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Bangladeshi archers leave for Switzerland to compete in World Archery
An 11-member Bangladesh Archery team left Dhaka for Switzerland Sunday morning to participate in the World Archery Championships.
The global event will take place between May 17-23 in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
Also read: Heralding a new era in Bangladesh Archery
Bangladeshi archers will compete in stage-2 of six events – men's recurve individual and team, women's recurve individual and team, recurve mixed team and men's compound individual.
The Bangladesh team includes head coach Martin Frederick, coach Ziaul Haque; Ruman Shana, Ram Krishna Saha, Hakim Ahmed Rubel, Tamimul Islam, Ashim Kumar Das, Beauty Roy, Diya Siddiqui and Mehnaj Akhter Monira.
Also read: National archery: Ruman Shana finishes with bronze consolation
Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol, general secretary of Bangladesh Archery Federation, also accompanied the team as a delegate.
Japan's Olympic chief marks pride week with LGBTQ event
The head of the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday took part in an event marking Japan’s LGBTQ pride week at a center in the capital, as activists and dozens of lawmakers pushed for an equality law to be enacted before the games begin in less than three months.
Seiko Hashimoto visited Pride House Tokyo, an international initiative to provide a place for LGBTQ people and others to connect during the games. The first Pride House was set up during the 2010 Winter Games.
Japan is the only country in the Group of Seven major industrialized nations where same-sex marriages are not legally recognized. A Japanese court ruled last month that same-sex marriage should be allowed under the constitution, although the ruling has no immediate legal effect.
Also read: Japan Olympic Minister: Games could be held any time in 2020
“We need to take action now,” Hashimoto said, adding that she wants people to remember the Tokyo Games as a “turning point in achieving diversity and harmony, including understanding for LGBTQ” issues. Hashimoto toured Pride House and met with LGBTQ activists, including athletes, for talks.
Elsewhere in Tokyo, over 40 lawmakers and their aides from the governing and opposition parties — all wearing matching rainbow-colored facemasks — as well as activists and supporters gathered in person and online for what they called a Rainbow Parliament event to push for enactment of an LGBTQ equality act. Tennis great and equal rights advocate Billie Jean King also sent a video message of support.
Late last month, activists submitted a petition with over 106,000 signatures to the governing and opposition parties calling for an equality law before the Tokyo Games begin on July 23. They say momentum for the legislation is growing as Japan gets more attention over its handling of gender equality, diversity and other rights issues.
“We hope to speed up an enactment of the equality act,” said Yuri Igarashi, co-chair of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation.
Kanako Otsuji, a lesbian lawmaker from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said she was a target of bullying at school. “I was often called a ‘manly girl’ and bullied,” she said.
Also read: Japan Olympic Minister: Games could be held any time in 2020
“Many people cannot speak up because of fear of discrimination. Then how can we change the situation? Legal protection is the only way,” she said. “For the children of the next generation to not face this kind of bullying, we need anti-discrimination laws.”
Many sexual minorities still hide their sexual identities in Japan, fearing discrimination at school, work and even from their families. In addition, transgender people must have their reproductive organs removed before their gender can be changed on official documents — a requirement that international medical experts and human rights groups criticize as inhumane.
Aki Nomiya, a transgender activist, said people whose appearances and official records don’t match feel especially vulnerable. “Unless we are free of fear of prejudice and discrimination, we cannot live peacefully,” she said.
Gon Matsunaka, who heads Pride House Tokyo and led Hashimoto on the tour, said the sports world remains unfriendly to LGBTQ people because of its gender specificity.
“In many sports, players are divided between men and women. In sports, masculinity is often emphasized because of competition in speed and power, and sexual minorities are often made fun of or harassed,” Matsunaka said.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Five Times When Bangladesh Stun Sri Lanka
At present, winning against Sri Lanka is not out of reach for Bangladesh. However, there was a time when Bangladesh had to battle hard to snatch victory against the Lankans. Bangladesh have emerged as one of the strongest one-day international teams in the world after overcoming those challenges. But, tiger cricket fans are still overwhelmed with emotion when they recall those historic victories. Bangladesh cricket has undoubtedly progressed to this point as a result of some outstanding victories over the years. This article discusses, five times when Bangladesh stunned Sri Lanka. So, without further ado let’s take a look at the list.
Bangladesh’s five memorable victories against Sri Lanka
5) Nidahas Twenty20 Tri-Series (March, 2018)
In 2018, the T20 format Nidahas Trophy was a memorable series for Bangladesh.Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in both matches in the group stage of this series. Sri Lankan fans expected their team to face India in the final, but Bangladesh secured the final by defeating Sri Lanka by 2 wickets in the do-or-die match. In that match, Mahmudullah Riyad smashed a 43-run unbeaten innings in 18 balls to ensure Bangladesh's victory. The departure of the host before the final was intolerable to the Sri Lankans.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka series 2021: Test Rankings Prediction
4) Asia Cup (February, 2016)
Bangladesh took on Sri Lanka in the third match of the 2016 Asia Cup. Bangladesh had no choice but to win the match in order to advance to the final. The tigers were expecting to defeat the Lankans since the tournament is in T20 format. Bangladesh scored 147 runs for 7 wickets, thanks to Sabbir Rahman's superb innings of 80 runs off 54 balls. In response, Sri Lanka only scored 124 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by 23 runs and drowned them in despair.
3) Bilateral Test Series (March, 2017)
Bangladesh's only Test victory over Sri Lanka came in Colombo in 2017. Bangladesh scored 467 runs in response to Sri Lanka's 337 in the first innings to take a 129-run lead. Bangladesh were able to take control of the match after taking a first-inning lead of more than 100 runs.Bangladesh reached the winning target of 191 runs for the loss of six wickets thanks to Tamim Iqbal's 82 runs. As a result, Bangladesh won the match by four wickets. It was one of Bangladesh's greatest victories in the country's Test cricket history.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Top five memorable performances in Test Cricket
2) Asia Cup (March, 2012)
Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in a do-or-die match to secure the 2012 Asia Cup final against Pakistan, and tiger fans were ecstatic after that victory. Shakib Al Hasan was instrumental in Bangladesh's win, he batted and bowled beautifully in that match. Batting first, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 232 with one ball to spare. In a rain-affected match, Bangladesh reached the winning target for the loss of 5 wickets with 17 balls to spare. The best player of the match, Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets with the ball and scored 56 off 46 balls with the bat.
1) Bilateral ODI Series (February, 2006)
In 2006, Bangladesh secured it’s first-ever victory against Sri Lanka in the second match of the bilateral ODI series in Bogra. Bangladesh shocked the cricketing world by beating Sri Lanka by four wickets. While batting first, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 212 runs.In reply, Bangladesh reached the winning target by losing 6 wickets with two overs in hand. Talented Aftab Ahmed won the player of the match award after his brilliant all-round display.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Recap of the Key Test Records
Bottom Line
Even a decade earlier, defeating Sri Lanka was a tough task. So this list of ‘five times when Bangladesh stunned Sri Lanka’ is truly special achievements for Bangladesh.Bangladesh will be able to snare many more historic victories in the future, not just against Sri Lanka but also against other major teams, if they continue improving. And hopefully, the roaring tigers' will win the World Cup one day.
Read: BAN vs SL Cricket Test series 2021: Expected personal milestones to achieve
Kandy Test: Tamim’s quick fifty drives Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal registered a quick fifty in the first session of the first Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka on Wednesday at Kandy.
Tamim completed his fifty off 53 balls with 10 fours. He scored most of the runs with his trademark flick to the midwicket area. It was Tamim’s 29th fifty in Tests.
Riding on his fifty, Bangladesh posted 106 for one in 27 overs at the lunch of day one. Before the lunch break called, Tamim was batting at 65 while Najmul Hossain Shnato was unbeaten for 37.
Earlier, Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque won the toss and opted to bat first.
Tamim and Saif Hassan started the innings for the Tigers. Tamim smashed two fours off the first over of the match bowled by Suranga Lakmal, but off the last ball of the next over, Saif Hassan fell prey to Vishwa Fernando for a duck.
Saif had hit a hundred in the first round of the National League and a fifty in the second round before the league was halted due to the Covid-19 surge in recent time in Bangladesh. But he failed to carry on the form to international cricket.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Top five memorable performances in Test Cricket
This series is a part of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh played five matches of this event but failed to win any of them while Sri Lanka played 10 matches and won one of them with losing six and drawing three.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Recap of the Key Test Records
Bangladesh played a total of 12 matches in Sri Lanka and won one of them in 2017 which was Bangladesh’s last overseas Test win to the date.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka series 2021: Test Rankings Prediction
The 2021 Test series between Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka has stirred cricket fans' interest as Bangladesh are desperate to win the contest. Bangladesh will face a significant challenge in facing Sri Lanka in their own backyard, which is why we expect captain Mominul to show his true leadership abilities in this series. But, senior players will have to take on more responsibility if Bangladesh is to do well in the contest. Besides, Bangladesh will badly want to get off the mark in the ICC Test Championship points table. This article discusses the Test rankings prediction of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka series 2021.
Test Rankings Scenario: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Series
The first of two matches Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be played from April 21 to April 25 and the second Test will begin from April 29. Both the matches will take place at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Read: IPL 2021: The best IPL playing XI 2021 from each team
Match
Venue
Time (Bangladesh Standard Time)
1st Test
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
10.30 AM
2nd Test
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
10.30 AM
Sri Lanka's last Test series against the Windies ended in a 0-0 draw in March. On the other hand, Bangladesh were defeated 2-0 by the Windies in their last Test series at home in February.
This series isn't really important for the two teams if we only consider ICC Test Championship. But both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will want to win the series in order to strengthen their Test positions. Sri Lanka will drop one place in the ICC Test rankings if they lose the series. Bangladesh's ranking will stay unchanged if they win the series, but their rating points will improve.
Sri Lanka are currently ranked seventh in the ICC rankings, with 83 points. While Bangladesh are in the ninth position with 51 points. Sri Lanka will gain one point if they can whitewash Bangladesh in this series. On the other side, Bangladesh would gain 11 points if they can banglawash Sri Lanka.Taking a look at how the ICC's Test rankings prediction projects the series-ending ranking scenario.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Top five memorable performances in Test Cricket
Probable ICC Test rankings for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Bangladesh win by 1-0
Sri Lanka will fall one place in the rankings if Bangladesh win the series 1-0. They will drop to eighth place after losing 5 points, while West Indies will rise to seventh place. On the other hand, the ranking of Bangladesh will remain unchanged. However, Bangladesh's rating points will be increased by 9 points, bringing the total to 60.
Bangladesh win by 2-0
If Bangladesh win the series 2-0, Sri Lanka will drop one spot in the rankings. They will drop to the eighth position after losing six points, while West Indies will climb to seventh. On the other hand, Bangladesh will maintain its current position. But, Bangladesh's rating points will be raised 11 points to 62.
Series draw 1-1 / 0-0
Sri Lanka will slip three points to eighth place if the series ends 1-1. While Bangladesh will get 4 points and a 55-point rating. And if the series ends in a 0-0 draw, the outcome would be the same.
Sri Lanka win by 1-0
If Sri Lanka win the series 1-0, the team's ranking and rating points will remain unchanged. Both teams will be in the same position as they were before.
Sri Lanka win by 2-0
Neither team's ranking will change if Sri Lanka win the series 2-0. However, Sri Lanka's rating point will rise by one point to 84, while Bangladesh's will fall by two points to 49.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Recap of the Key Test Records
Bottom Line
While the ICC Test ranking prediction doesn't quite excite Bangladesh cricket fans, winning a match in the series would be a massive morale booster for the squad, as they have only won one of their previous nine matches. Besides, Bangladesh will get back in rhythm in the Test format if they win the series against Sri Lanka. The series is very significant in this regard.
Read: Who will win the IPL 2021? The favorites, underdogs, and outsiders
NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself
Former NFL player Phillip Adams fatally shot five people, including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren before killing himself early Thursday.
York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson told a news conference that investigators had not yet determined a motive for Wednesday’s mass shooting.
“There’s nothing right now that makes sense to any of us,” Tolson said.
Also read:10 ex-NFL players charged with defrauding healthcare program
Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara, 69, were pronounced dead in their home in Rock Hill along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5, the York County coroner’s office said.
A man who had been working at the Lesslie home, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found shot to death outside. A sixth victim, Robert Shook, 38, of Cherryville, North Carolina, was flown to a Charlotte hospital, where he was in critical condition “fighting hard for his life,” said a cousin, Heather Smith Thompson.
At Thursday’s news conference, Tolson played audio of two 911 calls, the first from an HVAC company that employed Lewis and Shook. One of the men, the caller said, had called him “screaming” and saying that he had been shot, and that his coworker was shot and “unresponsive.”
“I think there’s been a bad shooting,” a different man said in a second 911 call, saying he was outside cutting his grass and heard “about 20” shots fired at the Lesslie home before seeing someone leave the house.
Tolson said evidence at the scene led authorities to Adams as a suspect. He said they went to Adams’ parents’ home, evacuated them and then tried to talk Adams out of the house. Eventually, they found him dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Tolson said both a .45-caliber and 9mm weapon were used in Wednesday’s shooting.
A person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press earlier Thursday that Adams had been treated by Lesslie, who lived near his parents’ home. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
However, Tolson would not confirm that Adams had been the doctor’s patient.
Lesslie worked for decades as an emergency room doctor, board-certified in both emergency medicine and occupational medicine and serving as emergency department medical director for nearly 15 years at Rock Hill General Hospital, according to his website.
He and his wife had four children and nine grandchildren, and were actively involved with their church, as well as with Camp Joy, which works with children with disabilities and where Lesslie served as camp physician for a week each summer. On Thursday, Tolson said the family had asked that any memorials be made to the camp.
Also read:NFL Pro Bowl returns to Orlando for 4th straight year
Adams, 32, played in 78 NFL games over six seasons for six teams. He joined the 49ers in 2010 as a seventh-round draft pick out of South Carolina State, and though he rarely started, he went on to play for New England, Seattle, Oakland and the New York Jets before finishing his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015.
As a rookie, Adams suffered a severe ankle injury and never played for the 49ers again. Later, with the Raiders, he had two concussions over three games in 2012.
Whether he suffered long-lasting concussion-related injuries wasn’t immediately clear. Adams would not have been eligible for testing as part of a broad settlement between the league and former players over such injuries, because he hadn’t retired by 2014.
Adams’ father told a Charlotte television station he blamed football for his son’s problems, which might have led him to commit Wednesday’s violence.
“I can say he’s a good kid — he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up,” Alonzo Adams told WCNC-TV.
Deputies were called around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday to the Lesslies’ home, and evacuated the neighbors as they searched for hours for a suspect.
Allison Hope, who lives across from Adams’ parents’ home, about a mile from the Lesslies, said police allowed her to return home around 9 p.m. Wednesday. Moments later, a vehicle pulled into the Adams’ driveway and law enforcement quickly surrounded the property.
She said they spent hours negotiating with Phillip Adams, using a loudspeaker and sending in a robot to scan the house. She said authorities repeatedly asked Adams to come out, and promised to get his disabled mother out safely, before Adams shot himself.
“This is something I can’t grasp yet. I can’t put it all together and I’m trying to,” Hope said.
Adams often isolated himself, even as a player, his agent, Scott Casterline, told the AP. Casterline said he spoke regularly with Adams’ father, who left him a voicemail Wednesday morning.
“This is so unlike him. He had to not be in his right mind, obviously,” Casterline said, adding that Adams struggled away from the game.
“He had an injury his rookie year. Some teams wrote him off and he had that stigma of a guy who was hurt,” Casterline said. “It was hard for him to walk away from the game, especially a guy as dedicated as he was.”
“We encouraged him to explore all of his disability options and he wouldn’t do it,” Casterline added. “I knew he was hurting and missing football but he wouldn’t take health tips offered to him. He said he would but he wouldn’t.”
“I felt he was lost without football, somewhat depressed.”
Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith, who trained Adams, said the former NFL player had opened a shop selling smoothies before COVID-19 hit. Both he and Casterline emphasized Adams didn’t drink or do drugs.
Lesslie founded two urgent care centers and had traveled the country giving lectures to an emergency nurses’ group, his website said. He wrote a weekly medical column for The Charlotte Observer and became a prolific author, writing several volumes with advice on how to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and lose weight.
The physician also penned a number of collections of what he termed “inspiring true stories” from his work.
“I know without a doubt that life is fragile,” Lesslie wrote in one of those books, “Angels in the ER.”
“I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about.”
A statement from the Lesslie family said they were “in the midst of the unimaginable” but felt assured by faith that their “hearts are bent toward forgiveness and peace.”
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Five Things Bangladesh Cricket Team Must Do To win the Test Series in Sri Lanka
The line-up for the ICC Test Championship final has been confirmed. The final match between India and New Zealand will take place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Southampton from June 18-22. The tournament hasn't fulfilled the expectations as several series were canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic. While, Bangladesh will try to hit the points table with at least one victory in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. In this regard, this is a very important series for Bangladesh. Let's take a look at the five things that the Bangladesh cricket team must do to win the Test series in Sri Lanka.
Five key areas that Bangladesh need to improve in the series against Sri Lanka
The two-match Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will start later this month. The first match will be played at the Pallekele stadium starting from April 21 and the second Test will begin on April 29 at the same venue. In 2017, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard, so beating the Lankans again won’t be impossible for the tigers.
Captain Mominul must be proactive
Mominul Haque is still new in the captaincy role. Mominul needs to be more mature to get success as Test captain. He should not be hesitant to make any important decision when needed. As a person, MominulHaque is a bit introverted but he needs to be more proactive in order to lead the team. Particularly when fielding, he must inspire the bowlers as well as diversify his decisions. Sometimes the captain's personality may have an effect on the team's performance. That's why the focus should be on activities that inspire the team to perform well. Mominul will be able to solidify his place as captain if he guides Bangladesh to win the Test series against Sri Lanka.
Also read: Still nothing definite on Sri Lanka tour
Making a game plan for each session
Test cricket is a game of patience. It is impossible to succeed in the Test format without displaying perseverance. Since there are 15 sessions in five days, it's important to map out a plan for each one. Even if you play well in two sessions, the whole equation can change in one bad session and the plan can vary depending on the situation. Therefore, each session must be planned sensibly. It is possible to do well in the Test series against Sri Lanka if the strategy is implemented properly. In this case, players' sincerity is very essential, and to ensure that the team management has to take responsibility.
Forming big partnerships for a big score
Bangladeshi batsmen usually lose concentration after hitting a half-century. Cricketers have yet to develop the mentality of playing long innings, which is extremely disappointing. Big partnerships will be vital if Bangladesh want to beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard. Players should not be content with just a hundred. They must concentrate on scoring double or triple hundreds. Especially they should try to score big in the first innings. The opposition team will be under pressure if Bangladesh post 500 in the first innings. Bangladesh have the tendency to get bowled out for a low total in the second innings. They must do something to change the situation. Batsmen must develop their fighting instincts, particularly when under pressure. Then we can expect positive outcomes from Bangladesh.
Also read: Tigers' SL tour facing postponement over BCB's unreasonable demand
Bowlers must be determined to take 20 wickets
A team must be capable of taking 20 wickets to win Tests. Otherwise, winning a Test match would be quite difficult. Though Bangladesh's bowling attack isn't particularly strong, they have enough quality bowlers to bowl Sri Lanka out twice in a Test. Spinners normally have the upper hand on subcontinent pitches. Therefore, Bangladeshi spinners must take most of the responsibility. Taijul Islam and NaeemHasan should bowl more responsibly, particularly in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman. Picking up 20 wickets will not be difficult if they understand the nature of the pitches and bowl accordingly.
There should be no fielding errors
Bangladesh's fielders were unimpressive in the recently concluded ODI and T20 series against New Zealand. Bangladesh were denied the chance to win at least one match in New Zealand due to poor fielding. In the Test format, players usually feel a bit tired because they have to field for a long time. Players cannot lose focus on fielding to succeed in Tests. They always have to be proactive on the field. Because one big mistake could cost the match. In that case, senior cricketers, as well as captain, have a big role to play.
Also read: Sri Lanka Tour: National team hits the field after long hiatus
Bottom Line
The Bangladesh cricket team's performance in the Test format over the last two years has been dreadful. Bangladesh have lost eight of the last nine Test matches, with the exception of the lone Test match against Zimbabwe in January 2020. The leadership of the Bangladesh Test team has changed during this time. Mominul Haque is currently captaining the Bangladesh team in the longer version format. BCB needs to develop a proper plan to take the Mominul-led Bangladesh Test team forward. In that case, the first-class cricket structure in the country must be strengthened and more competitive. However, Bangladesh must win the series against Sri Lanka in order to rekindle cricketers' passion for Test cricket. For that, the Bangladesh cricket team must do the five things listed above.
Read Without senior players, what Bangladesh’s ODI Cricket team could look like?
COVID hits MLB opening day; positive tests scrap Mets-Nats
In case anyone thought, or at least hoped, the new baseball season would go off without a coronavirus-related hitch, there was bad news on opening day:
The Washington Nationals’ game against the New York Mets was postponed Thursday after at least three of the 2019 World Series champions’ players tested positive for COVID-19.
“We’re still in the midst of a pandemic, and people need to still take this seriously. Unfortunately, it hit us, and we’ve got to take care of our own now,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “All I can say is: Be safe, continue to wear your masks like they ask and know that this still can happen to anyone. It’s tough for us right now, but we’re going to get through it.”
Also read:Top Table Tennis players in Bangladesh of All Time
General manager Mike Rizzo said Washington also has a fourth player considered a “likely positive.” He did not identify any of the players involved.
“For the most part, the whole team has been — we put them — in lockdown and they’re self-quarantining,” Rizzo said.
He said it was not yet known when the game will be made up, other than that it would not be played Friday, originally set up as a day off to allow for a makeup contest if there were an issue with Game 1, such as a rainout.
Rizzo said one of the players testing positive had a fever, while the others were not displaying COVID-19 symptoms. Contact tracing was continuing to see who else might have been exposed.
The teams are supposed to play Saturday and Sunday in Washington.
The Mets worked out at Nationals Park on Thursday, with pitchers throwing live to hitters.
“To be honest, it wasn’t a surprise. We’ve been in situations like this since last year,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said. “The health is the No. 1 thing still in the world. We’re taking care of ourselves. Everyone’s taking their mask everywhere. We’re doing everything we need to do.”
The news rippled across baseball as the 2021 season began.
“We have to tend to business and not let up,” Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s just a reminder that this thing is still out there and real.”
Getting going during this portion of the calendar, and with plans to play a full 162-game slate, is quite a contrast from 2020, when spring training exhibitions were halted in March as the COVID-19 outbreak gripped the world. The sport eventually staged a truncated, 60-game regular season that began in July with zero spectators in stadiums and fake crowd noise coursing through speakers.
Now, with vaccines being widely distributed, fans are allowed back in varying numbers — including a full house for the Texas Rangers, which President Joe Biden told ESPN was a mistake — and a sense of normalcy seemed to be returning to the national pastime.
“A lot of things are opening up, you know, in the country and things like that. I think we’re all going to feel a lot better once we’ve had the multiple shots and the vaccinations, both rounds of that,” said Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who received an injection Thursday.
Also read:Athletics to start sports calendar 2020 on January 16
“But for a team, it’s really, really dangerous. ... Your club losing multiple guys at one time, that’s really what can set you back to start your season. It messes with the roster, all kinds of things that you do,” he said. “So it is a little tricky area right now that we’re in, everybody leaving their camps and their bubbles and getting out. More travel. More access to other things.”
Rizzo said he was not sure how his team’s outbreak began. His team did not report any positive tests during six weeks of camp in Florida.
“I’ve got the utmost confidence that it was not a player breaking protocol,” he said.
The team flight from Florida to Washington at the close of spring training on Monday created close contact among players and staff.
The Nationals — who finished tied for last in the NL East in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season — were supposed to send Max Scherzer to the mound to face New York’s Jacob deGrom on Thursday in a matchup between pitchers who own a total of five Cy Young Awards.
Scherzer said he was not on that team flight and traveled separately with his family.
“It’s a shame that we can’t play today, but we need to stay positive. I’ve talked to a lot of players and my concern is about their health and safety,” Washington’s Martinez said. “This isn’t the first time we’ve been through some bumpy roads. We’ve been there and we’re going to come back from this and we’re going to play baseball.”
Bangladesh opt to bowl as 3rd T20 reduces to 10-over a side
Bangladesh won the toss opted to bowl first in the third T20I against Bangladesh in Auckland on Thursday.
The match was scheduled to start at 12pm (Bangladesh time), but due to heavy rain, the match is delayed by more than two hours.
The match is reduced to 10-over a side, and the first three overs will be considered the powerplay.
Liton Das, the right-handed top-order batsman, is leading the Tigers in this game as the regular captain Mahmudullah Riyad sustained a blow in the second game and ruled out of this game.
Also read: Liton to lead Tigers in 3rd T20I vs Kiwis
Bangladesh have already lost the series losing the first two games against the hosts. In the first game, Bangladesh lost by 66 runs, and in the rain-hit second game, the Tigers endured the defeat by 28 runs in the DL method.
Before coming into the T20Is series, the Tigers have lost the three-match ODI series 3-0. Bangladesh played a total of 31 international matches in New Zealand but failed to come up victorious in any of them.
Bangladesh made three changes in this game as Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mosaddek Hossain and Rubel Hossain came in to replace Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun and Mohammad Saifuddin.
Also read: Soumya hit fifty but Tigers lose T20Is series against Kiwis
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das(w/c), Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nasum Ahmed
Also read: Tigers start T20 series vs New Zealand with big defeat
New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Finn Allen, Devon Conway(w), Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Southee(c), Adam Milne, Todd Astle, Lockie Ferguson
How Can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
Teams must finish in the top eight of the current ICC One-Day International Super League points table to be qualified for the 2023 World Cup. On the other hand, India will automatically qualify for the World Cup as the host nation. In that case, Bangladesh must ensure its place among the other seven nations in order to advance to the World Cup's main event. Each country will do its best to compete in the league. As a result, every ODI Super League match is crucial. This article has discussed how can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
The ICC ODI Super League format for direct qualification
Twelve Test playing nations: Bangladesh, England, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland, tournament host India, and associate nation Netherlands are taking part in the ICC ODI super league.
The top eight teams in the standings at the end of the league will automatically qualify for the 2023 World Cup. For the final two slots, the remaining five teams will compete in another qualification round. Five additional teams from associate nations will also be part of that tournament.
Also read: Bangladesh vs New Zealand ODI Series 2021: Bangladesh Team Report Card
The ODI Super League tournament will finish at the end of 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the tournament, each team will participate in eight bilateral series, four at home and four away. Every series consists of three one-day international matches, which means each team will play a total of 24 ODIs.
Each match will be worth a total of ten points and the winning team will get all the points. In addition, all teams will be awarded 5 points if the tie/match is abandoned. If two or more teams have the same number of points, the net run rate will be used. If still equal, the better-ranked team will be placed higher as per the ICC's ODI rankings on July 1, 2020.
How Bangladesh can secure direct qualification in the World Cup 2023
Bangladesh’s ODI Super League fixture
Bangladesh are a strong one-day international team that can beat any team in the world on any given day. The opponent's capabilities should not be overlooked as every team will give their all in order to qualify for the World Cup 2023.
Home Series
Windies (Jan, 2021) Bangladesh win (3-0)
Sri Lanka (May, 2020)
England (Oct, 2021
Afghanistan (Feb, 2022)
Away Series
Ireland (postponed) to be confirmed
New Zealand (Feb, 2021) New Zealand win (3-0)
Zimbabwe (June, 2021)
South Africa (March, 2022)
Bangladesh’s main focus should be to score 150 points from the ODI super league in order to finish the top eight in the points table. Team tigers’ target should be to win the home series against the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and collect as many points as possible. They also have to secure the away series against Ireland and Zimbabwe.
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Bangladesh will definitely retain their current ODI rankings should they win these five ODI super league series.
Thankfully, Bangladesh already whitewashed the Windies at home and gained 30 valuable points. But team tigers’ failed to collect a point in New Zealand after losing all three matches against the Blackcaps.
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Bangladesh will finish inside the top eight in the ODI super league points table if they score at least 100 out of 120 points in the series against Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan.
ICC ODI Super League Points Table (As of March 30, 2021)
Position
Team
Pld
W
L
Pts
NRR
1
England
9
4
5
40
0.468
2
Australia
6
4
2
40
0.347
3
New Zealand
3
3
0
30
2.352
4
Afghanistan
3
3
0
30
0.527
5
Bangladesh
6
3
3
30
-0.128
6
West Indies
6
3
3
30
-0.876
7
India (Q)
6
3
3
29
-0.252
8
Pakistan
3
2
1
20
0.741
Source: ESPNCricinfo
Bottom Line
Bangladesh need not be concerned about the ODI Super League's final outcome because they should comfortably finish in the top eight in the points table. Rather, BCB should concentrate on developing a Bangladesh ODI squad in preparation for the World Cup 2023.
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