Cricket
Babar hopes to carry momentum against virus-hit West Indies
Captain Babar Azam hopes to keep Pakistan's winning momentum going against a virus-hit West Indies in the limited-overs series, starting Monday.
Three West Indies players -- left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell, allrounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers -- have tested positive for coronavirus in Karachi and were ruled out of the Twenty20 series. They will be in isolation for 10 days in Karachi and will be monitored by the team physician until they return negative tests.
The West Indies Twenty20 squad was already missing several top performers for the three-match T20 series which will be followed by three ODIs -- also at Karachi. The notable absentees include white-ball skipper Kieron Pollard, who will miss out due to a hamstring injury he sustained during the T20 World Cup, while Andre Russell is playing in the Big Bash League in Australia.
"We will try to carry the momentum which started in the (T20) World Cup," Babar told reporters during a video conference on Sunday. "We are not going to take them (West Indies) easy because they didn't bring their best players. They have played in the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and international games, so you have to give your 100% to beat them."
Babar led from the front in the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates as Pakistan went on to win its five group games before being beaten by eventual champion Australia in the semifinals. Pakistan followed its brilliant run by sweeping Bangladesh in the Twenty20 series 3-0 in Bangladesh before winning the two-match test series 2-0.
Defending champion West Indies, on the other hand, floundered in the UAE as it failed to qualify for the semifinals. Nicholas Pooran replaced the injured Pollard for the Twenty20 series while Shai Hope will lead the side in the ODIs.
"We had original plans of what the (starting) eleven is going to look like, who's going to play and who's not going to play," Pooran said. "But other guys are going to get the opportunity to showcase their talents and their abilities, so I'm looking forward to see those guys take the opportunity."
Pooran has high hopes for allrounders Romario Shepherd and Dominic Drakes, who have recently exceled in a T10 league in the UAE and also did well in the CPL back home this year.
"I am very excited to see this new crop of players to get onto the cricket field," he said. "I, for one, believe that there's a lot of talented players here, especially when it comes to the shorter form of the game."
Babar sympathized with West Indies for losing three players due to coronavirus and believed it's tough for cricketers to spend time in isolation.
"It's difficult time for a team when your player tests positive," he said. "It's difficult to live in isolation, our team has gone through this. Lots of negative things do come in your mind when you are alone in the room and the team combination also gets affected."
Pakistan has lost just one home Twenty20 series since international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2015 when Sri Lanka routed them 3-0 in 2019. It has twice beaten Zimbabwe and also recorded series wins against Bangladesh, South Africa, a World XI and the West Indies when it last toured in 2018.
The Pakistan government has allowed full capacity crowds at the National Stadium for the first time since the pandemic began and Babar hoped the home team fans will get to see some quality cricket.
"The main thing is we are playing the home series and for us the best thing is full crowd will be allowed inside the stadium."
Ashraful hits a fifty, Nasum, Mahedi take five each as BCL kicks off
Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful hit a fifty in the opening round of the 9th Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) on Sunday at Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium (SKS), Rajshahi.
On the same day, the spinners-duo of BCB South Zone, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan, bagged five wickets each.
Ashraful is representing Islami Bank East Zone in BCL. In the first match, they are taking on BCB South Zone
Ashraful and Imrul Kayes scored 101 in the first wicket stand for Islami Bank. Imrul scored 46 off 93 balls while Ashraful hit 61 off 120 balls with eight fours.
Islami bank ended their first innings on 260 for 10 in 86.2 overs.
For South Zone, Mahedi bagged five conceding 173 runs while Nasum also bagged five taking 104 runs.
In reply, at the end of day one, South Zone scored three in two overs without losing any wicket— both the openers- Anamul Haque Bijoy and Pinak Ghosh— are yet to score any run.
In the other match of the day, BCB North Zone took on Walton Central Zone.
In the first innings of the match, North Zone posted 219 for 10 in 65.1 overs on Sunday at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram.
Left-handed opener Parvez Hossain Emon scored 46 while captain Marshal Ayub posted 35 for them as well.
For Central Zone, Robiul Hoque took three wickets while Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury scalped two.
Before the end of day one, Central Zone batted for 17 overs to score 61 without any loss. Mohammad Mithun and Mizanur Rahman remained unbeaten for 43 and 18 respectively.
Expected personal milestones to achieve in the Upcoming NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022
The two-match bilateral Test series between New Zealand and Bangladesh will start on January 1 of the following year. New Zealand are much ahead of Bangladesh in terms of Test statistics between the two countries. Bangladesh have never won a Test match against New Zealand, despite the fact that they have faced fifteen times in the format. Some players will be able to achieve personal milestones in the series. This article highlighted a few expected personal milestones that can be achieved during the NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022.
Attainable personal milestones in the NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022
Cricketers strive for individual success in addition to giving their all for the team. It is possible to accomplish individual records by regularly playing for the national team. Here are some personal milestones that could be reached in forthcoming Bangladesh vs New Zealand Test series.
5000 Test Runs
Mushfiqur Rahim just needs 144 runs to get 5,000 runs in Test cricket. He has a 37.06 batting average and has scored 4,856 runs in 142 innings.
Read Babar hopes to carry momentum against virus-hit West Indies
13000 International Runs
If Mushfiqur Rahim scores 98 runs in the NZ vs BAN Test series in 2022, he would become the second Bangladesh cricketer after Tamim Iqbal to reach 13,000 international runs.
1000 Test Runs
All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz needs only 43 runs to get 1,000 Test runs. He has 957 runs with a 20.36 average in 54 innings.
4000 International Runs
Mominul Haque needs 20 runs to get 4,000 international runs. In 117 innings, he has 3,980 runs.
Read Men’s Hockey: Bangladesh lose to Pakistan in preparatory match
150 Test Wickets
Left-arm orthodox spinner Taijul Islam needs only 6 more wickets to join Shakib Al Hasan as the second Bangladeshi player to reach 150 Test wickets. He has 144 wickets in 35 Test matches.
100 International Wickets
Right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed has 98 international wickets and just needs two more to get 100 international scalps.
50 Test Dismissals
Liton Das has 47 Test dismissals to date, and he only needs three more to reach 50 in Test cricket.
Read Independence Cup Football: Police book first-ever semifinal berth at Sheikh Russel KC’s expense
50 International Catches
Liton Das needs one catch and Mehidy Miraz needs two to reach 50 international catches.
13000 International Runs
Martin Guptill of New Zealand needs 188 runs to reach the 13,000 international run mark.
4000 International Runs
All-rounder Henry Nicholls needs 173 runs to get 4,000 international runs.
Read V-Day Kabaddi: Bangladesh Navy emerge champions
150 International Wickets
Matt Henry has taken 142 wickets in 75 international matches. On the international level, he needs 8 more wickets to hit the 150-wicket mark.
350 International Catches
Ross Taylor needs four more catches to reach 350 international catches.
150 International Catches
Tim Southee has 146 catches in 316 games, and he only needs four more to get 150 international catches.
Read National Football: Rangamati, Bagerhat districts win matches
300 International Wickets
Trent Boult has 292 wickets in 73 international matches. He only needs 8 more international wickets to achieve the 300-wicket mark.
50 International Wickets
Colin de Grandhomme needs three wickets and Ajaz Patel needs seven to achieve the 50-wicket mark in international cricket.
Read Ashraful hits a fifty, Nasum, Mahedi take five each as BCL kicks off
Verdict
Cricketers from both countries will have the potential to achieve personal milestones during the NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022. However, the primary objective for both teams would be to perform well as a team in the series. The host New Zealand will be aiming for a clean sweep of Bangladesh. On the other side, Bangladesh's big priority would be to qualify for the ICC Test Championship, which they can do by drawing at least one match in the series. Earning points will not be difficult if the team tigers give their best effort in the series. Overall, the Bangladesh Test team will face a difficult challenge in the upcoming series.
Read Root: England's best option is to make brave calls
Root: England's best option is to make brave calls
Joe Root didn't back away from the contentious calls to bat first in the Ashes series opener when conditions appeared to heavily favor the bowlers, or on a team selection that omitted England's two most experienced pacemen.
One regret he had after England's nine-wicket loss to Australia at the Gabba on Saturday was not giving left-arm spinner Jack Leach more protection against some aggressive batting.
Leach was punished by the batsmen, conceding 102 runs for one wicket and going for almost eight runs per over on a pitch that didn't really take much conventional turn but did offer plenty of bounce to suit Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Travis Head, who scored 152, and David Warner, who scored 94 in Australia's first innings of 425, were particularly attacking against Leach, who was playing his first test since March and his first ever in Australian conditions.
Root said setting a more defensive field would have helped Leach gain some confidence and "ease into the series."
"I put a lot of that on myself ... made it very difficult for him and it's probably more on my shoulders than looking at the selection," he said.
Leach's place in the starting XI was only confirmed at the coin toss, with England hoping to get a more varied attack by leaving out fast bowler Stuart Broad.
It didn't help that England wasn't defending many runs, having lost a wicket on the first ball of the series and been dismissed for 147 just before heavy rain ended play on Day 1.
"If we go about things the way we did on the last two tours we'll get the same result," Root said, reflecting on England's last two tours to Australia which included nine losses, one draw and no wins. "We have to be brave. I look back and think (batting) was the right decision.
"In terms of selection, we could have gone a different way (but) we wanted variety in our attack and ways of changing things."
Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes created opportunities for England, but some missed catches and poor fielding let them down. Allrounder Ben Stokes was restricted in his first test since March, had issued with his run-up and the popping crease, and appeared to be bothered by injury.
A veteran of four Ashes tours to Australia, Broad was a surprising omission, a decision confirmed a day after the news that 39-year-old Jimmy Anderson, who has been to Australia on five Ashes tours, would be rested for the series opener.
The pair have a combined 1,156 wickets from 315 test matches, but are coming off injuries. They will both come into calculations for the second test — a day-night match starting Thursday at the Adelaide Oval. Their ability to swing the ball could be pivotal for England in those conditions.
"You can't question the guys that were out there - our seamers created so many chances - we just weren't good enough to take them," Root said. "But it's nice to know (Broad and Anderson) should be fit and available and ready to go," for Adelaide.
After Adelaide, the five-test series moves to Melbourne for the traditional Boxing Day test starting Dec. 26, then to Sydney and Hobart in January.
Lyon joins Warne, McGrath as Aussies with 400 test wickets
A bit of banter from the new captain was all Nathan Lyon needed to end his 11-month wait to move from 399 test wickets and become just the third Australian to hit the 400 milestone.
Lyon didn't get a wicket in the first innings when England was out for 147 on Day 1 of the Ashes series, and bowled 24 overs and conceded 69 runs without taking a wicket on Day 3 as the tourists rallied to reach 220-2 at stumps, cutting Australia's lead to 58.
The 34-year-old offspinner admitted it was playing on his mind. Australia hadn't played a test match since January, and he'd taken only nine wickets in that losing four-test series against India — the masters against spin.
Lyon isn't usually one to acknowledge milestones, he said, but teammates were joking with him about the length of time between wickets and what he planned to do to celebrate. So he couldn't ignore it.
Pace bowler Pat Cummins, in his first test as Australia captain since replacing Tim Paine, took Lyon aside after play on Friday to joke about it.
"I said last night, 'You're never going to get your 400!'" Cummins, recalling his novel motivational approach for his long-time teammate, said after Australia completed a nine-wicket win on Saturday. "Nice for him to get that this morning. He bowled really well yesterday without luck."
Lyon laughed, let off steam and, in just the fourth over on Saturday morning, he dismissed Dawid Malan to end England's 162-run third-wicket partnership and his personal wait since Jan. 19 to progress his career tally from 399 to 400 test wickets.
"There's been a lot of banter going on so it was probably on my mind more because of that," Lyon said. "It's been some hard toil to get it to get it, but it's very, very rewarding."
The wicket of Malan, caught in close by Marnus Labuschagne at bat-pad, also ended England's resistance in the 1st Ashes test. Lyon added three more wickets and returned 4-91 as England was bowled out for 297 in its second innings — setting Australia a paltry target of 20 runs for victory with more than 1 1/2 days to spare.
Lyon joined legspinner Shane Warne, who took 708 test wickets between 1992 and 2007, and paceman Glenn McGrath, who took 563 between '93-'07, as the only Australians to surpass the 400-wicket barrier in test cricket.
He's only the second spinner from outside of Asia — the other is Warne — to reach 400, and he's the 17th bowler overall across more than 140 years to reach the milestone. The all-time list is topped by Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 800 between 1992 and 2010.
Lyon, now with 403 wickets from 101 tests, has mostly been a regular in the Australian lineup for a decade, first emerging in 2011 following a stint working as a curator at the Adelaide Oval.
That, along with the end of a nervous wait, will mean he's relaxed for the second test against England — a day-nighter at the Adelaide Oval starting Thursday.
Champions League 2021-2022: Will Messi and Ronaldo meet in the Round of 16?
The group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2021-2022 season finally concluded with a match between Villarreal and Atalanta on December 9 (Thursday). Villarreal qualified for the Round of 16 after defeating Atalanta 3-2, and they will be joined by 15 other teams for the first knockout round draw in Switzerland on Monday, December 13th. It's possible that PSG and Man United could meet in the Round of 16 of the competition. Let's have a look at the Round of 16 draw scenario for the Champions League 2021-2022.
Group Winners of Champions League 2021-2022
The eight group winners are Manchester City (group A), Liverpool (group B), Ajax (group C), Real Madrid (group D), Bayern Munich (group E), Manchester United (group F), Lille (group G), and Juventus (group H).
Manchester City won Group A with a total of 12 points. The defending English Premier League Champion won four of their six group stage matches. Liverpool finished first in Group B with 18 points after winning all of their games. The Dutch league winner Ajax also won all of their matches in Group C, finishing with 18 points. Real Madrid were stunned at the Bernabeu by Sheriff Tiraspol, but the most successful European team returned to the top of Group D with 15 points.
Bayern Munich won Group E with a total of 18 points. Manchester United got the first position in Group F with 11 points, while Lille took top place in Group G with 11 points. Juventus took the first position in Group H with 15 points.
Group Runners-up of Champions League 2021-2022
Paris Saint-Germain (group A), Atletico Madrid (group B), Sporting CP (group C), Inter Milan (group D), Benfica (group E), Villarreal (group F), Red Bull Salzburg (group G), and Chelsea (group H) are the eight group runners-up.
PSG finished second in Group A with 11 points. They won three games, drew two games, and lost one. Atletico Madrid finished second in Group B with 7 points. They only won two games, drew one, and lost the other three. Sporting CP finished second in Group C after winning three matches and losing three. The Italian Serie A Champion Inter Milan finished second in Group D with ten points.
Portuguese team Benfica defeated Barcelona to finish second in Group E. Spanish team Villarreal finished second in Group F with ten points. Red Bull Salzburg finished second in Group G with ten points. The defending Champions League champion Chelsea finished second in Group H with 13 points. They were two points behind Italian giants Juventus.
Potential Round of 16 opponents for PSG and Man Utd
Each group's winners are seeded, while the group's runners-up are unseeded. Seeded teams are matched against unseeded ones. Teams from the same group or football federation are not allowed to play each other in the Round of 16.
As per the aforementioned rule, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Real Madrid could be PSG's Round of 16 opponents. Therefore, Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain is expected to face a difficult opponent in the next round.
On the other hand, PSG, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Inter Milan, RB Salzburg, and Sporting CP might well be Manchester United's Round of 16 opponents. Given Man Utd’s current form, they would have a tough battle in the first knockout round of the Champions League 2021-2022 season.
Mathematically, Ronaldo's Manchester United has a 20% probability of facing Messi's PSG in the Round of 16. It would be a huge match if these two teams were drawn against one other in the first knockout round.
Aside from that, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and Inter Milan may face a difficult opponent in the Round of 16 as well.
Verdict
Given the outcome of the Champions League group stage in the 2021-2022 season, there is a good chance that the next round will include some tough matches. If Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United meet in the Round of 16, it will be the most anticipated match of the tournament. Because fans will be able to see Messi and Ronaldo play against each other for their new teams. At least two more fascinating Round of 16 matchups are possible in this draw. Overall, the first knockout round of the Champions League 2021-2022 is predicted to be an exciting event in February and March of next year.
AUS vs ENG Test Series 2021: Australia Win the Ashes Opener
Australia beat England in the first Ashes Test of the 2021-2022 season at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday (December 11), taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. England are missing a number of crucial players due to injuries, which might jeopardize their chances of winning the series. Aside from that, veteran pacer James Anderson was ruled out of the series opener. Despite this, England fought hard against Australia in the opening match but they were beaten in the second session on day four. Let's look at the first match report of the AUS vs ENG Test series 2021.
First Match Report: AUS vs ENG Test Series 2021
The Gabba ground in Brisbane hosted the opening Ashes match of the AUS vs ENG Test series 2021. Prior to the match, Australia were a slight favorite due to England's injury issues. The host took advantage of the situation and won the first match of the series.
England captain Joe Root opted to bat first, was looking for a huge first-inning total. However, the batters fell short of expectations and were bowled out for only 147 runs. Fiery pacer, Mitchell Starc got Australia off to a flying start with a first-ball strike. Opener Rory Burns misread the ball and was clean bowled by Starc. England lost three more wickets in the first innings, leaving them at 59/4 at lunch.
Read:Anamul wishes a national comeback relying on performance
England's only big partnership (52) came between Jos Buttler (39) and Ollie Pope (35) for the sixth wicket in the first innings. However, England's innings crumbled when they left. Australia's captain Pat Cummins was the most successful bowler, taking the most wickets with five.
In response, Australia surpassed England's first-innings total by one wicket. David Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) put up a 156-run partnership in the second wicket. Later, Travis Head almost single-handedly carried Australia's innings with a stunning 152-run knock. It was his first Ashes century, and more crucially, the knock contributed to his team's victory in the match.
Australia were bowled out for 425 runs in the first session of day three. England began their second innings with a 278-run deficit, and the visitors sought a comeback with a 162-run partnership between skipper Joe Root (89) and Dawid Malan (82). However, their efforts were in vain as the Australian bowlers fought back with determination in the opening session of day four. They bowled England out for 297 runs and only lost one wicket in chasing down the 20-run target.
Read:Tigers set to leave for New Zealand tonight
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon took the most wickets in the second innings with four. He also took his 400th Test wicket in this encounter.
Player of the Match
Australian middle-order batsman Travis Head was the unsung hero of the first Test match. His magnificent 152-run first-innings effort helped Australia to a commanding lead against arch-rivals England. Travis Head was rightfully named the best player of the match.
Way Forward
England pushed hard in the second innings to make a comeback after getting bowled out for a low total in the first innings. However, Australia's first-inning lead was too much for England to recover. Therefore, England were unable to establish a significant lead and put Australia under pressure in the run chase. Australia have opened their account in the ICC Test Championship's 2021-2023 cycle with this victory.
On the other hand, England have dropped to the sixth position with only 14 points. The second match of the AUS vs ENG Test series 2021 will take place at the Adelaide Oval from December 16. In the second match, Australia will seek to increase their series edge, while England will attempt a comeback at the Adelaide Oval.
Root’s record helps lead an England rally in Ashes opener
Joe Root set a record for most runs in a calendar year by an England test batter and shared an unbroken 159-run stand with Dawid Malan on Friday to lead a rally in the Ashes series opener against Australia.
Root was unbeaten on 86 and Malan was 80 not out when England reached 220-2 at stumps on Day 3.
The England skipper has 1,541 runs so far in 2021, beating Michael Vaughan’s record of 1,481 runs in 2002. Mohammad Yousuf holds the test record with his 1,788 runs in 11 matches for Pakistan in 2006.
England is still 58 runs behind. But after being dismissed for 147 on Day 1 and conceding a 278-run first-innings deficit, the third-wicket pair finally gave England a session of dominance.
Root faced 158 deliveries, hit 10 boundaries and was one run shy of his highest previous score in an Ashes test Down Under. Malan faced 177 deliveries as the pair got through almost two full sessions.
Malan said the only way for England to go forward was to forget the first innings, not be “sitting ducks” and just take the attack back to the Australian bowlers. But he said the job was only half done, and England needed at least another 250-300 runs to pressure Australia.
With Root still there, it’s possible.
“He seems to somehow find a way of putting the pressure back on the bowlers,” Malan said. “It’s great signs for us as a team that Joe is playing well out here and leading from the front.”
Australia resumed Friday at 343-7 and added 82 for the loss three wickets in the morning session, with Travis Head bowled for 152 by Mark Wood to end the innings at 425.
England’s openers survived to reach 23 without loss at the first interval but both were out early in the afternoon session and the total was 61-2 when Root joined Malan at the crease.
Opener Rory Burns narrowly avoided an unwanted pair, getting a reprieve after being given out lbw to Mitchell Starc without scoring in the first over of England’s second innings two days after being bowled out by the Australian left-arm paceman on the first ball of the series.
This time, a successful review showed the ball may have gone over the stumps.
But he was out in the first over after lunch without addition to his score or the England total when he was caught behind of Australia captain Pat Cummins for 13.
Haseeb Hameed compiled 27 from 58 deliveries before he gloved a legside catch off Starc to wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the only other England wicket to fall on Day 3.
Conditions were perfect for batting on the middle day at the Gabba, which started with Head marshalling Australia’s lower order.
He put on 85 for the eighth wicket with Starc (35) and 29 for the ninth with Nathan Lyon (15) to prolong Australia’s innings and keep England in the field in subtropical humidity.
Lyon was out to Mark Wood when Head was on 147 and Australia was on 420, leaving No. 11 Josh Hazlewood to hang around long enough to help his teammate cross 150.
Head reached the milestone with a boundary against left-arm spinner Jack Leach, his innings including 15 fours and four sixes. It also took Leach beyond 100 runs conceded in 12.1 overs.
But with the batters trying to keep the run-rate up, paceman Wood bowled Head to finish the innings and return 3-85. Ollie Robinson had figures of 3-58 and Woakes had 2-76. Stokes, playing his first test match since March, had 0-65 off 12 overs and appeared to be struggling with his fitness.
Veteran Australian opener David Warner didn’t field on Friday after being hit in the ribs while posting his 94 in the home team’s first innings of 425. Team officials said his absence was because of bruising.
Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 74 in Australia’s innings, said it was important for the home team to keep building pressure and get wickets with the new ball, due after 10 overs on Saturday.
England hasn’t won a test in Australia in a decade and hasn’t won a test at the Gabba since 1986, while Australia’s loss to India here in January was its first at the Brisbane venue since 1988.
“We know the Gabba,” Labuschagne said. “We know the template here.”
Tigers enter seven-day quarantine in New Zealand
Bangladesh national cricket team reached New Zealand on Friday and started a seven-day in-room quarantine ahead of the two-match Test series against the hosts.
They left Dhaka on Wednesday night after ending the second Test of the two-match series against Pakistan at home.
Read:Anamul wishes a national comeback relying on performance
“We have reached New Zealand safely, and we started quarantine,” Taskin Ahmed, the right-arm pacer told in a video message. “It’s always tough to stay stuck in the hotel room. But we can do anything for the team and the country.”
With the home series against Pakistan, Bangladesh started the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship. They, however, failed to register a good start as they heavily lost both the matches.
But the Tigers hope that they can do well in New Zealand, though, the real expectation is low because of their history in New Zealand where they never won against the hosts.
The first Test of the series will kick off on January 1, and the second will start on January 9.
In the touring party, Bangladesh have 18 players. Shakib Al Hasan was named in the team initially, but he withdrew due to a family reason. To replace him, Bangladesh included Fazle Mahmud Rabbi.
Read:Tigers set to leave for New Zealand tonight
He scored the most runs in the recently concluded National Cricket League— the biggest First-class domestic cricket event in the country.
Bangladesh also included Yasir Ali and Mahmudul Hasan Joy who got their maiden Test cap in the last series at home against Pakistan. While Yasir got his cap in his hometown Chattogram, Mahmudul got his Test cap in Dhaka.
In the previous cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, Bangladesh played seven Tests but failed to win any of them.
Anamul wishes a national comeback relying on performance
Right-handed top-order batter Anamul Haque Bijoy says he is eager to make a comeback to the national team doing well in the domestic circuit.
Anamul is currently preparing to play the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), the second biggest First-class event in the country.
Bangladesh have been sweating over a fragile top-order for a while. And the absence of the experienced batter, Tamim Iqbal, compounded the problem for the Tigers.
Also read: Batter Fazle Rabbi added to Bangladesh squad to replace Shakib on NZ tour
But Anamul said he doesn’t want to put his foot into someone else’s shoes.
“I’m not waiting for someone to play badly so that I can get a chance. I wish to get back to the national team playing well in the field. And everything is not in my hand. The selectors will call a player if he does well. It’s upto the selectors,” he said while talking to the reporters on Thursday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
“Whenever I play in a tournament, I always dream to make a comeback to the national team. I have been out of the national setup for a while now. If I get a chance in future, I hope I can do better,” he added.
Anamul played his last international match back in 2019 in Sri Lanka but failed to impress with the bat which has made it tough for him to make a comeback to any format of the game for the national team.
Anamul believes that if he plays well in BPL, which is set to take place in January-February next year, it will be great for him to draw the attention of the BCB bosses.
Also read: Anamul joins as individual training programme extended
“BPL is coming back after the pandemic. It’s a great news. If a player plays well in BPL, he can draw the attention of many. It may open the door for the national team. I surely put my best foot forward to do well in BPL,” Anamul said.
The 28-year-old batter played a total of four Tests, 38 ODIs and 13 T20Is. He has three centuries in ODIs, but he failed to prove his mettle in the longer format of international cricket despite a good record in the domestic circuit.
He played a total of 101 First-class matches and scored 7269 runs at an average of 45.71 with 22 centuries and 36 half-centuries.