Tamim Iqbal, the mainstay of Bangladesh's top order for a decade-and-a-half, finds himself absent from the squad unveiled by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the forthcoming 2023 World Cup. Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of the BCB, cited an enduring injury as the primary factor underpinning Tamim's omission. Also read: Tamim fails to make the cut, Riyad's return complete as Tigers World Cup squad named Prior to Tuesday's squad announcement, a prevailing sentiment within Bangladesh's cricketing circles suggested that Tamim might be excluded from the World Cup, purportedly due to reservations from captain Shakib Al Hasan and head coach Chandika Hathrusingha regarding fielding a 'half-fit' player. This notion, however, was refuted by Minhajul. Also read: Bangladesh suffers ODI series defeat to New Zealand "After the second match of the New Zealand series, Tamim's injury resurfaced, rendering him unable to partake in the third match," Minhajul clarified. "We are disinclined to undertake substantial risks, especially in the context of a big event such as the World Cup." In a noteworthy turn of events earlier this year during the home series against Afghanistan, Tamim abruptly announced his retirement from international cricket amidst a controversy ignited by his remarks. He had expressed his desire to gauge his fitness in the course of a match within the series. This comment prompted the BCB president to publicly admonish him through the media. In a swift and unexpected turn, Tamim announced his retirement. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina intervened to facilitate his return. Also read: Bangladesh's Fixtures for ICC World Cup 2023 "I can decline anyone, but not the leader of the country," Tamim asserted when announcing his decision to continue representing Bangladesh. Concurrently, he took a hiatus from cricket for a span of one and a half months. The southpaw batter was anticipated to stage his comeback during the Asia Cup, but regrettably, it did not come to fruition. His persistent injury compelled him to abstain from the Asia Cup and relinquish his position as the ODI captain of Bangladesh. Now, he stands excluded from the World Cup. "The decision to omit Tamim was a tough one," remarked Habibul Bashar, the former Bangladesh captain and a current selection panel member. "There is no question regarding his status as one of our preeminent batters. We aimed to assemble the best-possible team, and a fit Tamim was our aspiration. But, it was his injury that compelled us to make this tough choice." Tanzid Hasan Tamim, a left-handed opener akin to his senior counterpart, may be poised to step into the elder Tamim's shoes for the World Cup. Minhajul is optimistic about the younger Tamim's readiness to face more formidable challenges. The Bangladesh team is slated to depart for India on Wednesday. Their World Cup campaign will commence with a match against Afghanistan on October 7 in Dharamshala.

Following a series of dramatic events, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has unveiled the 15-member squad for the ICC World Cup 2023. In a social media video, the board introduced the squad while showcasing Bangladesh's World Cup jersey. Also read: Bangladesh suffers ODI series defeat to New Zealand Shakib Al Hasan will lead the team in the World Cup, with Najmul Hossain Shanto as his deputy. Consequently, Litton Das has been relieved of his vice-captaincy. Veteran Tamim Iqbal has not secured a spot in Bangladesh's World Cup squad, in a move that is certain to polarise opinions throughout the country. The left-handed opener, Bangladesh's highest run-scorer in international cricket across all three formats, has been grappling with a back injury, and didn't look fully convincing in the one complete outing he had in the just-concluded ODI series against New Zealand. Also read: Bangladesh's Fixtures for ICC World Cup 2023 Ultimately it has ruled him out of the tournament set to commence early next month in India. Fans will recall his dramatic retirement from all forms of the game hardly three months ago, that he was forced to revoke in the space of 24 hours with the intervention of the prime minister herself - partly in view of the World Cup being so near. Another veteran however, assuredly booked himself a ticket to India by presenting his calming presence in the middle during the New Zealand series, as batsmen kept committing harakiri all round him - Mahmudullah Riyad. Riyad, whose career looked to be over at more than one point as selectors could never make their minds up on his role, will get another shot at glory as a mainstay of the middle-order alongside his brother in law Mushfiqur Rahim. Both however have shown indifferent form in the lead up to the big event. Also read: Bangladesh's probable squad for ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Right-arm pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib has also been added to the squad. Along with him, Bangladesh announced a five-member pace-attack in this World Cup under the guidance of South African legend Alan Donald. Sakib is joined by Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and the two left-armers - Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam. Who might open? In the absence of Tamim, the obvious question would be who will take his place at the top of the batting order partnering Litton Das. From what has been tried till now, the two options would look to be trying youngster Tanzid Hasan Tamim, who opened in the 3rd ODI against the Kiwis, or promoting all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz up the order again, who has had some notable success in that position in limited overs cricket. Although Tanzid was tried, he failed to impress batting in the top order during the NZ series, including today as opener, scoring just 5. As things stand, the Miraz option might be most attractive. Vice captain Shanto, the team's in form batter, will hold down his favourite no.3 position in the order. Key figures of the Bangladesh cricket team held a late-night meeting at the residence of Nazmul Hasan, the board president, to deliberate on Tamim's inclusion in the World Cup. BCB sources confirmed that captain Shakib Al Hasan and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha were present in the meeting with Nazmul. They expressed reservations about including Tamim in the World Cup due to concerns regarding his injuries. In a sudden turn of events, Tamim’s elder brother, Nafis Iqbal, who served as the operational manager even in the third ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand, was abruptly removed from his position. This year’s World Cup features a total of 10 teams. Aside from Bangladesh, only Sri Lanka had been awaiting the official squad announcement until Tuesday. Bangladesh World Cup 2023 squad: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (Vice Captain), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib  

 Former Bangladesh cricketer Nafis Iqbal has been relieved of his duties as the national team's operations manager. Nafis signed the team sheet in the third ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand on Tuesday, suggesting he was removed while the match was still on. A source close to Nafis confirmed the development. However, Nafis was not available for immediate comment. Read: Bangladesh suffers ODI series defeat to New Zealand This development has coincided with the buzz in Bangladesh cricketing circles regarding his younger brother Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh's leading run-scorer in international cricket.  The buzz suggests he may be left out of the World Cup squad. Read: Shanto Hits Fifty, Bangladesh Tumble for 171 Following the T20 World Cup last year, Nafis was appointed to a staff role with the national team. Since then, there have been sporadic reports about his potential removal, though none had materialized until now. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has stated that the World Cup squad will be announced after the third and final ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand, scheduled to take place in Mirpur on Tuesday. As of now, it remains uncertain whether Tamim will secure a spot in the World Cup squad. Unconfirmed sources have suggested that Tamim's inclusion in the Bangladesh World Cup team may be in doubt due to uncertainties surrounding his fitness. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not confirm the reason behind Nafis’ removal. Several attempts by UNB to get BCB’s comments went in vain, as no official was available for comment.

GM Enamul Hossain Razib and IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman of Bangladesh earned 4 points each after the 7th round men's individual event of the 19th Asian Games Chess held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Tuesday. WFM Noshin Anjum of Bangladesh earned two points after the 7th round of the women's individual. The 5th, 6th, and 7th round matches of both the men's and women's individuals were held today (Tuesday). Also read: Asiad Chess: GM Enamul Hossain Razib beat Kao Jamison Edrich of Hong Kong in 4th round In the day's 5th round matches, GM Enamul Hossain Razib lost to GM Sumiya Bilguun of Mongolia, IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman lost to GM Le Tuan Minh of Vietnam in the men's individual, and WFM Noshin Anjum lost to IM Sukandar Irene Kharisma of Indonesia in the women's individual. In the 6th round, GM Enamul Hossain Razib won against FM Yamada Kohei of Japan, IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman won against FM Laohawirpap Prin of Thailand, and WFM Noshin Anjum lost to Feng Enice of Hong Kong. Also read: Asian Zonal Chess: IM Fahad Rahman emerges unbeaten champions in open section In the 7th round, GM Enamul Hossain Razib drew with IM Bersamina Paulo of the Philippines, IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman won against FM Bai Adelard of Taipei, and WFM Noshin Anjum lost to WFM Chuemsakul Sarocha of Thailand. Also read: Asian Continental Chess: Bangladesh GM Enamul Hossain Razib finishes 25th The 8th and 9th round matches of both events will be held on Wednesday.

Bangladesh lost the third and final ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand by seven wickets with 91 balls to spare on Tuesday in Dhaka. With this victory, New Zealand clinched the series 2-0, marking Bangladesh's first home series loss to the Blackcaps in over a decade and a half. Also read: Bangladesh Opt to Bowl First in First ODI Against New Zealand Opting to bat first, Bangladesh managed a below-par total of 171 runs in 34.4 overs, with Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scoring with 76 runs. For New Zealand, Adam Milne claimed four wickets, conceding 34 runs. Also read: First Bangladesh-New Zealand ODI abandoned for rain in Mirpur In response, New Zealand chased down the target of 172 in 34.5 overs. Shoriful Islam secured two early wickets, but it wasn't enough to halt the Blackcaps' progress. Will Young contributed 70, while Henry Nicholls remained unbeaten with 50. Also read: New Zealand's stand-in captain embraces Bangladesh challenge This series serves as Bangladesh's final preparation ahead of the World Cup, leaving the Tigers with the memory of a series defeat to overcome as they head into the tournament.

Bangladesh conceded a 2-5-goal defeat against eight-time Asiad champions Pakistan in their second group match of the 12-nation 19th Asian Games Hockey at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou on Tuesday. This was the second successive defeat for Bangladesh in their second Pool A match after suffering a 2-7-goal defeat against holders Japan in the opening match last Sunday. Also read: Asian Games Hockey: Bangladesh emerge group champions to reach semis beating Singapore 1-0 After a goalless first quarter in the day's match, Pushkar Khisha Mimo, who scored the first goal for the country against Japan, on Tuesday, again  put Bangladesh ahead from a penalty corner in the 19th minute (1-0) Afrazj Ahmed levelled the margin for Pakistan in the 30th minute by a field goal (1-1), while Muhammad Khan put Pakistan ahead in the 40th minute also by a field goal (2-1). Also read: Asian Games Hockey Qualifier: Bangladesh to play Indonesia on Saturday Muhammad Ammad widened the Pakistan margin in the 43rd minute by a field goal (3-1) while Milan Hossain reduced the margin, scoring the second goal for Bangladesh in the 46th minute (3-2). Muhammad Khan and Arbaz Ahmed scored two more goals for Pakistan in the 48th and 57th minutes, respectively, both from penalty corners (5-2). Also read: Asian Games hockey qualifiers: Bangladesh beat Indonesia 3-1 Bangladesh, which was placed in six-team Pool A of the Asiad Hockey with India, Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, and Uzbekistan, will play Singapore on September 28, Uzbekistan on September 30 and India on October 2. END/UNB/MMK/MB

In his debut as captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto showcased an impressive performance with a score of 76, the highest for any Bangladeshi making their debut as captain in an ODI. However, Bangladesh failed to mount a strong challenge against New Zealand in the third ODI of the three-match series on Tuesday, as they were bundled out for 171. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh introduced left-handed batter Zakir Hasan, who earned his first ODI cap in this match. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Zakir opened the innings, but their partnership yielded only 6 runs before their dismissals. Zakir was the first to depart after scoring one, while Tanzid managed 5. Mahmudullah 4th Bangladeshi to score 5000 runs in ODIs At this juncture, Shanto held his ground at one end of the wicket, but on the other side, Towhid Hridoy fell for 18, and Mushfiqur Rahim also couldn't prolong his innings beyond 18. Despite a promising start, Mahmudullah Riyad was unable to build momentum and was out after contributing 21 runs. In the end, Bangladesh faltered to a below-par total of 171 in 34.3 overs. Adam Milne from New Zealand claimed four wickets, conceding 34 runs, while Trent Boult and Cole McConchie secured two wickets each. Bangladesh bat first in 3rd ODI with Zakir making debut Having won the previous match, New Zealand is poised to clinch the series with a victory in this match. Bangladesh has not lost a series to New Zealand at home for over 15 years. Shakib visits US embassy, plays cricket with Peter Haas

Right-handed all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad has become the fourth Bangladeshi to achieve the milestone of scoring 5000 runs in ODIs. In the third ODI against New Zealand in Dhaka on Tuesday, Mahmudullah only needed one run to reach the 5000-run mark. He effortlessly secured that single run, thereby becoming the fourth Bangladeshi player to accomplish this feat. Mahmudullah joins practice camp with backup playersDespite initial uncertainties about his participation in the New Zealand series, the 37-year-old batter ultimately made it onto the field. In the second ODI, he narrowly missed out on a 50 by just one run. Mahmudullah Riyad's International Cricket Career Overview: Records and AchievementsPrior to Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim had all achieved the same milestone for Bangladesh. Has Mahmudullah's international career in cricket come to an end?      

Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first in the third and final ODI against New Zealand on Tuesday in Dhaka.  Bangladesh lost the last match and are now on the verge of a series defeat.  Asia Games Cricket: Bangladesh women win bronze beating Pakistan by 5 wickets Zakir Hasan, the left-handed top-order batter, is making his ODI debut in this match. He has played three Tests and one T20I. He has one hundred and two fifties in Tests.  Dean Foxcroft is also making his debut for New Zealand. The right-handed allrounder has played a T20I before his ODI debut.  Asia Games Cricket: Bangladesh women win bronze beating Pakistan by 5 wickets Bangladesh XI: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Zakir Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam New Zealand XI: Finn Allen, Will Young, Dean Foxcroft, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Rachin Ravindra, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.    

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan paid a visit to the US Embassy in Dhaka and engaged in friendly cricket with US Ambassador Peter Haas. The US Embassy shared a video on their social media platforms, showing Shakib bowling to Haas, who in turn faced Shakib's deliveries.  The video captured the camaraderie between Shakib and the US Ambassador, along with others briefly participating in the friendly game of cricket. Bangladesh poised to be a formidable contender in World Cup, Shakib believes Accompanied by his wife and children, Shakib also posed for a photo with the US ambassador. Bangladesh ready for Asia Cup with Shakib at the helm Shakib's wife, Umme Ahmed Shishir, lives in the US with their children, and Shakib frequently travels to the US whenever he finds breaks in his busy cricketing schedule. Shakib is currently enjoying a break from cricket. He is expected to join the national team soon that will travel to India to take part in the World Cup. Shakib chosen as ODI Captain of Bangladesh