hosting Pakistan soon after would mean back-to-back encounters between the two teams in different conditions. Bangladesh, who recently suffered an early exit from the Champions Trophy after consecutive losses to India and New Zealand, will now look to regroup ahead of a busy year. Following the ICC event, they are set to play a two-Test series against Zimbabwe at home in mid-April before traveling to Sri Lanka for two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is in June-July. If the Pakistan home series is confirmed, it will take place just before Bangladesh hosts India in August-September for another white-ball series. Bangladesh will then participate in the Asia Cup in September before hosting West Indies for three Tests and three T20Is in October, followed by a home series against Ireland in November, which includes two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

Chelsea wasn't so reliant on Cole Palmer this time. On a frustrating evening for the England star, his Chelsea teammates stepped up — as demanded by their manager — to share the goals in a 4-0 thrashing of last-place Southampton in the Premier League on Tuesday. Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella were the scorers as Chelsea ended a three-match losing run by beating a team destined to go down, perhaps as one of the worst-performing teams to ever play in the Premier League. Southampton has just nine points from 27 games. As for Palmer, he will wonder how he didn't get on the score sheet and add to his 14 league goals so far this season. The best of his many opportunities at Stamford Bridge came midway through the first half when he was played clean through one-on-one with Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. He delayed and delayed and then shot too close to Ramsdale, who parried the effort away. After wasting another chance in the second half, Palmer appeared to laugh at himself. Palmer is on his driest run since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in September 2023. He hasn't scored in seven games now. On the eve of the match against Southampton, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Palmer's dip in productivity has probably arisen because “we rely on him for everything.” Maresca returned to that same theme after the game. “He has to continue to work, continue to be happy, continue to laugh they way he does,” the coach said. “We are completely happy with him. It is normal to go through a moment where you struggle to score but it doesn’t matter. Just continue and you are going to score many goals.” Modric goal helps Real Madrid move level on points with Barcelona at the top of Spanish league Chelsea climbed to fourth place in the standings. The Premier League is likely to get five qualification berths for next season's Champions League. Another loss for Bournemouth, another win for Brighton Bournemouth is a more unlikely contender for Champions League qualification, its ambitions boosted by an 11-match unbeaten run in the league from late November to the end of January. However, the unheralded south-coast club has now lost three of its last four league matches, the latest being a 2-1 reverse at Brighton after Danny Welbeck scored the 75th-minute winner — three minutes after coming off the bench. Justin Kluivert had equalized for Bournemouth in the 61st, canceling out Joao Pedro's 12th-minute opener from the penalty spot after he was fouled by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Bournemouth started the match in sixth place — one point behind fifth — but dropped to seventh and has now been joined on 43 points by Brighton, another improbable candidate for Champions League qualification. It was a fourth straight win in all competitions for Brighton since a 7-0 loss at Nottingham Forest. Palace wins in front of Thomas Tuchel Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 4-1 at home, with Ismaila Sarr scoring twice for the hosts in a match watched by England men's coach Thomas Tuchel. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah also netted for Palace, with Morgan Rogers replying for Villa. PSG continues to dominate in France but Liverpool is looming in Champions League Fulham won 2-1 at Wolverhampton thanks to a goal in the first minute by Ryan Sessegnon and a winner by Rodrigo Muniz.