Bangladesh Cricket
ENG v BAN: Virtuoso show from Shakib spares Tigers' blushes in 3rd ODI
Bangladesh claimed victory over England by 50 runs to avoid a whitewash at home in the third and final match of the three-match ODI series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday.
Premier all rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit a breezy 75 to guide the Tigers' innings and then scalped four wickets to help the hosts recover some morale after losing the first two matches and the series. With his fourth wicket, Shakib became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 300 or more wickets in ODIs.
Winning the toss, Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal elected to bat first. However, his decision backfired as Litton Das was dismissed for a duck in the very first over. Tamim himself couldn't last long as he was caught by James Vince off Sam Curran after scoring just 11 runs off 6 balls. But Najmul Hossain Shanto steadied the ship with a patient knock of 53 off 71 balls.
In the third wicket stand, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shanto added 98 runs, helping the hosts recover from the early damage. However, Shanto lost his wicket while running late for a single.
Read more: Shakib reaches 300 ODI wickets
Mushfiqur ended up on 70, while Shakib made 75 runs off 71 balls with seven fours. Bangladesh posted a total of 246 for all wickets in 48.5 overs, riding on their batting effort.
Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, and Mehdiy Hasan Miraz failed to do well in this match. For England, Jofra Archer scalped three wickets while Sam Curran and Adil Rashid took two wickets each.
In reply, England's openers, Jason Roy and Phil Salt, got off to a good start, adding 54 runs for the first wicket. But Shakib struck thrice in quick succession, removing both openers and James Vince, reducing England to 55 for 3. Sam Curran and Jos Buttler then put up a fight with a partnership of 47 runs. However, Mehidy Hasan Miraz ended Curran's resistance as he was caught for 23 runs.
Buttler then fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 26, and England's hopes of a victory were all but over. Chris Woakes was the only batsman who showed some resistance in the late order with a fighting knock of 34 runs off 46 balls. However, he was dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman in the 44th over, and England were eventually bowled out for 196 runs in 43.1 overs.
Shakib was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, finishing with figures of 4 for 35 in his 10 overs. Ebadot Hossain and Taijul Islam also picked up two wickets each.
Read more: Bangladesh Bat First in 3rd ODI vs England in Bid to Avoid Clean Sweep
The teams will now face each other in a three-match T20I series. The first match will be played in Chattogram on March 9, while the last two matches will take place in Dhaka on March 12 and 14.
Bangladesh bowl first, look to avoid rare ODI series loss at home
To maintain their unbeaten ODI series record at home, Bangladesh chose to bowl first against England at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Friday.
The hosts suffered a defeat in the series opener in Mirpur Wednesday, which England won by three wickets, thanks to Dawid Malan's brilliant century.
With a win under their belt, England are now eyeing to clinch the series with one match left to play on March 6 in Chattogram.
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal expressed disappointment at his team's batting performance in the first match, as only Najmul Hossain Shanto managed to score a fifty.
Tamim said the team could have posted 20 to 30 more runs to avoid the defeat. In the second match, he hoped to see better efforts from the batters.
Bangladesh fielded an unchanged playing XI, while England made two changes, bringing in Sam Curran and Saqib Mahmood, and resting Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes.
Bangladesh playing XI
Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, and Mustafizur Rahman
England playing XI
Jason Roy, Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, James Vince, Jos Buttler (w/c), Will Jacks, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, and Mark Wood
Malan century guides England home as Tigers bemoan batting woes
Dawid Malan took centre stage as England clinched a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first ODI of their three-match series.
The southpaw showcased his impeccable form, scoring his fourth ODI century. Also, this was Malan's second consecutive ton in the ODIs.
After the match, Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said his team should have put at least 30-35 more runs on the board to make things tougher for the tourists. He also bemoaned losing quick wickets in the middle overs.
Read more: Bangladesh fight back as Shakib, Taijul scalp wickets
Chasing 210, England lost their openers to Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam. And at the 38.5-over mark, they had lost seven wickets and still needed 49 runs to win.
All eyes were on Malan, who was the only recognised batter left for the tourists. But with Adil Rashid's composed batting, they put on an unbeaten partnership of 51 and sealed the match for the visitors.
Bangladesh's Taijul Isalm, who played his first ODI at home in three years, managed to bag three wickets but conceded 5.4 runs per over. Also, Mehidy Hasan Miraz scalped two wickets.
Chandika Hathurasingha takes over as head coach of Bangladesh cricket
Chandika Hathurasingha has officially taken over as the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. He arrived in Dhaka on Monday and joined the team's practice session on Tuesday, marking his first day in his new role.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reappointed Hathurasingha for the next two years, following his successful first stint as the head coach.
During his first tenure, Bangladesh tasted several historic victories, both at home and abroad, including a famous win against England in the 2015 World Cup and series wins against Pakistan, India, and South America.
Hathurasingha was seen having conversations with key players, including Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed, and Taijul Islam, during Tuesday's practice session at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
However, he has not yet addressed the media. A press conference has been scheduled for Wednesday, where Hathurasingha will speak to the media and discuss his plans for the team.
The Bangladesh team is gearing up for their upcoming series against England, consisting of three ODIs and three T20 matches, starting on March 1.
Chattogram Test: India register a big win as Bangladesh’s batting woes continue
Bangladesh suffered a disastrous defeat in the first match of the two-match series against India in Chattogram. They were unable to display the batting prowess that is essential for a successful Test match performance.
The hosts needed a marathon effort in order to draw the match or triumphantly reach 241 runs with only four remaining wickets. In the end, this proved to be an insurmountable task.
In pursuit of an imposing 513 runs in the fourth innings of the match, Bangladesh fell short with a final score of 324, having started from a paltry 150 in the first innings -- thus resulting in a humiliating 188-run defeat.
Zakir Hasan, the left-handed batter, delivered a stunning debut century, while Shakib Al Hasan scored 84. Najmul Hossain Shanto rebounded brilliantly from a first-ball duck in the first innings by notching 67; unfortunately, the rest of the Bangladeshi batters were unable to stand firm against the relentless Indian bowling attack.
Axar Patel was the best bowler for the visiting team in the second innings, taking four wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with three of his own.
In the initial innings of the match, India mustered up 404 runs after winning the toss. Cheteshwar Pujara was the star of the batting show with a well-composed 90, while Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin also added to the run tally with respective scores of 86 and 58.
For Bangladesh, Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged four wickets each.
In response, Bangladesh crumbled to 150 all-out. The Bangladeshi batsmen were flummoxed by the quality spin of Kuldeep, who scalped five wickets for 40 runs, while Mohammad Siraj also made his presence felt with three wickets of his own.
In their second innings of the match, India declared at 258 for two with Shubman Gill registering his maiden Test century and Pujara notching up yet another ton.
Ultimately, they set an immense target of 513 runs for Bangladesh, with only five sessions to attempt a miraculous chase. This total was uncharted territory for Bangladesh in the fourth innings of a Test match.
Kuldeep rightly earned the player of the match accolade for his stellar eight-wicket haul in the match.
The second and concluding Test of the series will commence in Dhaka on December 22nd.
T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh’s past record with Super 12 opponents
All five of Bangladesh’s opponents have been confirmed as they will begin their Super 12 round campaign with a match against the Netherlands on October 24 in Hobart. Little is expected from the Tigers given their recent international performances. Let's take a look at Bangladesh's records against the teams they will face in the T20 World Cup 2022 group stage.
Bangladesh's head-to-head record and expected outcomes against its Super 12s opponents
The Bangladesh team will play their first game against the Dutch national side on Monday (October 24). After that, they will take on South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, and Pakistan, respectively. Bangladesh have a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals if they can win at least three matches. But can the Tigers put up a fighting display given their recent performances in the T20 format? Let’s take a glance at Bangladesh's T20I records over their opponents in the Super 12s.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Favourites to make it to the semifinals
Bangladesh vs Netherlands
Match details: October 24 | Venue: Bellerive Oval | Time: 10 a.m. (BST)The Tigers will face a less-strong Dutch side in their Twenty20 World Cup opener, which could be a blessing in disguise to find momentum. This is the fixture that everyone expects Bangladesh to win. So, the team Tigers can consider themselves favourites for the contest but shouldn’t undermine their opposition. The Netherlands finished second in their group in the first round, winning two and losing to Sri Lanka.
H2H Record: Bangladesh have faced the Netherlands three times and hold a 2-1 head-to-head record. The Tigers won the last meeting between the two sides in the 2016 World T20.
Bangladesh vs South Africa
Match details: October 27 | Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground | Time: 9 a.m. (BST)Bangladesh's next fixture would be against a strong South Africa team at the famous Sydney Cricket Ground. This would be one of the toughest matches for the Tigers as the Proteas players are more equipped for the Australian conditions. Bangladesh's team management has to chalk out an effective strategy which could potentially put the opposition under strain. However, South Africa are the overwhelming favourite for the contest.
H2H Record: Bangladesh have played seven T20Is against South Africa and have lost all of them. South Africa won by 6 wickets in the most recent meeting between the two sides in the 2021 ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe
Match details: October 30 | Venue: The Gabba | Time: 9 a.m. (BST)The Bangladesh team will target Zimbabwe in their third fixture of the tournament to stay in contention for a top two finish in the points table. Despite losing a bilateral series 2-1 against Zimbabwe last July, Bangladesh will remain the favourite in this fixture. Players on both sides know each other very well, and it will be a fascinating contest to watch.
H2H Record: Bangladesh have led the head-to-head battle against Zimbabwe with 12 wins in 19 meetings. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, has seven wins and won the last contest between the two sides in August by 10 runs.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh to face Netherlands on Oct 24
Bangladesh vs India
Match details: November 2 | Venue: Adelaide Oval | Time: 2 p.m. (BST)Beating India will be a hard task for Bangladesh, especially in the ICC events. Though Bangladesh had a famous victory over the Indian side in the 2007 World Cup, that was in the ODI format. India will be well aware that Bangladesh can pose a real threat and will not take the contest lightly. The Tigers will need a bit of luck to overcome India in this fixture.
H2H Record: Bangladesh have only one win over India in the T20 format, which came in a bilateral series in 2019. Overall, India have 10 wins against Bangladesh in 11 meetings.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan
Match details: November 6 | Venue: Adelaide Oval | Time: 10 a.m. (BST)Bangladesh’s final Super 12 Round fixture would be against Pakistan in Adelaide. This fixture could potentially be a do-or-die contest for both the teams. Therefore, this could be a well-contested match to watch. Pakistan will start as favourites, but Bangladesh have a better chance of winning this match than the other two big opponents in the group.
H2H Record: Pakistan have 15 T20I victories in 17 matches against Bangladesh, including the most recent one in New Zealand. On the other hand, the Tigers have only had two triumphs over the Men in Green.
Read: Shakib reclaims his position as No. 1 T20I all-rounder
Bottom Line
Bangladesh have a realistic possibility of winning the matches against the Netherlands and Zimbabwe given the strength of their squads and their better records against them. The Tigers can defeat strong opponents like India, Pakistan, and South Africa, but luck has to be on their side in addition to their best efforts during these matches. The Bangladeshi team could advance to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2022 if they win at least three games, which is not impossible.
T20 World Cup 2022: Key stats for Bangladesh match venues
Bangladesh will start their Super 12 Round with a match against the second-placed team in Group A in Hobart. They also have fixtures in Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. Getting to know the venues and their records is important in order to make a doable strategy for the match. Let’s take a look at Bangladesh's T20 World Cup 2022 match venues and their key stats.
The venues where Bangladesh will play at the Twenty20 World Cup 2022
The majority of Bangladeshi players don’t have experience playing in Australia. Therefore, playing in Australia’s famous cricket stadiums will be an intriguing experience for the players. Tigers will play at some of Australia's well-known grounds.
Read: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh to take on South Africa Wednesday in warm-up match
Their first match will be at the Bellerive Oval Cricket Ground in Hobart on October 24 (Tuesday), where they will face the Group A runner-up from the first round. Two days later, on October 27, Bangladesh will meet South Africa at the famous Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. They will take on the Group B winner of the first round on October 30 at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The Bangladesh team then travels to Adelaide to play their final two fixtures of the Super 12 Round at the Adelaide Oval. They will play India on November 2, followed by Pakistan on November 6 at the same venue.
Key Stats of Bangladesh’s 2022 Twenty20 World Cup Venues
Australian cricket grounds are usually larger than those in other parts of the world. The wickets usually prefer the faster bowlers to have extra bounce and swing. Spinners, on the other hand, don’t get any additional advantages in these conditions. Australia usually makes sporting pitches where both batters and bowlers can thrive.
Bangladesh will have to adjust quickly to the Aussie weather and the bouncy wickets in order to have better outings during the T20 World Cup 2022. Let’s have a look at the important stats of the stadiums Bangladesh will play in the Super 12 round.
Read: T20 warm-up: Bangladesh suffer a heavy defeat to Afghanistan
Bellerive Oval Cricket Ground in Hobart
The Bellerive Oval Cricket Ground is located in Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania, an Australian island. The playing field is 175m by 135m in size, which is a little bit longer but also a little bit narrower than the MCG. Only five T20I games have been played here thus yet. This venue will host a game involving Bangladesh.Key Stats Bat first won: 4 Bat second won: 1Highest Team Innings: 213/4Lowest Team Innings: 118Highest Run Chased: 161/5Highest Individual Innings: 103*Best Bowling Figures: 4/30
Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney
The renowned Sydney Cricket Ground is situated in Sydney, New South Wales's capital city. The playing surface of the SCG is 156m x 154m. There have already been eleven T20I games held here. At this venue, the Bangladeshi team will face South Africa in a Super 12 round match. Key Stats Bat first won: 4 Bat second won: 5Highest Team Innings: 221/5Lowest Team Innings: No completed innings Highest Run Chased: 200/3Highest Individual Innings: 124*Best Bowling Figures: 4/12
The Gabba, Brisbane
The Gabba Cricket Ground is situated in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. The dimensions of the Gabba’s playing surface are 170.6m x 149.9m. So far, six T20I matches have been played at this Australian stadium. The Bangladesh side will have a Super 12 phase match at this ground.Key Stats Bat first won: 4 Bat second won: 2Highest Team Innings: 209/3Lowest Team Innings: 114Highest Run Chased: 161/4Highest Individual Innings: 96Best Bowling Figures: 4/20
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Adelaide, the state capital of South Australia, is home to the Adelaide Oval Cricket Ground. The playing surface in Adelaide is 190.2m x 126.2m, which is a fairly long distance. There have only been five matches held here thus far. In the Super 12 round, the national men's T20 cricket team of Bangladesh will play its two neighbours, India and Pakistan, there. Key Stats Bat first won: 3Bat second won: 2Highest Team Innings: 233/2Lowest Team Innings: 146 Highest Run Chased: 158/9Highest Individual Innings: 100*Best Bowling Figures: 4/15
Read: ICC T20 World Cup: Only Shakib and Rohit have competed in all events to date
Bottom Line
Bangladesh will play at four different venues in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup 2022. The Tigers will play at either the Sydney or Adelaide stadiums if they advance to the semifinals. Bangladesh have no scheduled matches at the MCG, where the final game will be played. Some cricket fields in Australia have small widths and large lengths. The Bangladesh team management should concentrate on developing game plans based on stats and stadium dimensions.
T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh may play Sri Lanka, West Indies in Super 12s
Bangladesh was expecting at least one associate nation in their Super 12 round group, but Namibia gave a huge blow to that after beating Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the T20 World Cup 2022 opener yesterday. The Tigers now should be ready to face both Sri Lanka and West Indies, along with India, Pakistan, and South Africa in their group fixtures.
How can Sri Lanka and the West Indies end up in Group 2?
Two teams from each of the two groups in the first round will advance to the Super 12s. The winner of group A and runner-up of group B will play in the next round's Group 1. On the other hand, the winner of Group B and the runner-up of Group A will play in Group 2 of the Super 12 phase.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Namibia stuns in opening match by beating Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, Namibia, Netherlands, and UAE are battling each other to finish in the top two in the first round's Group A. The West Indies, Scotland, Zimbabwe, and Ireland are playing against each other for a spot in the next round. If Sri Lanka finishes second in group A and the West Indies finishes first in Group B in the first round, then both teams will play in Group 2 in the Super 12 phase.
Group A Scenario
The Sri Lankan team was considered the favourite to finish top of Group 1 prior to the tournament. But after a comprehensive defeat by Namibia on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s possibility of finishing top of the points table is not in their hands anymore. The Lankan side’s main priority at the moment is to win the remaining fixtures of the group and earn a place in the Super 12s.
Namibia, on the other hand, will finish top of the group if they win all of their matches. However, if they lose one match in their remaining two fixtures of this round, they could end up being second depending on how Sri Lanka performs in their other games.
The Netherlands started their campaign with a 3-wicket victory over the UAE on Sunday. They have a good chance to advance to the next round if they beat Namibia. The UAE is the weakest team in this group and will likely lose all of their fixtures. If Namibia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka all have two points each, then net run rates will decide which two teams will advance to the Super 12s.
Read: Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2022 Squad: Who’s in, who’s out?
Bangladesh’s fixtures against Sri Lanka and West Indies if they meet in the Super 12s
If Sri Lanka play in Group 2 in the Super 12s, Bangladesh will start their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a match against the Lankan side at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart, on October 24. If the West Indies play in Group 2, Bangladesh will meet them on October 30 at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Bangladesh’s remaining Super 12 round fixtures are against South Africa on October 27 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They will play against India on November 2 at the Adelaide Oval, and at the same venue, they will meet Pakistan on November 6.
Bottom Line
After a disappointing loss to Namibia, Sri Lanka has a good chance of finishing second in Group A. On the other hand, the West Indies are the hot favourites to win Group B. It would be quite concerning for Bangladesh's bid to win at least one game at the T20 World Cup 2022 if both Sri Lanka and the West Indies qualified to play in Group 2 of the Super 12.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Where to watch live in Bangladesh via TV, OTT, and apps
The 3 challenges Bangladesh may face in New Zealand Tri-Series 2022
With a little over two weeks left before the T20 World Cup 2022 begins in Australia, the participating teams are currently busy preparing themselves for the main event. In this perspective, New Zealand will organize a tri-series beginning on October 7 that includes Bangladesh and Pakistan. Let’s take a look at the 3 challenges Bangladesh may face in the forthcoming New Zealand Tri-Series 2022.
New Zealand Tri-Series 2022: The main challenges for the Bangladeshi players
The Bangladesh cricket team’s recent performance in the Twenty20 format hasn’t been impressive. They have won 4 out of 12 matches this year, but all of the wins have come against weaker opponents or teams at the same level. In this context, Bangladesh’s poor run in the T20 format itself will be a big challenge during the tri-nation series. Here are the three areas where the tigers may struggle in the upcoming competition.
Read: Bangladesh clinch T20I series vs UAE with easy win
Conditions
The Bangladesh players don’t have enough experience to play in the New Zealand conditions. A different skill set is required in order to do well in those kinds of conditions. Wickets in the Oceania region offer more bounce and pace. Balls come to the bat fast, and pace bowlers can get a lot of advantage from the surfaces.
Whereas, in Bangladesh and sub-continent conditions, wickets usually remain slow and damp. The wickets offer more turn and swing, and batters often find it tough to score runs. Therefore, Bangladesh's players need to be well versed in the conditions. More importantly, the sooner they can adapt to the condition, the better for them.
Strike Rotation - Batting
Bangladesh batters' strike rates have been really unimpressive. One of the main reasons for that is their inability to play big shots on a consistent basis. The batters mindset and approach need to adjust according to the format.
Because of the bouncy wickets, Bangladesh players may find it difficult to make an immediate impact in New Zealand conditions. But players will flourish if they can read the pitches properly and make some technical adjustments in their batting.
The T20I stats of Bangladesh players in New Zealand haven’t been good. The two players who have more than 100 T20I runs and fifty plus scores in an innings in New Zealand are Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah Riyad, but they are not part of the team. Soumya has a more than 150 strike rate as well.
Except for these two players, none of the Bangladesh players have even 100 Twenty20 international runs in New Zealand and their strike rates are poor as well. Therefore,a real challenge is waiting for the batters.
Read: Bangladesh squad for Women's T20 Asia Cup announced
Alok Kapali says goodbye to first-class cricket
Alok Kapali, who picked up the first hat-trick in Tests for Bangladesh and scored many runs in the domestic arena in the last 22 years, announced his retirement from first-class cricket Monday.
On the same day, on August 29 in 2003, the all-rounder claimed a hat-trick in a Test against Pakistan.
In his 93-match international career, Alok was considered the best fielder for Bangladesh. He scored 1,876 runs in international cricket and played his last Test in 2006.
Alok's only hundred in international cricket came against India in Karachi in 2008.
Read: Asia Cup 2022: 8 milestones within sight of Bangladesh players
"I've been playing first-class cricket for the last two decades. And I've taken part in international cricket for Bangladesh in every format," Alok wrote on his social media page.
"I would like to thank you all who have supported me a lot along the way. I'm proud to be a part of the sporting arena of Bangladesh and Sylhet."
"I think this is the time to pave the way for young talents," he added. "I have decided to retire from first-class cricket so that I can give more time to my family and pave the way for the young cricketers."
Despite deciding to retire from first-class cricket, Kapali said that he would continue to play in the shorter version of domestic cricket.
In his 172-match first-class career, Alok scored more than 9,000 runs with 20 centuries and 37 half-centuries.