United News of Bangladesh

A masterclass in batting resilience from veteran Mushfiqur Rahim placed Bangladesh in an impregnable position on the third day of the second Test in Sylhet. Mushfiqur struck his 14th career Test century, steering the hosts to 332-6 in the second innings after 87 overs and extending their overall lead to a massive 378 runs, just shy of the 400-mark. Mushfiqur's unbeaten 104 off 181 balls, studded with nine boundaries, was a historic milestone. The century broke his tie with Mominul Haque (13), making him the outright holder of the record for the most centuries for Bangladesh in Test history.Coming to the crease after Pakistan’s Khurram Shahzad threatened a collapse with four wickets (4-81), the 39-year-old displayed immense composure under the scorching Sylhet sun to systematically bat the visitors out of the game. The innings was bolstered by a gritty top-order performance. Mahmudul Hasan Joy set the tone early with a resilient 52. However, it was Mushfiqur's 123-run stand with Litton Das—who followed up his first-innings 126 with a brisk 69—that completely deflated the Pakistani attack. Pakistan's bowlers struggled to replicate their first-innings discipline on a wearing day-three pitch. Shahzad was the lone bright spot, accounting for the wickets of Tanzid, Mominul, Najmul Hossain Shanto (15), and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (19). However, the visitors found no answers for Mushfiqur, who comfortably marshaled the lower-middle order alongside Taijul Islam (17*). With a commanding 378-run cushion and four wickets still in hand, Bangladesh hold all the aces.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto wants his side to break into the top five of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings, building on the progress made during the previous cycle. The team finished seventh in the last edition with four wins, an improvement from consecutive last-place finishes in the first two cycles. Bangladesh currently have one draw and one loss from two matches in the present cycle and are seeking their first victory as they prepare to face Pakistan. The two-match series against Pakistan begins Friday in Mirpur. "We have played good cricket over the last two years," Shanto said on the eve of the match. "Finishing seventh last time was a good achievement, and we are gradually improving. This year, the goal is to perform better. It would be great if we could finish in fourth or fifth place." The captain acknowledged that several difficult away tours, including trips to Australia and South Africa later this year, stand in the way of that goal. However, he believes the current squad is better equipped to handle varying conditions. "There are challenges ahead with tours that will be entirely new for us," Shanto said. "But our home series are very important. We will try to create conditions and wickets that suit our strengths against specific opponents." Shanto described the squad as balanced across pace, spin, and batting departments, which allows the team more flexibility. Bangladesh enter the series with the confidence of a 2-0 sweep in Pakistan in 2024, though Shanto was quick to dismiss past records as a guarantee of future success. "We played well in that series, but that is in the past," he said. "While it gives us extra confidence, we have to play well again. Every day must be better than the last for us to get the result. We aren't thinking too much about records; it’s about playing competitive cricket daily." Preparation for the series has been mixed, with several players recently focused on limited-overs cricket. Shanto, however, expressed satisfaction with the work done by those in the red-ball camp.  

The Bangladesh Women’s cricket team is on the brink of qualifying for the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup after securing a dominant 39-run victory over Thailand in the Super Six stage of the qualifiers on Wednesday.  It was the Tigresses' fifth consecutive victory in the tournament, maintaining a perfect record. Playing at the Mulpani Cricket Ground, Bangladesh successfully defended a total of 165, restricting Thailand to 126 for 8 to inch closer to the main event. Nigar Sultana’s side could confirm their World Cup berth later today if the Netherlands defeat the USA in the afternoon fixture. Even if the USA wins, Bangladesh needs just one win from their remaining two matches—or a washout—to seal their spot. After being asked to bat first, Bangladesh faced an early scare, losing opener Dilara Akter for a golden duck on the very first ball and Sharmin Akhter shortly after, leaving them reeling at 12 for 2. U-19 World Cup: Bangladesh eliminated after crushing 7-wicket defeat to England However, a brilliant 110-run partnership between Sobhana Mostary and wicketkeeper Juairiya Ferdous rescued the innings. Player of the Match Sobhana anchored the side with a stylish 59 off 42 balls, studded with four boundaries and two sixes. Juairiya provided excellent support with a steady 56 off 45 balls. A late cameo from Ritu Moni (15 off 6) helped propel Bangladesh to a competitive 165 for 8, despite a flurry of late wickets falling to Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong (3 for 22). In reply, Thailand’s chase faltered immediately as pacer Marufa Akter trapped Suwanan Khiaoto lbw on the first ball of the innings. While Natthakan Chantham offered resistance with a fighting 46 off 41 balls and skipper Naruemol Chaiwai added 30, the Thai batting lineup crumbled under the pressure of the rising required run rate. T20 World Cup: ICC rejects Bangladesh’s safe-venue request, includes Scotland Marufa Akter was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 25, while spinners Shorna Akter (2 for 21) and Ritu Moni (2 for 20) strangled the middle order to ensure a comfortable win.

Former cricketing heavyweights Shahid Afridi and Jason Gillespie have launched a scathing attack on the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing the governing body of ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘double standards’ after it officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The backlash follows the ICC's confirmation on Saturday that Scotland would take Bangladesh's spot in Group C, after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send its team to India citing security concerns. The ICC justified the move by stating there was an ‘absence of any credible or verifiable security threat’. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi expressed deep disappointment on social media platform X, pointing out the glaring inconsistency in how the ICC handles security claims from different nations. T20 World Cup: ICC rejects Bangladesh’s safe-venue request, includes Scotland He drew a sharp parallel to India’s refusal to tour Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, a decision the ICC accommodated. “It accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, yet appears unwilling to apply the same understanding to Bangladesh,” Afridi wrote. “Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance... The ICC should build bridges, not burn them.”  Australian legend and former Pakistan red-ball coach Jason Gillespie echoed these sentiments, openly questioning why a neutral venue solution—often used for India—was not offered to Bangladesh.  Farooki questions ICC’s neutrality, cites mob lynching as proof of ‘severe risk’ in India “Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside of India?” Gillespie asked on X. “From memory, India refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan and they were allowed to play those games outside of Pakistan. Can someone make this make sense?!?!” Scotland, beneficiaries of the standoff, will now join England, the West Indies, Italy, and Nepal in Group C.    

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to resume on Friday (January 16, 2026) after a successful late-night negotiation between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players, ending the boycott that stalled the tournament on Thursday. The breakthrough was announced by BPL Governing Council Member Secretary Iftekhar Rahman and CWAB President Mohammad Mithun following a meeting at the BCB office in Gulshan. Read more: BCB removes Nazmul from finance chair in bid to end player boycott Cricketers joined the discussions with board officials and franchise representatives around 10:30 PM to finalize the agreement. To accommodate the lost day, the tournament schedule has been revised. Thursday’s abandoned matches—Noakhali Express vs. Chattogram Royals and Rajshahi Warriors vs. Sylhet Titans—will now be played on Friday at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM respectively. Consequently, Friday’s originally scheduled games have been shifted to Saturday, while Saturday’s fixtures move to January 18. The Eliminator and Qualifier-1 have also been pushed back to January 20, though the date for the final remains unchanged. The standoff was triggered by offensive remarks from BCB Director M Nazmul Islam regarding player funding. While the players initially demanded his resignation and a public apology, the resumption follows the board’s decision to strip him of his Finance Committee chairmanship. Read more: BPL halted as players boycott match despite BCB’s show-cause notice

In a frantic effort to salvage the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and quell a full-scale player mutiny, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has removed Director M Nazmul Islam from his post as Chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect. The decision, announced in a media release on Thursday evening (January 15, 2026), comes hours after cricketers followed through on their threat to boycott the day's BPL fixtures. The first match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express was abandoned after players refused to take the field, adhering to an ultimatum issued by the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB). Read More: BCB to continue ‘constructive engagement’ with ICC for T20 World Cup solution The BCB President exercised his authority under Article 31 of the constitution to strip Nazmul of his committee responsibilities, assuming the role of Acting Chairman himself. “The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority,” the board stated, adding that the move was aimed at ensuring the “smooth and effective functioning” of affairs. The release explicitly appealed to players to return to the field, hoping they would “display the highest standards of professionalism” to ensure the continuation of the BPL during this “challenging period”. The crisis erupted after Nazmul made a series of remarks, that cricketers found inflammatory, first labeling former captain Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” and later mocking players by asking if the board should demand a refund of their salaries if they failed to perform at the World Cup. While the players demanded his resignation as a board director, it remains to be seen if his removal solely from the Finance Committee chairmanship will be enough to bring them back to the stadium. Read more: BPL halted as players boycott match despite BCB’s show-cause notice

As the BCB and the ICC continue talks on whether Bangladesh will play their matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India amid security concerns, it is worth recalling other occasions when teams opted out of playing ICC events in host nations. The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC are weighing options regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India, citing safety issues. Below are five past instances in which teams refused to play ICC tournaments in host countries. 1996 ODI World Cup: Australia, West Indies stay away from Sri Lanka Ahead of the 1996 ODI World Cup, co-host Sri Lanka was facing a civil war, and a bomb blast in Colombo in January—just weeks before the tournament—intensified security fears. Read more: BCB to continue ‘constructive engagement’ with ICC for T20 World Cup solution In a show of support, a combined India-Pakistan XI played a friendly against Sri Lanka in Colombo before the event. Australia and West Indies, however, declined to travel to Colombo for their group matches against Sri Lanka and forfeited points as a result. Sri Lanka progressed comfortably to the quarter-finals, as did Australia and West Indies, and later defeated Australia in the final in Lahore. 2003 ODI World Cup: England avoid Zimbabwe; New Zealand skip Kenya The first Africa-hosted ODI World Cup in 2003—co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya—saw two teams refuse to play in host nations. England did not travel to Harare to play Zimbabwe, citing opposition by the UK government under Tony Blair to Robert Mugabe’s regime. New Zealand declined to play Kenya in Nairobi due to security concerns following a bombing in Mombasa months earlier. Both teams asked for their matches to be relocated, but the ICC rejected the requests and awarded walkovers to Zimbabwe and Kenya. England exited in the first round, while New Zealand advanced to the Super Sixes. Kenya, benefiting from the forfeiture, went on to reach the semi-finals. 2009 T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe withdraw Relations between Zimbabwe and the UK remained strained, raising doubts over whether Zimbabwean players would receive visas to travel to England for the 2009 T20 World Cup. In July 2008, the ICC and Zimbabwe reached what they termed a “win-win” agreement. Zimbabwe withdrew from the tournament “in the larger interest of the game,” saying they did not want to be unwelcome participants, but received their full participation fee. Scotland, an Associate nation, replaced them after qualifying. 2016 Under-19 World Cup: Australia pull out Australia had already withdrawn from a bilateral series in Bangladesh in October 2015 due to security concerns. By the time of the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, their position was unchanged, citing a continued “threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh.” The ICC said it respected Australia’s decision, though it was disappointed. Ireland took Australia’s place in the tournament. 2025 Champions Trophy: India decline to tour Pakistan The 2025 Champions Trophy was set to be Pakistan’s first ICC event in 29 years after being confirmed as hosts in November 2021. Uncertainty persisted over India’s participation, given the strained relations between the two countries and India’s last tour of Pakistan dating back to 2008. Read More: BCB rejects ICC’s plea to reconsider India tour to play T20 World Cup Although Pakistan travelled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, India eventually announced it would not visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, citing a lack of government clearance. After prolonged discussions, a compromise for the 2024–2027 ICC cycle was agreed: matches between India and Pakistan in tournaments hosted by either country would be held at neutral venues. Consequently, India played their 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Dubai and went on to win the tournament. With input from ESPNcricinfo

While the Bangladesh cricket team refuses to set foot in India due to security concerns, a lone Bangladeshi official is currently at the center of the action on Indian soil. Sharfuddoula, the first Bangladeshi umpire on the ICC Elite Panel, officiated as the TV umpire during the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially informed the ICC that the national team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, citing “growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent”. This boycott follows the diplomatic fallout triggered by the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) removal of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad—a move that led the Bangladesh government to ban IPL broadcasts for the first time since the league's inception in 2008. Despite the hostile political climate, Sharfuddoula’s appointment proceeded under standard ICC regulations. According to Clause 2.1.4, the ICC appoints one neutral umpire for ODIs from the Elite or International Panel. Bangladeshi umpire Sharfuddoula officiating in the Ashes  Since Sharfuddoula is neither Indian nor Kiwi, his role as a neutral official remains valid, even as his home board demands “man-to-man” security guarantees for its players.    

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the 15-member national cricket team for the ensuing three-match T20I series against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Salman Ali Agha has been retained as captain to lead the Pakistan T20I team in Bangladesh tour, said a PCB media release on Tuesday. The three-match T20Is series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be played on July 20, 22 and 24 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. 15-member squad for Bangladesh series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufyan Moqim Tanvir Islam stands tall in his second ODI Team management: Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Muhammad Hanif Malik (batting Coach), Shane McDermott (fielding Coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Irtaza Komail (security manager), Dr. Wajid Ali Rafai (doctor) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur)end  

India’s scheduled white-ball tour of Bangladesh in August 2025 has been officially deferred to September 2026, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Saturday The BCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the decision to postpone the three-match ODI and three-match T20I series mutually, citing international calendar constraints and scheduling convenience for both sides. “This decision has been reached following discussions between the two Boards, taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams,” the BCB said in a statement. Originally slated for August 2025, the series was already under doubt due to political considerations and fixture congestion. BCB announces T20I squad for Sri Lanka series BCB President Aminul Islam had earlier hinted that the series might not go ahead as planned, pending clearance from Indian authorities and availability within a packed calendar. With the postponement now formalized, Bangladesh will have to wait until September 2026 to host their high-profile neighbours in a bilateral white-ball series. The BCB said revised dates and fixtures for the tour will be announced later. Despite the delay, BCB remains upbeat. “The BCB looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026 for this eagerly anticipated series,” the board stated.