Cricket
Bangladesh Bat First in ODI Series Opener Against Ireland
Bangladesh lost the toss and were put into bat first in the opening match of the three-match ODI series against Ireland on Tuesday in Chelmsford.
In the first over, Josh Little dismissed opener Litton Das for a first-ball duck.
Less than two months ago, Bangladesh played another ODI series against Ireland at home, which they won by 2-0 with one match being washed away due to rain.
This series is part of the World Cup Super League. Bangladesh has already secured their place in the World Cup later this year in India, while Ireland will need to beat Bangladesh in this series by a substantial margin of 3-0 to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Bangladesh XI: Tamim Iqbal (capt), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud.
Ireland XI: Paul Stirling, Stephen Doheny, Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andrew McBrine, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Josh Little.
Bangladesh to take on Ireland in 3-match ODI series ahead of World Cup
The three-match ODI series between Ireland and Bangladesh is set to begin on Tuesday at Chelmsford.
The first match will begin at 3:45 pm Bangladesh time. The last two matches of the series will be played at the same venue on May 12 and 14, respectively.
Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, said they are looking forward to winning this series instead of overthinking. The Ireland series offers Bangladesh an opportunity to fine-tune their set-up ahead of the World Cup later this year in India.
However, the Bangladesh coach said the conditions in England would not help to prepare for the World Cup.
Hathurusigha seemed unhappy that the Bangladesh team needs to play in England while the series is against Ireland.
Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh captain, earlier said they will experiment with some changes in the playing XI and see who performs well in certain positions.
Mahmudullah Riyad, the all-rounder, is not part of this series, and there is speculation that he will not be part of the Bangladesh team during the World Cup. But Tamim said Mahmudullah is still in his plan. He also added that the opportunity is open to all.
This series is part of the World Cup Super League. Bangladesh has already booked a place in the World Cup, but Ireland’s chance is slim. To book a World Cup berth, Ireland will have to beat Bangladesh in this series 3-0 and wait for the results of other matches of other teams.
The series will be telecast live through ICC TV for free. As of Monday, no Bangladeshi channel has confirmed the telecasting of this series, meaning ICC TV is the only means for Bangladeshi fans to enjoy this contest.
Bangladesh squad for this series includes : Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury.
Despite cricket-mad nation, broadcasters fail to secure Ireland tour rights
As of Monday, no local TV channel in Bangladesh has bought the rights to telecast the matches, making ICC TV the only way for fans at home to enjoy the series. According to the ICC, fans can watch the matches either on the official ICC website or through their app, available for both Android and IOS.
The ICC has confirmed that the three-match ODI series between Ireland and Bangladesh will be broadcast for free on ICC TV.
The series is part of the World Cup Super League, and while Bangladesh have already booked their place in the World Cup taking place later this year in India, Ireland still have a narrow chance. They would qualify for the World Cup if they manage to beat Bangladesh in all three matches.
The first match is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9 (tomorrow) with the other two on May 12 and 14, and all matches will be played at Chelmsford.
Bangladesh's last ODI series was also against Ireland, which they won 2-0 at home, with one match washed out due to rain.
However, the weather is posing concerns for this series as well, as reports suggest that rain may hit the cricket several times, and one or more matches may even be washed out entirely.
U-19 ODI: Pakistan beat Bangladesh to secure 2-0 lead
Pakistan U-19 secured a comprehensive 78-run victory over Bangladesh U-19 in the second Youth ODI of their tour on Monday in Chattagram.
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Pakistan's Azan Awais played a brilliant knock of 105 runs off 125 balls, which included 15 boundaries. Apart from Azan, Saad Baig (51) and Shamyl Hussain (33) also contributed with the bat as Pakistan posted a total of 271 runs in 50 overs for the loss of 10 wickets.
Iqbal Hossain Emmon was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking four wickets for 72 runs in his 10 overs.
In response, Bangladesh started off poorly losing Ashiqur Rahman Shibli early for a duck. Mohammad Ismail struck again to dismiss Adil Bin Siddik for 40 runs, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 66/2.
Ahrar Amin (23), Zakaria Islam Shanto (24), and Mohammad Shihab James (42) tried to steady the innings, but it was not enough as they eventually fell short and were bowled out for 193 runs in 47 overs.
Muhammad Ismail and Aimal Khan took three wickets for Pakistan, while Aimal Khan, Ali Asfand and Arafat Minhas took two wickets each.
Azan Awais was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning century.
With this victory, Pakistan have secured a lead of 2-0 in the five-match series. The next three matches will be played in Rajshahi on May 13, 15 and 17.
Preview of IRE vs BAN 1st ODI 2023
The Bangladesh cricket team travelled to England early this month to participate in the ICC ODI Super League against Ireland. On May 9, the first match of the series between Bangladesh and Ireland will take place in Chelmsford. The match will start at 3:45 PM BDT time. It is an important series for Ireland as a 3-0 will help them direct entry to the ICC World Cup in India.
Although the Irish are easy opponents at home, it might be difficult for the Tigers to win in the English conditions. Unlike the series in Bangladesh in March, we may expect a competitive series in Chelmsford.
IRE vs BAN Preparation Match
Tamim Iqbal's team was scheduled to participate in the preparation match at Furners in Cambridge on May 5. However, the match was abandoned due to the rain. Even the toss couldn’t take place. The toss was scheduled to take place at 10:45 AM UK time but was not possible due to rain. After that, two hours passed like this. Later the rain stopped, but the match was declared abandoned due to a wet pitch.
Although the Bangladesh team travelled early to practise in England conditions, they could practise for only two days. Now Bangladesh will head to the first match without playing any warm-up match.
Read more: IRE vs BAN ODI Series 2023: Bangladesh Squad Analysis
Ireland vs Bangladesh 1st ODI Preview
Bangladesh last played in England in 2019. As a result, the Tigers will have to give a tough test on this wicket as they are not familiar with the current condition. Therefore, the preparation match would have been a great help for the Bangladesh team. But the Tigers are in good form, and it is expected that they will find an easy way to win the first ODI.
Furthermore, Bangladeshi players have been playing continuously from the beginning of the year. BPL, Dhaka Premier League, series against England and Ireland kept Bangladeshi players in continuous practice. So, there will not be any problem for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will have to take the challenge of the wicket if they want to win. The pitch conditions are completely different than in Bangladesh. If the game was played in June-July, it would have been an advantage for the Tigers as the wicket remains dry at that time. But now the weather is different, and the pitch condition will be a big challenge for Bangladesh as well as for Ireland.
Although this series is not so important for Bangladesh, it is a life-and-death battle for Ireland. Because if they beat Bangladesh by 3-0 in this series, the Irish will go directly to the World Cup with 30 points in the ICC ODI Super League. And if they fail to win 3-0, they will have to meet in Zimbabwe in June in the qualifiers.
Irish are more or less familiar with the England weather and pitch conditions. Therefore, they will plan accordingly to give a good fight to win the match as well as the series. However, the recent loss to Bangladesh last March may decrease their confidence. But, the Irish star bowler Joshua Little is joining the team, and this will surely boost the confidence.
Read More: Bangladesh Tour of Ireland 2023: Venue, Schedule, Fixtures, Previous Records
Probable Playing XI for Bangladesh Team
Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.
Probable Playing XI for Ireland Team
Andy Balbirnie (c), Stephen Doheny, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Josh Little.
Dhaka League: Sheikh Jamal beat Prime Bank
In a closely contested match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club emerged victorious over Prime Bank Cricket Club by 13 runs in a Super League match of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.
After winning the toss, Prime Bank Cricket Club opted to field first.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club started steadily with openers Saif Hassan and Shykat Ali putting on a 63-run partnership. Saif Hassan was the standout batter for his team, scoring a brilliant 83 runs off 102 balls, including three boundaries and five sixes.
Fazle Mahmud (36) and Nurul Hasan (53) also made valuable contributions to the team's total of 276/6 in their allotted 50 overs.
For Prime Bank Cricket Club, Kashif Bhatti was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for just 23 runs in his 10 overs.
In reply, Prime Bank Cricket Club got off to a poor start, losing two of their top three batters early in the innings.
However, Shahadat Hossain steadied the ship with a half-century (66), and was well-supported by Prantik Nawrose Nabil, who top-scored for the team with 75 runs off 90 balls. Al-Amin (36) and Mahedi Hasan (35) also made decent contributions with the bat. However, the Prime Bank Cricket Club fell short by 13 runs, finishing at 263 all out in 49.2 overs.
For Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Saif Hassan was the standout performer with both bat and ball. He not only scored 83 runs but also took two wickets for just 26 runs in his seven overs. Shafiqul Islam also bowled well, taking three wickets for 44 runs in his six overs.
In the same round of the Super League, Abahani Limited and Mohammedan Sporting Club also won their matches against Legends of Rupgand and Gazi Group Cricketers by four wickets and 20 runs, respectively. Ripon Mondol bagged four wickets for Abahani and won the player of the match award. For Mohammedan, Mahmudullah Riyad became the player of the match for a 95-ball 71.
U-19 Cricket: Pakistan cruise to comfortable victory over Bangladesh
Pakistan U-19 cruised to a comfortable 9-wicket victory over Bangladesh U-19 in the first one-day of the five-match series in Chattogram.
Bangladesh lost the toss and batted first but struggled to get going against a disciplined Pakistani bowling attack, eventually finishing on 165/9 in their 50 overs.
Pakistan then made short work of the chase, reaching their target of 166 with 76 balls to spare, losing just one wicket in the process. Azan Awais and Shahzaib Khan were the stars of the show for the Pakistanis, putting on an unbeaten 148-run partnership to lead their side to victory.
Earlier, Bangladesh got off to a shaky start, losing opener Ashiqur Rahman Shibli for just 2 runs in the 5th over. Sharear Sakib and skipper Ahrar Amin also struggled to get going, falling for 4 and 2 runs respectively.
Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby then led a fightback for Bangladesh, scoring a vital 70 runs off 100 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes. He received some support from Parvez Rahman Jibon (19) and Wasi Siddiquee (15), but their efforts were not enough to push Bangladesh to a competitive total.
Pakistan's bowlers were exceptional throughout the innings, with Amir Hassan leading the way with 5 wickets for just 24 runs in his 10 overs. Muhammad Ismail and Aimal Khan also chipped in with a wicket apiece, while Ali Asfand and Obaid Shahid were economical, conceding just 11 and 10 runs respectively in their spells.
In reply, Pakistan got off to a flying start, with openers Shahzaib Khan and Azan Awais putting on an impressive 148-run partnership. Khan was eventually dismissed for 83 runs off 116 balls, but Awais remained unbeaten on 69 runs off 100 balls, including 6 fours and a six.
Pakistan's victory was never in doubt after such a strong start, and they eventually reached their target of 166 runs in just 37.2 overs, losing just one wicket in the process. Bangladesh's bowlers struggled to make an impact, with Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby claiming the only wicket of the innings.
The next match of the series will be played at the same venue on May 8th, while the last three matches will be played in Rajshahi on 11th, 13th and 15th. After the one-day series, both the team will play the only T20 at the same venue on May 17th.
Youth Test: Pakistan U-19 Cricket team crush Bangladesh U-19 side by 10 wkts
Touring Pakistan U-19 Cricket team earned a comfortable 10- wicket victory over hosts Bangladesh U-19 side in the four-day lone Youth Test that concluded at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.
Sent into bat first, Bangladesh youth team were bundled out cheaply for 149 runs in the first innings and later they were all out for 292 runs in the 2nd innings, featuring a captain knock of 106 runs by Shahriar Shakib.
Pakistan, which piled up a huge 420 runs in the first innings featuring a century by Shahzaib Khan (174), easily reached their target scoring match-winner 23 runs in the 2nd innings without losing any wicket in 6.3 overs.
Later, Shahzaib Khan of Pakistan was adjudged the player of the match.
Touring Pakistan U-19 team will also play a five-match Youth ODI series against hosts Bangladesh, first two in Chattogram (May 5, & 7) and rest three in Rajshahi (May 10, 12, 14).
Pakistan Youth team will play a one-off T2O match against the home side in Rajshahi on May 16.
Dhaka League: Allrounder Mosaddek guides Abahani to 8-run win over Mohammedan
Abahani Limited secured a tight eight-run win against archrival Mohammedan Sporting Club in their first match of the Super League phase of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League in Dhaka on Monday.
Abahani's allrounder Mosaddek Hossain shone in the match, scoring 63 with the bat and scalping four wickets to guide his team to victory.
Abahani batted first and posted a competitive total of 258 for seven wickets in 50 overs, with wicketkeeper-batsman Jaker Ali Anik and Mosaddek both scoring half-centuries. Despite losing their openers early, Jaker and Mosaddek batted well to guide the team to a challenging total. For Mohammedan, Mushfik Hasan was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets for 32 runs, while Shuvagata Hom also took two wickets for 47 runs.
In reply, Mohammedan lost three early wickets, with their openers Imrul Kayes (1) and Soumya Sarkar (8) failing to deliver. The number three batter Kamindu Mendis also struggled, and although Mahidul Islam Ankan (88) and veteran Mahmudullah Riyad (54) scored half-centuries, their efforts were not enough to seal the match. Mohammedan eventually finished on 250 for nine in 50 overs.
While Mosaddek was the standout performer with his all-round display, Tanzim Hasan Sakib also impressed with his bowling, taking three wickets for 48 runs.
In other matches of the first round of Super League, Agrani Bank Cricket Club beat Dhaka Leopards by one wicket, with Jahurul Islam and Marshal Ayub both scoring half-centuries for Agrani Bank, while Rohit Rayudu took four wickets. Meanwhile, Zakir Hasan and Shahadat Dipu both hit centuries for Prime Bank Cricket Club, who posted 330 for six in their match against Legends of Rupganj. In reply, Legends of Rupganj were all out for 157 in 38.3 overs, with Nasir Hossain and Mahadi Hasan taking two wickets each for Prime Bank, with Prime Bank winning by a massive margin of 173 runs.
Siddons takes a step back from national team to work with ‘A’ team
Jamie Siddons, who had been working as the batting coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team since last August, has announced that he will no longer work with the national team and will instead focus on developing young batters in the Bangladesh 'A' team.
Siddons took to social media on Monday to announce his decision to step down from his role with the national team, shortly after returning to Dhaka from a break in Australia.
“I won't be working with the national team anymore, as I feel my best value to BCB is working with the next generation to ensure the players just outside of the team are being well looked after and are improving each day in preparation for their next opportunity to play for their country,” he said on his social media page.
The decision comes after Siddons had increasingly focused on working with young talent in the Bangladesh ‘A’ team and the Tigers. He expressed his love for coaching young cricketers and said that he wants to continue developing their skills.
The Bangladesh team on Monday traveled to England to play a three-match ODI series against Ireland, starting on May 9, but Siddons did not join them. The series is part of the World Cup Super League.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has not yet appointed a separate batting coach for the national team, but the Chief Executive, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, said that they might bring in expert coaches or consultants for specific series or camps if needed.