Fortune Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal insisted that his team will do something ‘out of the box’ in Bangabandhu T20 Cup 2020 starting from November 24. 

Fortune Barishal failed to rope in the players they hoped for in the players draft, believes Tamim, also the Bangladesh ODI skipper. He is confident of doing well in the league relying on cricketers who are not the familiar faces in the domestic circuit. 

“There is no doubt that we have made some mistakes in the draft. We have certainly made some mistakes and which are at the centre of contention now. But at the same time, cricket is the game of uncertainty. We have some players in the squad who are not familiar faces in our cricketing circuit. But they have the potential to have a great event as we have seen in the President’s Cup earlier,” Tamim told the media on Saturday. 

“There were two-three players who have done very well in the President’s Cup. We didn’t expect them to do well. I am confident of witnessing the same sort of performance from some guys of our team. And to do that, we have to play with a plan out of the box. It’ll be tough for us to do well relying on the traditional plans,” he added. 

Tamim came back from a short stint at the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where his team Lahore Qalandars emerged the runners up of the event. He managed to have the good starts in three matches he played, but eventually, failed to play big innings. But he says he is hopeful of doing well in Bangabandhu T20 Cup. 

“I think my performance will play an important role in Barishal’s success in this event. If I can score big innings as a batsman, it’ll surely inspire the other guys,” Tamim added

Fortune Barishal squad: Tamim Iqbal (captain), Taskin Ahmed, Irfaan Shukkur, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Abu Jayed, Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam, Sumon Khan, Saif Hassan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Parvez Hossain Emon, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Abu Sayem and Sohrawordi Shubho.

Also read: Khulna ropes in Shakib, Mahmudullah

After nearly a decade of hosting no home test matches due to a terrorist attack on a rival team's bus in 2009, Pakistan says it's ready to welcome major cricketing nations like South Africa, New Zealand, England and West Indies in 2021.

“We’re working hugely in terms of building relationships, nurturing those relationships with (other) cricket boards,” Wasim Khan, chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told The Associated Press.

South Africa is due to visit Pakistan in January to play a two-test series which is part of world test championship, followed by three Twenty20s.

New Zealand is penciled in for three ODIs and five Twenty20s in September, followed by two Twenty20s against England at Karachi. It will be England's first tour to Pakistan since 2005.

The PCB has also plans a home series against West Indies in December.

“We have a chock-a-block eight to 10 months coming up for us on the road playing at home,” Khan said. “We’re also in discussions with Cricket Australia. They’re due to be touring during the 2022 season, we’re looking at them coming for an extended period of time.”

When Sri Lanka's team bus came under a terrorist attack in March 2009, the doors of international cricket remained shut on Pakistan until Zimbabwe became the first test-playing nation to play limited-overs series at Lahore in 2015.

A bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The cricketers were on their way to play the third day of the second test against Pakistan.

Six Pakistan police officers and two civilians were killed and six members of the Sri Lanka team were wounded. The rest of the test match and tour was called off.

Test cricket only returned to Pakistan late last year when Sri Lanka played two five-day games at Rawalpindi and Karachi. Bangladesh also played a test match before its second test was called off due to COVID-19.

In between the Zimbabwe and Bangladesh tours, a franchise-based domestic Twenty20 league — the Pakistan Super League — played a big role in pressing Pakistan's claims to host international games.

Players like Shane Watson of Australia and South Africans Dale Steyn and Faf du Plessis were among some big names that toured Pakistan and have played for various city-based franchise teams. Khan believes these players had a significant role in portraying Pakistan’s improving image among cricket-playing nations.

“A lot of these players go back to their own countries … and say, you know what? Pakistan is one of the safest places to play,” Khan said. "These are those cricketers who are associated with their own cricket boards, who are international cricketers, who perhaps had a (different) perception of Pakistan before they came here.”

Tight security with cricket team buses heavily guarded by armed personnel is quite normal in Pakistan whenever overseas contingents travel to the stadium from hotels, often blocking already heavy traffic on major roads of big cities like Lahore and Karachi.

“Yes, we’ll continue to provide state-level security for as long as possible, we’ll never become complacent,” Khan said.

Khan also wants to organize a limited-overs series against neighboring Afghanistan somewhere next year, after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, a former cricket captain for the country, visited Kabul and extended an invitation to Afghan national team this week.

“We will do everything we can to find a slot in the calendar to arrange fixtures against Afghanistan,” Wasim Khan said.

While Khan has managed to liaise with almost all the cricketing boards around the world since he joined the PCB last year, he doesn’t expect a resumption of the Pakistan-India cricket rivalry anytime soon.

Political tensions between India and Pakistan, especially over a long-standing territorial dispute in the Kashmir region, have seen both countries playing against each other only in major international tournaments like Champions Trophy and World Cups.

“Should we be playing India? Absolutely,” Khan said. “Could we be playing them? Probably not for the foreseeable future.”

India, no doubt, in the World Cups, as we do.”

Read Also: Bangladesh Cricket team off to Pakistan

Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque tested negative for Covid-19 and backed to the field to prepare himself for the upcoming Bangabandhu T20 Cup 2020 starting from November 24.

Mominul and his wife Fariha Bashar tested positive on November 10, and now both have recovered from the deadly virus, confirmed Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) chief physician Debashis Chowdhury on Friday.

The Test captain of Bangladesh will represent Gazi Group Chattogram in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup 2020 under the leadership of Mohammad Mithun.

Apart from Gazi Group Chattogram, a total of four other teams— Beximco Dhaka, Fortune Barishal, Minister Group Rajshahi and Gemcon Khulna will play in the event.

The Bangabandhu T20 Cup will be marked as Bangladesh’s second competitive cricket event after the Covid-19 hiatus. The BCB has earlier hosted a 50-over competition comprising three teams.

Read Also: Mominul, his wife test positive for Covid-19

Left-handed top-order batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead Minister Group Rajshahi in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup 2020 starting from November 24. 

In a ceremony on Thursday, the team sponsor of Rajshahi, Minister Group, unveiled the jersey of the team and announced that Najmul would be leading the team in the event. 

“It’s a good opportunity for me (to lead the team). I always enjoy myself to lead a team on a bigger stage. I'm grateful to the team management because they gave me this opportunity. We've a good number of experienced cricketers. I believe we're capable enough to do well in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup,” Najmul told the media on Thursday.

Rajshahi will play the Bangabandhu T20 Cup under the coaching of veteran coach Sarwar Imran. He reckons that the squad they have is a well balanced one capable of giving a good fight. 

“We didn’t get 100 percent what we wanted. But, we managed to meet our expectation upto 70 percent in terms of roping in the expected players,” Imran told the media during the jersey unveiling event. 

A total of five teams will participate in the event. Apart from Minister Group Rajshahi, the other teams are— Beximco Dhaka, Gemcon Khulna, Gazi Group Chattogram and Fortune Barishal. 

Also read: Bangabandhu T20 Cup: Mahmudullah to lead Khulna

A tourist died falling from the eighth floor of a resort in Kolatoli  area in Cox’s Bazar town.

The deceased was identified as Sheikh Babu, a resident of Tangail municipality area and son of Khan Sur.

Abdullah Al Asif, a  neighbor of the deceased ,said a 52-member  tourist group including Babu  came here from Tangail and was staying at Sea Classic Resort.  Babu got a room on the eighth floor from where he fell down.

When he was taken to Upazila Health Complex, doctors declared him dead.

Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station Md Selim said they are investigating the cause of his death.

The body has been sent to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC said.

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