United News of Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh cricket captain and  ex-lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan announced he is shifting his entire focus back to cricket, expressing a strong desire to conclude his international career representing the national team. The veteran all-rounder, who has been excluded from the national squad since the Awami League government collapsed in August, 2024, clarified his position in a statement posted to his verified Facebook page on Monday. He acknowledged that while politics remains a crucial vehicle for national development, his immediate priority is delivering peak performances on the pitch.  "At this late stage of my career, I want to give my absolute best for the Bangladesh national team," Shakib wrote. He added that while he intends to contribute to the country's progress after retiring, his current hope is to "finish my cricket career with a smile, wearing the red and green jersey." Shakib served as a Member of Parliament under the ousted Awami League administration. Following the regime's fall, he faced intense public backlash and navigating several legal challenges stemming from his political affiliation. Although he previously scheduled a return to Bangladesh to participate in a home series under the interim government, mounting political pressure forced him to abruptly cancel those plans. In a recent media interview, Shakib noted that his political party currently maintains no active operations, prompting his renewed commitment to the sport. Behind the scenes, several directors within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have indicated they are exploring avenues to facilitate his return to the squad despite the lingering political sensitivities.  Widely regarded as one of the most successful all-rounders of the modern era, the 39-year-old has amassed more than 14,500 runs and claimed over 700 wickets across 447 international appearances for Bangladesh.  

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has expressed his determination to give his best for the national team if he gets the chance to play again. In a Facebook post on Monday night, he wrote: “Recently, a statement I made in the media has created quite a stir. I want to make this very clear to everyone: my full focus right now is on cricket. At this stage of my career, I want to perform at my best for the Bangladesh national team and give the country some memorable performances if I get the opportunity.” Shakib added that politics is important for the development of the country, and he hopes to contribute to national progress after retiring from cricket. “But that does not have to be done only through politics. It is possible to work for the country outside of politics, though it may be easier through it,” he noted. Shakib concluded by saying: “I hope to end my cricket career with a smile on my face, wearing the red-green jersey. For this, I seek the prayers and love of all the people of Bangladesh.”

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam is under intense pressure from the country’s Sports Ministry after a group of cricket organisers accused the board of interfering in its last election which secured Aminul a four-year term as president. In a recent interview with a private TV station, Jamuna TV, Aminul refuted his involvement in any malpractice in the election. He, however, acknowledged he just wrote to the district sports bodies to include the names of the councillors in the voter list from the ad-hoc committees as the constitution of the board dictates.  Aminul became the BCB president for the first time during the interim government when the then-president, Faruque Ahmed, was ousted, and he was appointed by the National Sports Council as an independent director on the board. After that, the other directors elected him as the president.  After becoming the president, Aminul declared he came to play a T20 innings, referring to his wish to stay as the president for a short time. But before the election, he opted to contest, aiming to cement the changes his board initiated during his first tenure.  To investigate the allegations in the election, the sports ministry under the current BNP government decided to form a probe committee, which submitted its report to the ministry on Monday.  “We have the report,” Aminul Haque, the sports minister, confirmed. “We will now discuss with the ICC and take further actions.” During the investigation, Aminul, the BCB president, did not meet with the investigators. He missed it due to a scheduling conflict, he claimed. But he said he responded to the committee with a written response.  Asif Mahmud, who was the sports advisor under the interim government, alleged that some members of the current board have resigned because they were enticed by the sports minister Aminul. But he denied the allegation.  Like the board president Aminul, Asif also did not face the probe committee. He alleged that “A prominent cricketer is actively lobbying to prevent the ICC from intervening in the illegal process to dissolve the board.” Asif alluded to the former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, who was one of the leaders, who raised concerns about the malpractice in the election. Before raising it, he was also trying to contest in the election against Aminul, but at the last moment, he withdrew his name.  Now, as the future of the current board of the BCB is uncertain, the president was asked what he will do if all the directors of his current board resigned— he vowed, he will be the last person to go.

During a Pakistan Super League match on Friday night, Bangladesh’s left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman became the highest wicket-taking left-arm pacer in the history of recognised T20s. Playing for Lahore Qaladars, Mustafizur claimed two wickets against the Multan Sultans to surpass Pakistan's Mohammad Amir, who previously held the record with 414 wickets. The cutter master reached the milestone in 325 matches, significantly fewer than Amir’s 356 appearances. Mustafizur entered the PSL season third on the all-time list for left-arm pacers. He overtook retired Pakistani bowler Wahab Riaz, who finished his career with 413 wickets, during his second match of the tournament against the Karachi Kings. The contest for the top position remains active, as 33-year-old Amir is also competing in the current PSL season for Rawalpindi. Of his 416 overall T20 wickets, 158 were taken in international matches, making Mustafizur the leading T20I wicket-taker for Bangladesh. He secured that national record last September by surpassing left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan. Across all bowling disciplines, Mustafizur currently ranks seventh on the all-time T20 wicket-taking list. Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan leads the global rankings with 703 dismissals.

Fast bowlers Matt Fisher, Will O’Rourke, and Blair Tickner have been named in the New Zealand squads for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Bangladesh, returning to international cricket following injury layoffs. Test captain Tom Latham will lead both the one-day international and Twenty20 international sides. Regular white-ball captain Mitch Santner is unavailable due to commitments with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.  O’Rourke returns to the ODI squad after recovering from a back injury, while Fisher joins the T20I side following a shin issue. Tickner, recovering from an ankle injury, has been named in both 15-man squads. New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said the return of the fast bowlers is crucial for managing workloads in the modern game. “Will, Blair and Matt have been working very hard over the past few months to get themselves back on the park and back in contention for selection,” Walter said.  The tour also marks a recall for off-spinning allrounder Dean Foxcroft, who has not played a T20I since April 2024. Foxcroft earned his spot following a strong domestic season where he finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the Ford Trophy, helping the Central Stags reach the final.  Several players, including Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, and Ben Sears, will join the national team directly from the New Zealand A one-day series in Sri Lanka.  Clarke and Jayden Lennox are set for their second ODI appearances following New Zealand's historic away series victory against India in January. During that tour, Clarke took seven wickets across three matches, while Lennox maintained an economy rate of 4.20 over 20 overs. Lennox is also in line for a potential T20I format debut.  The team will depart New Zealand on April 13. The first ODI is scheduled to begin on April 17. New Zealand ODI Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young. New Zealand T20I Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Bevon Jacobs, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner.

Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman has been charged over alleged ball tampering before the final over of a Pakistan Super League match against Karachi Kings on Sunday. According to a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaman denied the allegation during a disciplinary hearing conducted by match referee Roshan Mahanama. The board said another hearing will be held within 48 hours, after which a decision will be announced. If found guilty, he could face at least a one-match suspension under Level 3 offence rules. The incident occurred late in the match when fast bowler Haris Rauf was preparing to bowl the final over, with Karachi needing 14 runs to win. At that point, Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zaman and Rauf were seen discussing strategy at the top of the run-up, during which all three handled the ball — a common practice in tense moments. However, on-field umpire Faisal Afridi requested the ball for inspection and consulted with fellow umpire Sharfuddoula. The umpires concluded that the ball had been deliberately altered, awarding five penalty runs to Karachi and replacing the ball. Following the decision, Karachi’s target was reduced to nine runs from the final over. Although Khushdil Shah was dismissed off the first delivery, Rauf bowled a wide before Abbas Afridi struck a boundary and a six to secure a four-wicket victory for Karachi in 19.3 overs.

England captain Ben Stokes will miss the start of the county cricket season as he continues to recover from a broken cheekbone.The 34-year-old Durham all-rounder sustained the injury last month during a training session with academy players and underwent surgery soon after. Stokes has not played since England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia in January.He will miss Durham’s County Championship opener against Kent next week but could return for matches against Worcestershire in early May, Durham coach Ryan Campbell said. England’s first summer Test match is scheduled against New Zealand starting June 4. Naseem Shah issued show-cause notice over social media post mocking Punjab chief ministerLast week, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed it would retain the current leadership following its Ashes review. Managing director Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum, and Stokes as captain will continue in their roles after England lost the series in just 11 days with two games to spare.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to fast bowler Naseem Shah after a post from his social media account mocked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's heavily guarded arrival at the Pakistan Super League opener. The controversy began Friday when Naseem’s X account shared a PCB video showing Nawaz arriving at Gaddafi Stadium with a massive security convoy to meet players.  The shared post included the comment: "Why is she being treated like the Queen of Lord's?" The match was notably being played without spectators as part of a PCB initiative to conserve fuel amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement from international cricket The post was deleted minutes later, and Naseem subsequently claimed his account had been hacked. The PCB rejected the explanation, issuing a statement on Saturday that accused the bowler of breaching his central contract and violating the board's media and disciplinary guidelines. While the PCB did not specify a deadline for Naseem’s formal response, officials indicated the post likely violated Article 2.23 of the code of conduct. The clause strictly prohibits players from making critical or offensive public remarks regarding board policies, sponsors, or officials. The PCB has a history of penalizing players for politically adjacent actions. Last year, the board fined all-rounder Aamer Jamal 1 million Pakistani rupees after he wrote "804" — the prisoner number of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan — on his practice cap during a series against England. Naseem, who plays for the Rawalpindi franchise, is scheduled to take the field against Peshawar Zalmi today.

Lahore Qalandars began their Pakistan Super League title defence with a convincing 69-run win over debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen on Thursday, but the season opener was played in an empty stadium as fans stayed away due to soaring fuel costs. The match at Gaddafi Stadium was held without spectators after authorities urged people to limit travel and work from home amid rising fuel prices linked to the ongoing Iran conflict. Mohsin Naqvi said it would be inappropriate to allow thousands of fans to attend matches while the government is advising citizens to stay home. As part of cost-cutting measures, the Pakistan Cricket Board reduced the number of venues from six to two and barred spectators from matches in Lahore and Karachi. Only a small number of officials and franchise representatives were present at the opening game of the 39-day tournament. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended briefly as a guest of the PCB. To compensate for the lack of crowd presence, artificial crowd noise was added to the live broadcast as Lahore posted 199 for 6 after being put in to bat. Opener Fakhar Zaman scored 53 off 39 balls and became only the second player in PSL history to reach 3,000 runs. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier chosen to bat after winning the toss. In reply, Hyderabad, led by Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, were restricted to 130 for 9. Lahore’s pace attack dominated, with Haris Rauf and Ubaid Shah taking two wickets each, while Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and Afridi chipped in with one apiece.

Six Bangladesh national team cricketers will begin competing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Thursday, though their participation in the franchise tournament will be curtailed by an upcoming home series against New Zealand. The Bangladesh Cricket Board cleared the players to join three different franchises in the newly expanded eight-team tournament, which runs from March 26 to May 3. Mustafizur Rahman and Parvez Hossain Emon will represent the Lahore Qalandars. Fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam, along with batter Tanzid Hasan, joined Peshawar Zalmi. Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain signed with the newly formed Rawalpindi franchise. None of the Bangladeshi players received No Objection Certificates for the full duration of the PSL. New Zealand is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 13 for three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 matches. The BCB is prioritizing the ODI matches, scheduled for April 17, 20, and 23, to field a full-strength squad ahead of World Cup qualification efforts. Mustafizur received a split clearance, allowing him to play in Pakistan from March 26 to April 12 before returning to Bangladesh for the ODI series. He is cleared to rejoin the PSL on April 24.//