The Bangladesh cricket team is all set to begin their two-match Test series against South Africa on Monday with the Dhaka Test, which will be the first Test of the hosts after their premier allrounder Shakib Al Hasan announced his retirement. Before the Kanpur Test during Bangladesh’s last India tour, Shakib announced his retirement and expressed his desire to play his final Test in Dhaka in front of the home crowd. However, due to his political identity, Shakib was advised not to come to Bangladesh because of safety concerns, which has effectively made the Kanpur Test his last. Shanto calls Shakib’s absence ‘unfortunate’ ahead of South Africa Test Bangladesh captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, however, said he still hopes Shakib will one day retire in front of the home crowd. Keeping the Shakib controversy behind, the Bangladesh team is looking forward to changing their fate against South Africa, the team they never beat in Tests. “If we talk to0 much about this, nothing will change,” Shanto said. “Rather, we want to play good cricket and execute our plan well. If we can play according to our plan, we can get a different result against South Africa this time.” It’s been a decade since South Africa won a Test series in the subcontinent, which proved their dismal performance in the format in the subcontinent. Bangladesh’s new coach, Phil Simmons, who took the post after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) suspended the previous coach, Chandika Hatushingha, said it’s a great opportunity for Bangladesh. “It is definitely a good opportunity. Bangladesh are usually very strong at home. So it is a very good opportunity for us to win the Test series,” Simmons said on his first interaction with media in Bangladesh. Shanto also echoed the same idea. He said Bangladesh will be the favorite in this series. He added that spinners will play a crucial role in this series. “This series is going to be difficult for both teams,” the Bangladesh captain said. “I think we are a bit ahead of them at home. Spinners will play a big role there, as always. I am not looking for anything extra, just what they did in the past.”

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) took initiative to sack the head coach of the national cricket team, Chandika Hathurusingha, and issued a show-cause notice. BCB President Faruque Ahmed confirmed on Tuesday at BCB headquarters that the board has decided to issue notice to Chandika. He was also asked to submit a reply to the show-cause notice in 48 hours. “Due to several incidents with broad consequences, we have taken action by issuing a show-cause and suspension letter to the coach,” Faruque Ahmed said. It’s understood that Chandika is accused of assaulting a national team member physically. The board has yet to reveal the incident in a more detailed manner. He was also involved in misconduct related to his agreement with the BCB. Is a new era in Bangladeshi cricket in the making? Chandika prefers to watch for now Phil Simmons will now be the new coach of the Bangladesh team. He signed an agreement till the next Champions Trophy which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in 2025. As Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika’s last assignment was the India tour, consisting of two Tests and three T20Is. Bangladesh lost all the matches without offering any kind of resistance. Nic Pothas Steps in as Bangladesh's Interim Coach in Chandika's Absence His best in this stint was Bangladesh’s 2-0 win in the Test series against Pakistan in Pakistan. But that was not enough to back his position as Bangladesh’s head coach. Faruque became the president of the BCB after the previous president, Nazmul Hasan, resigned following a popular uprising of students and citizens that ousted the government led by Sheikh Hasina. Chandika’s appointment as head coach last February by the previous board was met with a mixed reaction from the cricketing community. He coached Bangladesh in the last one-day and T20 World Cups, where Bangladesh failed to impress. Bangladesh’s performance in the one-day World Cup in India was more than forgettable, where they failed to win even against the Netherlands. ‘More experienced’ Chandika aims to find own game plan Farque Ahmed, the BCB boss, who also was a former captain of Bangladesh, criticized Chandiaka’s appointment when the previous board brought him back. Faruque and Chandika have a history of disagreements. During Chandika's first stint as Bangladesh's head coach, Faruque, then serving as the chief selector, often clashed with him over team selection, making their differences a frequent topic in the news. Chandika became Bangladesh’s coach for the first time in 2014. After a series in South Africa, he abruptly ended his job with BCB in 2017. Coincidently, he now lost his job before another series against South Africa at home.

Bangladesh is going to participate in their 9th T20 World Cup. So far, the Tigers have participated in every T20 World Cup; but couldn’t go beyond the group stage once. The team and fans hope for their best campaign of the T20 World Cup in 2024. Bangladesh have been placed in Group D along with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, and Nepal. Let’s look at the Bangladesh team’s fixtures at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Bangladesh’s Fixtures at ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Bangladesh will start their group stage campaign on 8th June against rival Sri Lanka at Dallas. Their last group game would be against Nepal on 17th June at St. Vincent.  If Bangladesh manage to go beyond the group stage, the Tigers will be able to participate in at least 3 more matches. Read more: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024: Groups, Match Fixtures, and Venues Table: Match Schedules of Bangladesh Team in the T20 World Cup 2024 (Adjusted on Bangladesh Standard Time) Date (BST) Opponent Time (BST) Ground Warm-Up Matches 01/6/2024 India 8:30 PM Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York Group Stage 8/6/2024 Sri Lanka  6:30 AM Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas 10/6/2024 South Africa 8:30 PM Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York 13/6/2024 Netherlands 8:30 PM Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent 17/6/2024 Nepal 5:30 AM Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent Read more: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Warm-up Matches: Fixtures, Teams and Venues Conclusion On the whole, a challenging journey awaits Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Their recent series loss against the USA doesn’t generate much hope either. However, the Tigers always have the support of the fans and this time will not be any different for sure. Read more: USA vs BAN T20I Series 2024: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Series Defeat Against USA

Spin bowlers of Bangladesh cricket team are ready to step into the legendary Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed era after 2 years of learning from another great coach Rangana Herath. Former Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed has been appointed as the spin bowling coach of Bangladesh National Cricket Team by BCB till the ICC T20 World Cup tournamnet this year. As of now, Mushtaq Ahmed will have three assignments primarily during his tenure. First will be the upcoming series against Zimbabwe and the USA. The next will be the T20 World Cup 2024. Bowling Profile of Pakistani Cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed  Table: An Overview of Mushtaq Ahmed's International Cricket Career As a Bowler Format Matches Innings Wickets Best Bowling Figures (innings) Best Bowling Figures (Match) Average Economy Strike Rate 5-Wicket Haul 10-Wicket Haul Tests 52 89 185 56-7 106-10 32.97 2.92 67.7 10 3 ODI 144 142 161 36-5 36-5 33.29 4.26 46.8 1 0 . Mushtaq Ahmed made his debut in the international arena in the ODI series against Sri Lanka on May 23, 1989. He picked up 2 wickets for 33 runs in that game. Later in 19th January 1990, he made his test debut in Adelaide against Australia. His final ODI game was at Lahore against South Africa on October 3, 2003. He put curtains on his test career on October 28, 2003. His last wicket was Herschelle Gibbs. Mushtaq Ahmed was a crucial part of Pakistan’s only World Cup triumph in 1992. He was the joint 2nd highest wicket-taker, along with Sir Ian Botham, and only behind Wasim Akram, grabbing 16 wickets in the tournament. He dismissed English opener and skipper Graham Gooch and picked up three wickets in the final.  He also featured for three different county teams. After retiring from international cricket, he delivered his most successful spell in county cricket against Sussex. Moreover, he became the highest wicket-taker in county cricket for five seasons in a row. He also picked 100 wickets in the 2003 season with Sussex. Overall, his first-class career is decorated with 1407 wickets from 309 matches.  Read more: Mushtaq Ahmed arrives in Dhaka to take up assignment with Tigers Mushtaq Ahmed's Journey As a Bowling Coach Table: An Overview of Pakistani Cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed's Career as a Coach Team Tenure Role England National Cricket Team 2008-2014 Spin-Bowling Coach Pakistan National Cricket Team 2014-2016 Bowling Consultant West Indies National Cricket team 2018-2019 Spin-Bowling Coach Pakistan National Cricket Team 2020-2022 Spin-Bowling Coach . Mushtaq Ahmed had his longest coaching spell with the England national cricket team right after his retirement as a player. His notable success in this time might be the incorporation of Graeme Swann who is the 2nd highest wicket-taker as a spinner for England in test cricket.  During his tenure as a bowling consultant for Pakistan, players like Imad Wasim and Yasir Shah made their debut in Pakistan Cricket. Yasir Shah is currently the 5th highest-wicket taker and the 2nd highest-wicket-taker as a spinner for Pakistan in test cricket.  His tenure at Windies was prior to the 2019 World Cup. Keemo Paul debuted during his time. However, over-reliance on pacers in that campaign didn’t leave much room for spinners to shine.  Read more: BCB appoints former Pakistan great Mushtaq Ahmed as spin-bowling coach Recent Performances of Bangladesh Team in Spin Bowling Mushtaq Ahmed is currently appointed for a brief period of time. Therefore, long-term expectations are out of the cards. However, he can still offer plenty to this team. Being one of the legendary leg-spinners of the game, the leg-spinners in our team, especially Rishad Hossain, can benefit from his vast experience and knowledge if Rishad can utilize Mushtaq’s guidance properly. Also, other spinners like Mahedi, Mehedi, and Shakib can benefit from him. More so, Mushtaq can help Shakib hone his traditional and Arm balls particularly. Another interesting factor would be the condition. The T20 World Cup is going to take place in the USA. During his tenure as Windies spin bowling coach, they stayed in the USA for a few matches. So, utilising that experience, Mushtaq Ahmed can help the Bangladeshi spinners to adapt better in that condition.  Read more: BCB Unveils Preliminary Squad for Zimbabwe T20Is, Shakib and Mustafizur Absent What to Expect from Mushtaq Ahmed as the Spin-bowling Coach of Bangladesh Traditionally, Bangladesh relied on its spinners for success. However, in the recent years, Bangladesh Cricket took the limelight away from spinners. Even though spinners played a big role in winning the test match against New Zealand in early December 2023 at Sylhet, the recent series against New Zealand raises some genuine concerns in this department.  Spinners took only 52 of the last 100 wickets in tests for Bangladesh. In the Test format Bangladesh often plays with more spinners rather than pacers. In ODI, spinners took only 7 of the last 47 wickets. And, only 7 of the last 31 wickets in T20Is were picked by the Bangladeshi spinners. If we look back at the World Cup 2023, Bangladesh spinners took only 25 of the 54 wickets while bowling for 189 overs. Their average was 45.36, Strike rate was 43.6 with an economy of 2.77. Bangladesh expects more from their spinners.  Read more: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20 Series 2024: Fixtures, Head-To-Head Records Final Verdict Mushtaq Ahmed has a vast ground of knowledge both as a cricketer and as a player. He has the right profile and experience to guide Bangladesh spinners forward. It is now up to the spinners to turn his guidelines into fruition. Only the future will decide how successful Mushtaq Ahmed is as the spin-bowling coach of the Bangladesh team.

Making a noteworthy debut against India in the Asia Cup, right-arm pace bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib exhibited commendable prowess. He swiftly clinched two key wickets at the onset of the innings and subsequently held fort, defending a mere 12 runs in the final over to secure a resounding victory for Bangladesh. This triumphant performance left an indelible mark on Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, who now envisions Tanzim as a crucial asset for the impending World Cup, set to unfold later this year in India. Bangladesh poised to be a formidable contender in World Cup, Shakib believes In the World Cup, Bangladesh will be without the services of pacer Ebadot Hossain, as he fell prey to a knee injury that necessitated surgical intervention. He faces a lengthy recovery period before resuming his cricketing pursuits. In light of this void, Chandika sees Tanzim as a highly promising option to step into the breach. “Tanzim has made a compelling case for inclusion in the Bangladesh World Cup squad,” remarked Chandika in the aftermath of the India match. Bangladesh beat India in Asia Cup after 11 years The Bangladesh coach also emphasized his preference for a four-man pace attack in the World Cup, with Ebadot originally factoring into this strategic blueprint. However, given the pacer's slim chances of regaining fitness in time for the tournament, Chandika is inclined towards considering Tanzim. “I firmly believe it would not be an erroneous decision to include him in the World Cup squad,” Chandika asserted. “He has demonstrated his mettle, and his ability to bat at the late order is an added asset.” Tigers aim for a memorable end to their Asia Cup campaign by facing India Bangladesh's upcoming challenge is a face-off against New Zealand on home turf — a final opportunity to fine-tune their World Cup roster.

In a thrilling denouement to their Asia Cup journey, the Bangladesh cricket team secured a narrow six-run victory over India. Following this triumph, captain Shakib Al Hasan expressed confidence in the Tigers' potential to emerge as formidable contenders in the upcoming World Cup, slated to be held later this year in India. Asia Cup 2023 Final Preview: India or Sri Lanka — Who Will Win? Shakib, at the helm, delivered a pivotal performance with the bat, notching up a crucial half-century. His prowess was equally evident with the ball in the face-off against India in Colombo. While concluding their Asia Cup campaign on a high note, the Tigers did grapple with setbacks, experiencing losses against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Their other victory came against Afghanistan. "We possess a formidable team," remarked Shakib in the aftermath of the match. "Several of our players suffered injuries during the event; some departed, while others joined midstream. Overall, it didn't bode well for our cause." Bangladesh beat India in Asia Cup after 11 years Shakib went on to emphasize, "However, with a fit squad, we can pose a significant threat in the World Cup." India opted to rest some of their marquee players for the showdown against Bangladesh. Notably, Virat Kohli did not feature in the match, and Jasprit Bumrah was also granted respite. Preview of India vs Bangladesh ODI in Asia Cup 2023 Bangladesh, too, had to contend without their star batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, while the services of right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed went overlooked.

In a surprising turn of events, Bangladesh opener Litton Das is reportedly set to join the Asia Cup squad, according to sources within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). However, BCB President Nazmul Hasan has expressed his apparent lack of knowledge regarding Litton's inclusion in the Asia Cup roster. Read : Bangladesh’s placement in Asia Cup Super Four confirmed? During a media interaction on Monday, Nazmul responded, "Is he joining the Asia Cup? I've no idea. I've talked to the captain, coach, and selectors, but nobody told me!" A source within the BCB has confirmed that Litton Das is scheduled to board a flight at 9:30 pm, with his destination being Lahore via Dubai, where Bangladesh is slated to compete in their first Super Four match. Read : Asia Cup: Tigers crush Afghanistan to book Super 4 slot Initially, Litton was meant to travel with the team to Sri Lanka. However, a bout of fever raised doubts about his availability for the Asia Cup, prompting the BCB to make arrangements for a replacement. Subsequently, Litton's recovery from the illness has paved the way for his potential inclusion in the squad. Read : Preview of Bangladesh vs Afghanistan ODI in Asia Cup 2023 Bangladesh's campaign in the Asia Cup began with a defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka. Nonetheless, they made a strong comeback in their second match, defeating Afghanistan by a convincing margin of 89 runs, thereby securing their spot in the Super Four stage.

Former South African batter Nic Pothas has been appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. The 49-year-old has signed a two-year agreement with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and will start his new role next month during the three-match ODI series against Ireland in the United Kingdom. The series is a part of the ODI World Cup Super League. Pothas has an extensive coaching career spanning over a decade, during which he served as the head coach of the West Indies (2018-2019) and Sri Lanka (2017-2018) cricket teams. Read More: BCB announces search for new assistant coach for Tigers He also worked as an assistant coach and fielding coach for the West Indies and was the lead fielding coach for Sri Lanka. Before joining Bangladesh, Pothas was the wicketkeeping coach of Hampshire County Cricket Club. As a right-handed batsman during his playing days, Pothas appeared in three ODIs for South Africa and made over sixteen thousand First-class and List-A runs. Pothas expressed his excitement about his new role, saying, "I am honoured to commit to the Bangladesh National Team. The depth and array of talent running through Bangladesh is exceptional, and I believe we have some exciting years ahead of us. Read More: Chandika Hathurasingha takes over as head coach of Bangladesh cricket 

British High Commission in Dhaka has hosted a reception to celebrate the England men’s cricket team’s visit to Bangladesh and the upcoming ODI and T20I cricket series between England and Bangladesh. Players from both Bangladesh and England cricket teams, along with technical and coaching staff attended the reception. British Deputy High Commissioner Javed Patel welcomed guests. He said, “I am delighted to see the England cricket team, as reigning ODI and T20I world champions, visiting Bangladesh in 2023 for what I know will be an exciting series."    

Tamim Iqbal's first press conference in months ahead of a crucial ODI series against England at home, which is also part of the World Cup Super League, was expected to focus on cricket. However, the captain ended up addressing his relationship with teammate Shakib Al Hasan, who leads Bangladesh in Tests and T20Is. Prior to Tamim's media appearance on Sunday, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Hasan, spoke openly about the "unhealthy state" of Bangladesh's dressing room, as he indicated, due to the "strained" relationship between Tamim and Shakib. Read more: England Men's Cricket Team Arrives Dhaka for White Ball Series Tamim did not deny the authenticity of the speculation and refrained from playing down the issue, but emphasized that on-field performance takes priority over off-field issues. “When Shakib and I step onto the field wearing the Bangladesh jersey, nothing else holds importance for us. Our sole focus is to represent Bangladesh to the best of our abilities and play with utmost dedication,” he said.  The BCB president had attempted to resolve the "dispute" between the two players but found it challenging, he said in the interview with Cricbuzz, a cricket website based in India. There are also rumors of factions emerging in the dressing room centered around Shakib and Tamim, which Tamim denied experiencing before. “I’ve been playing for the Bangladesh team for the last 16 years, and this grouping thing comes up when the Bangladesh team fail to live up to the expectations,” Tamim said. Read more: Will Jacks added to England squad to replace injured Tom Abell “I've heard about rumors of grouping culture in the past, but I have never experienced it in the dressing room. As I was out of the national team for the last six months, I am not aware of any recent emergence of such culture,” he added.  The Bangladesh ODI captain responded diplomatically to the repetitive questions, stating that he and Shakib are willing to help each other when needed, particularly in terms of their captaincy roles. Tamim's main priority remains to perform well for Bangladesh and lead the team to success. “This is a special series, and we are focusing to do well,” Tamim replied to one of a few questions about cricket.