United News of Bangladesh

Kwena Maphaka became the youngest South African to make a test debut as the Proteas won the toss and elected to bat in the second and final test against Pakistan on Friday. The 18 years and 270 days old Maphaka broke Paul Adams’ South Africa record of youngest test player, who played his first test against England in 1995 at the age of 18 years and 340 days. South Africa made three changes after sealing its place in June’s World Test Championship final with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first test at Centurion inside four days. Australia, India and Sri Lanka all still in the race for the Lord’s WTC final against South Africa in June. Australia could advance to face South Africa if it wins the fifth test against India in Sydney. “It’s hot and we expect the wicket to break up,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said at the coin toss. “We’ve had time to wrap around what we’ve achieved, the preparations for this test have been the priority … a chance to finish off with a good note.” India's top order collapses to 57-3 at lunch vs Australia on Day 1 of 5th test Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas brought Pakistan close to its first test win in South Africa in 18 years with 6-54 in the second innings at Centurion but tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen shared a half century ninth-wicket stand and quashed the visitors hopes. The home team, which has six successive test wins, opted to go with the express pace of Maphaka in place of Dane Paterson, who was dropped after picking up his second successive five-wicket haul at Centurion. Corbin Bosch was left out after making a stunning test debut in the first test where he took a wicket with his first ball and then made a scintillating unbeaten half century in the first innings which gave South Africa a match-winning lead of 90 runs. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has recovered from a groin injury and replaced Bosch. Opening batter Tony de Zorzi had a thigh strain and was replaced by Wiaan Mulder as the all-rounder recovered from a finger injury and returned to the playing XI. Pakistan, which has won just two of its last nine test matches in this WTC cycle, once again went without a specialist spinner. It rested fast bowler Naseem Shah and brought in left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza. “A bit less grass than usual, but we would have had a bowl,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said.

Despite the absence of struggling captain Rohit Sharma, India's top order again crumbled as it reached 57-3 at lunch on the first day of the decisive fifth and final test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Sharma was replaced as skipper by Jasprit Bumrah, who earlier won the toss and batted on a green-tinged SCG wicket under overcast skies. Bumrah's decision appeared to backfire early on as the tourists lost KL Rahul and Jaiswal Yashasvi in the first eight overs and then very nearly Virat Kohli also, only for a a contentious TV umpire decision to save the star batter. Nathan Lyon saw the hosts go to the break the happier when he snared Shubman Gill with the final ball before lunch. At the break, Kohli was 12 not out. The start of the fifth test mirrored the four previous it as the bowlers dominated early. After several deliveries beat the edge of the bat outside off-stump, Mitchell Starc (1-24) found more joy bowling straighter as Rahul (4) chipped a simple catch to Sam Konstas at square leg in the fifth over when India was 11-1. Scott Boland (1-5) was then introduced into the attack and only needed four balls at Jaiswal (10) to have the young opener edge a ball through to debutant Beau Webster at third slip to reduce the tourists to a shaky 17-2. Read: Taskin’s record-breaking bowling show power Rajshahi to win over Dhaka That brought Kohli, the series' pantomime villain, to the crease. Kohli was greeted by booing from many in the the SCG crowd, stemming from his deliberate shoulder bump on Konstas on the opening morning of the Boxing Day text for which he was later fined. And fittingly, his first ball was the most dramatic of the session. Boland drew the edge and it flew low to Steve Smith's right hand at second slip. Smith appeared to get his hand just under the ball before it hit the ground and the ball popped up for Marnus Labuschagne to complete the catch, sparking wild celebrations for the hosts. The catch was referred to TV umpire Joel Wilson with replays suggesting the ball may have touched the grass as it came out of Smith hand and Kohli survived. As lunch approached, Lyon (1-1) was introduced into the attack and in his second over he had Gill (20) edging through to Smith who took a clean catch at chest-height to end the session. Australia made one change to its team that clinched a dramatic 184-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday to take a 2-1 series lead with allrounder Mitch Marsh dropped for Webster to make a test debut. Australia leads the series 2-1 and must avoid defeat to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15. A win by India and a drawn series at 2-2 would allow the visitors to retain the trophy for a record-extending fifth consecutive time. Read more: Sri Lanka beats New Zealand by 7 runs in the 3rd T20 but New Zealand wins series 2-1 A win for Australia at the SCG would book the team’s spot in a second straight World Test Championship final. Australia beat India in the 2023 decider. South Africa became the first team to qualify for the WTC final at Lord’s in June by winning a dramatic match at home to Pakistan last weekend. India drop skipper Sharma Intense speculation that Sharma would be dropped for the final test was confirmed shortly before play with Bumrah named as India's captain. With scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9 at an average of 6.2 for the series, Sharma has had a wretched tour since coming back into the side for the second test after he missed India’s comprehensive first-test win in Perth on paternity leave. While the India team said Sharma had been “rested," the 37-year-old's test career would now appear in peril.

Rangpur Riders registered an eight-wicket win over Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday. Saif Hassan’s unbeaten 62 off 46 balls, and Alex Hales’ 49 guided them to chase a below-par target with 30 balls to spare. Barishal made a promising start, riding on 28 off 18 by Tamim Iqbal. But they were quickly off guard in front of the quality attack of Rangpur. They faltered under consistent pressure. Taskin’s record-breaking bowling show power Rajshahi to win over Dhaka Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Nabi contributed with 15 and 21, but those were not enough for them to stabilize the innings and pose a strong challenge to Rangpur. They were bolwed out for 124 in 18.2 overs. Khushdil Shah took three wickets for 18 for Rangpur. Nahid Rana and Iftikhar Ahmed took two wickets each. Rangpur rocked early as they lost quick two wickets while chasing as Azizul Hakim and Tawfique Khan were dismissed cheaply. BCB president assures BPL players amid payment delays by franchises But Saif and Alex were firm in the middle in the third wicket stand. In his unbeaten knock, Saif smashed six fours and three sixes. Hales scored 49 off 41 balls, with three sixes. They added 113 runs in the third wicket stand to seal the match for Rangpur. Iqbal Hossain Emon scalped both the wickets for Barishal.  

Taskin Ahmed produced a spell for the ages as Durbar Rajshahi defeated Dhaka Capitals by seven wickets in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday. Dhaka batters had no clue against Taskin who bagged seven for only 19 runs— the best bowling figures in BPL’s history.  While making the record, Taskin took four wickets in his first three overs. When returning to bowl the last over of the innings, he bagged three more wickets conceding only two runs.  He struck early, dismissing Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan in quick succession to reduce Dhaka to  14 for 2. Despite efforts by Stephen Eskinazi, 46 off 29, and Shahadat Hossain, 50 off 41, Dhaka struggled to recover against Taskin's precision. Taskin's 7-wicket-haul blitz shatters BPL record The pacer returned in the death overs to claim three more wickets, restricting Dhaka to 174 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs. Taskin's remarkable figures surpassed Mohammad Amir’s 6 for 18 in 2020, making him the standout bowler in BPL history and earning him the Player of the Match award. While chasing, Rajshahi lost quick wickets but captain Anamul Haque led the chase with a 73 off 46 balls. He hit a fifty in the previous match for Rajshahi too.  Anamul found an able partner in Ryan Burl, who smashed an unbeaten 55 off 33 balls. The duo added an unbeaten 106-run stand for the fourth wicket, which ensured the win for them with 11 balls to play. Dhaka’s bowlers struggled to make an impact, with Mustafizur Rahman and Alauddin Babu picking up one wicket each. Mukidul Islam was expensive, conceding 37 runs in just 3.1 overs.  

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed has reassured players participating in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) that they will receive their payments despite several franchises failing to pay the first installment of their contracts on time. According to the payment schedule, franchises are required to pay 50% of a player’s fee before the tournament begins, 25% during the competition, and the remaining amount after its conclusion. The seven-team league kicked off on December 30. Faruque, who became BCB president in August and a former Bangladesh captain, confirmed the ongoing discussions with the franchises to resolve the issue. Read: Taskin's 7-wicket-haul blitz shatters BPL record However, he refrained from providing specific reasons why most franchises, except Fortune Barishal, failed to meet the bank guarantee requirement mandated by the BCB. This guarantee ensures that players are paid by the board if franchises default on payments. Although the BCB has utilised bank guarantees in previous seasons to cover unpaid dues, the absence of such guarantees this year has raised concerns about players’ financial security. "We have been engaging with the franchise owners from the outset," Faruque said. "I’ve emphasised that payments must be made. If you ask me to give a definitive reason why they didn’t provide the bank guarantee, I can’t. One has to consider the broader circumstances of the last four months." The BCB president assured that measures were being taken to address the issue. "This doesn’t mean players will go unpaid. We have adopted various strategies to work with the franchises. I’ve personally reached out as the board president to ensure they see us as partners. They are investing in Bangladesh cricket as well," he added. Read more: Defending champions Barishal start BPL with thumping win over Rajshahi The payment controversy follows a ticketing mishap on the tournament’s opening day, which led to agitated fans damaging the main gate of the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Source: With inputs from ESPNCrickinfo

Taskin Ahmed of Durbar Rajshahi creates history by taking seven wickets just for 19 runs against Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Thursday.  This is now the best-ever bowling record in the history of the event. He surpassed Mohammad Amir’s six wickets.  Amir took 6 for 18 against Rajshahi Royals in 2020, taking the top spot in BPL’s bowling records.  Taskin’s feat is also the third-best in all recognised T20 cricket. The record for the best T20 bowling figures is held by Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus, who took 7 for 8. Taskin’s 7 for 19 is now the best bowling performance by a Bangladeshi bowler in any recognised T20 match, surpassing Shakib Al Hasan’s 6 for 6 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel while playing for Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2013. While making the record, Taskin took four wickets in his first three overs. When returning to bowl the last over of the innings, he bagged three more wickets conceding only two runs.  Sri Lanka beats New Zealand by 7 runs in the 3rd T20 but New Zealand wins series 2-1 At one point, Taskin was on the verge of a hat-trick, but Nazmul Islam denied him by taking a single off the fourth ball of the over.

Fans vandalised a ticket booth, broke chairs, and set a booth ablaze after failing to get tickets for the matches of the Bangladesh Premier League on Thursday in Mirpur. They also broke the window of a nearby establishment. Before this incident, fans clashed for tickets on the day before the opening matches, and on the opening day too. On the opening day, fans broke the main gate of the stadium which prompted police to use batons to disperse the desperate fans. Fans can buy tickets this year from the online platforms and from some designated branches of a private bank. But many fans said they were unable to ensure a ticket on either way. BCB boss Faruque Ahmed earlier said the online ticketing system is not as efficient as they expected it to be, making the fans angry, who eventually vandalized the ticket booths near the stadium. Read: Defending champions Barishal start BPL with thumping win over Rajshahi For online buyers, tickets can be accessed through the official website (www.gobcbticket.com.bd). Hard copies of tickets are being sold at designated Modhumoti Bank PLC branches. On Sunday, tickets were made available between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM. On Monday, the opening day of BPL, sales will continue from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The branches facilitating sales include those located in Mirpur, Motijheel, Uttara, Gulshan, Dhanmondi, Kamrangir Char, and on VIP Road in Paltan. Fans are advised to visit the branch closest to them during the specified hours.//

Kusal Perera scored Sri Lanka's fastest Twenty20 international century — from 44 balls — on Thursday to spur his team to a consolation win over New Zealand by seven runs in the the final match of the three-match series. Perera's career-best score in a century partnership with captain Charirth Asalanka lifted Sri Lanka to 218-5 — its second-highest T20 score, as it batted first for the first time in the series. New Zealand held a winning 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first match by eight runs and the second by 45 runs. New Zealand needed to achieve its highest run chase in T20s to complete a clean sweep of the series and was given a good start by Rachin Ravindra who made 69 from 39 balls. But it fell just short, held to 211-7. The Black Caps began at a pace to match Sri Lanka, reaching 60-0 in the six-over power play. But Asalanka slammed the brakes on the New Zealand innings when he dismissed Ravindra, Mark Chapman (9) and Glenn Phillips (6) in quick succession. Asalanka had figures of 3-25 after those dismissals but Daryl Mitchell hit four consecutive sixes from his final over to wreck his analysis and bat New Zealand back into the game. Wanindu Hasaranga then dismissed Mitchell Hay (8) and Michael Bracewell (1) in the 16th over to tip the match back in the visitors' favor. Asalanka took a superb diving catch to remove Bracewell and managed his bowlers well in a superb all-round performance. “I think it's a good win for us,” Asalanka said. "I think throughout the series we've played good cricket but couldn't manage to get a win. Finally we got it. I hope this is a momentum shift for us. Adapting to these conditions has been a key for us.” Read: William, Mahidul help Khulna beat Chittagong Kings New Zealand came to the last over, bowled by Binura Fernando, needing 22 to win. After taking six runs from the first three balls, one of which was a wide, Zak Foulkes hit the fourth ball for six, leaving New Zealand needing 10 from the last two balls. It was too much and the New Zealand batters managed only three more runs. The start of the match was delayed by 30 minutes by a wet outfield and when it began Sri Lanka lost the toss but had the chance to bat first on a good pitch at Saxton Oval. The tourists lost both openers, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, inside the power play. But Perera powered up the Sri Lanka innings in an outstanding batting performance, hitting 13 fours and four sixes in his 101 from 46 balls. One of the keys to victory was the 75 runs Perera and Asalanka hit between the 14th and 18th overs which proved vital in making the run chase just too much for New Zealand. The teams meet in the first of three one-day internationals in Wellington on Sunday.

Bangladesh men’s and women’s national cricket teams are gearing up for an action-packed year, with a packed international calendar featuring the Champions Trophy in February, alongside several bilateral series at home and abroad. The Bangladesh men’s team will dive into international action shortly after the conclusion of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the nation’s premier franchise-based cricket league. The marquee event, the Champions Trophy, also dubbed the "Mini World Cup," will take place from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan, with India playing their matches in Dubai due to the ICC Hybrid Model. Bangladesh has been placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, and New Zealand. Fixtures are as follows: February 20: Bangladesh vs India in Dubai February 24: Bangladesh vs New Zealand in Rawalpindi February 27: Bangladesh vs Pakistan in Rawalpindi In March, Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI and T20 series. This will be followed by a tour to Pakistan in May for another three-match ODI and T20 series. The action continues in June, with a full-fledged tour to Sri Lanka, including two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20s. Later in the year, Bangladesh will host several high-profile series: August: Three ODIs and three T20s against India. October: Three ODIs and three T20s against West Indies. November: A comprehensive series against Ireland, featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20s. The Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team also faces a busy calendar, starting with a tour to the West Indies in January-February 2025, where they will play three ODIs and three T20s. The team aims to qualify for the Women’s One-Day World Cup, slated for September-October. Their year will conclude with a tour of India in December, featuring three ODIs and three T20s.

Former champions Rangpur Riders off to a great start to their Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) campaign as they beat Sylhet Strikers to secure a consecutive second win on Tuesday in Mirpur. The Riders beat Sylhet by 34-run. A career-best performance by Nahid Rana, who claimed 4 for 27 and two catches, dismantled Sylhet’s batting lineup under the lights at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Riders opted to bat first winning the toss. But they failed to impress as their top three batters failed cheaply inside the powerplay. Alex Halex, Steven Taylher and Saif Hassan only made 6, 12 and 4, respectively. Iftikhar Ahmed came forward to do a recovery act. He anchored with a 47 off 42 balls. Riders captain Nurul Hasan supported him with 41 off 24 balls. In the fifth wicket stand they added 65 runs that propelled them to a defendable total of 155 runs for 6 wickets. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Al Amin Hossain took two wickets for Sylhet. They kept the pressure on, but could not resist a late surge by Mahedi Hasan who scored 16 off 8 balls. In reply, Sylhet never got into a position to offer some hope to win the match. They were rocked early as Kamrul Islam Rabbi dismissed George Munsey in the second over of the innings. And then Nahid Rana came in and overshadowed all efforts of Sylhet. He strike twice to remove Zakir Hasan for 18, and Paul Stirling for 6 in the powerplay, and left Sylhet reduced at 43 for three. Sylhet's middle order needed to accelerate to keep them in the contest. Rony Talukdar fought hard with 41 off 36 balls. But his overly cautious approach stalled the chase of Sylhet. Rony and Jaker Ali put up a partnership of 48 runs, but they consumed too many deliveries making their chase ineffective. Sylhet’s last chance was shattered by Khusdil Shah who took two wickets for only 10 runs. He removed Rony and captain Ariful Haque in two back-to-back deliveries. And got a great chance for a hattrick, his lbw appeal was denied by the umpires twice against Samiullah Shenwari. Nahid sealed the deal when he came back for this second spell and removed Jaker and Shinwari. Mohammad Saifuddin also supported him by taking two wickets for 18 runs. Eventually, Sylhet were wrapped up for 121 for nine wickets as the Riders sealed a comfortable win to get early momentum in the event.