United News of Bangladesh

Iran's national football team left North America on Tuesday after being eliminated from the FIFA World Cup, ending a campaign marked by travel disputes with U.S. authorities, memorable performances on the pitch and the disappointment of narrowly missing a place in the knockout stage. The team is returning to a country still affected by the ongoing conflict involving Israel and the United States. Despite the early exit, many supporters said the players had given them hope and deserved appreciation. "Even though they didn't advance, they gave people something to believe in," said Mohammad Modarres, 38, who travelled from San Diego to see the team off. Painful end to the campaign Iran drew all three of its group-stage matches, leaving its hopes of reaching the knockout round dependent on the outcome of the Algeria-Austria match on Saturday. Players and staff watched the match together in the lobby of their hotel in Tijuana. They celebrated when Algeria scored a stoppage-time goal, believing it would send Iran through. "I've never seen a room celebrate like that," said Kimia Ranjbar, 25, a lifelong Team Melli supporter from the Los Angeles area. The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Austria scored a late equaliser, ending Iran's hopes and leaving the team in silence. It was another frustrating moment in a tournament that also saw a late goal by Shoja Khalilzadeh against Egypt ruled out for offside after initially putting Iran ahead. Off-field challenges Iran's World Cup preparations and participation were overshadowed by political tensions. Questions had emerged over whether the team would be allowed to compete because of the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Iran's request to play its matches in Mexico was rejected. The team also had to relocate its base camp from Arizona, while several key staff members were denied U.S. visas. U.S. authorities also refused Iran's request to enter the country two days before its Los Angeles matches, although some travel restrictions were eased ahead of the team's final group game. During a World Cup security briefing on Monday, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the United States had made several accommodations for the Iranian team and repeated claims that many people Iran wanted to bring with the squad had links to the country's Revolutionary Guard. "I'm just glad they're done and they're not coming back," Mullin said. FIFA did not immediately comment. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Iranian team criticised Mullin's remarks, saying they reflected a lack of respect for international standards expected from a World Cup host. "The fact that he openly celebrates Iran's elimination says far more about him than it does about our team," the statement said. The team also questioned the fairness of some logistical decisions during the tournament, although it thanked Mexico and the city of Tijuana for their hospitality. Mixed reactions among supporters Members of the Iranian diaspora remained divided over supporting the national team, with some arguing that backing the squad could be viewed as support for Iran's government, while others insisted football should remain separate from politics. "You don't see someone blaming Christian Pulisic for something President Trump does," Modarres said. Although the players avoided commenting directly on the conflict, they paid tribute to victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school at the start of the war. When they arrived in Mexico, players wore pins bearing the number "168," referring to the reported number of people, mostly children, killed in the attack. They also left a message in the dressing room at Los Angeles Stadium calling for peace among all nations. Supporter Sherry Ghaemi described the gesture as "honourable." Strong bond with Mexico Despite the difficult circumstances, the team earned admiration from fans in Mexico. Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand's seven-save performance against Belgium and Ramin Rezaeian's equaliser against New Zealand were among the highlights of Iran's campaign. "They're going home not as losers, but as winners," Ghaemi said. Iranian-American fan Siavash Khosrowshahi, who travelled from Los Angeles to Tijuana after the team's elimination, described meeting the players as a memorable experience. He said he even surprised his mother in Tehran by putting Beiranvand on the phone during a video call. Throughout the tournament, Tijuana residents warmly welcomed the Iranian squad, often chanting in Spanish, "Iran, brother, now you are Mexican." Local resident Arely Ramírez said the city was proud to show its hospitality to the visitors. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed similar feelings before departing on Tuesday. "We're leaving Tijuana today, but our hearts stay here," he said. Although disappointment remained after the World Cup exit, many supporters were already looking ahead to the AFC Asian Cup in six months, hoping Team Melli would have another chance to shine.

Zimbabwe secured a historic victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday, winning the one-off Test at the Harare Sports Club by an innings and 85 runs inside three days. It is now their largest-ever Test victory by an innings and their first innings win against Bangladesh since 2001. Resuming their second innings on Day 3 at 40 for 1 while trailing by 230 runs, Bangladesh collapsed to 185 all out in 45 overs against a disciplined Zimbabwean pace attack. Bangladesh dismissed for 140 in first innings against Zimbabwe Seamer Blessing Muzarabani led the host nation's bowling performance with figures of 4 for 65 from 17 overs. Bangladesh suffered immediate setbacks in the morning session when Muzarabani struck twice in his opening spell. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy was caught by Brian Bennett for 22, and experienced Mominul Haque was dismissed for 13 following a spectacular diving catch by Brad Evans at third slip, leaving the visitors at 46 for 3. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim provided temporary resistance, building a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The stand was broken when Najmul missed a low full toss from left-arm pacer Newman Nyamhuri and was bowled for 30. Mushfiqur was dismissed shortly before the lunch interval, caught behind by wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga off Muzarabani for 34. The lower order offered little resistance after lunch as debutant Towhid Hridoy fell to Muzarabani for 9, marking his second single-digit score of the match. Fellow debutant Amite Hasan played fluidly for his 25 before edging Richard Ngarava to Craig Ervine. Ngarava quickly followed by dismissing Khaled Ahmed for a duck, finishing with 3 for 32. Nyamhuri concluded the match by having Hasan Mahmud caught by Muzarabani for 15, ending a brief 23-run final partnership with Ebadot Hossain, who remained unbeaten on 12. The foundation for Zimbabwe's victory was laid during the first two days of play. Bangladesh was bowled out for 140 in their first innings after being inserted to bat on Day 1. Zimbabwe responded with a commanding total of 410, building a 270-run first-innings lead. Opener Innocent Kaia was named Player of the Match for his marathon innings of 140 runs from 227 balls. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam was the standout performer for Bangladesh in the field, claiming figures of 7 for 138 across 40.2 overs. The two teams will now focus on the shorter formats, beginning a three-match ODI series on July 6.

Former national team captain and current Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal was named an honorary life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club on Sunday. Tamim was elected alongside four other former international cricketers: Cheteshwar Pujara of India, Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine of New Zealand, and Mel Jones of Australia. He becomes the third Bangladeshi cricketer to receive the honor from the MCC, which was founded in 1787 and remains the sole authority on the laws of cricket. "We are delighted to be able to welcome five fantastic cricketers as our newest Honorary Life Members," Rob Lawson, the chief executive and secretary of the MCC, said. "Each of them is richly deserving of the recognition for their lifelong dedication to the game. We look forward to welcoming them to Lord’s as MCC Members in the years to come." Tamim previously earned a place on the honors board at Lord's after scoring a century against England in 2010. Following that performance, he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack’s Cricketers of the Year and Wisden’s Test Cricketer of the Year in 2011. He was recently elected as the youngest president of the BCB.

England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket following the third Test against New Zealand national cricket team, the England team announced on Sunday. The announcement was made during the fourth day of the third Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, bringing an end to Stokes' distinguished 15-year international career. The all-rounder enjoyed some of the finest moments in England cricket history, most notably playing a pivotal role in England's dramatic triumph over New Zealand in the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final. Stokes was also instrumental in England's victory at the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup and was appointed Test captain later that year. However, the final chapter of his career has been overshadowed by controversy. Stokes was dropped for the second Test of the ongoing series for disciplinary reasons following a night out after the opening match. Despite the setback, Stokes departs as one of England's most influential cricketers, having played a central role in some of the country's greatest achievements in international cricket.

Left-arm pacer Newman Nyamhuri took four wickets as Zimbabwe dismissed Bangladesh for 140 in their first innings before tea on the opening day of the only Test match at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday. After Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field, their bowling attack capitalised on early movement to reduce Bangladesh to 36 for 2, dismissing openers Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 2 and Shadman Islam for 20. Mominul Haque and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto stabilized the innings with a 77-run partnership for the third wicket. Mominul struck 60 off 81 balls, including 12 boundaries, to register his 28th Test half-century. The stand was broken when Mominul was caught by Craig Ervine off Nyamhuri with the score at 113. Mominul’s dismissal triggered a collapse where Bangladesh lost their remaining eight wickets for 27 runs. Brad Evans dismissed Najmul for 19, caught behind by wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga. Richard Ngarava then removed Mushfiqur Rahim bowled for 9 and had debutant Towhid Hridoy caught behind for 3. Blessing Muzarabani claimed the wicket of the other debutant, Amite Hasan, for 4 before Nyamhuri swept through the lower order. Nyamhuri dismissed Taijul Islam for 9 and bowled Khaled Ahmed for a duck to finish with figures of 4 for 61 from 12.2 overs. Muzarabani also removed Hasan Mahmud for a duck, finishing with 2 for 19, while Ngarava and Evans claimed two wickets each to end the innings in 47.2 overs.  

India kept their Women's T20 World Cup semifinal hopes alive with a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Thursday, setting up a decisive final group-stage clash against unbeaten Australia. Chasing a modest target of 137 at Old Trafford, India reached 139-5 with 19 balls to spare after restricting Bangladesh to 136-8. The victory means India must beat four-time winners Australia in their final Group match on Sunday at a sold-out Lord's to secure a place in the semifinals. "We're all set for Australia," India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match. "We'll get a lot of confidence if we win that." India's chase was anchored by opener Shafali Verma, who capitalised on an early reprieve after being dropped behind the stumps in the first over. She dominated the powerplay as India raced to 63-1 and brought up her second half-century of the tournament off just 29 deliveries. Verma was eventually stumped for 53, but by then India had taken firm control of the chase. Yastika Bhatia contributed 23 runs, while Jemimah Rodrigues added 26. "I was sad I got out," Verma said. "I would've been happier had I batted through." Earlier, India endured a sloppy outing in the field, dropping four catches and receiving two warnings for medium-pacer Nandni Sharma's repeated overstepping on the pitch. Bangladesh, however, failed to fully exploit the lapses due to a lack of big-hitting in the middle order. Juairiya Ferdous top-scored with 33 before being caught and bowled by Sharma in the ninth over, while captain Nigar Sultana made 32 before being stumped late in the innings. Australia have already secured four consecutive wins in the tournament, including a convincing victory over South Africa, and head into Sunday's encounter as favourites against India.

Australia beat Bangladesh by seven wickets with 54 balls remaining in the third T20I in Chattogram on Sunday, completing a 3-0 sweep of the three-match series. Chasing a target of 110, Australia reached 112 for 3 in 11 overs. Captain Mitchell Marsh led the chase with 60 runs from 28 balls, hitting seven boundaries and four sixes before being caught by Shamim Hossain off the bowling of Shoriful Islam. Marsh and Josh Inglis put on 54 runs for the opening wicket inside the six-over powerplay. Inglis made 17 off 16 balls before falling to Nasum Ahmed, while Cooper Connolly added 15 runs. Matt Renshaw, named player of the series, and Tim David remained unbeaten at the crease to secure the victory. Nasum was the most economical bowler for Bangladesh, taking 1 for 10 from his three overs. Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss, elected to bat first at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, and were restricted to 109 for 8 in 20 overs. The hosts suffered a top-order collapse, falling to 11 for 3 in the fifth over as Tanzid Hasan was run out for 5, Saif Hassan fell to Spencer Johnson for 1, and Parvez Hossain Emon was caught off Nathan Ellis for 1. Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy anchored the remainder of the innings, top-scoring with an unbeaten 61 from 51 balls, which included three boundaries and two sixes. Rishad Hossain was the only other Bangladesh batter to reach double figures, contributing 16 runs before falling to Nikhil Chaudhary. Johnson led the Australian bowling attack with figures of 2 for 6 from his four overs. Adam Zampa claimed 2 for 22, while Ellis took 2 for 21 to contain the hosts throughout the innings. Mitchell Marsh was adjudged player of the match, while Matt Renshaw player of the series after scoring 113 runs and taking three wickets in three matches.

Bangladesh made history at the Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday, defeating Pakistan by 23 runs in Southampton to secure two victories in a single edition of the tournament for the first time. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh posted 123 for 5 before restricting Pakistan to 100 for 8 from their 20 overs. The win moves Bangladesh to third place in Group A with four points from three matches, keeping their semifinal hopes alive ahead of upcoming group games against India and South Africa. Pakistan started their chase of 124 strongly, reaching 39 without loss. Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter broke the opening partnership by dismissing Gul Feroza, who made 23 off 18 balls, before removing Muniba Ali for 25. Sanjida Akter then triggered a middle-order collapse, claiming two wickets in a single over and finishing with three wickets as Pakistan collapsed from a position of control. Aside from the top three batters, only Fatima Sana reached double figures with 10 runs. Marufa Akter bowled the final over to seal the victory. Earlier, Bangladesh suffered a top-order collapse, falling to 13 for 3. Captain Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary rebuilt the innings with a 35-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Mostary contributed 22 off 19 balls, while Sultana anchored the middle overs with 36 runs from 38 balls. Following the dismissals of Sultana and Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter provided late acceleration to push the total past 120. Shorna hit an unbeaten 39 off 22 balls to guide Bangladesh to their final score of 123. Bangladesh previously defeated the Netherlands in their tournament opener before losing their second match against Australia.

Yashasvi Jaiswal struck an unbeaten century and Prasidh Krishna claimed his maiden five-wicket haul as India defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets on Saturday to complete a 3-0 clean sweep in their three-match ODI series. Krishna returned figures of 5-23 in 8.2 overs as Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs after electing to bat first. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi top-scored with 102 off 131 deliveries, registering his maiden ODI century. In reply, India chased down the target with ease, reaching 224-1 in just 28.4 overs and winning the match with 21.2 overs to spare. Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 110 and shared a 170-run opening partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma, who made 79 off 69 balls. India had already sealed the series with a 170-run victory in the second ODI in Lucknow after winning the rain-shortened opener in Dharamshala by seven wickets. The series marked the first bilateral ODI contest between the two nations. Earlier, Krishna ripped through Afghanistan's top order with the new ball, reducing the visitors to 36-4 inside 10 overs. Rohit Sharma played a key role in the early breakthroughs, taking three catches at slip. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for 5, while Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah managed only 11 and 5 respectively. Darwish Rasooli was also dismissed cheaply as Afghanistan struggled in the opening phase. Shahidi then led Afghanistan's recovery, anchoring the innings with a composed 102 and adding 105 runs for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai. Omarzai contributed 50 off 56 balls, while Mohammad Nabi chipped in with 21. However, no other batter managed to reach double figures as Afghanistan failed to recover fully from the early setbacks. India's chase got off to a brisk start, with the hosts racing to 81 without loss in the first 10 overs. Jaiswal reached his fifty off just 38 balls and completed his second ODI century in only his fifth appearance in the format. The left-hander reached three figures with an array of attacking strokes, including several boundaries and two sixes. "I really enjoyed batting out there. I got runs in the powerplay so I just wanted to keep going," Jaiswal said after the match, adding that he remains focused on making the most of every opportunity despite not being a regular member of India's ODI side. Sharma brought up his 61st ODI half-century before falling for 79, caught off Nabi's bowling in the 23rd over. Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, who remained unbeaten on 20, then added an unbroken 54-run stand to guide India comfortably over the line. Afghanistan are yet to register a victory against India in any format of international cricket.

Australia secured a seven-run victory over Bangladesh in the second T20I in Chattogram on Friday, defending a total of 196, to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 International series. Aaron Hardie held his nerve in a high-scoring final over, dismissing Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy for 35 off the final ball to restrict the hosts to 189 for 6. Bangladesh needed 23 runs from the final six balls. Despite Hardie bowling two wides and conceding a six and a four to Hridoy, the Australian seam bowler secured the win when Hridoy sliced a slower ball to Tim David at wide long-on. Bangladesh started their chase of 197 strongly, reaching 72 for 1 in the powerplay. Tanzid Hasan struck 30 off 15 balls before falling to Matt Renshaw, while Saif Hassan anchored the middle overs with 42 from 33 balls. Soumya Sarkar made a quick 15, and Parvez Hossain Emon added 36 off 22 balls. The hosts looked well-placed at 130 for 2 in the 13th over, but the departures of Emon and Saif in quick succession slowed the momentum. Nathan Ellis finished with the figure of 1 for 27 from his four overs to choke the scoring, while Hardie picked up 2 for 40, including the vital final wicket. Adam Zampa and Joel Davies claimed one wicket apiece. Earlier, Australia chose to bat first at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium and posted 196 for 5, recovering from a top-order collapse that left them at 44 for 3 during the powerplay. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed took 2 for 27, dismissing Josh Inglis for 11 and Nikhil Chaudhary for 8. Nahid Rana and Mustafizur Rahman also took early wickets, removing Cooper Connolly and captain Mitchell Marsh respectively. Renshaw and David rebuilt the innings with a 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket. David hit four sixes in his 26-ball 45 before falling to Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, who conceded 53 runs from his four overs. Renshaw remained unbeaten on 89 from 52 balls, hitting five sixes and four boundaries to push the visitors to their match-winning total.