Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
Rubel, Taijul included in squad for Australia T20Is
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 17-member team for the five-match T20I series against Australia starting from Tuesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
BCB has included Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and Mohammad Mithun in the squad, all of them were out of the T20I squad during Bangladesh’s Zimbabwe tour last month. But they were in the bio-secure bubble of the Bangladesh team.
Read:Domingo disappointed over “stringent” rules keeping Mushfiq away
The absence of the ace batsmen Mushfqiur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das has paved the way for Mosaddek and Mithun, who have been failing to do good for the Tigers for a long time.
In his last 10 innings in international cricket, Mosaddek passed the 50-run mark only once while he got dismissed for a single-digit score on three occasions with three scores under 15-run.
Mithun has also been failing regularly despite getting adequate chances. In his last 10 innings in the international circuit, Mithun failed to reach a two-digit score six times.
Read:Five-match T20Is: Australian cricket team arrives in Dhaka
In the series against Australia, Bangladesh will be heavily reliant on young guns like Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Shamim Hossain.
In the last T20I series against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh’s newest T20I inclusion Shamim did really well. He drew the attention of many in just two innings he played for the Tigers.
While the opening match of this series will take place on August 3, the other matches will be played on August 4, 6, 7 and 9. All the matches will be hosted by the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Read:Bangladesh and Australia will play a five-match Twenty20 International series starting from August 3
Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan (wk), Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Afif Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Shamim Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan
Five-match T20Is: Australian cricket team arrives in Dhaka
To play a five-match T20Is series against the Tigers, the Australia cricket team arrived in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon. They will now have to maintain a strict in-room quarantine in a hotel in the capital for three days.
Australian cricket team took a chartered flight from Barbados to reach Dhaka. They arrived in Dhaka at 4 p.m. on Thursday. This is Australia's first tour to Bangladesh in four years.
Read:Triumphant Tigers are back!
The five-match T20Is series will begin on August 3, with the other matches will be played on August 4, 6, 7 and 9. All the matches will be hosted at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The Australian team was not bound to maintain traditional immigration at the airport in Dhaka. They travelled directly to the team hotel from the airport. They will start their pre-series preparation after maintaining this quarantine period.
Triumphant Tigers are back!
Team Bangladesh is back home after winning all the three trophies in Zimbabwe.
Ahmed Sazzadul Alam, team leader for the tour and also a director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), told the media that the team landed at Dhaka airport around 9am on Thursday.
Read:Soumya takes big leap in ICC T20 rankings after Zimbabwe series
Bangladesh played a one-off Test, three ODIs and three T20Is in this tour. They won all the matches but a T20 international.
After arriving in Dhaka, all the members of the Bangladesh national team, coaching staff went to a three-day in-room quarantine at a hotel in the capital. They will start training ahead of the five-match T20I series against Australia, which is set to begin on August 3 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The Australia cricket team is also scheduled to arrive in Dhaka later Thursday. They took a chartered flight from Barbados.
The Australians are also set to go to a three-day in-room quarantine at a hotel in the capital. Australia will not have to undergo the traditional immigration process at the Dhaka airport. They will travel to the team hotel directly from the airport. They will also start their pre-series preparation after maintaining this quarantine period.
Read:BAN vs AUS 2021: Shakib Al Hasan On Verge of Achieving Two Unique Milestones
“We are doing everything that Cricket Australia demanded,” Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the CEO of BCB, told the media recently. “We hope the series will go as it was planned. We previously had hosted two teams at the home during the pandemic. We now know how to maintain a bio-secure bubble. So it won't be tough for us. We are taking everything into consideration, and we are prepared to tackle every situation that may come along the way.”
While Bangladesh will play against Australia with a fresh memory of winning a series against Zimbabwe, Australia will have to take the field with the agony of losing a series to the West Indies.
Australia lost to West Indies 4-1 in a five-match T20I series. The two-time T20 World Champions were too good for the Aussies.
In Bangladesh, Australia will play five matches in seven days. The first match of the series will take place on August 3, while the other matches will be played on August 4, 6, 7 and 9. All the matches will be played at the same venue -- Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Read:Liton to miss Australia T20 series
Bangladesh will have to maintain a strict bio-secure bubble for this series, as per the demand of Cricket Australia.
Australia are going to miss some big names for this series, while Bangladesh are also set to miss the services of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das. Tamim and Liton have been out of this series due to injuries and family reasons, while Mushfiqur is out for missing a quarantine deadline.
Australia’s August tour of Bangladesh 'on'
Australia's tour of Bangladesh for a five-match T20 series in August will go ahead despite an alarming spike in Covid-19 cases in this country, according to a media report.
Quoting unnamed sources, The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that Cricket Australia is satisfied with the bio-security arrangements that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has promised to provide the players during the tour.
Read:Tamim to miss home series against Australia, New Zealand
Meanwhile, the BCB has announced the itinerary for the August tour. The visiting side will play five T20 internationals against the hosts at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. The Australians will arrive in Dhaka on 29 July.
BCB's chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said, “The BCB and Cricket Australia have worked tirelessly together for confirming the itinerary. Naturally this was a challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic as ensuring health safety and security is a priority prerequisite for holding any cricket series in these times.
"I am pleased to say that a comprehensive bio-security plan is in place and will be implemented during the tour for the protection of players and staff of the two teams and the match officials. We are really looking forward to an exciting and enjoyable contest between Bangladesh and Australia."
The tour had looked a solid prospect until the Bangladesh government eased the lockdown restrictions for eight days for the holy festival of Eid-ul-Adha, raising concerns about the Covid situation in the country.
Read:Tamim, Shohan guide Tigers to ODI series sweep against Zimbabwe
Health experts in Australia, including the chief of the national advisory committee to Covid-19, have criticised the move. They have warned the ease could fuel the already devastating Covid situation of the country.
Despite that, Cricket Australia is reportedly happy with Bangladesh's proposed bio-security arrangements for the tour.
BCB had earlier proposed that Cricket Australia split the series into two venues in Dhaka and Chattogram, which the latter disagreed due to the grim Covid-19 situation.
The Australia cricket team will take a chartered flight from the Caribbean, where they are touring currently, to Dhaka next week. They will travel to the team hotel directly from the airport. While travelling to the team hotel from the airport, the Australian team members will not require traditional immigration procedures at the airport to avert Covid-19 risks.
Read:Chakabva, Raza, Burl propel Zimbabwe to 298 in 3rd ODI
The Australian cricket team was scheduled to tour Bangladesh in June 2020 for a Test series, which was a part of the World Test Championship. But due to the Covid-19 situation then, they had cancelled the tour. However, the Covid-19 situation then was better than now.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh national team is touring Zimbabwe for a one-off Test, three ODIs and three T20s. The Test and ODIs had already been played, and won by the Tigers. The T20 series is set to kick off on Thursday at the Harare Sports Club.
Former captains respect Mahmudullah’s retirement decision
Despite being a last-minute addition to the squad of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, Mahmudullah Riyad proved his batsmanship once again. He returned an unbeaten 150 in the first innings of the Harare Test. It immediately created a hope that Mahmudullah would last in Tests for a longer period of time now. But Mahmudullah had another idea— after hitting career-best innings, he abruptly announced his retirement from the format that left many astonished.
But two former captains of the Bangladesh team— Aminul Islam Bulbul and Khaled Mashud Pilot, believe that it was Mahmudullah’s personal call and they respect it.
Read: Mahmudullah's Best Test Innings For Bangladesh
Mahmudullha has maintained a mysterious silence since he received a guard of honour ahead of the final day’s play in the Harare Test. He didn’t say a word about his retirement officially. The guard of honour came as the self-explanatory for his retirement.
“Mahmudullah was earlier told to focus on the white-ball cricket more by the team management. Despite being available, he was overlooked on a few occasions. He might have done it for it. But it was completely his own decision, and we have to respect him,” Aminul, who led Bangladesh in the inaugural Test, told UNB.
“Mahmudullah played in Harare as replacement of Tamim (Iqbal) or Mushfiqur (Rahim) as they are not fully fit. If they were fit, Mahmudullah might not have had the chance. However, what he did is his personal call. We have to respect it. And at the same time, it cannot be an example of the way of retiring from the national team. He informed his teammate when a match was underway. It would have been better if he told before the match or after it. But there is nothing about unprofessionalism. A player has the right to call his time whenever he wants,” Aminul added.
Mashud also echoed Aminul saying that it was Mahmudullah’s decision to call his time, and he has all the right to do so.
Read:Mahmudullah says “dramatic” goodbye to Test cricket, given guard of honour
“It’s his personal decision, and we have nothing to say about it. But we may ask why he has taken this decision this way. It is actually the board who should find out. I think there is a gap between the players and the board. Whatever the reason, it seems both the board and players lack respect for each other,” Mashud told UNB.
Shamim called up as BCB announces squad for Zimbabwe tour
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced squads for the Zimbabwe tour starting on July 7 with the solitary Test in Harare.
Shamim Hossain Patwary, a right-arm spinner and left-arm batsman, has been called up to the 16-member T20I squad as the only uncapped player.
He was one of Bangladesh’s main performers during the U-19 World Cup triumph in 2020 in South Africa.
Read:Mushfiqur hurts his finger ahead of Zimbabwe tour
Nurul Hasan Sohan, the right-hand wicketkeeper-batsman, made a comeback to all three formats for the tour, which consists of one-off Test, three ODIs and three T20Is. Nayeem Hasan, the right-arm spinner, has been added to the Test squad as well. He was out of Bangladesh’s last Test squad during the Sri Lanka tour.
Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan and Naeem Hasan have been called up to the Test squad while Mohammad Mithun has been omitted.
Sohan also made a comeback to ODIs along with Taijul Islam and Rubel Hossain while Soumya Sarkar and Mahedi Hasan have been removed from ODIs.
Sohan, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has also returned to the T20I squad along with Tamim and Shakib while Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mohammad Mithun, Al Amin Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim have been omitted from the T20I squad.
The Zimbabwe series will kick off with the one-off Test on July 7 while three ODIs will take place on July 16, 18 and 20 while the T20Is will be played on July 23, 25 and 27 respectively.
Read: BAN vs Zim 2021: BCB May Use the Zimbabwe Series as an Opportunity to Find New Talents
Test and ODIs will start at 1:30 pm (Bangladesh time) while T20Is will commenced at 4:30 pm (Bangladesh time).
All the matches of this series will be hosted at the Harare Sports Club.
Bangladesh Test squad:
Muminul Haque (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Shdman Islam, Saif Hassan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehedy Hasan Miraz, Taizul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed Rahi, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam.
In: Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan and Naeem Hasan
Out: Mohammad Mithun.
Bangladesh ODI squad:
Tamim Iqbal (captain), Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehedy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Shoriful Islam.
In: Nurul Hasan Sohan, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain.
Out: Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan.
Read: Bangladesh will undergo one-day quarantine in Zimbabwe
Bangladesh T20 squad:
Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam.
In: Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain
Out: Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mohammad Mithun, Al Amin Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (On leave).
Bangladesh will undergo one-day quarantine in Zimbabwe
Almost all international and domestic cricket events were suspended after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic in March 2020. When the cricketing activities eventually resumed later in the year, health experts instructed the teams to remain in mandatory quarantine ahead of the series. The focus was initially on a 14-day quarantine, but it has now been lowered to three days or less. Bangladesh will play a bilateral series against host Zimbabwe in July. After reaching, Bangladesh will undergo a one-day quarantine in Zimbabwe, confirmed a BCB official on Wednesday (June 9). This article discusses the forthcoming Zimbabwe series.
Full schedule of Bangladesh tour to Zimbabwe 2021
Bangladesh wants to play a two-day warm-up match before facing Zimbabwe in the Test match. The Bangladesh Cricket Board requested the Zimbabwe Cricket Board to reduce the quarantine period and Zimbabwe Board has agreed to the BCB's request.
The Bangladesh squad will be quarantined for one day after reaching Zimbabwe and will play a warm-up match before the Test match. BCB's operations committee chairman Akram Khan confirmed the information to the reporters while talking about the upcoming series against Zimbabwe.
According to the revised plan, the Bangladesh squad will reach Zimbabwe on June 29 and begin preparations for the Test match on June 1 when the one-day quarantine period ends.
Bangladesh will play one Test, three One-Day Internationals, and three Twenty20 Internationals in Zimbabwe. Following the end of the one-off Test in Bulawayo, the remaining matches will be held in Harare.
Read:Shakib banned for three matches, fined Tk 5 lakh
There were concerns before the start of the series that the Bangladesh squad would not have adequate practice time as initially, it was reported that the team tigers would be quarantined for a week.
There was a possibility that the practice match might be scrapped from the tour schedule. The Bangladesh team will have more time to prepare now that the quarantine is just one day.
Bangladesh last played a Test series against Sri Lanka. They lost the series 1-0 at home. That's why the upcoming series is important for the team. Bangladesh will also face Zimbabwe in some limited-over matches during the tour.
DATE
FIXTURE
TIME (BST)
7-11 JULY
Only Test (Bulawayo)
1.30 PM
16 JULY
1st ODI (Harare)
1.30 PM
18 JULY
2nd ODI (Harare)
1.30 PM
20 JULY
3rd ODI (Harare)
1.30 PM
23 JULY
1st T20I (Harare)
3.00 PM
25 JULY
2nd T20I (Harare)
3.00 PM
27 JULY
3rd T20I (Harare)
3.00 PM
Read: How New Zealand can become world's No.1 Test team ahead of WTC final against India
Bottom Line
A one-day quarantine in Zimbabwe will not be unsafe if the hygiene regulations are strictly observed. However, cricketers should always be aware of potential health implications. Because even the tiniest mistake may lead to a slew of big problems. Mushfiqur Rahim has already informed BCB that he would not be playing in the Zimbabwe series. Senior cricketers are rumored to be hesitant to take part in this tour. As a result, Bangladesh will be able to deploy some young players in the series, allowing them to showcase talents on an international stage.
Read: BCB stages a trainwreck around Shakib’s latest episode
Bio-bubble breach: Shakib gets away from punishment
Despite breaching the bio-secure bubble during the ongoing Bangbandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League, Shakib Al Hasan and his team Mohammedan Sporting Club got away from any punishment that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier announced.
Kazi Inam Ahmed, the chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), said that they will issue a notice to Shakib and Mohammedan asking them to obey the rules of the bio-secure bubble during the remaining part of the league.
Read:Mahmudullah, Rubel, Nurul Spark in DPL T20 2021
“We have held a hearing on June 8 about the recent breach of the bio-secure bubble of the Dhaka League. The incident had taken place during a practice session of Mohammedan,” Kazi Inam told in a video message sent to the media by BCB.
Along with the CCDM chairman, the technical director of the league, Jalal Yunus, BCB CEO, Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, member secretary of CCDM, Ali Hossain, the top management of Mohammedan and Shakib were among the participants of the hearing which took place virtually.
“Mohammedan accepted that the breach was an unfortunate act by them. They also offered an apology. We are looking forward to hosting the remaining part of the league safely. We have contacted all the clubs, and we are working continuously to keep the bio-secure bubble intact. We will issue a notice to Mohammedan to ensure that such an incident doesn’t take place again. And at the same time, we hope the tournament will go ahead successfully,” Kazi Inam added.
The incident took place on June 4 ahead of Mohammedan’s third game of the league against Prime Bank Cricket Club on June 5.
Most of the players of Mohammedan were at the academy ground in Mirpur, but Shakib took part in a net session at the outdoor of the indoor practice facilities.
Read:Fifties from Mushfiqur, Mosaddek power Abahani’s win
He was accompanied by Mohammedan coaching staff member Mehrab Hossain, team manager Sazzad Ahmed and at least four net bowlers.
There were two bowlers who are parts of the Mohammedan squad, and two were invited by Nasir Hossain, who works as a team boy at the national team. Neither Nasir nor the other two net-bowlers are part of the bio-secure bubble.
On June 5, BCB announced that they would investigate a potential breach of the bio-secure bubble during the Mohammedan’s practice session. They, however, didn’t clear the incident at that time.
Ahead of the league hits the ground, Ali Hossain, had said that any breach of the bio-secure bubble will result in heavy punishment.
While talking to the media on May 27, he sai, “We will observe the bio-secure bubble closely. If any breach comes up, we will take the action accordingly. It might see cut off the points of the clubs who would involve in such activities.”
Read:Mohammedan suffer second defeat
All the players, coaching staff members and club officials, who are participants in Dhaka League, are being accommodated in some luxurious hotels in the capital aiming to keep them safe from exposing to the deadly coronavirus. BCB is spending more than Tk 5 crores to establish this bio-secure bubble, as BCB officials earlier stated.
Due to the Covid-19 situation, the last season of the Dhaka League was suspended. So the board came to host this season of the league maintaining a strict bio-secure bubble.
Mushfiqur opts out of Zimbabwe T20Is
Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim sought permission of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to skip the three-match T20I series taking place in Zimbabwe next month.
Read:Sheikh Jamal end Mohammedan’s winning run
A BCB official on Monday confirmed that the wicketkeeper-batsman asked to not count him for Zimbabwe T20Is. However, Mushfiqur is available for the solitary Test and three-match ODI series.
“He has requested for leave to skip T20Is series,” Minajul Abedin, chief selector of BCB, told the media. “The decision will be taken once he submits his request to the cricket operation department officially.”
Read:Dhaka League T20: Khelaghar shock Abahani
Former Bangladesh captain, Mushfiqur, didn’t clear why he is not available for Zimbabwe T20Is. However, Minhajul believes that playing a lot of cricket might have exhausted the batsman.
Mushfiqur is currently busy playing the ongoing Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League. He is representing Abahani Limited in this T20 event.
Sri Lanka bat first in final ODI vs Bangladesh
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first in the third and final ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh on Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Sri Lanka added three uncapped players— Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratna and Binura Fernando -- and also brought up Niroshan Dickwella in the playing XI.
Read:Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: 3rd ODI Match Preview
Bangladesh, on the other hand, overlooked Liton Das and Mohammad Saifuddin. To replace them, Mohammad Naim and Taskin Ahmed have been included in the playing XI.
Liton has been going through a bad patch for a while now. In his last 10 innings, Liton failed to reach two-digit scores on four occasions with three ducks, prompting the team management to re-think his place in the playing XI.
Saifuddin, on the other hand, suffered a blow on his head in the last game. Taskin bowled in the last game as the first-ever concussion substitute in ODIs. As a precautionary step, the team management rested him in the last game.
Naim played an ODI against Zimbabwe earlier last year but didn’t get a chance to bat. He also played nine T20Is for the Tigers and amassed 303 runs with an average of 33.66.
Read:ICC ODI rankings: Mehidy becomes No. 2 bowler
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal(c), Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Kusal Perera(c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera