United News of Bangladesh

Towhid Hridoy finished unbeaten on 350 for Bangladesh A against South Africa A in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, passing Tamim Iqbal's long-standing record for the highest first-class score by a Bangladeshi. With this, Hridoy has also become the first Bangladeshi to make a first-class triple century outside the country. He went past Tamim's 334 on the final day of the four-day affair. Tamim set that mark for East Zone against Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League at Mirpur in 2019. Bangladesh A declared on 676 for eight, with Hridoy having faced 481 balls. Rejaur Rahman, who held up an end late in the innings, was 31 not out from 110 deliveries. Wickets fell around Hridoy through the day. The eighth went down with him on 225, leaving him to push the score along with the tail. He and Rejaur then batted through to the declaration. South Africa A, 164 behind on first innings, began their second innings with less than a session left, giving Bangladesh A no realistic chance of bowling them out.

Bangladesh fast bowler Khaled Ahmed has signed for Kent for the last four matches of their County Championship season.  In his first County assignment, he will bowl alongside compatriot Hasan Mahmud. Kent announced the deal on Tuesday, subject to regulatory approval, as the club chase promotion from Division Two. The 32-year-old right-arm seamer joins Hasan, who is back at Canterbury after an earlier spell this season. Hasan took 12 wickets in two matches in June, including 9-101 against Lancashire at Stanley Park, before leaving for international duty. "It's an honour for me to play county cricket and join a club with a big history such as Kent," Khaled said. "This is an important part of our season and I am determined to help the team achieve promotion." He added that Hasan and his agent had spoken well of the club, which made the decision an easy one. Khaled made his first-class debut for Sylhet in 2015 and has 190 wickets from 70 matches. He has taken 34 wickets in 18 Tests since making his debut for Bangladesh in 2018. Kent are second in Division Two, level on points with Northamptonshire and 40 points behind leaders Durham. Director of cricket Simon Cook said the club had been looking for another bowler to add depth for the closing weeks. "With three of our final four games at home, we can stick with a formula that worked well in the first half of the year, while also having the flexibility to rest and rotate our frontline bowlers," Cook said.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended three individuals, including former Director Mokhlesur Rahman, over allegations of corruption and match-fixing during the 12th Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The BCB announced the suspensions in a news release on Tuesday and gave the accused 15 days to respond to the charges. Mokhlesur, a former director of the board led by Aminul Islam, faces allegations of trying to influence the outcome, progress or conduct of BPL matches, or being involved in efforts to fix matches. He is also accused of encouraging or helping others involved in the tournament to take part in corrupt activities. The BCB further alleged that Mokhlesur failed to report a corrupt approach to anti-corruption officials and deleted or destroyed communications that could have been relevant to an investigation. Mokhlesur had stepped down from his role with the BCB’s audit committee after fixing allegations surfaced during the previous BPL. The other two suspended individuals are former BCB security liaison officer Zakir Hasan and Rakibul Islam Sani, a former member secretary of the board’s audit committee. Zakir is accused of trying to influence the outcome or progress of matches and of encouraging others to become involved in corruption. He also allegedly failed to cooperate with an anti-corruption investigation without reasonable justification. Rakibul, a former Bogura district councillor who served as member secretary of the audit committee, is accused of failing to report an approach to engage in corrupt activities and of not cooperating with an anti-corruption investigation. The suspensions are provisional. The three have 15 days to submit their responses to the allegations.  

Uganda has announced its final squad for the upcoming ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, scheduled to take place in Tanzania from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5. The eight-team qualifier will be hosted at the TCA Cricket Arena at the University of Dar es Salaam, with nations competing for the single available spot at next year's global tournament. Brian Masaba, head coach of Uganda's Baby Victoria Pearls, told media on Wednesday that the management had named a strong squad following several months of rigorous preparation. "We are going to compete strongly because our target is to qualify and play at the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup," said Masaba. Uganda will open its campaign against Nigeria on Aug. 30. Highlighting the team's focused mindset, Masaba added, "We are going to treat every match like a final because our target is qualification". The eight participating teams competing for the qualifier's sole ticket are Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria and host Tanzania. The ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal next year.

A group of 21 former international cricket captains has appealed to Pakistan’s prime minister to ensure jailed former premier Imran Khan receives proper medical treatment and basic facilities, saying the authorities must comply with a Supreme Court order. The letter, sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marks the second such appeal from former captains in six months. It follows concerns that Imran’s treatment in custody and access to his family have not met the court’s instructions. The Supreme Court had ordered that Imran be examined by a medical board and allowed weekly meetings with family members. He was recently taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, but remained there for only a few hours before being returned to Adiala prison after an examination by a state-appointed team. Former England captain Michael Atherton said the appeal was motivated not only by concern over Khan’s health but also by what he described as an effort by the Pakistani state to erase the former cricketer from public life. “Yesterday, 21 former captains sent another letter, which was a humanitarian appeal to ensure that Imran Khan receives the medical care he needs,” Atherton said on a Sky Sports Cricket podcast. “But I think the main concern was the way the state is trying to erase Imran Khan.” India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, who signed the letter, said the former Pakistani leader deserved the same basic rights as any prisoner. “We want him to get the best medical treatment. We are not asking for anything else, nor are we seeking a response,” Kapil said. “We are simply making a request.” The signatories include prominent former captains such as Sunil Gavaskar, Allan Border, Clive Lloyd, Steve Waugh, Alastair Cook, Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara and Nasser Hussain, along with former women’s captains Belinda Clark and Alex Blackwell. Imran, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been imprisoned since 2023 after convictions in several cases.  

Bangladesh’s historic Test win in Australia has pushed them to No. 6 in the ICC rankings, their highest position since becoming a Test-playing nation. The three-place rise came despite a heavy defeat in Mackay, where Australia won the second Test by an innings and 51 runs inside two days to level the series 1-1. Bangladesh now have 1,878 points from 24 Tests and a rating of 78. They moved above Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Their previous best was seventh, reached after their 2-0 series win in Pakistan in 2024. The ranking rise was secured by a series of results that included Bangladesh’s nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin, their first Test win on Australian soil. That performance was driven by their bowlers and several individual contributions, giving Bangladesh one of the most significant Test results in their history. The Mackay defeat was a sharp contrast. Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 and 95, becoming the first team in 21 years to be bowled out for fewer than 100 in both innings of a Test. Shoriful Islam’s seven-wicket haul was one of the few bright spots. Yet the overall result of the Australian tour — a 1-1 draw against the No. 1-ranked team — was enough to lift Bangladesh to a new high. “Reaching No. 6 in Test cricket for the first time is a big achievement,” captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said after the Mackay Test. “The news would have been even better if we had played good cricket in this Test.” Australia remain No. 1 with a rating of 126, followed by South Africa, New Zealand, India and England.

Bangladesh’s nine-wicket win in Darwin was followed by a crushing defeat in Mackay, where Australia bowled them out for 95 in the 2nd innings on Sunday to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs. The result levelled the two-match series 1-1. The Test lasted only 667 deliveries, making it the second-shortest in Australian history and the fourth-shortest ever. For Bangladesh, the batting collapse was the defining feature. They were dismissed for 64 in the first innings and 95 in the second — the first time they have been bowled out for fewer than 100 in both innings of a Test. Mitchell Starc was at the centre of it. After taking 6 for 12 in the first innings, he added 4 for 39 in the second to finish with 10 wickets in the match. He was named player of the match and player of the series, having taken 12 wickets across the two Tests. Bangladesh gave themselves a chance with the ball. Shoriful Islam took 7 for 48, the first seven-wicket haul by a Bangladesh pacer in Tests, as Australia were dismissed for 210. That left Bangladesh 146 runs behind, but they could not make Australia bat again. Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 31 before Nathan Lyon had him caught by Starc. Mushfiqur Rahim resisted for 80 balls and was unbeaten on 29 when the innings ended. Lyon finished with 3 for 25, while Starc took four wickets. Taskin Ahmed was Lyon’s third victim, caught by Steven Smith at first slip for 8 at 87 for 9. Shoriful came out swinging at the next over, but sliced Lyon to backward point, where Starc took the catch to end the match. Australia also struggled with the bat, with Cameron Green making 67 and Steven Smith 42. But their bowlers made far better use of the conditions. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the extra bounce and movement made batting difficult but accepted that his team needs to improve. “We did not play our best this Test match,” he said, calling for Bangladesh to play in Australia more often rather than wait years between tours. For Australia, the win was a sharp response to their performance in Darwin. “A much better week,” Starc said. “What we expected from ourselves this week is what we got.”

Shoriful Islam produced a record-breaking spell for Bangladesh, but his seven-wicket haul was followed by another batting collapse as the visitors reached 71 for 7 in their second innings at Mackay on Sunday, still 75 runs behind Australia. Shoriful became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings, finishing with 7 for 48 as Australia were dismissed for 210. It was a remarkable turnaround after Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in their first innings. Australia had moved to 186 for 9, with Cameron Green making 67 and Steven Smith 42, before Shoriful finished off the middle and lower order. He removed Green for 67 and then had Josh Hazlewood caught by Shadman Islam for 6. Taijul Islam took the other wicket, ending Australia’s innings and leaving Bangladesh 146 runs behind. Bangladesh needed a solid start to their second innings. Instead, Shadman Islam fell for 1 and Mominul Haque was out first ball, leaving them 5 for 2. Tanzid Hasan made 9 before Pat Cummins dismissed him at 24 for 3. Najmul Hossain Shanto then gave Bangladesh some stability, making 31 from 46 balls with six fours. Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added 27 for the fourth wicket, Bangladesh’s best partnership of the innings so far. But Nathan Lyon ended it when Shanto was caught by Mitchell Starc for 31. Litton Das was out for a duck soon after, caught by Beau Webster off Starc, leaving Bangladesh 63 for 5. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 20 from 65 balls while was batting on 1 from 6 balls till filing of this report. Bangladesh have recovered with the ball and then slipped again with the bat. With only three wickets remaining and still 75 runs to make up, Shoriful’s extraordinary effort has left them with a chance — but not much room for another collapse.

Shoriful Islam dragged Bangladesh back into the second Test with a six-wicket burst on Saturday. His six-wicket haul left Australia 151 for 8 after the home side bowled Bangladesh out for 64. Australia led by 87 runs at the end of the third session, but their innings began to unravel late in the day. Shoriful took five of his six wickets after tea, including the key wickets of Steve Smith, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Smith was the first of the late casualties, trapped lbw for 16 at 118 for 4. He reviewed the decision, but ball tracking showed the delivery clipping the outside of off stump. Shoriful then struck twice in the 31st over. Webster was given out lbw for a golden duck after playing down the wrong line, and Cummins fell for a duck two balls later, fending a short delivery onto his glove for Litton Das to catch. Two overs later, Shoriful bowled Starc for 1, finding the top of off stump with a delivery that straightened sharply off the pitch. His first two wickets came earlier, when Travis Head chopped on for 28 and Marnus Labuschagne was bowled for a duck. Shoriful's figures stood at 6 for 34 from 10 overs, his best in Test cricket. Australia looked in control when Head and Labuschagne put together a steady start after Matt Renshaw fell for 13. But Bangladesh kept finding wickets, and Shoriful's spell turned the innings on its head. Cameron Green was unbeaten on 32 at the close, with Alex Carey on 20. Earlier, Bangladesh were dismissed for 64, with Mitchell Starc taking 6 for 12. Four of Bangladesh’s top six made ducks, while Shoriful earlier joined Taijul Islam for a 25-run last-wicket stand – the innings’ best partnership.

Mitchell Starc took 6 for 12 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in 34 overs on Saturday, giving Australia a commanding start to the second Test in Mackay. Bangladesh lost five wickets for 12 runs after Australia opted to field, with four of their top six batters dismissed without scoring. Shadman Islam was out to the first ball, edging Starc to Cameron Green at gully. Tanzid Hasan followed for a duck in Starc’s second over, and two balls later Najmul Hossain Shanto was trapped lbw. Mominul Haque made 9 before edging Starc to Green, while Litton Das was given out lbw after Australia successfully reviewed the decision. Mushfiqur Rahim, the other batter among the top six to score, made 5 before Pat Cummins bowled him. Bangladesh were 35 for 6 at lunch. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who made 11, and Hasan Mahmud added some resistance before Australia’s attack finished the innings in the afternoon. The only partnership of more than 20 came at the end. Taijul Islam and Shoriful Islam put on 25 for the 10th wicket, the best stand of Bangladesh’s innings. Shoriful made 14 from 19 balls, with three fours, while Taijul was unbeaten on 11. Starc returned to dismiss Shoriful caught behind for his sixth wicket. Cummins took 3 for 25 and Josh Hazlewood 1 for 18. Starc bowled 10 overs, six of them maidens. Hazlewood said there was movement in the air and off the pitch early in the innings, with the breeze helping the swing. He also felt the surface became flatter later in the innings. Australia, beaten by nine wickets in Darwin, now have a chance to take a firm grip on the match and level the two-Test series.