United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hopes a strong performance in next month's two-Test series in Australia will help secure more opportunities for his team to tour the country in the future.Bangladesh will leave Dhaka on Friday for their first Test tour of Australia since 2003, ending a 23-year gap between series."Our main goal is to earn respect by playing good cricket," Shanto told reporters on Thursday. "If we can make the series competitive, hopefully they will invite us again." Nahid's Zimbabwe appearance aimed at keeping him ready, says Bashar While Bangladesh's long-term hopes hinge on building stronger ties with Australia, Shanto said the team's immediate focus remains on the two matches. "We go into every match trying to win," he said. "The important thing is how well we play and how much pressure we can put on them. If we play two good Test matches, that could create more opportunities for us in the future." The captain described the tour as a rare opportunity for Bangladesh, who have not played a Test in Australia for more than two decades. "I feel fortunate to be leading the team there," Shanto said. "Looking back, we probably should have played more Tests in Australia over the last 23 years, although we also have to admit that we did not play good enough Test cricket for a long period." The lengthy absence means several generations of Bangladesh cricketers have gone through their careers without a Test in Australia. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, despite playing more than 100 Tests across a career spanning two decades, is set for his first Test appearance on Australian soil. Shanto also said the growing expectations surrounding Bangladesh's Test side reflected the progress the team has made in recent years. "It is a positive thing that our supporters expect us to win every series," he said. "Twenty-three years ago, that probably was not the case. Now, people believe Bangladesh can beat any team, and that is a good sign of how far we have come."

Litton Das has been appointed Bangladesh’s new ODI captain, replacing Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the Bangladesh Cricket Board split the leadership of its red-ball and white-ball teams. Litton, who already leads the T20I side, will now captain Bangladesh in both white-ball formats. Towhid Hridoy has been named ODI vice-captain, while Najmul Hossain Shanto will remain Test captain. The decision was announced by BCB President Tamim Iqbal after a board meeting in Mirpur on Wednesday. “We have decided to have two captains across the three formats,” Tamim said. “We believe white-ball and red-ball cricket require different leadership, and the board supports that approach.” Miraz took over the ODI captaincy in June 2025 after Najmul was removed from the role. Bangladesh won 10 of the 24 ODIs under his leadership, including series victories over West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. His last assignment as captain ended with a 2-1 series defeat in Zimbabwe. Tamim said the change was not a reflection of Miraz’s record as captain. “Miraz has been an excellent captain and has led the team well,” he said. “But we feel Bangladesh need more from him as a cricketer. We have not seen the level of batting and bowling he is capable of, and we want him to focus fully on getting back to that standard.” The BCB chief said he had discussed the decision with Miraz beforehand and that the all-rounder understood the board’s thinking.

Although the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded only weeks ago with Spain lifting the trophy, several Southeast Asian nations have already shifted their focus toward qualifying for the 2030 tournament. The ASEAN Cup is currently underway in Phnom Penh, where host nation Cambodia suffered defeats in its opening Group A fixtures, losing 2-1 to Singapore before being beaten 5-1 by Indonesia. The biennial competition features 10 national teams from across Southeast Asia, a region with a population of around 650 million. While the championship title will be decided in late August, many participating teams are using the tournament as an opportunity to build momentum ahead of the next World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins next year. Regional football powers Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are aiming to use the event to strengthen their squads before the Asian qualifiers. Indonesia remains the only Southeast Asian nation to have appeared at the World Cup, having competed as the Dutch East Indies in 1938. ASEAN Football Federation President Khiev Sameth expressed confidence that a Southeast Asian team can soon secure a place on football's biggest stage. He said the long-held ambition of seeing an ASEAN nation qualify for the FIFA World Cup is becoming increasingly realistic and believes the achievement would be a milestone shared by the entire regional football community. Indonesia came closest among Southeast Asian teams to reaching the 2026 World Cup but is still searching for its first ASEAN Cup title despite finishing as runner-up six times in the tournament's history. Earlier this year, Indonesia appointed English coach John Herdman, who guided Canada to its first World Cup appearance in 36 years at the 2022 tournament, to lead the national side. Following its commanding victory over Cambodia, Indonesia is scheduled to play Timor-Leste on Friday before taking on Vietnam and Singapore next week. Herdman said his primary objective is to help Indonesia qualify for the World Cup, adding that he wants to be part of the team's journey when it reaches that historic milestone. Indonesia has also accelerated its player naturalization program by bringing in overseas-born footballers eligible to represent the country. In July, Australian-born players Mitch Baker and Luke Vickery officially became Indonesian citizens during separate ceremonies in Jakarta. Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir, who also serves as president of the Indonesian Football Association, attended Baker's citizenship ceremony. The 19-year-old midfielder marked his ASEAN Cup debut with a hat-trick and earned player-of-the-match honors. Thohir said Indonesia has set ambitious goals across major international competitions, including the SEA Games, Asian Games, Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, emphasizing that the country welcomes players committed to representing Indonesia with pride. Vietnam head coach Kim Sang-sik is also targeting future World Cup qualification. The former South Korean international, who played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, said watching the recent tournament inspired both him and his players to dream of competing on the global stage. Thailand, the most successful nation in ASEAN Cup history with seven titles, begins its campaign in Group B alongside Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar. Thai head coach Anthony Hudson acknowledged the expectations surrounding his team, saying the pressure reflects the quality of the squad and the passionate support of the country's fans, who are eager to see sustained success. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners meeting in a two-legged final scheduled for Aug. 22 and Aug. 26. Once the ASEAN Cup concludes, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will shift their attention to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which is set to begin on Jan. 7 in Saudi Arabia.    

Jayden Seales took five wickets as West Indies defeated Pakistan by 90 runs in the first cricket Test on Tuesday, despite an unbeaten 58 from Pakistan captain Babar Azam and a late 49-run stand with No. 11 Mohammad Abbas. Chasing 211 after West Indies were bowled out for 181 in their second innings, Pakistan collapsed to 71-9 before Babar and Abbas delayed the inevitable with a stubborn partnership. Seales finished with 5-20 as Pakistan struggled against accurate bowling. Abbas was the last batter dismissed, scoring 23 shortly after the tea interval on Day 4, with Pakistan on 120. Babar’s 32nd Test half-century was a rare bright spot in Pakistan’s otherwise poor batting display. He reached his 50 off 81 balls with Pakistan at 88-9, while the rest of the batters had contributed only 38 runs. “We played good cricket in the last few days but today we were not up to the mark as a batting unit,” Babar said. “We lost back-to-back wickets. We will look to make sure it doesn't happen in the next matches.” The second and final Test of the series begins Sunday. Pakistan’s second-innings collapse followed a similar pattern to its first innings. After reaching 244-4, including a century from Shan Masood, Pakistan lost its final six wickets for just 38 runs and was bowled out for 282, giving West Indies a 29-run first-innings lead. West Indies had scored 311 in their first innings. Masood’s century was Pakistan’s only hundred in the match. Imam-ul-Haq scored 63 in the first innings, while Babar made a half-century in the second. Apart from them, only six Pakistan batters managed to reach double figures. Abbas’ 23 was joint-fourth highest among Pakistan’s batters. Masood suffered a hand injury while batting in the first innings and was moved from No. 3 to No. 8 in the batting order Tuesday, further weakening Pakistan’s lineup. West Indies resumed the fourth day at 126-7, holding a 155-run lead. Shamar Joseph increased his score from 22 to 38, while Kemar Roach moved from 5 to 18 as the hosts pushed their advantage beyond 200. That proved sufficient as Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq for three in the third over, beginning another major batting collapse. Babar held one end together, but among Pakistan’s top six batters, only Mohammad Rizwan, with 11, managed to reach double figures. Excluding Babar and Abbas, Pakistan’s scores were 3, 3, 0, 11, 0, 2, 3, 4 and 0. Seales led the attack with his early wickets, while Roach took 2-27 and Justin Greaves 2-12. Seales returned to claim the final wicket, trapping Abbas lbw in the 41st over to complete his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Greaves, who took 5-27 in Pakistan’s first innings, was named player of the match. “We came in and tried to be just as disciplined as possible,” Greaves said. “I mimicked Mohammad Abbas' fuller lengths when he bowled against us in the first and second innings and it pretty much worked out for us.” Abbas took 3-63 and 5-22 for Pakistan in the match.

Bangladesh fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed left for Australia ahead of the rest of the national squad, with both set to consult specialists before the upcoming two-Test series. Nahid, who has already been ruled out of the series after suffering a Grade 2 side strain during the T20I series in Zimbabwe, is scheduled to fly out on Sunday night. But the main purpose of his trip is to seek treatment for a long-standing shinbone problem rather than the side injury that forced him out of the Australia tour. The pacer has been managing discomfort in his shin for some time and will undergo specialist assessment in Australia. Taskin is also travelling early to have his shoulder examined by a specialist before linking up with the Bangladesh squad. The senior fast bowler is expected to spearhead Bangladesh's pace attack in Nahid's absence. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said earlier this week that Nahid is expected to need six to eight weeks to recover from his side strain, which effectively ruled him out of both Tests. Bangladesh begin the series against Australia in Darwin on August 13, with the second Test scheduled for August 22 in Mackay.

West Indies held a 155-run lead over Pakistan with three wickets remaining in their second innings at the end of the third day of the first Test on Monday, after a day dominated by the bowlers. Justin Greaves claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, taking 5-27, as Pakistan lost six wickets for just 38 runs after Shan Masood completed his seventh Test century. Pakistan, who resumed the day at 199-3, were 244-4 when Masood reached 109, but collapsed to 282 all out, giving West Indies a 29-run first-innings lead after the hosts had made 311. Mohammad Abbas then produced another impressive spell with the new ball, taking 3-14 in 13 overs as West Indies slipped to 126-7 at stumps. Kemar Roach was unbeaten on five, while Shamar Joseph struck a quick 22 off 13 balls as the hosts sought to build their lead toward 200, which would present Pakistan with a challenging fourth-innings chase. Masood reached his century from 163 balls after resuming on 88. He and Salman Agha initially made steady progress as Pakistan looked well placed to match or surpass West Indies' first-innings total. But Shamar Joseph changed the momentum when he bowled Agha for 20 with a delivery that seamed past the outside edge, leaving Pakistan at 244-4. Greaves then removed Masood, who was bowled after an inside edge sent the ball onto the stumps. Aamir Jamal was dismissed for three after missing a straight delivery from Greaves. Ali Usman was then trapped lbw for a duck, while Mohammad Rizwan was caught behind for 12, leaving Pakistan at 259-8 before lunch. Greaves completed his five-wicket haul when Abbas was caught behind, and Pakistan were soon bowled out when Roach dismissed Khurram Shahzad for 19. Abbas continued his impressive form in West Indies' second innings, dismissing Brandon King for five and Kavem Hodge for a duck to reduce the hosts to 7-2 in the fifth over. Mohammad Ali then caught Amir Jangoo for four off his own bowling before Khurram Shahzad bowled Shai Hope for 10, leaving West Indies at 43-4. Tagenarine Chanderpaul offered some resistance with 35 before Aamir Jamal dismissed him. Abbas returned to remove Greaves for 20, while Shahzad claimed the wicket of West Indies captain Roston Chase for eight. Roach and Joseph then steadied the innings, with Joseph attacking Pakistan's bowlers in an effort to extend the lead before the close. Pakistan had entered the third day in a strong position at 199-3 after Masood's unbeaten 88 helped them recover from early setbacks. The first Test is being played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Chief Selector Habibul Bashar on Monday said Nahid Rana's appearance in the T20I series against Zimbabwe was part of a workload management plan designed to keep the fast bowler match-ready ahead of the Australia Tests, describing his injury as "unfortunate" rather than avoidable. Nahid suffered a side strain during the second T20I in Bulawayo and has since been ruled out of the two-Test series in Australia, raising questions over whether he should have played in Zimbabwe. Bashar said Bangladesh's medical and performance staff monitored the workload of all fast bowlers through GPS data rather than relying on subjective assessments. "Workload management is not just something we talk about anymore," he told reporters. "Every movement is tracked through GPS, and that data helps determine how many matches a player should play. The same process applies to Nahid, Taskin and all our fast bowlers." He said Bangladesh had already managed Nahid's workload during the home series against Australia by resting him from the Test matches after he featured in two One-Day Internationals and two T20Is. "According to the workload data and the physio's assessment, he was fit to play Test cricket," Bashar said. "But because the Australia series is important, we took extra precautions and did not play him in those Tests." He said keeping a fast bowler out of matches for too long can also increase the risk of injury. "We classify bowlers into red, yellow and green zones," the chief selector said. "Bowling too much can push a player into the red zone, but bowling too little also creates risk. To stay in the green zone, a fast bowler needs to maintain a certain workload."    

Opener Soumya Sarkar has earned a recall to Bangladesh's Test squad for the first time in more than five years, with selectors backing his domestic form and experience against pace ahead of next month's series in Australia. Habibul Bashar, the chief selector of Bangladesh, said injuries have complicated the selection process, while the Bangladesh A team's four-day series against South Africa Emerging also influenced several decisions. Soumya, who last played a Test against the West Indies in February 2021, replaced Mahmudul Hasan Joy after scoring 633 runs in seven National Cricket League— Bangladesh’s first-class domestic event— matches last season to finish as the competition's leading run-scorer. "Soumya has played international cricket for a long time," Bashar said on Monday. "The pace and bounce we expect in Australia are conditions he is familiar with." Mahmudul, meanwhile, will join the Bangladesh A squad after a lean run at the top of the order. He has reached fifty once in his last six Test innings, four of which ended in single-digit scores. Towhid Hridoy has also been omitted after making 2 and 9 on his Test debut against Zimbabwe last month. Bashar said Mehidy Hasan Miraz's return left little room for Hridoy in the playing XI, but stressed the selectors still view him as part of Bangladesh's long-term Test plans. "We see Hridoy as a Test player," Bashar said. "The four-day matches against South Africa Emerging will be important for his development." Wicketkeeper-batter Mahidul Islam will also feature for Bangladesh A after missing out on the Australia squad. Jaker Ali returns to the Test squad for the first time since June last year. Bashar said the wicketkeeper-batter had regained form and confidence through the High Performance programme after struggling before his omission. Bangladesh begin the two-Test series against Australia in Darwin on August 13, with the second Test starting in Mackay on August 22. The Bangladesh A side will play South Africa Emerging in four-day matches beginning on Aug. 16 and August 23. Bangladesh squad for Australia series:Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Musfik Hasan.

Ishan Kishan hit 81 off 44 balls as India crushed Zimbabwe by 90 runs in the second Twenty20 and clinched the three-match series with a game to spare on Saturday. Kishan struck nine fours and two sixes as India piled up 219-5. Tilak Varma contributed 60 not out off 29 balls, including three sixes, while the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a speedy 20. In reply, Zimbabwe was bowled out for 129 in 17.5 overs. India debutant Yash Thakur picked up 2-30, Abhishek Sharma took 3-17 and Prince Yadav claimed 2-10 in 1.2 overs before walking off with an injured hamstring. Put into bat, Sooryavanshi provided a blistering start, hitting three fours and one six in the powerplay, but Sharma fell to Blessing Muzarabani for the second match running. Muzarabani then caught Sooryavanshi off Richard Ngarava as India slipped to 29-2. Kishan, however, put on 66 off 42 balls with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored 25 before being caught at backward point off Brian Bennett. It brought Kishan and Varma together and they added 94 off 43 balls for the fourth wicket. Kishan scored his 13th T20 half-century off 31 deliveries, while Varma hit three sixes to race to his half-century off 23 balls. Kishan fell in the 18th over but Varma saw India past 200. Zimbabwe’s reply never really took off. Bennett made 32 off 19 balls, including three fours and three sixes, but didn’t get much support. India won the first T20 on Thursday by seven wickets. The third game is on Sunday at the same venue.

Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming two-Test series against Australia after scans confirmed a Grade 2 strain to his left side, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Saturday. Nahid suffered the injury during the second T20I against Zimbabwe on July 17. The BCB said the injury will require about four weeks to heal, followed by another two to four weeks to gradually increase his bowling workload. His recovery is expected to take six to eight weeks. Nahid impressed during the Zimbabwe tour, taking four wickets in the opening T20I before the injury forced him out of the rest of the series. The board expects Shoriful Islam and Litton Das to return later in the Australia series if their recoveries continue as planned. Shoriful is recovering from a Grade 1 left hamstring injury sustained on July 14. He is scheduled to resume bowling on July 29 and will undergo a fitness assessment around Aug. 12. The left-arm seamer is unlikely to be available for the first Test but could return for the second, subject to medical clearance. Litton continues to recover from a left calf injury. After consulting a specialist in Singapore, he underwent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment on Friday. He is due to begin a running and conditioning programme on July 28 before a fitness assessment around Aug. 13. If he completes his rehabilitation, he is also expected to be available for the second Test. Right-arm fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib remains in rehabilitation after suffering a fracture. The BCB said another scan is planned in eight to 10 weeks, with his return expected later this year, depending on the progress of healing. Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman is recovering from hamstring and calf injuries and continues daily rehabilitation. He is scheduled for a fitness assessment at the end of July and is expected to be available for selection after Aug. 18 if he receives medical clearance. Bangladesh will travel to Australia in August this year to play the Tests, with the first match in Darwin from August 13 and the second match in Mackay from August 22.