United News of Bangladesh

With two consecutive defeats to India and New Zealand, Bangladesh’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 reignited the discussion about the performance of senior players like Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim. Their repeated poor display in crucial games have raised serious questions about whether the team can afford to rely on them any longer. Both Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur have nearly two decades of experience of playing top-tier cricket. They are expected to guide the team in pressure situations, but they have been regularly failing to deliver when the team needs them most. Bangladesh in talks to host Pakistan for white-ball series In the recent New Zealand match they contributed only six runs together, leaving Bangladesh struggling to post a competitive total. Their dismissals were a result of poor shot selection, a pattern that has become all too familiar in major ICC events.  “I thought Mushfiq and Mahmudullah both were going to retire after the 2023 World Cup, but that didn't happen and I was very shocked,” former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik was among those who expressed surprise at their continued selection. Karthik believes keeping them on the side sends the wrong message to the younger bunch of the cricketers. English cricket gets 'seminal moment' as $650M raised by investors Another Indian star Wasim Jaffer, who has experience of coaching Bangladesh’s young cricketers, was also disappointed seeing Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur going for poor shots in the Champions Trophy. “Even the shot selection we've seen today was very disappointing. Mushfiq played that shot, and Mahmudullah played that wild shot. And this is a must-win game. You want them to step up in these kinds of games and make themselves count,” Jaffer said recently. Mahmudullah will celebrate his 40th birthday next year, while Mushfiqur stands at 38 now. Both have illustrious careers, but their recent performances indicate a decline. Mushfiqur scored only 184 runs in the last season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), while Mahmudullah also failed to prove his experience in recent matches. Bangladesh’s former captain Mohammad Ashraful thinks the Champions Trophy would have been a great stage for Mahmdullah and Mushfiqur to retire. He even said it would have been better for them to retire after the 2023 World Cup. “If Mahmudullah had retired after the 2023 World Cup, he would have received immense respect,” Ashraful said. With two defeats, Bangladesh’s exit is confirmed from the Champions Trophy. Still, the Tigers can earn some respect if they can beat the hosts Pakistan in the last match on February 27. And if Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur can perform in the last match, that would save them from further criticism. But the truth is, for a long-term goal, Bangladesh now should turn the page overlooking the veteran cricketers.          

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about hosting a white-ball series in July-August, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is. While no final decision has been made, officials from both boards are optimistic about the potential series. BCB cricket operations head Shahriar Nafees confirmed the talks. “BCB and PCB are in discussion about it, and at the moment both boards are positive about it,” he said it to the cricket news website Cricbuzz. The discussions took place between PCB head Mohsin Naqvi and BCB president Faruque Ahmed during the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai. English cricket gets 'seminal moment' as $650M raised by investors The series, if finalised, would add to Bangladesh’s already-packed cricket calendar. The team is scheduled to tour Pakistan at the end of May for a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series under the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP). Hosting Pakistan soon after would mean back-to-back encounters between the two teams in different conditions. Bangladesh, who recently suffered an early exit from the Champions Trophy after consecutive losses to India and New Zealand, will now look to regroup ahead of a busy year. Following the ICC event, they are set to play a two-Test series against Zimbabwe at home in mid-April before traveling to Sri Lanka for two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is in June-July. If the Pakistan home series is confirmed, it will take place just before Bangladesh hosts India in August-September for another white-ball series. Bangladesh will then participate in the Asia Cup in September before hosting West Indies for three Tests and three T20Is in October, followed by a home series against Ireland in November, which includes two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

Chelsea wasn't so reliant on Cole Palmer this time. On a frustrating evening for the England star, his Chelsea teammates stepped up — as demanded by their manager — to share the goals in a 4-0 thrashing of last-place Southampton in the Premier League on Tuesday. Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella were the scorers as Chelsea ended a three-match losing run by beating a team destined to go down, perhaps as one of the worst-performing teams to ever play in the Premier League. Southampton has just nine points from 27 games. As for Palmer, he will wonder how he didn't get on the score sheet and add to his 14 league goals so far this season. The best of his many opportunities at Stamford Bridge came midway through the first half when he was played clean through one-on-one with Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. He delayed and delayed and then shot too close to Ramsdale, who parried the effort away. After wasting another chance in the second half, Palmer appeared to laugh at himself. Palmer is on his driest run since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in September 2023. He hasn't scored in seven games now. On the eve of the match against Southampton, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Palmer's dip in productivity has probably arisen because “we rely on him for everything.” Maresca returned to that same theme after the game. “He has to continue to work, continue to be happy, continue to laugh they way he does,” the coach said. “We are completely happy with him. It is normal to go through a moment where you struggle to score but it doesn’t matter. Just continue and you are going to score many goals.” Modric goal helps Real Madrid move level on points with Barcelona at the top of Spanish league Chelsea climbed to fourth place in the standings. The Premier League is likely to get five qualification berths for next season's Champions League. Another loss for Bournemouth, another win for Brighton Bournemouth is a more unlikely contender for Champions League qualification, its ambitions boosted by an 11-match unbeaten run in the league from late November to the end of January. However, the unheralded south-coast club has now lost three of its last four league matches, the latest being a 2-1 reverse at Brighton after Danny Welbeck scored the 75th-minute winner — three minutes after coming off the bench. Justin Kluivert had equalized for Bournemouth in the 61st, canceling out Joao Pedro's 12th-minute opener from the penalty spot after he was fouled by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Bournemouth started the match in sixth place — one point behind fifth — but dropped to seventh and has now been joined on 43 points by Brighton, another improbable candidate for Champions League qualification. It was a fourth straight win in all competitions for Brighton since a 7-0 loss at Nottingham Forest. Palace wins in front of Thomas Tuchel Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 4-1 at home, with Ismaila Sarr scoring twice for the hosts in a match watched by England men's coach Thomas Tuchel. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah also netted for Palace, with Morgan Rogers replying for Villa. PSG continues to dominate in France but Liverpool is looming in Champions League Fulham won 2-1 at Wolverhampton thanks to a goal in the first minute by Ryan Sessegnon and a winner by Rodrigo Muniz.

This story was first published on Feb. 13, 2025. It was updated on Feb. 25, 2025 to correct that Tom Brady was not involved in Knighthead Capital Management's purchase of a stake in an English cricket franchise. English cricket has generated around $650 million from the sale of stakes in franchises in The Hundred to big-business investors from India and the United States. Auctions held over the past two weeks drew bids that value the eight teams in The Hundred — a format similar to Twenty20 and launched in England only in 2021 — at more than $1.2 billion. English cricket officials confirmed the huge figures for the first time on Thursday and set out how they want the money spent. The priority? Safeguarding the future of the domestic game that has lurched into financial strife in recent years. “We’ve reached a seminal moment for cricket in England and Wales,” said Richard Thompson, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board. The investors who secured stakes in the franchises range from Silicon Valley tech giants including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, to four Indian conglomerates already owning teams in the widely popular Indian Premier League. Throw in the likes of Knighthead Capital Management, which already owns Birmingham City soccer club, and Cain International, a company co-funded by Chelsea part-owner Todd Boehly, and there's now a heavy dose of expertise in finance, technology and elite sport in a once-quaint sport that has been supercharged by money from around the world. NFL great Tom Brady has made other sports investments in partnership with Knighthead but was not part of the acquisition of a stake in the Birmingham Phoenix cricket franchise, Peter McManus, a representative for Knighthead, said. Lessons from the Stanford scandal It was 17 years ago when Allen Stanford, a Texan businessman, flew into Lord's — the so-called “home of cricket” in northwest London — aboard a private helicopter filled with fake dollar notes in a publicity stunt for a remarkable deal he reached with the ECB: A five-match T20 series between England and superstars from the Caribbean worth $100 million. Rain washes out Champions Trophy game between South Africa and Australia The ECB were in raptures for a supposedly game-changing deal that quickly went wrong when Stanford was charged with — and later convicted of — fraud. So, has the ECB learnt its lessons after hitting the jackpot again? “This has probably been done in a different style — a bit more muted,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould said on a video call. “We are very confident in the investor group we have got. ... We haven't been complacent.” The ECB has done “extensive due diligence” and “all the checks to ensure it will be a different outcome" to the Stanford debacle, director of business operations Vikram Banerjee said. Could games be played abroad? The ECB seems open to that, yes. “We'd be foolish not to listen to the amazing set of investors that have got great ideas,” Gould said. “We need to make sure we are a governing body that provides stability but also enables our investors and county clubs to drive forward.” Gould made reference to the NFL taking games overseas and also the idea — floated around in 2008 but never adopted — of a 39th round of English Premier League games played abroad. Are foreign investors controlling English cricket? No, the ECB insists. The governing body said it still owns The Hundred as a competition and felt it was important the “structure of the game is retained and owned by the ECB and our members (the counties).” That means the schedule, the formats and the governance of English cricket. Expect, however, the new investors to make changes to their franchises when it comes to team names, colors and branding in The Hundred from 2026. Changing the times when matches are played — to potentially suit Indian audiences, for example — is “not on the agenda,” Gould said, because securing strong attendances inside the stadiums is a priority. Banerjee said there was no intention to turn the Hundred — a format where each team receives a maximum of 100 balls — into a T20 competition but could envisage the competition having a second tier if there is enough growth. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Shanto stands by Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah amid Bangladesh’s early exit   The ECB said the new investors have a “lock-in period” of five years before they can sell their shares to other parties. So, where will all the money go? The ECB said the deals, once finalized after an exclusivity period, will underpin “long-term financial sustainability” in the domestic game in England. Proceeds from the sales will be split 19 ways — between the 18 long-established county teams in the English and Welsh domestic game as well as the Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns Lord’s and is regarded as the guardian of the laws of the game. The grassroots game is in line to receive around 50 million pounds ($62 million), the ECB said. “Our three overarching principles as we look at what we want this investment to deliver should be strategic, ambitious and leaving a legacy,” Thompson said in an open letter. “We may not get this chance again for at least a generation, and cannot afford to waste this golden opportunity.” Thompson spoke of the money heading to “three core investment areas”: Building reserves, revenue generation or debt reduction.

Rain washed out the Champions Trophy game between South Africa and two-time winner Australia on Tuesday without a ball being bowled. The pitch remained under covers at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium throughout the day because of a persistent light drizzle before umpires called off the game shortly after 5 p.m. local time. Both unbeaten teams go into their last Group B game with a chance to qualify for the semifinals with three points already secured. Australia plays against Afghanistan at Lahore on Friday while South Africa meets England at Karachi on Saturday. South Africa and Australia began their campaigns by posting 300-plus scores against Afghanistan and England, respectively. Australia, coming into the Champions Trophy without three frontline fast bowlers, made the tournament’s highest-ever chase of 352 on the back of Josh Inglis’ century against England at Lahore. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Shanto stands by Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah amid Bangladesh’s early exit   South Africa registered an emphatic 107-run win over Afghanistan at Karachi after Ryan Rickelton made his maiden ODI hundred in a strong total of 315-6. New Zealand and India have already qualified for the semifinals after winning both their Group A games against Pakistan and Afghanistan. England will take on Afghanistan in a must-win game for both teams to stay in semifinal contention in Lahore on Wednesday.

Despite repeated failures, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has defended senior players Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riayd.  Bangladesh's hopes in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 were dashed after consecutive losses to India and New Zealand, leading to their elimination alongside Pakistan.   In the must-win clash against New Zealand, Mahmudullah, returning from a calf injury, scored just four runs, while Mushfiqur managed only two, failing to provide stability in the middle order. Their dismissals came at a crucial stage, derailing Bangladesh’s hopes of setting a more challenging total.   However, Najmul dismissed suggestions that the senior players were given automatic selections.  “There is no automatic choice in this team,” he said. “Riyad (Mahmudullah) bhai was important because of his recent form. Mushfiq bhai, despite his struggles, remains a vital player because of his keeping and experience,” Shanto said.  Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh to bat first vs New Zealand Bangladesh’s batting woes have been a recurring issue, with 179 dot balls in the innings against New Zealand. Najmul acknowledged that frequent wickets in the middle overs made strike rotation difficult.  “We made some poor shot selections. If we had planned better, we wouldn’t have lost so many wickets,” he admitted. Bangladesh captain said they need to change their mindset to adapt to the global trouanments, instead of the personnel.  In their last match of this Champions Trophy, Bangladesh will take on the hosts Pakistan on February 27 in Rawalpindi.

New Zealand secured a comfortable five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, knocking them and Pakistan out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Rachin Ravindra starred with a match-winning 112 off 105 balls, ensuring New Zealand chased down 237 with 23 balls to spare. Bangladesh, in a must-win encounter, batted first and posted 236 for 9. Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 77 off 110, but the batting unit struggled for momentum. Jaker Ali (45 off 55) and Rishad Hossain (26 off 25) provided late resistance, but Michael Bracewell’s 4 for 26 restricted Bangladesh to a below-par total. Michael Bracewell bagged four wickets for 26 runs for New Zealand. “Awesome to contribute to a win. Main focus today was to win and get the semi-final spot,” Bracewell said after the match. New Zealand’s chase got off to a shaky start as Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana struck early, removing Will Young and Kane Williamson cheaply. Bangladesh may play Mahmudullah in must-win clash vs New Zealand The inclusion of Nahid, with his extra pace, clearly added an extra dimension to Bangladesh's attack that was sorely missing in the opener against India, for which he was bewilderingly dropped. But Ravindra anchored the innings with a fluent century, putting together a 129-run fourth-wicket stand with Tom Latham (55 off 76) to take the game away from Bangladesh. Ravindra’s innings, with 12 fours and a six, was ended by Rishad Hossain, but by then, New Zealand were well in control. Glenn Phillips (21*) and Michael Bracewell (11*) completed the formalities with ease. With this win, New Zealand qualified for the semis, while Bangladesh’s bid for the next phase ended with back-to-back defeats. Bangladesh and Pakistan will now face each other their final game of the event on February 27th.

New Zealand have won the toss and sent Bangladesh to bat first in their Champions Trophy 2025 clash in Rawalpindi. Bangladesh lost their first match to India by 60 runs. In contrast, New Zealand beat the hosts Pakistan in their first match. In the last Champions Trophy clash in 2017, Bangladesh beat New Zealand with stunning centuries from Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan. Bangladesh may play Mahmudullah in must-win clash vs New Zealand Shakib is missing this year. He was not selected for the Bangladesh team. But Mahmudullah is playing. Bangladesh brought back Mahmudullah for this match. The veteran batter missed the match against India. He replaced Soumya Sarkar. And they have overlooked Tanzim Hasan Sakib to pave the way for Nahid Rana for this match. New Zealand made two changes to their playing XI: Kyle Jamieson got the chance for Nathan Smith, and Ravindra backed to the XI in the middle order for a sick Daryl Mitchell. Pakistan at risk of early exit from Champions Trophy after losing to India Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Tohwid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman. New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke

Bangladesh entered a do-or-die contest against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy on Monday, with their semi-final hopes hanging in the balance. A loss will push them to be eliminated from the tournament, while a win will keep their campaign alive and leave the group wide open alongside Pakistan and New Zealand. Pakistan at risk of early exit from Champions Trophy after losing to India One of the key talking points ahead of the match is the return of experienced all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad, who missed the opening game against India. The veteran batter underwent a full training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, focusing on both his batting and fitness. While there is no confirmation of him playing the New Zealand match, but a full training session with the bat is indicating his chance. Mahmudullah’s inclusion is expected to prompt a reshuffle in the batting order. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto could move up to open alongside Tanzid Hasan, pushing Mehidy Hasan Miraz to number three. Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh eye to bounce back vs New Zealand This adjustment would create a middle-order spot for Mahmudullah. In this case, Soumya Sarkar may have to sit outside of the playing XI in this match. In the last match of the group stage, Bangladesh will take on the hosts Pakistan.

Virat Kohli’s 100 not out led India to a six-wicket win over arch rival Pakistan in their Group A clash at the Champions Trophy on Sunday, putting the cricket tournament hosts at risk of a potential early exit. Kohli reached 14,000 runs in ODIs on his way to a record-extending 51st hundred as India finished with 244-4 in 42.3 overs. Shreyas Iyer scored 56 off 67 balls as he and Kohli put on 114 runs off 128 balls for the third wicket. Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav took 3-40 and Pakistan was bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs after winning the toss and opting to bat. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 62 off 76 and shared a 104-run stand with skipper Mohammad Rizwan (46). The rivals met at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium despite Pakistan hosting the tournament, as India is playing its league games – and potential knockout matches – in the United Arab Emirates. Pandya took 2-31 in eight overs as Pakistan finished with an under-par score against the disciplined Indian bowling attack. India tops the group with four points and has virtually secured its semifinal place. It will play New Zealand in its final league game in Dubai on March 2. Pakistan flies back to take on Bangladesh on Thursday, with a painful exit looming from its home tournament. Chasing a modest 242, Rohit Sharma provided a speedy start for India. He hit three fours and a six in his 20 off 15 balls. King Kohli becomes fastest batter to reach 14,000 runs in ODI cricket He put on 31 off 30 balls for the first wicket with Shubman Gill, who continued his good form to score 46. Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled Sharma with a searing yorker in the fifth over, but Gill hit a flurry of boundaries against the pacer to knock him out of the attack. In all, Gill hit seven fours and added 69 runs off 75 balls with Kohli for the second wicket. India was in control of the chase when Abrar Ahmed bowled Gill with a sharp turner in the 18th over. Abrar finished with 1-28 in 10 overs, but he didn’t enjoy much support from other bowlers. Pakistan also dropped two catches – both Gill and Iyer got lives. Kohli reached 50 off 62 balls and controlled the game’s pace at will. He hit seven fours in all. Iyer, at the other end, took his time before opening up with five fours and a six. He reached 50 off 63 balls, and then was caught brilliantly by Imam ul Haq at extra cover. Pandya went cheaply but Kohli stayed put – in Axar Patel’s company – reaching his hundred off the last delivery of the game, a cover drive through extra cover. In doing so, Kohli also became the quickest to cross the 14,000-run mark in ODIs – he did so in 287 innings, as compared to compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s 350 innings. Kohli was player of the match. “It feels good to be able to bat in that manner to seal qualification in an important game," Kohli said. “We lost Rohit early and my job was to control the middle overs against spin without taking too many risks. It allowed me to play my usual ODI game.” This was after Pakistan struggled on a two-paced pitch under humid conditions. Pakistan did get off to a comfortable start with Babar Azam scoring five boundaries in 23 off 26 balls. He was then caught behind off Pandya in the ninth over. Axar Patel ran out Imam in the next over as Pakistan was down to 47-2. Passion, politics and patriotism meld as Pakistan and India clash in cricket's fiercest rivalry Shakeel and Rizwan were defiant in their 108-run stand for the fourth wicket, but it came at a slow pace. Rizwan perished trying to force the pace, bowled off Patel in the 34th over, even as Shakeel scored his fourth half-century off 63 balls. Shakeel hit five fours. Yadav then came into the act – he dismissed Salman Agha (19) and was on a hat trick later in the spell but missed it. Pandya dismissed Shakeel in the 35th over, caught in the deep. Khushdil Shah scored 38 off 39 balls to keep the lower-order ticking, but it was too little to make a sizable contribution to the Pakistan total.