United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have received direct entry into the men's cricket quarter-finals at the 2026 Asian Games. The men's T20 tournament begins on September 24 in Nagoya with a six-team preliminary round to decide the remaining four quarter-finalists. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal were drawn in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman will compete in Group B. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stage, where they will join the four seeded sides. The women's competition, scheduled for September 17-22, will start at the quarter-final stage. Bangladesh will open their campaign against China, while defending champions India face hosts Japan. Sri Lanka meet Malaysia, and Pakistan take on Thailand. All matches in both competitions will be played in the T20 format. At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, delayed until 2023 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, India won both the men's and women's cricket titles. The men's final against Afghanistan was washed out by rain, with India awarded the gold medal as the higher-seeded team. India's women defeated Sri Lanka in the final. Bangladesh's men's team finished fourth after losing to Pakistan in the bronze-medal match. The women's side also fell short of a medal, losing to Pakistan in the third-place playoff.

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a stunning batting display, smashing his maiden international half-century as India cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening Twenty20 match on Thursday. Chasing a modest target of 126, Sooryavanshi blasted 50 off just 18 deliveries before falling for 68, having top-edged an attempted cut shot off Richard Ngarava. His explosive innings all but sealed the contest for India, which reached 126-3 with captain Shreyas Iyer remaining unbeaten to register his first victory as skipper in eight T20 internationals. Earlier, Zimbabwe managed 125-7 after being put under pressure by India's bowlers, with Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav claiming two wickets each. Sooryavanshi, who earlier this month became India's youngest-ever international cricketer, had a quiet start to his international career during the T20 series in England, scoring 14, 13 and 15 before being dropped for the final match, which India also lost as England completed a 4-0 series sweep. The selectors retained faith in the teenage opener for the Zimbabwe series, returning him to the same Harare venue where he had earlier announced himself by hammering 175 off 80 balls against England in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final in February. The youngster wasted little time on Thursday, launching his first six after facing just four deliveries. He went on to clear the boundary three more times with towering hits over long-off, fine leg and long-on. The three-match series will continue with the second T20 on Saturday.

Former Australia opener David Warner has pleaded guilty to a mid-range drink-driving charge after being stopped by police in Sydney during a break from the Pakistan Super League earlier this year. Warner entered the plea through his lawyer at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday and was not required to appear. He is due to be sentenced on August 18. Police pulled Warner over in Sydney's eastern suburbs on April 5. A roadside breath test led officers to take him to Maroubra Police Station, where he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.104 — more than twice the legal limit. His lawyer, Bobby Hill, has previously said Warner accepted he made a mistake. "He knows what he did was wrong," Hill said. "He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber." Hill said Warner had drunk three glasses of wine at a friend's apartment before driving. He said Warner would seek leniency when he is sentenced but expected to be treated like any other member of the public. The case comes as Warner prepares for another Big Bash League season with Sydney Thunder, where he was appointed captain after his lifetime leadership ban from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal was lifted in 2024. Cricket NSW Chief Executive Lee Germon said after Warner was charged that the allegations were "concerning" and that the organization strongly opposed drink-driving. Sydney Thunder has yet to say whether Warner's guilty plea will affect his captaincy.

Sports Minister Aminul Haque said on Tuesday he expects India's cricket team to tour Bangladesh in September as scheduled.  He said he is hoping that the series will help restore cricket ties after months of strain between the two countries following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, which was a close ally of the Indian ruling party.  Sports organisation structure being rebuilt from ground up: Aminul  India are due to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Bangladesh in September. The series was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed amid diplomatic tensions. Questions over the tour resurfaced after Bangladesh's interim government withdrew from this year's T20 World Cup in India, citing security concerns. The decision came after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League in March. Speaking to reporters at the National Swimming Complex in Mirpur, Aminul said the government wants to use sport to improve relations with neighbouring countries. "I have spoken with officials at the Indian High Commission, and they have also been in touch with us," Aminul said. "Everyone is waiting for India to come to Bangladesh in September." He said the government believes the tensions that emerged over recent events should not stand in the way of sporting ties. "We should move past what happened and ensure that our sporting relations, communication and exchanges with neighbouring countries continue as normal," he said.

Spain's World Cup-winning football team returned home on Monday to a royal welcome before meeting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, with hundreds of thousands of fans expected to celebrate their triumph during an open-top bus parade through central Madrid. The 26-man squad was received by Spain's royal family before heading to the prime minister's office. Later, the players will travel on an open-top bus from near Moncloa Palace, the prime minister's official residence, to Cibeles Square, where a public celebration is scheduled. Cibeles Square has long been the traditional venue for celebrations by Spain's national teams and their supporters. Spain secured the World Cup title on Sunday by defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was Spain's second men's World Cup triumph after lifting the trophy for the first time in South Africa in 2010. The team's victory was congratulated by the leaders of the tournament's three co-hosting nations — U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The win sparked celebrations across Madrid on Sunday night as thousands of fans filled streets, bars and public squares, waving Spanish flags, singing, dancing and sounding car horns. Many continued celebrating into the early hours of Monday. "I'm very happy. I've slept only three or four hours, but for the team, it's worth it," said 19-year-old supporter Victor Álvarez. With the men's World Cup title adding to Spain's Women's World Cup victory in 2023, the country has become the first nation to hold both world titles at the same time. "It was a very emotional moment. We stayed at home to watch the match and enjoyed every minute," said 59-year-old civil servant Gema Rodero. The celebrations were overshadowed by the death of a 13-year-old boy in Salamanca after a fountain he had climbed with friends to celebrate the victory collapsed, local authorities said. For many young Spaniards, Sunday's triumph marked the first time they had seen the men's national team win the World Cup. Fans began gathering near Cibeles Square on Monday morning, many carrying umbrellas to shield themselves from temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius, as they waited to welcome the champions.

Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy has said winning the T20I series in Zimbabwe meant more because the team finished the tour with a depleted squad after injuries sidelined three frontline fast bowlers. Bangladesh clinched the three-match series 2-1 with a four-wicket win in the decider on Sunday, ending the tour on a positive note after losing the one-off Test and the ODI series. Leading the side for the first time in place of injured Litton Das, Hridoy said Bangladesh had little room to maneuver by the final match."We had only 13 players available by the end," he said after the victory. "Nahid Rana got injured during the second game, Shoriful Islam was not available, and we were already without Mustafizur Rahman. We had to fight with the players we had." Mustafizur missed the entire series because of hamstring and knee injuries, while Shoriful was unavailable with a hamstring problem. Nahid, who took four wickets in the opening T20I, suffered a side strain in the second match and missed the decider. Left-arm spinner Abdul Gaffar Saqlain came into the side for the final and took one wicket as Bangladesh chased 143 with two balls to spare. The result contrasted with Bangladesh's struggles earlier in the tour, when they lost the Test and ODI series after failing to build on promising positions. "It was challenging because we could not meet our expectations in the Test and ODI series," Hridoy said. "We made some mistakes there. In the T20s, we adjusted better, even with the injuries." He said the team have made progress in the shortest format but still have work to do. "We are not looking too far ahead," Hridoy said when asked about preparations for the next T20 World Cup. "Our focus is on one match and one series at a time." The T20I series was Bangladesh's first success of the tour and their first series victory in Zimbabwe since 2022.

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the third T20I on Sunday to win the three-match series 2-1, reaching 144 with two balls remaining after a tense finish at Queens Sports Club. Chasing 144, Bangladesh recovered from the loss of Saif Hassan in the opening over through Tanzid Hasan, who remained unbeaten on 66 from 58 balls. Parvez Hossain Emon made 24 as he and Tanzid added 55 for the second wicket. After Emon fell to Sikandar Raza, Tanzid and captain Towhid Hridoy put on another 63 runs. Rishad takes four as Bangladesh level T20I series vs Zimbabwe Hridoy scored 24 before Raza took a return catch to leave Bangladesh needing 22 from the final four overs. Zimbabwe stayed in the contest with three late wickets. Richard Ngarava dismissed Yasir Ali for 10 before Brad Evans bowled Mosaddek Hossain and had Mohammad Saifuddin caught off successive deliveries in the final over. Evans looked to have trapped Mehedi Hasan leg before wicket with the next ball, but the umpire had already called a dead ball after a Zimbabwe fielder moved before the delivery was released. Mehedi then drove the following ball over the cover field for four to complete the chase. Earlier, Zimbabwe made 143 for 7 after captain Sikandar Raza chose to bat. Brian Bennett scored 47 before Mohammad Saifuddin bowled him in the 11th over. Dion Myers carried the innings with 73 from 53 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, but no other Zimbabwe batter reached 50. Mehedi Hasan dismissed Tadiwanashe Marumani in the second over, while Rishad Hossain removed Raza for 3. Abdul Gaffar Saqlain took the wicket of Ryan Burl, Saifuddin dismissed Clive Madande, and Zimbabwe lost Brad Evans and Myers to run-outs in the closing overs. Saifuddin finished with 2 for 35. Taskin Ahmed returned figures of 0 for 16 from four overs. Bangladesh lost the one-off Test and the ODI series on the tour before winning the last two T20Is to take the series.

Sir Garry Sobers, the former West Indies all-rounder widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in history, died at his home in Barbados on Friday at the age of 89. Cricket West Indies announced his death, prompting tributes from across the cricketing world for a player whose batting, bowling and fielding set a standard that few have matched. Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets. He could bowl left-arm pace, orthodox spin and wrist-spin, and was also considered one of the finest close-in fielders of his era. Former Australia captain Richie Benaud once described him as “the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen,” while Sir Donald Bradman called him a “five-in-one cricketer” because of his range of skills. Born in Barbados in 1936, Sobers made his first-class debut at 16 and his Test debut the following year. In 1958, he scored 365 not out against Pakistan, setting a world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket. The mark stood until fellow West Indian Brian Lara surpassed it in 1994. In 1968, Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in Swansea. His first-class career included 383 matches for Barbados, the West Indies, Nottinghamshire and South Australia, during which he scored 28,314 runs and took 1,043 wickets. Sobers captained the West Indies in 39 Tests and was knighted in 1975 for services to cricket. The ICC’s award for the men’s cricketer of the year is named the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in his honour. Cricket West Indies president Kishore Shallow described Sobers as “the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen” and said his achievements became a symbol of Caribbean excellence and possibility.

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 34 runs in the second T20I on Friday to level the three-match series 1-1. Tanzid Hasan scored 58 from 44 balls and Saif Hassan added a half-century as the pair put on 120 for the opening wicket, Bangladesh's seventh century opening stand in T20Is. Bangladesh were 123 without loss before losing five wickets in 13 deliveries and slipping to 142 for 5 in the 17th over. Yasir Ali made 22 from 12 balls and Mohammad Saifuddin remained unbeaten in an unbroken stand of 45 from 19 deliveries that carried Bangladesh to 186 for 5. Saifuddin hit four consecutive sixes in the final over from Brad Evans, becoming the first Bangladesh batter to do so in a T20I. Zimbabwe lost three wickets inside the first four overs of the chase. Mehidy Hasan dismissed Tadiwanashe Marumani in the opening over, Nahid Rana bowled Brian Bennett in the next, and Mehidy removed Dion Myers. Sikandar Raza and Milton Shumba added runs in the middle overs, but Zimbabwe continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Ryan Burl scored 29 from 19 balls and Evans made 25 from 14. Rishad Hossain took four wickets as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 152 with two balls remaining. Bangladesh also suffered an injury concern when Nahid left the field during the innings and did not return. The third and deciding T20I will be played in Harare on Sunday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a three-month ban on Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz for violating the ICC Anti-Doping Code, with the suspension backdated to May 1, 2026. In a statement issued on Friday, the ICC said the 32-year-old accepted the sanction after testing positive for Carboxy-THC, a prohibited "Substance of Abuse," following a doping test conducted after Pakistan's ICC Men's T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7. The governing body said Nawaz admitted the anti-doping rule violation and established that the substance had been used outside competition and was unrelated to enhancing sporting performance. The ICC noted that Nawaz voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension from May 1 and agreed to participate in a rehabilitation programme. Having already served two and a half months under the provisional suspension, Nawaz has been cleared to return to cricket. The ICC added that if he successfully completes the rehabilitation programme, he will not have to serve the remaining two weeks of the three-month ban. Nawaz has been a regular member of Pakistan's limited-overs squads and featured in all seven of the team's matches during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The left-arm spinning all-rounder has also represented Pakistan in six Test matches, although his last appearance in the format came against England in Multan four years ago. In international cricket, Nawaz has claimed 150 wickets in 44 One-Day Internationals and 98 T20 Internationals. He has also scored 538 runs in ODIs and 911 runs in T20Is.