Sports
Mohammedan continue winning run
Mohammedan Sporting Club registered their second win in the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division T20 Cricket League Thursday against Partex Sporting Club at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Partex batted first after winning the toss and posted a challenging total of 157 runs for five wickets in 20 overs.
Abbas Musa, who played only his second T20, hit 64 off 44 balls with five fours and as many sixes, and captain Tasamul Haque also hit a fifty.
For Mohammedan, Taskin Ahmed bagged two wickets while Shakib Al Hasan and Abu Jayed took one wicket each.
In reply, Irfan Sukkur hit an unbeaten 52 off 29 balls with five fours and two sixes and Nadif Chowdhury also remained not out for 27. The batters guided their team to a six-wicket victory with 14 balls to play.
Mahmudul Hasan and Shamsur Rahman also did well with the bat scoring 38 and 19. However, Mohammedan captain Shakib was dismissed for a golden duck.
Mohammedan will take on Prime Bank Cricket Club in their next game at the same venue on June 5, while Partex will take on Old DOHS Sports Club on the same day.
FIFA, AFC Qualifiers: Bangladesh play 1-1 draw with Afghanistan
Bangladesh came from behind to play out a 1-1 draw against Afghanistan in the Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar's Doha Thursday.
After a barren first half, forward Amir Sharifi put Afghanistan ahead in the 48th minute by an angular shot from the danger zone (1-0).
Veteran defender Topu Barman levelled the margin for Bangladesh in the 84th minute (1-1).
Bangladesh settled for a draw after fighting bravely with their physically superior Afghan rivals until the final whistle, especially in the last few minutes.
Also read: FIFA, AFC qualifiers: Bangladesh to play Afghanistan Thursday
This was the second draw for both Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their six matches of the ongoing qualifiers. Afghanistan beat Bangladesh 1-0 in the first round match in Tajikistan's Dushanbe on September 10, 2019.
Despite the day's result, Bangladesh remained at the bottom of the five-team Group E, securing two points from six matches while Afghanistan stayed at the third slot with five points from six matches.
Qatar is now comfortably leading the points table, securing 16 points from six matches. Among others, Oman have secured 12 and India three points from five matches.
Bangladesh will face India and Oman in their remaining Group E qualifiers on June 7 and 15, both at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
Also read: World Cup qualifiers: Bangladesh continue fitness training
Earlier, Bangladesh started their FIFA and AFC joint qualifiers campaign with a 0-1 defeat against Afghanistan, a 0-2 loss against Asian champions Qatar in Dhaka, a 1-4 defeat against Oman, and a humiliating 0-5 loss against Qatar in Doha.
However, the booters earned a 1-1 draw against India in Kolkata.
Bangladesh team against Afghanistan
Anisur Rahman Zico, Rahmat Miya, Topu Barman, Riyadul Hasan, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Jamal Bhuyan (C), Masuk Miya Zoni, Sohel Rana, Biplu Ahmed, Matin Miah and Rakib Hossain.
Japan’s vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late
It may be too little, too late.
That’s the realization sinking in as Japan scrambles to catch up on a frustratingly slow vaccination drive less than two months before the Summer Olympics, delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are scheduled to start.
The Olympics risk becoming an incubator for “a Tokyo variant,” as 15,000 foreign athletes and tens of thousands officials, sponsors and journalists from about 200 countries descend on — and potentially mix with — a largely unvaccinated Japanese population, said Dr. Naoto Ueyama, a physician, head of the Japan Doctors Union.
With infections in Tokyo and other heavily populated areas currently at high levels and hospitals already under strain treating serious cases despite a state of emergency, experts have warned there is little slack in the system.
Read: Japan's Olympic chief marks pride week with LGBTQ event
Even if the country succeeds in meeting its goal of fully vaccinating all 36 million elderly by the end of July — already a week into the Games — about 70% of the population would not be inoculated. And many have dismissed the target as overly optimistic anyway.
To meet it, Japan is vowing to soon start administering 1 million doses daily. It currently is only giving 500,000 per day, already a big improvement after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called on military doctors and nurses and started making legal exceptions to recruit other vaccinators in order to boost the drive.
“Vaccinations under the current pace are not going to help prevent infections during the Olympics,” Tokyo Medical Association Chairman Haruo Ozaki said. “The Olympics can trigger a global spread of different variants of the virus.”
The International Olympic Committee says more than 80% of athletes and staff staying in the Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will be vaccinated — and they are expected to remain largely in a bubble at the village and venues. On Tuesday, Japan started vaccinating athletes who will go to the Games, the Japanese Olympic Committee said.
But vaccination rates are not clear for others involved in the Games who are coming from abroad, including hard-hit regions, and experts warn that even strict rules won’t prevent all mingling, especially among non-athletes. Spectators from overseas have been barred.
Prominent medical journals have questioned the wisdom of pushing ahead with the Tokyo Games and the Asahi Shimbun — the country’s second-largest newspaper — has called for them to be canceled, reflecting widespread opposition to holding the Olympics now among the Japanese population.
But the government has said it’s determined to push ahead, with the viability of Suga’s leadership and geopolitical competition with rival Beijing, the next Olympics host, as well as the health of millions, on the line.
“By using a new weapon called vaccines and taking firm preventive measures, it is fully possible” to hold the Olympics safely, Suga told a parliamentary session Tuesday.
Officials are now desperately trying to think of ways to increase the shots at a time when medical workers are already under pressure treating COVID-19 patients. Many say they have no extra resources to help with the Olympics, if, for instance, the boiling Japanese summer causes widespread cases of heat stroke. Some local leaders in and around Tokyo have rejected the Olympics organizers’ requests to set aside beds for athletes.
Read:Torch relay for Tokyo Olympics kicks off its 121-day journey
Dr. Shigeru Omi, former World Health Organization regional director and a head of a government taskforce, said it is crucial to start inoculating younger people, who are seen as likely to spread the virus, as soon as possible.
More than three months into Japan’s vaccination campaign, only 2.7% of the population has been fully vaccinated. The country started its rollout with health care workers in mid-February, months behind many other countries because Japan required additional clinical testing here, a step many experts say was medically meaningless.
Inoculations for the elderly, who are more likely to suffer serious problems when infected, started in mid-April, but were slowed by initial supply shortages, cumbersome reservation procedures and a lack of medical workers to give shots.
But there are signs of improvement. The vaccine supply has increased and despite earlier expectations of a hesitant response to vaccines in general, senior citizens fearful of the virus are rushing to inoculation sites.
Since May 24, Japan has deployed 280 military doctors and nurses in Tokyo and the badly hit city of Osaka. More than 33,000 vaccination sites now operate across Japan, and more are coming, said Taro Kono, the minister in charge of vaccinations.
In Sumida, a district in downtown Tokyo where boxing events will be held, vaccinations for its 61,000 elderly residents began on May 10, and within two weeks, 31% of them had gotten their first shots, compared to the national average of 3.7%. Sumida is now looking to start inoculating younger people later this month, well ahead of schedule.
Close coordination among primary care doctors, hospitals and residents, as well as flexibility, have contributed to smooth progress, Sumida district spokesperson Yosuke Yatabe said.
“It’s like a factory line,” Yatabe said.
Ryuichiro Suzuki, a 21-year-old university student in Tokyo, said he is frustrated with Japan’s lagging vaccination campaign.
“I saw that some of my friends overseas have been vaccinated, but my turn won’t come until later this summer,” he said. “The risk-averse government took extra caution even when our primary goal was to get back to normal as soon as possible.”
Read: Tokyo Olympic organizers to meet March 20 on fate of overseas spectators
Kono, the vaccine minister, said more large-scale inoculation centers are getting underway, including at hundreds of college campuses and offices to start vaccinating younger people from June 21.
Beyond the concerns about the Olympics and despite the fact that Japan has seen fewer cases and deaths compared to the United States and other advanced nations, the country’s slow pace of vaccinations and its prolonged, often toothless state of emergency could also delay its economic recovery for months, said Masaya Sasaki, senior economist at the Nomura Research Institute.
And despite repeated expressions of official government confidence in the Games being safe, there are fears here of what might happen if vaccinations don’t pick up.
“The Olympics, billed as a recovery Games, can trigger a new disaster,” said Ueyama, of the Japan Doctors Union.
When Sachin Tendulkar played for Pakistan...
Believe it or not, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar once played for arch-rival Pakistan under Imran Khan's captaincy. And that too, in a match against India in his home city of Mumbai.
Well that was way back in 1987, when Sachin fielded for Pakistan as a substitute for Javed Miandad in the exhibition match at Brabourne stadium in Mumbai. Two years later, Sachin made his official international debut against Pakistan in Karachi.
The 48-year-old has recalled the incident in his memoir, 'Playing It My Way', excerpts of which have been recently released to the Indian media.
"I don’t know whether Imran Khan remembers this or has any idea that I once fielded for his Pakistan team,” the Master Blaster wrote. In fact, Sachin claimed that he was asked to field for the visiting team when Javed Miandad and Abdul Qadir had left for the lunch break.
The Pakistan cricket team was in Mumbai then to play the exhibition match versus India to mark the golden jubilee of the prestigious Cricket Club of India.
Sachin retired in October 2013 after playing his 200th Test match against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium in his hometown of Mumbai. It was a 24-year-long stint since his Test debut in November 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi at the age of 16.
The former Indian batsman, who captained India twice during his career, is the highest scorer of all time in international cricket, having more than 30,000 runs in his kitty.
Sachin is also the only cricketer in the world to play 200 Tests and score as many as 100 international hundreds. He has amassed 18,426 runs from 463 ODIs at an average of 44.83 and 15,921 runs from 200 Tests.
He was also conferred India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 2014 by then President Pranab Mukherjee. In 2010, Time magazine included Sachin in its annual Time 100 list as one of the 'Most Influential People in the World.
Since his retirement, 'The God of Cricket' has garnered fans in the startup community also -- playing the role of an ideal civilian mentor to the young minds of India.
Playing to strengths helps Mushfiqur shine against Lankans
Mushfiqur Rahim smashed an 87-ball 84 to help the Tigers post a challenging total in the first ODI of the three-match series against Sri Lanka Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Riding on his bat, Bangladesh posted 257 for six after winning the toss and won the match by 33 runs.
"I stuck to my strengths and took my time. I had to keep one end safe and that's what I did. The finishing touch from Riyad and Afif was superb," Mushfiqur said after the game.
"It wasn't an easy wicket to bat on. As Shakib and Liton got out early, there was pressure. Tamim batted well and he allowed me to take my time. And then Riyad was superb. These conditions aren't ideal to play; it's not just hot, the humidity takes a lot out of you but the credit goes to our players," he added.
Mushfiqur scored 84, Tamim 52 and Mahmuduallah 54, helping the Tigers overcome the initial batting damage. And Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged four wickets and Mustafizur Rahman took three to confine the Lankans within 224 runs and seal the game.
This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. The top seven teams of this event will directly qualify for the World Cup 2023.
Bangladesh have already played six matches of this event and won three. Sri Lanka played three matches of the World Cup Super League and lost all.
The remaining games of the ODI series will be played on May 25 and 28 at the same venue.
Tigers beat Lions despite Hasaranga scare
Bangladesh won the first match of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka by 33 runs, defying a strong resistance from Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The Tigers won the toss and posted 257 runs for six after choosing to bat first. In reply, Sri Lanka started well as Danushka Gunathilaka and captain Kusal Perera added 30 runs in the first wicket stand. Just when they started building a solid foundation, Mehidy Hasan Miraz struck.
Mehidy, the number five bowler in the ICC ODI ranking, took four wickets conceding 30 runs in 10 overs.
Sri Lanka showed some resistance in the sixth and seventh-wicket stands, posting 47 and 62 runs.
However, Hasaranga posed the strongest challenge to the Tigers, scoring 74 off 60 balls with six sixes and three fours. The right-handed batsman was guiding the Lankans to a victory which seemed unlikely before he took the field.
Hasaranga finally fell prey to Mohammad Saifuddin when Sri Lanka needed 47 runs to win in six overs. The Lankans eventually managed to score 224 for 10 in 48.1 overs.
Saifuddin took two wickets while Shakib Al Hasan bagged one and it was his 1000th wicket in the recognised cricket.
Earlier, despite losing four wickets for 99 runs, Bangladesh posted 257 runs for six wickets in 50 overs in the first innings after choosing to bat first.
Mushfiqur Rahim was the highest run-getter in this game who scored 84 off 87 balls with four fours and one six. Tamim Iqbal hit 52 while Mahmudullah Riyad posted 54 to help the Tigers post a challenging total.
In the fifth wicket stand, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah added 109 runs off 122 balls – the highest partnership in Bangladesh's innings.
After 40 overs, Bangladesh were batting at 193 for four. They needed to come up with some big shots in the last 10 overs, but the dismissals of Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah made it difficult for the hosts.
In the sixth and seventh-wicket stands, Bangladesh added 22 and 27. In the end, Afif Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin remained unbeaten for 27 and 13 off 22 and 9 balls. Both Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun got dismissed for a duck in this game.
For Sri Lanka, Dhananjaya de Silva was outstanding with the ball. He bagged three wickets with two-in-two conceding 47 runs. Dushmantha Chameera, Danushka Gunathilaka and Lakshan Sandakan took a wicket each.
This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. Bangladesh have already played six matches of this event and won three. The top seven teams of this event will directly qualify for the World Cup 2023.
Sri Lanka played three matches of the World Cup Super League and lost all.
The remaining matches of the series will take place on May 25 and 28 at the same venue.
Bangladesh win first silver in Archery World Cup
Archers Mohammad Ruman Shana and Diya Siddique clinched the first silver medal in archery for Bangladesh, the country's best result in a World Cup so far.
As the number 17 seed, the Bangladeshi pair failed to bring the gold home.
The duo lost to the Netherlands' Gabriela Schloesser and Sjef Van Den Berg by 1-5 set points in the recurve mixed event at the second stage of the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Switzerland's Lausanne Sunday.
Also read: World Archery: Ruman Shana, Diya Siddiqui reach mixed doubles final
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka all set to face off in an ODI Series
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will take on each other in a three-match ODI series starting from Sunday. Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman will return to international cricket with this series. As a result, Tamim Iqbal will lead Bangladesh to a full-strength Bangladesh team. Tamim and Shakib are on the verge of reaching personal milestones, that's why the series is significant for the two best cricketers of the tigers'. Bangladesh will be slightly ahead in terms of strength, but the Lankans are not far behind. Both teams are ready for the battle and all set to face off in an ODI series from May 23.
Tamim and Shakib can achieve unique milestones in the series
Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan have a lot of personal records. In reality, these two hold the majority of Bangladesh's records. Tamim and Shakib have the chance to shatter two more records in the series against Sri Lanka. Tamim would become the first Bangladeshi cricketer to reach the 14,000-run mark at the international level if he gets 59 runs in the series. Pushing Mashrafe Mortaza behind, Shakib will be Bangladesh's top wicket-taker in the ODI format if he takes three wickets in the series. Furthermore, Shakib would become the third Bangladeshi to reach 12,000 runs in international cricket if he gets 67 runs. Tamim and Shakib will be able to break all of these records in the opening match if they play at their best. Moreover, Bangladesh will have a better chance of winning the series if these two are on fire.
Read: Babar, Boult, and Shakib Lead ICC ODI Player Rankings in May 2021
Strengths and weaknesses of Bangladesh team
In comparison to the two teams, Bangladeshi cricketers have more experience than Sri Lankan cricketers, thus the experience is the biggest strength of the current Bangladesh team. The team includes senior cricketers like Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim. Some cricketers in the Bangladesh squad have been with the national squad for six or seven years. The squad also includes a group of young cricketers.
Overall, Bangladesh has assembled a strong team in a combination with young and senior players. Bangladesh will be the favorite in this series against Sri Lanka since it will be played at home. Because, based on Bangladesh's recent performance, we can tell that they perform well at home, and defeating them in their own backyard is a difficult task.
On the other side, Bangladesh's fielding is now its weakest point. Bangladesh's fielding has been substandard in every series since last January despite spending a lot of money on a fielding coach. So, everyone is expecting better performance in fielding from the Bangladeshi players in this series.
Probable Playing XI for first ODI
Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam
Strengths and weaknesses of the Sri Lanka team
There are a few promising cricketers on the Sri Lankan team, those who have the potential to be a real match-winner on any given day. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has named a new captain and co-captain for the series.
The Sri Lankan cricketers are expected to thrive in the series with the new leadership. The desire to do well maybe a useful tool for this youth-oriented squad. Sri Lanka have a chance to surprise the host Bangladesh if they follow the appropriate strategy during the contest.
Sri Lanka's lack of experience may prove to be a disadvantage in this series. Because success in ODI cricket requires a thorough understanding of the formula for success in this format, which the present Sri Lankan team lacks.
Probable Playing XI
Kusal Perera (capt, wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Ashen Bandara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Lakshan Sandakan, Chamika Karunaratne
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Five Memorable Match-Winning ODI Performances
Toss Prediction and Weather Forecast
The best option would be to win the toss and bat first at Mirpur's wicket. According to the weather forecast, the first two matches are expected to be sunny, but the third match may be rained out.
Verdict
Every match of this contest is crucial for ICC’s ODI World Cup super league. Therefore, Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are all set to face off in an ODI series in order to improve their position in the points table. Bangladesh will take advantage of the fact that they will be playing at home. As a result, Bangladesh are hoping to win the series for the first time against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Sri Lanka would aim to win at least one match even if they fail to win the series. Overall, it will undoubtedly be a tough battle.
Read: UEFA Euro 2020: All you need to know
World Archery: Bangladesh Recurve Men's, Women's teams eliminated from pre-quarter finals
Bangladesh Recurve Men's and Women's teams were eliminated from the Archery World Cup' 2021 Stage-2 from pre-quarter final stage in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Friday.
Bangladesh Recurve Men's team, consisting of Ruman Shana, Ram Krishna Saha and Tamimul Islam, conceded 4-5 set points defeat against Spain in the elimination round of 8.
Recurve Women's team, comprising Diya Siddique, Beauty Rai and Mehnaj Akhter Monira, suffered 2-6 set points defeat against France, also in the elimination round of 8.
Also read: World Archery: Ruman Shana, Diya Siddiqui reach mixed doubles final
Earlier on Thursday, Ruman Shana pairing with Diya Siddique made a landmark in the country archery by reaching the final of the Recurve Mixed Doubles of the World meet.
The Bangladeshi mixed pair smartly booked a seat for the final eliminating their Canadian rivals by 5-3 set points in the semifinal.
They will play mixed doubles final against the Netherlands on Sunday (May 23) at 3:29pm (Bangladesh time).
Also read: World Archery: Ruman Shana eliminated from recurve singles
Earlier, they eliminated Iran by 5-3 set points in round-12, beat Germany by 5-1 set points in round-8 and eliminated Spain by 5-4 set points in the quarterfinal to reach the semifinal.
Ruman Shana was eliminated from his favourite Recurve Men's Singles in round-16 while Diya Siddique was eliminated from Recurve Women's Singles in round-24 on Wednesday.
Barcelona president preparing club’s revamping process
With or without Lionel Messi, Barcelona will look different next season.
Club president Joan Laporta himself admits changes are coming.
“It’s the end of a cycle. We are entering a process of renovation,” Laporta said at an event late Tuesday.
Barcelona has one Spanish league match left this season but it’s not in contention for the title anymore in what will be a disappointing ending to another complicated season for the Catalan club.
“We won the Copa del Rey title, and we are proud of that, but we were eliminated very early in the Champions League and we lost the league in an incomprehensible manner,” Laporta said. “So it’s time to analyze the results, our game, and also our attitude, mentality and ambition.”
Barcelona may finish as low as fourth in the Spanish league, a competition it was challenging for only a few weeks ago before squandering several opportunities to take the lead. In the Champions League, the team couldn’t get past Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, extending its European title drought to six years.
“We’ve been working for some time to find the elements that we’ll need to build a very competitive team and win the relevant titles,” Laporta said. “And starting next week we will start explaining what we will be doing.”
Laporta has some big challenges ahead, including convincing Messi to stay after he asked to leave at the end of last season. The Argentine’s contract ends this season and there is still no word on whether he will continue with the club. Laporta based his presidential campaign on his ability to convince Messi to stay.
Laporta also will have to put the club back on track financially after it was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Spanish media reports said Laporta recently was able to land a deal of several hundred million dollars with Goldman Sachs that will help the club restructure its finances.
The squad changes may start at the top with coach Ronald Koeman, who was criticized for not taking advantage of the team’s chances near the end of the season. There have been widespread talks about former player Xavi Hernández taking over his job for next season.
There are also rumors about the possible arrival of Memphis Depay to boost the team’s attack, while Spanish media has speculated that Antoine Griezmann could leave after another lackluster season for the France forward. Some reports say he could be involved in a trade with Atlético Madrid for young Portugal star João Félix.
Among the team’s more veteran players still in the squad are Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets. Younger players who have been doing well include Ansu Fati, Pedri González, Sergiño Dest and Ousmane Dembélé.
Laporta said the club’s women’s team should be seen an example after winning its first Champions League title on Sunday with a 4-0 victory over Chelsea.
“Today it’s women’s soccer that represents the pride of all of our fans,” Laporta said. “In men’s soccer we will need to go through a renovation process because a cycle has ended.”