Bangladesh and India are all set to face off in the first Test of their two-match series on Wednesday in Chattogram. Ahead of this match, Russell Domingo, the Bangladesh coach, warned that it would be foolish for the cricketers to stay up the night before the match day to watch the FIFA World Cup. Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo, however, has discouraged the idea of staying up late and watching the World Cup match, calling it "stupid". He believes that the cricketers should focus on the Test match and be well-rested ahead of it. Read: Taskin uncertain for Bangladesh vs India 1st Test Keeping it in mind, Bangladesh's coach warned the players from doing so. “We have to go to bed early, simple as that,” Domingo said. “You can’t be watching football till three in the morning and play the Test that starts at 9:30 am. It is stupid. I’d be disappointed if they did.” Bangladesh and Argentina share an extraordinary passion for football. With millions of ardent Argentina fans in Bangladesh, the country shows its support and admiration for the team like no other. The widespread enthusiasm of Argentinian supporters in Bangladesh has recently garnered international media attention. Even Argentina's own media outlets have highlighted the fervour of their Bangladeshi fans. Read: BAN vs IND Test Series 2022: Test Championship Scenarios, Squads, Fixtures, Venues, Head-to-Head Record It would not be surprising if some Bangladeshi players stayed up all night to watch a cricket match, even if they had to take the field in the morning for a Test match against India. Ahead of the Test series, Bangladesh faced off India in a three-match ODI series and won by 2-1. It was only the second time when Bangladesh beat India in an ODI series.  

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said right-handed batter Anamul Haque Bijoy needs to wait more before making a comeback to the ODI side. Anamul played one Test and three ODIs during Bangladesh’s ongoing tour of the West Indies but failed to impress. The right-handed batter scored more than 1100 runs in the last edition of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, the most prestigious 50-over event, in Bangladesh which helped him to make a comeback to the national team after a long gap.  Read: Anamul returns to Bangladesh team after 8 years “It’s tricky (to not play Anamul),” Domingo said. “He has done really well. But we need to have a left-hander in the side against the West Indies.” After the second victory in the ODI series, Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said that they are willing to test their bench strength in the last match, but the opinion of the head coach expressed the other idea. Bangladesh won the series with victories in the first two matches. They now got a great chance to clean sweep the hosts. Along with Anamul, Taijul Islam and Ebadot Hossain are the other players who are yet to feature in an ODI in this series. And the hope is really slim for them to get a chance in the final match which is set to take place Saturday at Providence Stadium, Guyana.   Although Bangladesh did well in the ODI series, they have lost all the Tests and T2oIs in this series ahead of the ODIs. 

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo has said the Bangladeshi batters should learn from the way the West Indies batters have played in the ongoing Test in St Lucia.  At the end of day two, West Indies were leading by 106 runs with five wickets in hand. Despite losing four wickets in 132 runs, West Indies batters made a great comeback in the fifth and sixth wicket stands— a sort of performance that Bangladesh have failed to produce for a long time.  In the first innings of the ongoing Test, Bangladesh posted only 234 runs. All of Bangladesh’s top five batters managed a good start, but they failed to continue on that.  Read: BAN vs WI Series 2022: West Indies dominate St Lucia Test The tailenders, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam, scored 21 and 26 respectively which helped the visitors pass the 200-run mark. Had they not scored these runs, Bangladesh would have been bundled for a total of less than 200.  “There’s a lot of players searching for form, searching for runs. The only way to get through it is to bat for long periods of time. Lots of the 30s and 40s, the odd 50. Nobody is doing what Kyle Mayers is doing,” Domingo told in the post-day press conference. West Indies posted 100 runs in the opening stand, but while scoring the next 32 runs, they lost four wickets. From there, Jermaine Blackwood (40), Kyle Mayers (126*), and Joshua Da Silva (26) brought the hosts to 340 for five.  Read: Mayers hits ton to push back Bangladesh “We are good for one session and then we have a one really bad session,” Domingo said. “Guys were not patient. They couldn’t string together enough tight overs as we did in the first session. They were only searching for wickets.” Bangladesh lost the first Test against the hosts in Antigua. This series is a part of the ICC World Test Championship. The Tigers have only one win this cycle of this event. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has said  allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who recovered from Covid, is set to join the home team to play first Test against Sri Lanka beginning on Sunday. Shakib has tested negative  less than a week after being tested positive. However,  Russell Domingo, the head coach of Bangladesh, said he is not willing to include an unfit Shakib. “Coming straight into a Test match (is tough),” he said on Friday while addressing the media in Chattogram. “We need to check his fitness and assess where he is. He has just come off Covid, and he hasn’t played much cricket. He’s obviously a big player for us, and balances the team. But we need to see how he is tomorrow. He hasn’t batted or bowled for the last two or three weeks. It is five days of cricket. It is hot (here in Chattogram). There are all sorts of things to consider.” Read: Covid-negative Shakib 'available for first Test vs Sri Lanka' This series is a part of the ongoing cycle of the ICC World Test Championship where Bangladesh played six matches and won only one against New Zealand earlier this year. Bangladesh failed to impress in the previous cycle, so they are eager to prove their Test expertise in this series. The pressure is high after their 2-0 defeat in the last series against South Africa which brought a question to the fore— Is Bangladesh’s win in New Zealand a fluke? The Bangladesh team has to come up with an answer, and the SriLanka series is a perfect chance for them. And Shakib could play a pivotal role in this challenge, though, the head coach said: “Anybody would want a fully fit Shakib in your best XI. It is very difficult to play if he is 50-60  fit.” If Bangladesh want to make this series a successful outing, they have to prove that they are capable enough to take all 20 wickets of Sri Lanka who are equipped with some seasoned performers like Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal. Bangladesh coach said he is confident with his bowling attack. “I just told the bowlers this morning that we got 36 wickets in two Tests in South Africa. I don’t think Bangladesh has got that many wickets (in a series),” Domingo said. “We are confident that we can take 20 wickets. We need to have five bowling options. We have been short in that particular department when Shakib doesn’t play. Someone who can bowl those 12-13 overs a day, which is so important.” Read: NZ cricket great McCullum hired to coach England’s test team If Bangladesh has to play without Shakib in Chattogram, Mosaddek Hossian Saikat might be an alternative to the left-handed allrounder as Domingo wants someone who can bowl a few overs when the team needs. “He is definitely in consideration to play if Shakib is not playing,” Domingo said when he was asked if he considers Mosaddek as an alternative to Shakib. “I think we need to consider someone who can bowl. Yasir (Ali) has played some really good innings for us, but we need to find someone who can bowl 10-15 overs. I am not sure if Mominul is confident of bowling 10-15 overs. (Nazmul Hossain) Shanto is not quite there to bowl 6-7 overs a day. We need to find that person when Shakib is not there. When he is there, it’s easy. But he has not been there much.”  

Bangladesh will go all-out to win the second ODI against Afghanistan on Friday and take the three-match series 2-0, said the team’s head coach Russell Domingo. The match will be played Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, where the Tigers stunned the visitors with a four-wicket victory after a great fight-back by Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The duo orchestrated a 174-run stand between them to guide the Tigers to a historic win. The Tigers chased down a moderate target of 216 which had become harder after losing six wickets in just 45 runs. In that match, Bangladesh conceded 18 extra runs with 13 wides. Domingo said it’s the point where Bangladesh need to focus more and improve further. Also read: Series win against New Zealand to inspire future Tigers: Domingo “It was a great match, but tomorrow is more important than yesterday,” the Bangladesh coach said on Thursday. “We conceded 13 wides, we missed a catch and we lost six wickets in just 45 runs in the previous match. So we have to improve further. We have to play good cricket,” he said. Bangladesh players came to this series after the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). They expected an easy win in the series opener which did not really happen despite showing some good bowling after being sent to bowl first. Led by Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh restricted Afghanistan to 215 in 49.1 overs. But the batters failed to have a good start. They lost too many wickets to Fazalhaq Farooqi, a left-arm pacer. The hosts lost six wickets in just 45 runs. “It may sound unbelievable, but it was true that I had kept hope alive ,” Domingo recalled the moment Bangladesh lost the sixth wicket in just 45 runs. “Mehidy has a Test century and also played very well in BPL, and Afif is a cool-headed batter. So we thought it’s still possible if this two stay steady and play without added pressure.” Bangladesh coach said the belief got stronger when Bangladesh needed 60 runs to win as the Afghanistan team was lacking more options in their bowling side and the wicket was behaving like a familiar one. Also read: We didn't expect a win after losing six wickets early: Tamim In his seven previous matches, Afif had only a fifty. But he has always been considered a batter who can keep the scoreboard afloat in any situation of the match, and the southpaw proved it in a crucial time. “I want Afif to continue batting at number seven,” Domingo said when he was asked if he thinks to change the batting position of Afif. “We have a genuine wicketkeeper who bats at the top of the order, and we also have a genuine spinner who also bats there. In this situation, Aiff is the best choice to bat at number seven, and we are not thinking to change his position now.” Afghanistan’s premium spinner Rashid Khan was the main threat to Bangladesh batters, and along with him, Mujeeb Ur Rahman was also a big challenge for the hosts' batters. But in the end, they were overshadowed by the young pacer Farooqi. Bangladesh coach did not hesitate to praise Farooqi for his wonderful spell. He said the Bangladesh batters should play him carefully in the next matches. “He was outstanding in the first match. Those deliveries that dismissed Liton (Das), Mushfiqur (Rahim) and Yasir (Al) were so good. Our batters need to play him well.” This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. Bangladesh played 13 matches so far in this league and won nine of them. If the Tigers win the next match, they will be at the top of the table with 10 wins surpassing England who have nine wins from 15 matches so far.

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said a series win against New Zealand will inspire the future generation of Bangladesh cricketers to do well in alien conditions. He said the win in the first Test was the result of the hard work of the players over the last few months during their tough time. Bangladesh are all set to take on New Zealand in the second Test on January 9 in Christchurch. The weather in Christchurch is cold and the wicket is also faster than the Tigers had one in Tauranga. So the second Test will be a tough one for the Tigers, believes Doming. “They now want to do something that no other Bangladesh side has done before and that is to win a series in New Zealand. They are trying to do something very special that can inspire another generation of Bangladeshi cricketers,” Domingo said on Saturday ahead of the second Test. Also read: Bangladesh Eye Historic Test Series Win in New Zealand Right-arm fast bowler Ebadot Hossain was the main architect of Bangladesh’s maiden win against New Zealand at their home. Bangladesh never won an international fixture in New Zealand despite playing 32 matches across formats before the first Test of the ongoing series. “It’s been a very cool couple of days for the boys. The guys really enjoyed it because they know they had a hard time before in New Zealand. And New Zealand are one of the best sides in the world. You have to play really good cricket to compete with them and beat them. We had a tough few months in all formats,” Domingo added. Ebadot averaged more than 80 before the first Test in Tauranga. Given his performance in Tests, he was the worst pacer in Bangladesh’s armory. But now, he has become the fast-bowling sensation in Bangladesh, and probably, in the other parts of the cricketing world as well. Domingo said it was a reward for Ebadot and for the hard work he has done over the last few years. Also read: Five Defining Moments of Bangladesh’s Historic Test Victory Over New Zealand Bangladesh are expecting a tougher challenge in Christchurch where they have to negotiate with a faster wicket and challenging condition. But Domingo believes the boys are pumped up to the challenge. “It’s not often when Bangladeshi pacers can hope for the wicket with some grass on it,” he said. “We have also got some quality bowlers in the squad. We have three high-quality bowlers and they are pretty confident. If we do get early wickets hopefully we can do some damage.” Along with Ebadot, Taskin Ahmed and Shorfiul Islam have also put their best foot forward in the first match taking three wickets each. Domingo said if they can come up together it will be tough for the hosts to earn an easy win against the confident Tigers. This series is a part of the ongoing World Test Championship. In the previous cycle of this event, Bangladesh failed to win any match while they also had a bad start to the new cycle when they lost to Pakistan at home. But they bounced back strongly in New Zealand, and  for the first time, they are hoping to win a series against the Blackcaps in New Zealand— a rare fate for any Asian team.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is considering renewing the contract of national team head coach Russell Domingo till the T20 World Cup 2022. As per the ongoing agreement, Russell will remain the coach of the national team till the T20 World Cup 2021, scheduled in the UAE and Oman from October 2021, BCB President Nazmul Hasan told the media Sunday. "There is a possibility that his contract will be extended. We are likely to extend it by one year. However, we are yet to discuss it with Russell. We need to discuss it more, and after that, we will make a final decision," he added. Also read: BCB announces high-performance unit squad A one-year extension means the South African coach will continue as Bangladesh head coach till the T20 World Cup 2022, which will take place in Australia.  Russell was welcomed to Bangladesh with a Test-defeat to Afghanistan in 2019. After that, Bangladesh played 47 international matches and won 25.  The South African coach's biggest success, as the head coach of Bangladesh, came recently when the Tigers beat Australia 4-1 in a five-match T20 series. Also read: Meet Bangladesh's Full-Time Batting Coach - Ashwell Prince

Like many others in the cricketing fraternity of Bangladesh, Russell Domingo, Tigers’ head coach, did not hide his disappointment about what he levelled as “stringent” rules of Australia that kept hosts’ ace batsman Mushfiqur Rahim out of the five-match T20Is starting on Tuesday. Due to the illness of both of his parents, Mushfiq had to come back early from Zimbabwe last month. He spent a few days with the family. Meanwhile, he missed the deadline of starting a pre-series quarantine in Dhaka. Mushfiq should have entered the bio-bubble on July 20, but he got ready to join on July 22. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) discussed Cricket Australia (CA) matter, and the CA refused to approve Mushfiq’s presence in the bio-bubble.  “I can’t understand the stringent rules Australia placed on the Mushfiq’s bubble,” Domingo told a virtual press conference that took place on Saturday. “I think a 10-day quarantine would have surely been enough. It’s very disappointing the way they went about it. But we want to play against the best team in the world, and it’s an opportunity for other one or two younger players or fringe players to come and play. I’m sure they’re capable of it. The absence of Mushfiqur and Liton (Das) is a sure loss for us, but we’ve got a big squad and some quality players to replace him,” he added.  READ: BAN vs. AUS Series 2021: T20I Records Between Bangladesh and Australia Earlier, Bangladesh’s former captain and head of the selection panel Faruque Ahmed also expressed disappointment over Mushfiq’s “unfortunate” fate.  During an interaction with UNB, he said: “It’s really unfortunate for Mushfiqur. He had to come back from Zimbabwe as both of his parents were sick, and while staying with them, he missed the quarantine deadline. He was so eager to take part in this series. In that sense, it’s very unfortunate and unfair for him.” Not just in Mushfiq’s case, the touring party is maintaining a real tight bio-secure bubble in other areas as well. They are staying in a hotel in Dhaka which is banned for new guests during their stay.  In a recent interaction with the media, the BCB chief executive officer said the Australia cricket team is getting more than they expected from Bangladesh.  Before coming to Bangladesh for their first tour in four years, Australia played in West Indies and lost the T20I series to the hosts. Bangladesh also played a T20I series against Zimbabwe and won 2-1.  READ: BAN vs. AUS Series 2021: Who Would Make a Bangladesh-Australia Combined T20I XI? While the first match of the series will be played on August 3, the other matches of the series will take place on August 4, 6, 7 and 9. All the matches will be played at the same venue— Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Head coach of Bangladesh National Cricket team Russell Domingo has said he will start to sort out the national squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup from the ensuing Pakistan series beginning on January 24.

Head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team Russell Domingo has said he is going to tour Pakistan with the Tigers this month.