Cricket
BCB to Discuss Bangladesh’s World Cup Disappointment with Shakib
Akram Khan, a member of the committee formed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to analyze the Bangladesh team's performance in the 2023 World Cup, said they will now engage in discussions with Shakib Al Hasan.
Bangladesh endured a dismal World Cup in India, losing seven out of nine matches. Shakib captained the team in this tournament, labeling it as Bangladesh's worst World Cup performance.
After more than two weeks since the Bangladesh team returned home from India, the BCB established a committee to review the World Cup performance and identify the reasons behind the team's below-par performance.
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“We have completed 90% of our work around a month ago,” Akram Khan told the media on Sunday. “We had a tour in New Zealand, and now BPL is underway. We are yet to sit with 2-3 individuals, including Shakib. We will go there (Sylhet) tomorrow.”
The BCB announced the three-member ‘Special Committee’ on November 29 last year, with Enayet Hossain Siraj appointed as the convener and Akram and Mahbubul Anam as members.
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The committee was formed amid a report by a private TV station claiming that a national team player was physically abused by the head coach during the World Cup. Although the committee was not initially tasked with investigating this claim, it is expected that they may address the issue.
The report did not mention the name of any cricketer, but speculation surfaced that the cricketer in question was the national team spinner, Nasum Ahmed. Akram did not clarify if they are also tasked with the investigation of that allegation.
“We are asked to analyze the performance,” Akram said. “We will inform the board about what was negative and what was positive. Then the board will decide how we will proceed.”
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Earlier, Akram said, when asked about the alleged abuse of a cricketer by the head coach, that they would talk to the involved individuals. On December 5, the committee sat with Nasum and talked to him about the World Cup. However, it’s not clear if Nasum was asked anything about that alleged abuse.
West Indies Pull Off an Epic Test Win in Australia After 27 Years
Propelled by an outstanding bowling display from Shamar Joseph, a 24-year-old right-arm pacer earning his Test cap in this series, West Indies clinched their first Test victory in Australia in 27 years.
The triumph at Gabba saw West Indies emerge victorious by eight runs, with Joseph claiming seven wickets and conceding 68 runs in a mere 11.5 overs. His overall contribution encompassed 11 wickets, sealing the team's historic win— one of the best Test matches in recent history.
His bowling drew more attention as he suffered a nasty blow on his toe before the winning day. It was uncertain whether he can bowl or not. Despite this concern, Joseph helped West Indies to pull off an epic almost single-handedly.
In pursuit of a 216-run target in the fourth innings, Australia fell just short, accumulating 207 runs. Steven Smith, who opened the innings, displayed remarkable resilience with an unbeaten 91, standing as the sole Australian batter to withstand Joseph's onslaught. But his effort went in vain as none of his partners was able to hold on.
BPL 2024: Babar's osifty as Rangpur Cruise to Victory vs Dhaka
In the first innings, West Indies posted a total of 311, fueled by half-centuries from three key contributors—Kavem Hodge in the middle order, along with Joshua Da Silva and Kevin Sinclair in the latter order.
For Australia, Mitchell Starc claimed four wickets, while Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon secured two wickets each.
In response, Australia declared their first innings at 289 for nine, featuring fifties from Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, and Pat Cummins. Joseph led the West Indies bowling attack, taking four wickets for 84 runs, while Kemar Roach contributed with three wickets.
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In their second innings, West Indies scored 193 for the loss of all wickets, with Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon both securing three wickets each.
BPL 2024: Babar's osifty as Rangpur Cruise to Victory vs Dhaka
In a commanding display, Rangpur Riders secured a convincing victory against Durdanto Dhaka in the 12th match of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Saturday in Sylhet.
Rangpur Riders posted a challenging total of 183/8, anchored by a stellar performance from Player of the Match Babar Azam, who contributed a match-winning 62 runs off 46 balls.
Fielding first, Durdanto Dhaka faced a daunting task from the outset as Brandon King, Babar Azam, and Azmatullah Omarzai showcased their batting prowess.
Despite the spirited bowling efforts of Arafat Sunny, who claimed three crucial wickets, Rangpur Riders set a challenging target.
Durdanto Dhaka's response fell short as they crumbled to 104 all-out in 16.3 overs. The top-order struggled against Riders' bowling attack, with Azmatullah Omarzai making a significant impact, securing two crucial wickets. Alex Ross displayed resilience, scoring 51 off 35 balls, but the mounting required run rate proved insurmountable.
Despite securing a victory, Riders face uncertainties with the fitness of key player Shakib Al Hasan, who couldn't bat in the match ostensibly for an ongoing eye illness.
Shakib, diagnosed with Extrafoveal Central Serous Chorioretinopathy of the left eye, bowled three overs and claimed a wicket. Although the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) hinted at his potential absence from the BPL, Shakib surprisingly took part in the match, leaving the reasons behind his skipped batting unclear.
Women's Tri-nation Series: Bangladesh earn 2nd consecutive win beating Pakistan by 36 runs
Hosts Bangladesh U-19 Women's team earned the 2nd consecutive victory in the Tri-nation U-19 Women' s T20 Series beating Pakistan by 36 runs in their 2nd match at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox's Bazar on Saturday.
BPL 2024: Avishka Shines as Chattogram Challengers Win Against Struggling BarishalBangladesh batted first in the day's match after winning the toss and scored 136 runs for the loss of four wickets in quota 20 overs with captain Sumaiya Akter contributing 32 runs from 24 balls.Besides, Arbin Tani scored 31, Sumaiya Suborna 24 and Rabeya Khan 23 runs for Bangladesh.Anosha Nasir grabbed two Bangladesh wickets.
In reply, Pakistan scored just 100 runs losing seven wickets in the stipulated 20 overs featuring 51 runs in the opening stand.
BPL 2024: Victorians outplay Strikers as Aliss takes fourOpener Eyman Fatima scored 39 runs and another opener Samiya Afsar made 25 runs, were the main scorers for Pakistan.
Afia Asima Era grabbed two Pakistani wickets while Faria Akter and Rabeya Khan took one wicket each.Later, national spinner Rabeya Khan, who scored 23 runs and grabbed one wicket, was adjudged the best player of the match.
U-19 World Cup: Ariful hits a ton to propl Bangladesh to Super SixEarlier on Wednesday, Bangladesh made a flying start in the Tri-nation Women' s T20 Series defeating Sri Lanka by five wickets at the same venue.
BPL 2024: Avishka Shines as Chattogram Challengers Win Against Struggling Barishal
In a thrilling encounter in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Avishka Fernando of Chattogram Challengers played a stellar innings, scoring an unbeaten 91 off 50 balls against Fortune Barishal in Sylhet on Saturday.
Avishka's brilliant performance guided Chattogram Challengers to a formidable total, proving too challenging for Barishal, who ultimately lost the match by 10 runs.
The Barishal bowlers struggled to contain Avishka's onslaught, with Curtis Campher adding to the onslaught with a quickfire 29 off 9 balls.
In response, Barishal fought valiantly, with Ahmed Shehzad's aggressive 39 off 17 balls and Mehidy Hasan Miraz's explosive 35 off 16 keeping the contest alive.
However, Curtis Campher's exceptional bowling, claiming four crucial wickets, tilted the game in favor of Chattogram Challengers.
All of Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Tamim Iqbal failed to impress in this match. The Barishal batting line is heavily reliant on them. While Tamim posted a slow 33, Mushfiqur posted 23, and Mahmudulla scored only 3.
This defeat marked Barishal's third consecutive loss in four matches played so far, while the Challengers secured their third win in the same number of matches.
BPL 2024: Victorians outplay Strikers as Aliss takes four
Comilla Victorians registered a convincing victory over the Sylhet Strikers by 52 runs in the 10th match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in Sylhet on Friday.
It was the Victorians’ second win in three matches. They started with a defeat, but in the second match, the current champions of BPL, beat Fortune Barishal.
Batting first, Victorians faced an early setback as Litton Das departed for only 8 runs.
However, Imrul Kayes (30) and Jaker Ali (29), guided them to a total of 130 for eight in 20 overs.
For the Strikers, Samit Patel took three wickets.
The Strikers' response faltered from the beginning as they lost wickets at regular intervals.
Zakir Hasan's valiant effort of 41 runs was the lone highlight as Aliss Al Islam displayed a brilliant bowling effort, securing four wickets for just 17 runs. Roston Chase took two for 17.
The Strikers were bowled out for a mere 78 runs in 16.2 overs, falling short of the target.
U-19 World Cup: Ariful hits a ton to propl Bangladesh to Super Six
Bangladesh U-19 cricket team secured a spot in the Super Six of the ICC U-19 World Cup by defeating the USA by a big margin of 121 runs in a Group A match on Friday in Bloemfontein.
Ariful Islam's remarkable century, scoring 103, propelled Bangladesh to a solid total of 291 for seven while batting first.
Ahrar Amin (44), Chowdhury Md Rizwan (35), and Mohammad Shihab James (31) also made significant contributions with the bat.
Arya Garg claimed three wickets for the USA, while Aarin Nadkarni took two.
In response, the USA was bowled out for 170 in 47.1 overs, with Prannav Chettipalayam top-scoring with 57, and Utkarsh Srivastava contributing 37.
Bangladesh's captain, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, starred with the ball, taking four wickets for 31 runs in 10 overs.
“Our batters played well, they have been going really well,” Mahfuzur said to the ICC after the match. “I think our bowling needs to improve a bit, especially in reducing extras. The Super Sixes are coming, and we need to improve there.”
It was Bangladesh's second win in the group stage, having previously defeated Ireland. With two wins, Bangladesh secured a spot in the Super Six, joining India, who also won two matches. Bangladesh lost to India in their first group match.
In the last match of this group, the USA will face Ireland.
A total of 16 teams are participating in this year’s ICC U-19 World Cup in four different groups. Three teams from each group will qualify for the Super Six, where 12 teams will participate in two different groups. Two teams from each group in the Super Six will advance to the Semifinals.
BPL 2024: Khulna Tigers Secure a 28-Run Victory over Rangpur Riders
The Sylhet leg of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) commenced as Khulna Tigers triumphed over Rangpur Riders by 28 runs on Friday.
Mohammad Nawaz's stellar fifty and Dasun Shanaka's four-wicket haul were instrumental in securing the victory for the Tigers.
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The Sylhet International Stadium witnessed an almost-packed crowd, with Shakib Al Hasan returning to the field despite earlier concerns about his eye condition.
Facing an early setback with the departure of Captain Anamul Haque for a duck, Khulna Tigers recovered with crucial contributions from Evin Lewis (37) and Mohammad Nawaz (55).
Dasun Shanaka's brisk 40, combined with Nawaz's explosive innings, propelled the Tigers to a competitive total.
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In response, Rangpur Riders struggled against a disciplined Khulna bowling attack. Despite Mohammad Nabi's resilient fifty (50), the Riders fell short of the target.
Dasun Shanaka's impactful all-round performance, particularly his four crucial wickets, earned him the well-deserved Player of the Match award. The Khulna Tigers now make a strong statement in BPL 2024 with their convincing 28-run victory over the Rangpur Riders.
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In the second match of the day, Sylhet Strikers will take on Comilla Victorians. After a 10-match leg, the BPL will return to Dhaka.
Malik’s three no-ball controversy: Barishal denies rumors of contract termination
The ongoing season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) captured attention for a different reason—the rumor of the contract termination of Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik by his team, Fortune Barishal, news that the team's owner denied.
Malik bowled three no-balls against Khulna Tigers in a first Dhaka phase match for Barishal. After the Dhaka phase, Malik flew to Dubai to be with his family, and Barishal stated that he left for the entire season.
During this time, rumours surfaced, suggesting that the owner of Barishal terminated Malik's contract due to suspicions of fixing—an allegation that the team owner refuted.
Mizanur Rahman, owner of the Barishal team, trashed the speculation stating, “This is false news. We did not do anything like that.” He addressed the rumours about terminating Malik's contract, adding that they might consider bringing Malik back in the later phase of BPL if he is available.
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An hour after speaking with UNB, Mizanur appeared in a video message shared on the Barishal team's social media page, expressing his condemnation of the rumours regarding Malik.
“I would like to thank all supporters of Fortune Barishal,” he said. “We have heard many things regarding Shoaib Malik. I’m protesting those. Shoaib Malik is a good player, and he gave his best game for us. We don’t want to talk about this more. We have lost two consecutive matches; now we have to concentrate on the next match.”
After Malik left the team, Barishal signed two more Pakistani players—Ahmad Shehzad and Akif Javed.
Shoaib Malik's BPL 2024 Campaign Abruptly Ends
After the initial Dhaka phase, BPL is now in Sylhet for a phase of 10 matches. After Sylhet, BPL will return to Dhaka before traveling to Chattogram, and then return to Dhaka for the final phase.
ICC U-19 World Cup: Bangladesh to play US on Friday
Former champions Bangladesh will play the United States in their last Group A match of the ICC U-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa on Friday (January 26).
The match will kick off at 2: pm Bangladesh time.
Earlier, Bangladesh, the champions of 2020, made a frustrating start in the ongoing Youth World Cup losing to defending champions India by a huge 84-run in their first match last Saturday.
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But, they smartly bounced back in the race beating Ireland by six wickets in their 2nd match, also at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa last Monday.
In the day's lone Group A match, holders India further consolidated their top slot in the group crushing Ireland by 201 runs.
After the day's matches, India comfortably dominated the Group A with all-win run securing full four points from straight two matches having a run rate of +2,850; Bangladesh followed the leader collecting two points from two matches with run rate of -0,667.
BPL 2024: Sylhet phase begins Friday
Ireland are in the 3rd slot securing two points from all the three group encounters with a run rate of - 0,778 while United States remained at the bottom without any point playing one match with a run rate of -2,674.
A total of 16 teams, divided into four groups of four teams each are competing in the first phase.
The event is being held according to a new format for this edition, where the three teams progressing from each of the four groups will enter a new Super Six stage, starting on January 30.
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Two groups of six teams will clash to determine the semifinalists and the subsequent finalists.
The bottom-placed teams will then meet in placement games to determine finishing positions