United News of Bangladesh

Iraq’s head coach, Graham Arnold, has appealed to FIFA to postpone his team’s intercontinental World Cup playoff due to the disruptions caused by the escalating war in Iran. The Iraqi squad faces major challenges ahead of their winner-takes-all match against either Suriname or Bolivia, set for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico. With Iraqi airspace closed until April 1, Arnold’s team — mostly made up of domestic league players cannot fully assemble. Many players are also unable to secure visas for Mexico because of embassy closures, while Arnold himself is stuck in the United Arab Emirates amid the conflict. “Please help us with this game because right now we are struggling to get our players out of Iraq,” Arnold, a former Australian national team coach, told the Australian Associated Press. The turmoil has already forced the cancellation of a planned training camp in Houston. Arnold said relying only on overseas-based players is not a viable solution. “It wouldn’t be our best team, and we need our best squad for the country’s biggest game in 40 years,” he said. Arnold has suggested a strategic delay: let Suriname and Bolivia play their preliminary match this month, but postpone Iraq’s final playoff until a week before the World Cup starts. “This would give us time to prepare properly and allow FIFA to see how the situation with Iran develops,” he said. “If Iran withdraws, we go to the World Cup, and it also gives the UAE, who we beat in qualifying, time to prepare for either Bolivia or Suriname.” Iraq Football Association president Adnan Dirjal is reportedly working tirelessly to make the World Cup dream a reality, and Arnold stressed that a quick decision from FIFA is crucial.

India clinched a record third T20 World Cup title with a commanding 96-run win over New Zealand on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, thrilling over 86,000 fans. After losing the toss, India batted first and posted a massive 255-5. Opener Sanju Samson starred with a 46-ball 89, his third consecutive fifty, while Abhishek Sharma smashed a rapid 52 off just 21 balls. The pair’s blazing start helped India reach 92-0 in the power play, equaling the highest in T20 World Cup history. Ishan Kishan also contributed a quick fifty, with India crossing 200 by the 15th over. Shivam Dube’s 26 not out ensured India finished past 250. In response, New Zealand never threatened. Tim Seifert hit a 26-ball 52 with five sixes, but India’s bowlers dominated. Jasprit Bumrah took 4-15, including a hat-trick chance, while Axar Patel claimed 3-27. Varun Chakravarthy and Kishan contributed with key wickets and catches as New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs. Samson’s 89 became the highest individual score in a men’s T20 World Cup final, earning him player of the tournament for 321 runs at an average of 80.25. Bumrah, named player of the match, celebrated his 40th T20 World Cup wicket, the most by any pacer. India, which previously won in 2007 and 2024, became the first team to successfully defend a T20 World Cup title and the first to lift the trophy on home soil. Suryakumar Yadav joined MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as Indian captains to claim the trophy, marking another historic day for Indian cricket.  

India clinched the T20 World Cup for a record third time on Sunday, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs before a crowd of over 100,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Batting first after losing the toss, India posted a formidable 255-5. Opener Sanju Samson struck 89 off 46 balls, including eight sixes, marking his third consecutive fifty. Abhishek Sharma contributed a 21-ball 52, while Shivam Dube remained unbeaten on 26 from just eight deliveries. India’s top-order trio hit 15 sixes in total, helping the team reach 203-1 in 15 overs, the highest power play score in T20 World Cup history. James Neesham (3-46) took three crucial wickets in the 16th over, dismissing Samson, Ishan Kishan (54 in 25 balls), and captain Suryakumar Yadav for a golden duck. Chasing 256, New Zealand struggled throughout and were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs. Jasprit Bumrah picked up 4-15 and Axar Patel claimed 3-27. Tim Seifert top-scored with 52 off 26 balls. India became the first country to defend its T20 World Cup title and also the first to win the trophy on home soil. This edition of the tournament was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Yadav joined MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as Indian captains to lift the T20 World Cup trophy. New Zealand was aiming for its first T20 World Cup win and had previously finished as runners-up in 2021, losing to Australia in Dubai.

India posted a commanding 255-5 in Sunday’s T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, though the hosts may have hoped for an even bigger total. Co-hosts India had raced to 203-1 in 15 overs before James Neesham (3-46) struck in the 16th over, taking three crucial wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which welcomed over 100,000 spectators. Neesham dismissed opener Sanju Samson for 89 off 46 balls, including eight sixes and five boundaries, and also removed Ishan Kishan (54 in 25) and captain Suryakumar Yadav for a golden duck. Abhishek Sharma contributed a 21-ball 52, while Shivam Dube finished unbeaten on 26 from eight deliveries. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had won the toss and opted to bat first against the defending champions. The Kiwis are seeking their first T20 World Cup title, having finished runners-up in 2021, when they lost to Australia in Dubai. India aims to become the first team to claim the trophy three times.

The International Cricket Council postponed its upcoming board meeting in Doha, Qatar, citing the escalating military conflict and instability in the Middle East. The meetings, originally scheduled for March 25 to 27, will tentatively be moved to April. The governing body stated it has not yet finalized a new date or location. The ICC selected Doha as the host city on February 22, a move intended to build relations with Qatar and utilize its expanding sports infrastructure. Following the postponement of the Doha summit, several top ICC executives and board members gathered in Ahmedabad, India, for Sunday's T20 World Cup final. The championship match took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the home venue of ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Officials present for the final included New Zealand Cricket Chairman Roger Twose, Zimbabwe Cricket's Tavengwa Mukuhlani, and South Africa's Dr. Mohammed Moosajee. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam did not attend the gathering, as he is currently in Melbourne with his family. Media reports stated Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was also unlikely to attend the match.

Women across the world will call for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decision-making jobs and celebrate progress toward female empowerment during events and demonstrations marking International Women’s Day on Sunday. Officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day is commemorated in different ways and to varying degrees in places around the world. Protests are often political — and at times violent — rooted in women’s efforts to improve their rights as workers. 2026 will mark the 115th year of International Women's Day. This years' theme is “Give to Gain,” with a focus on fundraising for organizations focused on women's issues and less tangible forms of giving such as teaching peers, celebrating women and “challenging discrimination.” Women worldwide hold 64% of the legal rights that men have, according to United Nations data. Women's rights activists on Sunday rallied in Karachi, Pakistan and shouted slogans during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey. In China and Russia, vendors sold flowers wrapped in pink and local workers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, lifted fists and umbrellas as they celebrated. What is International Women’s Day? International Women’s Day is a global celebration — and a call to action — marked by demonstrations, mostly of women, around the world, ranging from combative protests to charity runs. Some celebrate the economic, social and political achievements of women, while others urge governments to guarantee equal pay, access to health care, justice for victims of gender-based violence and education for girls. It is an official holiday in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, Russia and Cuba, the only one in the Americas. In the United States, March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. As in other aspects of life, social media plays an important role during International Women’s Day, particularly by amplifying attention to demonstrations held in countries with repressive governments toward women and dissent in general. When did it start and why does it fall on March 8? While the idea behind a women’s day originated in the U.S. with the American Socialist Party in 1909, it was a German feminist who pushed for a global commemoration during an international conference of socialist women held in 1910 in Copenhagen. The following year, events across Europe marked the day, and during World War I, women used it to protest the armed conflict, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. International Women’s Day is observed on March 8 after a massive protest in Russia on Feb. 23, 1917, that led to the country’s eventual withdrawal from the war. At the time, Russia had not adopted the Gregorian calendar and still used the Julian calendar. The U.N. began commemorating the holiday in 1975, which was International Women’s Year, and its General Assembly officially recognized the day two years later. How is it observed across the world? Roughly 20,000 people attended a march for International Women’s Day in Berlin. German news agency dpa reported Sunday that the crowd was double the amount police had expected. Speakers at the event decried violence against women in Germany, as well as gender discrimination. In Brazil, Sunday’s marches for International Women’s Day served as a rallying cry against gender-based violence, fueled by the latest case to outrage the country involving the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Copacabana. The case in Rio de Janeiro’s famed, beachside neighborhood took place in January, but gained national traction this week when four suspects handed themselves over to authorities. At least 15 protests were planned across the country, with organizers calling for the defense of women’s lives and an end to femicide. Globally, a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a family member or partner, according to U.N. figures, and the number of women being exposed to conflict has significantly jumped over the past decade. What does the future hold for March 8? Some say commemorating International Women’s Day is now more important than ever, as women have lost gains made in the last century, among them the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a nationwide right to abortion, which ended constitutional protections that had been in place nearly 50 years. The U.S. decision on abortion has reverberated across Europe’s political landscape, forcing the issue back into public debate in some countries at a time when far-right nationalist parties are gaining influence.

A coalition of Dhaka-based cricket club organisers, including former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, has formally requested the National Sports Council to investigate the Bangladesh Cricket Board's previous board of directors election, alleging the process lacked transparency. The group submitted a letter to the NSC on Sunday, calling for an independent inquiry committee to examine the election. Iqbal stated that 50 of the 76 clubs in Dhaka support the petition. During the last BCB elections, Iqbal and nine other candidates withdrew their nominations from the club category, citing an opaque selection process for district and divisional councilors. Former BCB director Fahim Sinha said the organizers proposed an independent committee that could include an NSC representative. Explaining the timing of the petition, Mohammedan Sporting Club director Masuduzzaman cited the recent political shifts in the country. "Democracy has returned after 17 to 18 years," Masuduzzaman said. "Now there is a democratic government, and we believe this is the right time to speak up." Labeling the current BCB board "illegal," the dissenting clubs have initiated a boycott of domestic competitions. The protest has severely impacted the lower-tier leagues, with only 12 of 20 clubs participating in the First Division and 12 of 24 in the Second Division. The ongoing dispute has also cast uncertainty over the upcoming men's and women's Dhaka Premier League tournaments.

New Zealand’s Brett Randell created history on Sunday by becoming the first bowler to claim five wickets with five consecutive balls in a first-class match. Randell achieved the feat while playing for Central Districts against Northern Districts in a domestic Plunkett Shield match. His victims included former Black Caps opener Jeet Raval and current New Zealand seamer Kristian Clarke. The achievement has previously occurred only once in professional T20 cricket, when former Ireland international Curtis Campher did so in a domestic interprovincial match. Stranded England, South Africa and West Indies cricket teams leave India on ICC chartered flights Randell started the remarkable spell by dismissing opener Henry Cooper with the final ball of his second over at McLean Park in Napier, a venue traditionally known for being batting-friendly. He then bowled Raval with the first delivery of his third over. Randell completed his hat-trick when Joe Carter was caught behind off the next ball, and secured a double hat-trick when Robbie O’Donnell was caught in the slips. Clarke became his fifth victim after he was bowled off an inside edge onto his leg stump. At that stage, Randell had taken five wickets for just two runs, leaving Northern Districts struggling at 9-5 in reply to Central Districts’ first-innings total of 373. Randell eventually finished with figures of 7-25 as Northern Districts were bowled out for 82. The 30-year-old’s previous best bowling figures in a first-class innings were 6-45.

England, South Africa and West Indies cricket teams are departing India on special chartered flights arranged by the International Cricket Council after being stranded by commercial aviation suspensions tied to the Middle East military conflict. England, eliminated by India in Thursday's semi-final, is scheduled to depart Mumbai for London on Saturday evening, according to ESPNcricinfo. The South African and West Indies squads, who have been grounded in Kolkata following their respective tournament exits, will share a separate chartered flight leaving India on Sunday. India beat England in run-fest thriller to reach T20 World Cup final The Sunday flight will transport the teams to Johannesburg, where the West Indies squad will then connect to a flight bound for Antigua. A contingent of the South African setup, including players Keshav Maharaj, Jason Smith and George Linde, will separate from the main group and travel to New Zealand for a T20 series starting March 15. The flight disruptions have forced multiple teams to remain in India days after their tournament campaigns ended. South Africa was knocked out in a March 4 semi-final against New Zealand, while the West Indies exited the Super Eight stage after a March 1 loss to India. West Indies head coach Darren Sammy highlighted the delay on the social media platform X, posting "Day Six" on Saturday to mark the ongoing wait. The Zimbabwe national team experienced similar logistical delays. Following their final match on March 1, a portion of the squad was only able to secure a flight out of the country on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump on Friday warned that the U.S. collegiate sports system could collapse without immediate cost controls and more revenue for players. Speaking at a White House summit with lawmakers and sports officials, he said he plans to issue an “all-encompassing” executive order within a week, which could prompt a lawsuit revisiting court-approved NIL payments. Trump said the court settlement that created the NIL system had left many schools in financial distress and threatened the broader educational system. “The whole educational system is going to go out of business because of this,” he said, stressing the urgent need to reform college athletics. Trump says he ‘does not care’ if Iran play in World Cup Meeting participants agreed on the need to save the industry from escalating NIL costs and largely supported the SCORE Act, which would provide limited antitrust exemptions for the NCAA and preempt state NIL laws. House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated the bill may now have enough support to pass. Officials also flagged Olympic and women’s sports as particularly at risk, since their funding depends on revenue from football and basketball. U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said economic pressures threaten both men’s and women’s programs, underscoring the need for immediate action.