Despite a fightback from Mominul Haque and Taijul Islam, with a 103-run stand, Bangladesh ended up on 159, giving up a 416-run lead to South Africa, who have decided to enforce a follow-on.  Mominul scored 82 before falling prey to Senuran Muthusamy. Taijul posted 30. Keshav Maharaj dismissed him.  By lunch, Bangladesh were batting at 137 for eight wickets, with Mominul remaining not out for 74 and Taijul Islam for 18.  They forged out a 103-run stand in the ninth wicket, offering a fightback to South Africa, who had been in command in this Test since day one.  The wicket suddenly started to look flat to make the batter play easily. But at the start of the day, there were cracks on the wicket, as the legendary South African pacer Shaun Pollock said to the broadcaster in the morning.  Bangladesh vs South Africa test: Mominul fights back after Rabada takes five-for Rabada had already taken two wickets on Wednesday. He took three more in the first season of day three. Rabada first trapped Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto with an angling delivery that was going away lately. Shanto prodded it to the wicketkeeper. Mushfiqur Rahim fell to a soft dismissal in the next over while driving to the mid-wicket. He just flicked it straight to the fielder at the mid-off.  In his next over, Rabada took two wickets in three balls. Mehidy Hasan Miraz edged to the wicketkeeper off an outside-off delivery, and then Rabada trapped Mahidul Islam lbw for a duck.  Bangladesh lost the first Test in Dhaka and are now on the verge of another defeat unless they create any unlikely history in the second innings.  Bangladesh played 24 Tests in Chattogram, with two wins, seven draws, and defeats in all others. 

Bangladesh cricket team captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is unwilling to continue in his role, an international cricket media reported on Saturday.  The news came as the Bangladesh team is gearing up for the second Test against South Africa in Chattogram, starts on October 29.  Cricbuzz, a cricket website, reported that he is not willing to continue in his role and has informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of this. Shanto said that he is now waiting for a response from the board.  Shanto, a left-handed batter, was appointed as Bangladesh’s captain in all formats in February 2024. Chattogram Test: Khaled recalled, Bavuma remains unavailable Shanto informed the board that he wants to step down as captain after the upcoming second Test against South Africa.  It’s unclear what he showed the board behind his move. Recently, he was scrutinized for his dismal performance with the bat, and his captaincy also failed to show any innovative approaches that can characterized as good captaincy.  The board has yet to say anything about Shanto’s decision to quit captaincy. It’s not clear who will take over the captaincy if he eventually resigns from the post.  Shanto led Bangladesh in nine Tests, nine ODIs, and 24 T20Is. Under his captaincy, Bangladesh’s most famous success came when they beat Pakistan 2-0 in a two-match Test series

Asif Mahmud Sojib Bhuiyan, adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, on Thursday regretted the inability to accord the country's biggest cricket legend Shakib Al Hasan his farewell from cricket on home soil. However, he acknowledged the ongoing public discontent regarding Shakib's association with the ousted Awami League government, describing it as a natural response. Shakib’s final Test appearance called off over security fears "There is public resentment due to Shakib Al Hasan's association with the Awami fascist government," he stated, emphasising the importance of addressing these concerns. Despite Shakib's efforts to clarify his political position through a Facebook post aimed at soothing public frustration, recent protests demonstrated that "it has become evident... that it was not enough." The sports adviser remarked that "those who are protesting also have the constitutional right to do so, underlining the legitimacy of their grievances." Shakib included in squad for South Africa Test In light of the upcoming series between South Africa and Bangladesh, Asif advised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to discourage Shakib playing in the country for the time being, aiming to prevent any undesirable situations. He explained that this decision was made "as an urgent measure to protect both the players' safety and the country's image in international sports." Asif concluded with a call for respecting the law, stating, "If there are any complaints, solutions can be sought through the legal process."

The newly appointed head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team, Phil Simmons, has arrived in Dhaka for his first assignment with the Tigers—a two-Test home series against South Africa. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said that they have signed Simmons for six months—until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will take place in Pakistan in February.  Simmons was named as Bangladesh’s new coach after the BCB issued a suspension notice to the previous coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, for his alleged involvement in an assault of a national team player, as the BCB president Faruque Ahmed said.  BCB appoints Phil Simmons as Head Coach of Bangladesh National Cricket team After the South Africa series at home, Bangladesh will play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE. Then, they will travel to the West Indies for a full series consisting of Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.  Meanwhile, the South Africa cricket team also arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday morning. The first Test of the two-match series will begin on October 21 in Dhaka, while the second Test will be played in Chattogram from October 29th. 

Bangladesh lost the toss and were sent in to bowl first in the third and final T20I of their three-match series against India, which was also the farewell of Mahmudullah Riyad’s from the format. With the series already lost after defeats in the first two games, Bangladesh heads into this match hoping to end on a high note. Mahmudullah waves goodbye to T20Is The team made two changes to their lineup from the previous match. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker Ali were rested, allowing Tanzid Hasan and Mahedi Hasan to step in. Ahead of the game, the Bangladesh team presented Mahmudullah with a commemorative crest, thanking him for his years of service to the national team. 3rd T20I: Bangladesh take on India Saturday, aiming for consolation win Mahmudullah, who debuted in T20Is back in 2007 in Kenya, will be playing his 141st match in the format today.

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, a regular face in the commentary box during the ongoing India-Bangladesh series, expressed concerns that infrastructural shortcomings are hindering the development of Bangladesh cricket. Tamim gave an interview to the Indian sports magazine, Sportstar, where he candidly discussed his retirement, potential return to international cricket, his relationship with Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh's continued struggles in Test matches, and the factors impeding the cricketing progress of Bangladesh. In the extensive interview, Tamim also addressed the possibility of a Bangladeshi coach leading the national team. The former captain, who has scored over 15,000 runs and 25 centuries in international cricket, said that the lack of adequate facilities in Dhaka is a big factor to the slow development of Bangladesh cricket. “I made my debut in 2006-2007, and as we speak in 2024, not a single new training facility has been developed in Dhaka over the past 17 years,” Tamim said while discussing the areas Bangladesh cricket needs to focus on for growth. “Some aspects in Bangladesh are fine, but most need to change.” Tamim was critical of the board's financial management. The previous board president, Nazmul Hasan, often boasted about the board having hundreds of crores of taka in the bank to indicate the financial strength of the board. However, Tamim believes that instead of accumulating money in bank accounts, the board should invest it in developing infrastructure. “The funniest thing is that when the BCB claims to have Rs 1200 crore in its bank account, it feels like a slap in the face,” Tamim said. “There shouldn’t be 1200 crore sitting idle; there should be 200 crore in the account, and the remaining 1000 should be invested in developing infrastructure.” He added that corporate entities typically reinvest their earnings to facilitate growth, something the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) fails to do. The left-handed batter also questioned the absence of another facility in Dhaka comparable to the one in Mirpur and advocated for the need for good quality pitches across the country. “You definitely need a facility like Mirpur, and while I’m okay with playing to your strengths on certain pitches, it’s crucial to produce quality wickets at the domestic level as well,” he said. “This way, you can test your cricketers and prepare them for the international stage.” Regarding his potential return to international cricket, Tamim said that there needs to be a clear path and purpose for him to consider it. He neither explicitly ruled out a return nor definitively confirmed it. On his relationship with Shakib, Tamim remained somewhat vague and did not explicitly state what transpired between them to cause their relationship to deteriorate. Furthermore, one of Bangladesh's all-time best batters expressed his belief that Bangladesh currently lacks someone capable of being the head coach of the national team. He suggested that the board should recruit coaching staff for the national team at a 30:70 ratio, with 30% being foreign coaches in top positions and the remaining 70% being local officials, allowing them to develop for a better future. Tags: BCB, Bangladesh cricket, Tigers, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh are set to face India in the first T20I of the three-match series in Gwalior on Sunday evening. Bangladeshi fans will be keeping a close eye on two players—Towhid Hridoy and Rishad Hossain—wondering which of them could be the Tigers' X factor. Both Towhid and Rishad have proven themselves as integral parts of Bangladesh’s T20 squad. Towhid has drawn attention with his big-hitting abilities, while Rishad has impressed with his leg-spin and his knack for clearing the boundary at crucial moments. Before this series, Bangladesh faced India in 14 T20Is, with only one victory. But this time, the Tigers are bringing more experience than the Indian squad, as India have rested some key players. Who will replace Shakib in T20Is for Bangladesh? This Indian side has collectively played fewer than 400 T20Is, whereas the Bangladesh team has collectively played more than 600, which places Bangladesh in the rare position of being a more experienced side than India, who have always been considered a big team for Bangladesh.  However, this difference in experience may have little impact, as the Indian players possess a broader diversity of skills, which the Bangladesh team lacks. If Bangladesh are to improve their T20I record against India, Towhid and Rishad will need to perform well. Towhid has played 29 T20Is so far, amassing 600 runs at a strike rate of over 130. Rishad, with 24 T20Is under his belt, has taken 29 wickets, including 10 in the recent T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, where he was among the tournament’s top bowlers. Bangladesh will certainly miss the services of Shakib Al Hasan, who recently announced his retirement from the format. To fill the void, Bangladesh has included Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the squad. Najmul eyes India series to begin preparations for next T20 World Cup Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed confidence that Mehidy could step up and help fill the gap left by Shakib. The match will begin at 7:30 pm(Bangladesh time) in Gwalior. This city is hosting an international match for the first time in over a decade, and the venue, Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, will be hosting its first-ever international match.

The Bangladesh team is set to begin their T20I campaign on October 6 without the services of long-time stalwart Shakib Al Hasan. The former Bangladesh captain recently announced his retirement from the format, leaving the team with a pressing question: who will replace Shakib in the T20I format? It was expected that Shakib would play in the three-match T20I series against India following the two-match Test series. However, ahead of the second Test in Kanpur, Shakib surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from both Test and T20I formats, making him unavailable for the T20I series. Mashrafe sued over hostile takeover of shares in BPL franchise In response, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) included Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the squad. But the question remains: will Mehidy truly replace Shakib in this format? Shakib played 129 T20Is, amassing over 2,500 runs and taking 149 wickets. In contrast, Mehidy has played just 25 T20Is, scoring 248 runs and claiming 14 wickets. These stats clearly demonstrate that Shakib has been an irreplaceable figure in Bangladesh’s T20 setup. While Mehidy is a spinning all-rounder like Shakib, he cannot yet replicate what Shakib brings to the table. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed hope that Mehidy can rise to the challenge left by Shakib. However, he stopped short of calling Mehidy a direct replacement. “It will be a bit difficult to adjust now. There will be some challenges in forming the playing eleven,” Najmul said. “Shakib used to provide balance on both fronts—batting and bowling. We have brought Mehidy into the team, and I hope he will quickly adapt to that role.” Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging that finding a like-for-like replacement for Shakib would be difficult. Authorities unable to provide Shakib 'guarantee of safety' from public anger After the Kanpur Test, which Bangladesh surprisingly lost in just over two days, Hathurusingha expressed his shock at Shakib’s sudden retirement announcement. In T20Is, Bangladesh has struggled to perform consistently, but Shakib was a steady presence, which earned him spots in various private leagues worldwide. While Bangladesh may find someone capable of performing well in the format, Shakib’s absence will undoubtedly haunt the team for some time.

Bangladesh has had a disappointing year in 2023 in terms of ODI cricket. Due to injuries and other issues, and the absence of a few senior and experienced cricketers, the performance of  the Bangladesh cricket team showed evidence of a lagging behind.   Despite the below average  performance this year, Bangladesh cricket team has seen the rise of many young cricketers, showing their capabilities to be a part of the national team and ready to fill in the big steps that were missing on the current team. This is an analysis of the Bangladesh ODI cricket in the year 2023.   2023 ODIs by Bangladesh Men’s National Cricket Team  Bangladesh played 18 ODI’s in total in 2023, losing the majority of the matches, including the World Cup and Asia Cup which was a disaster.  Bangladesh managed to get some victories, winning the last ODI to end the year on a positive note. Bangladesh played 6 ODI series, 4 at home, 2 away, also the two big events Asia and World Cup ( 50-over format).   Read more: Uncertainty Looms Over Tamim's International Return and Central Contract Performance Of Bangladesh Men’s ODI Squad in 2023 The men’s cricket team did not have many achievements in ODI cricket this year. Bangladesh failed to create any big impact even after playing two major tournaments that happened this year. Let us have a look at the ODI performance of Bangladesh overall, in the year 2023. Bangladesh Vs England (3-match ODI Series at home) Bangladesh started their ODI campaign on 1st to 6th of March with the series between England.  England won the series by a margin of (2-1). The remarkable performance of David Malan, scoring an unbeaten 114 runs off 145 balls, secured the win after a tentative run chase in the first ODI which was held at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. In the 2nd ODI also played in Mirpur, England showed a dominant performance  where Jason Roy scored his 12th century, putting up a huge score of 326, eventually winning the match by 132 runs. Adil Rashid, picked up 4 wickets in that match 8 wickets overall, getting the player of the series award.  Bangladesh didn't show much in the first two ODI’s, Nazmul Hossain scored a fifty and Taijul Islam picked up 3 wickets in the 1st and Shakib Al Hasan got a fifty and Taskin Ahmed picked up 3 wickets in the 2nd.   All-round performance of Shakib Al Hasan scoring a match winning 75 and taking 8 wickets, Bangladesh managed to win the last ODI at the Zahur Ahmed Cricket Stadium, Chattogram. Read more: Preview of BAN Vs NZ T20I Series 2023: Fixtures, Schedule, Key Players, Team Bangladesh Vs Ireland (3-match ODI Series at Home) Shortly after the England series, Ireland visited Bangladesh to play a 3 match ODI series, between 18th to 23rd March. The matches were played in Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet. Bangladesh won the first match, after Shakib and Tawhid Hridoy both scored 90 plus runs, putting a huge score of 338 runs which was the highest team total that time, now the second highest. Tawhid Hridoy was the man of the match. The second ODI was a washout, after Bangladesh scored 349, highest team total. Mushfiq scored a century in 60 balls, the fastest century by a Bangladeshi batter. The third ODI, was a one sided game, thanks to the maiden 5 wickets for Hasan Mahmud, which led Ireland to score 101 after getting all out. Tamim and Liton put on a century partnership, winning the series (2-0).  Read more: Chennai Super Kings secure Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2024 Bangladesh Vs Ireland (3 match ODI Series, Away) The series was away from home in England from 9th to 14th of May. First ODI, a wash out game,  Bangladesh put on 246 runs, Mushfiq scored 61 runs and Nazmul Hossain Shanto scored 44 runs.  Ireland was in a tough spot, losing 3 wickets after scoring just 65 runs, after rain interrupted the match, making the pitch too damp to play any further.  The second ODI Bangladesh won the match with 3 balls to spare, chasing a total of 320 runs. Harry Tector scored 140 runs, but not good enough.  Nazmul Hossain Shanto scored 117 runs off 93 balls, Tawhid Hridoy scored 68 runs, helping the team to get close to the target. Also, Mushfiqur Rahim kept his calm and guided the team to the win.  Bangladesh won the last one, a thriller, securing a win of 5 runs, Bangladesh scored 274 after getting all out. Tamim scored 69, highest scorer in the match.  Mustafizur bagged 4 wickets and the match came to the last over for an exciting conclusion. Hasan Mahmud bowled the last over, defending 9 runs, taking 2 wickets and only giving 4 runs.    Read more: Triumphant U-19 boys eager to keep shining Bangladesh Vs Afghanistan (3 match ODI Series at Home) ODI cricket was back in Bangladesh, facing Afghanistan for a 3 match series, starting from 5th to 11th July.   Afghanistan won the match by 17 runs (DLS Method) ,after Farooqi put on the early breaks, picking up 3 wickets, restricting Bangladesh to score only 169 in 43 overs.  After reducing the match to 43 over, rain  interrupted again, and at the end Afghanistan won the match as DLS method applied for the 21.4 over where the target was 67 runs, but Afghanistan scored 83 runs. Second Match, Both Gurbaz and Ibrahim scored centuries, putting a target of 332 runs. Bangladesh were all out on 189, Mushfiqur scored 69 runs. Last match, Bangladesh overcame a 7 wicket win, after Afghanistan fell for just 126 runs. Shoriful took 4 wickets, Litton scored a fifty, ending the series with (2-1) defeat against Afghanistan. Read more: Shakib to continue as Bangladesh Captain, BCB confirms Asia Cup 2023 (50-Over Format) Asia Cup, was played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, from 31st August to September 17. Bangladesh played their first group stage against Sri Lanka, losing the match by 5 wickets, Shanto scored 89 runs. In the second group stage match, Miraz and Shanto  both scored centuries, winning the match by 89 runs and qualifying for the Super 4s. First match in the Super 4s which happened in Lahore, Bangladesh lost the match, by 7 wickets, after Bangladesh managed to put only 193 runs on the board.  Second match, which happened in Colombo, lost the match after a close match against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh were unable to score 258 runs, bowled out for only 236 runs Tawhid Hridoys’s scored a valiant 82 runs. Last match, in Colombo, Bangladesh won against India, defending a score of 266 runs, eventually won by 6 runs. Shakib was declared man of the match as he scored 80 runs and took 1 wicket. Read more: Bangladesh creates history with maiden ODI win in New Zealand Bangladesh Vs New Zealand (3 Match ODI Series At Home) Before the world cup, Bangladesh played a bilateral ODI series against New Zealand, starting from 21st to 26th of September, all the matches were played in Mirpur. The First Match was canceled due to rain. Second match, New Zealand won the match by 86 runs, scoring  254, then eventually, bowled the opposition for just 168.  Mahmudullah scored 49 runs, after Khaled and Mahedi took 3 wickets each. Ish Sodhi was man of the match, scoring 35 runs and taking 6 wickets. Last ODI, Bangladesh lost the match and series by 7 wickets, after scoring only 171 runs. Shanto scored 76 runs, whereas Adam Milne took 4 wickets to wrap up the series for the Kiwis. Read more: New Zealand tour of Bangladesh in 2023-2024: Schedules, Fixtures, Team ICC World Cup 2023 (50-Over Format) The most exciting and the most valued tournament of cricket, happened in 5th of October to 19th of November in India.  This world cup was the worst for Bangladesh since the 2003 world cup, winning only two matches out of 9 matches. Bangladesh lost 7 matches with big margins, even losing to Netherlands by 87 runs, who is not even a Test playing nation. After the first match win against Afghanistan by 6 wickets, Bangladesh was desperate to get a win, eventually got the win against Sri-Lanka, ended in a high drama match in Delhi. Mahmudullah was the only top scorer for Bangladesh, scoring a respectable 328 runs from 8 matches.  The end result was very poor as the fans didn't expect the team to perform so badly. Read more: Bangladesh's Overall Performance Analysis in the ICC World Cup 2023 Bangladesh Vs New Zealand (3 Match ODI Series Away)  After a disappointing World Cup,Bangladesh played 3 One Day Internationals, in New Zealand from 17th to 23rd of December.  First match was interrupted by rain, which turned into a 30 over match. New Zealand Scored 239, and set a target of 245 due DLS method. Will Young scored a century. Bangladesh managed only 200 runs, losing by 44 runs. In the second match, Bangladesh scored 291 runs, where Soumya Sarker broke record scoring 169 off 151 balls. But his efforts were in vain as New Zealand chased down the target comfortably, winning by 7 wickets and 22 balls to spare. In the third match, Bangladesh clinched a memorable win, first ever ODI victory against New Zealand in New Zealand, even though losing the series (2-1). New Zealand all out for 98 runs, where Tanzim,Soumya and Shoriful took 3 wickets each. Read more: Overview Of BAN VS NZ ODI Series 2023: Post World Cup Matches Successful Bangladeshi Cricketers in the 2023 Men’s ODI matches Table: Top three most successful batsman for Bangladesh in 2023 (ODI Format)                            Player Innings Runs HS Avg 100s Nazmul Hossain Shanto 26 992 117 41.33 02 Mushfiqur Rahim 26 846 100*  36.78 01 Shakib Al Hasan 22 735 93 35 00 . Table: Top three most successful bowlers for Bangladesh in 2023 (ODI Format) Player Innings Wickets BBI Avg 5W Shoriful Islam 19 32 4/21 24.87 00 Taskin Ahmed  17 26  4/44 25.34 00 Shakib Al Hasan  20 23  4/35 35.47 00 Bottom Line So far, we have reviewed the Bangladesh men’s national cricket team’s performance for 2023. It is clear that 2023 cannot be tagged as a successful year for Bangladesh cricket. Inconsistency and lack of proper planning was the main reason for the failure.  This year a lot of newcomers were given opportunities to show their potential. Many of them showed their talent which is a good sign, since senior players may not play for long and have to rely heavily on the new players to deliver goods. Hopefully, Bangladesh will learn from their mistakes and overcome the shortcoming in 2024. Read more: Two sports organisers Mahbub Ara Gini, Noman Al Mahmud withdraw their candidature from national election

In Khulna’s Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, echoes of the last international cricket match have faded, leaving local sports fans yearning. Despite its revered status as a Test venue and a host of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium stands ensnared in neglect. Read: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh to play much stronger Australia in Melbourne on Thursday  The once-vibrant stadium has steadily deteriorated. With approximately 10,000 gallery seats, over half are now in ruins due to negligence. The media box, electronic scoreboard, pavilion building, and side screen are all nearly non-functional. While a domestic league took place last year, this year, the stadium remained dormant with Mustafizur Rahman Russell, the venue in-charge, emphasizing routine maintenance efforts such as mowing the field, planting grass, and maintaining the pitch. Khulna's significant contribution to the Bangladesh national cricket team, boasting cricketers like Habibul Bashar, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, and others from the Khulna Division, only highlights the glaring absence of international matches at the home ground of these stars. Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, situated in Muzgunni area next to Khulna-Jashore road, was inaugurated in 2004. The stadium's official journey began with several ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup matches held that year. Starting with a capacity of 15,000 spectators in 2004, it was expanded to 20,000 in 2012. The last Test match was played in 2015 against Pakistan. Read: ICC World Cup 2023 Semifinal: Preview of South Africa vs Australia ODI  The stadium, once referred to as the "Lucky Venue" for hosting victorious matches, witnessed its last international cricket in 2016. Damaged in the cyclone of April 5, 2016, the stadium has seen no renovation in the seven years since, exacerbating its decline. Mahian Shikder Arin, a 10th-grader, expressed the disappointment of a generation who, having attended a match in 2016, now longs to witness international cricket at the stadium. Mahbubur Rahman Sifat, former captain of Khulna's under-18 cricket team, highlighted the absence of international matches since 2016 impacting the local cricket scene and its players' contributions to the national team. Nazmus Sadat Sumon, president of Khulna's cricket organization Kapilmuni Krira Shikkha Prothishthan, expressed concerns over the waning interest in cricket due to the prolonged absence of international matches at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium. Mustafizur Rahman Russell, the venue in-charge, acknowledged the gradual deterioration of media centers due to non-use. He assured that fieldwork would commence soon, with project engineers preparing a budget. While the tender process is underway, the restoration remains a work in progress. Read: ICC World Cup 2023: Kohli hits record-shattering 50th ODI century surpassing Tendulkar SM Mortaza Rashidi Dara, general secretary of Khulna Divisional Sports Association, acknowledged the stadium's current status and emphasized its use for various matches despite the absence of international games. Tenders for gallery renovation are pending approval, delayed by the pandemic and other factors. Advocate Md. Babul Howladar, member secretary of Khulna Citizen Society, called attention to the neglect of Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, a ground that produced many star cricketers. He urged immediate renovation and the resumption of international matches to revive Khulna's cricketing spirit.  Several cricket enthusiasts also advocated for hosting the BPL in Khulna, citing the city's newly established hotels. With the recent inauguration of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, the travel time to Khulna has significantly decreased to only 3 to 3.5 hours from the capital city of Dhaka. This improvement offers fans a more convenient and efficient journey to Khulna for the BPL matches.