Ireland
ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup: Bangladesh to play Ireland on Monday
Former champions Bangladesh will play their 2nd Group A match of the 16-team ICC U-19 Men's Cricket World Cup'24 against Ireland on Monday (January 22) at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Bangladesh, the champions of 2020, made a frustrating start in the global Youth Cricket, losing to defending champions India by a huge 84-run in their first match at Bloemfontein in South Africa Saturday night despite a five-wicket by pacer Maruf Mridha.
ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup: Bangladesh suffer a huge 84- run defeat against holders India
In another Group A match on Saturday, Ireland made a good start beating Unites States by seven wickets at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
However, left-arm spinner cum captain Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, who led the Bangladesh team to win the first-ever U-19 Asia Cup crown very recently, will lead the Bangladesh team against Ireland on Monday to revive their proud and glory.
BPL 2024: Nahid, Faheeim shine as Khulna Tigers Beat Chattogram Challengers
After the first round matches, Ireland and India dominated the four-team Group A securing two points each with a run rate of +2.674 and +1.680 respectively.
Bangladesh remained at the 3rd slot in the group by virtue of a run rate (-1.680) while United States remained at the bottom with a run rate (2.680), without earning any point.
Shakib Heads to Singapore for Eye Treatment, Further BPL Participation in Jeopardy
In the remaining Group A match, Bangladesh will play United States on January 26, also at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
10 months ago
Parents in Irish town unite in banning smartphones for children
In a stunning show of unity, parents in a town in Ireland have banded together to jointly adopt a no-smartphone code for their children until secondary school.
Parents’ associations across the Irish town of Greystones have adopted the no-smartphone code for their children, the Guardian reports.
“If everyone does it across the board, you don’t feel like you’re the odd one out. It makes it so much easier to say no,” said Laura Bourne, one of the parents. “The longer we can preserve their innocence, the better.”
Read more: How to Break Internet Addiction?
Last month, schools and parents in the town of Greystones in Ireland took the initiative out of concern that smartphones were fueling anxiety and exposing children to adult content. It is a rare occasion for an entire town to take action together on such an issue, the Guardian reports.
The voluntary “Greystones Pact” is to withhold smartphones from children – at home, in school, everywhere – until they enter secondary school. Applying it to all children in the area will, it is hoped, curb peer pressure and dampen any resentment.
“Childhoods are getting shorter and shorter,” Rachel Harper, the principal of St Patrick’s School who led the initiative, told the Guardian. Nine-year-olds had started requesting smartphones, she said.
Read more: How to keep your child engaged at home without gadgets
“It was creeping in younger and younger, we could see it happening.”
A town-wide policy reduces the chance of a child having a peer with a smartphone and parents can present the code as a school rule, said Harper. “They love it – now they can blame the schools.”
The initiative has garnered interest from parent associations in Ireland and internationally, prompting Ireland's health minister, Stephen Donnelly, to recommend it as a national policy.
Read more: Effects of Excessive Use of Smartphones
“Ireland can be, and must be, a world leader in ensuring that children and young people are not targeted and are not harmed by their interactions with the digital world,” he wrote in the Irish Times. “We must make it easier for parents to limit the content their children are exposed to.”
The “Greystones Pact” stemmed from children showing anxiety levels only partly attributable to Covid-era adaptation, Harper told the Guardian.
Schools circulated questionnaires among parents, leading to a meeting of community stakeholders and an initiative dubbed “it takes a village”.
Read more: How to entertain an unwell child without screen time
Not all parents will deny their primary schoolchildren a smartphone – the code is voluntary – but enough have signed up to create a sense of critical mass, said Harper. “Hopefully down the line it’ll become the new norm,” she told the Guardian.
1 year ago
Tigers dismissed for 274 as Ireland battle to tie series in 3rd ODI
Tamim Iqbal scored 69 runs and Mushfiqur Rahim contributed 45 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 274 in 48.5 overs in the third ODI of the three-match series against Ireland on Sunday.
Although Bangladesh looked set to reach 300, some quick wickets— five wickets in 13 runs— toward the end of the innings prevented them from achieving their target. Bangladesh’s biggest partnership came on the sixth wicket when Mushfiqur and Mehdiy Hasan Miraz added 72 runs on the board.
Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl first at County Ground, Chelmsford. Bangladesh began their innings well, with opener Tamim leading from the front. He scored a fifty after nine innings. However, he fell for 69 runs off 82 balls with 8 fours and a six, caught by Craig Young off the bowling of George Dockrell.
Debutant Rony Talukdar was the first wicket to fall for Bangladesh, dismissed by Tucker for 4 runs. Najmul Hossain Shanto scored a useful 35 runs off 32 balls, but was caught by Balbirnie off the bowling of Craig Young. The middle-order batsmen Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy also contributed with scores of 35 and 13 runs respectively, but both were dismissed by Mark Adair. Litton looked set to build a big innings, but he failed to carry on.
Mushfiqur scored 45 runs off 54 balls but was eventually dismissed lbw by Andy McBrine. The onus was on him to accelerate the scoring rate towards the end of the innings, but he was given out lbw after a review went against him. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played an important role, scoring 37 runs off 39 balls before being caught by Craig Young off the bowling of Mark Adair.
Mrittunjoy Chowdhury played a crucial cameo towards the end of the innings, scoring an unbeaten 10 runs off just 8 balls, helping Bangladesh reach a total of 274 runs.
Mark Adair was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland, finishing with figures of 4 for 40 in his 8.4 overs. Andy McBrine and George Dockrell also bagged two wickets each for Ireland.
Bangladesh won the second ODI by chasing down a total of more than 300 runs, with Shanto scoring his maiden ODI century, while the first match was washed out due to rain. A victory in this match would secure the series for the Tigers.
1 year ago
Preview of IRE vs BAN 2nd ODI 2023 at Chelmsford
Bangladesh and Ireland are set to face off in the second one-day international at Chelmsford on May 12 at 3:45 PM BD time. Unfortunately, the first ODI between these two teams was abandoned due to rain. As a result, South Africa has secured a direct qualification for the World Cup, benefiting from the outcome. Despite their efforts, even if Ireland manages to win the remaining matches in the series, they will not secure a direct spot in the World Cup. However, that does not mean that they will show an ignorant attitude for the next two matches. Let's see what to expect in the 2023 IRE vs BAN second ODI.
Ireland vs Bangladesh 1st ODI Result
Bangladesh has been accompanied by rain since going to England, and the first ODI was the same too. Bangladesh team wanted to celebrate Mushfiqur Rahim's birthday with a win. But the rain did not allow that wish to be fulfilled.
Last Tuesday (May 9) in Chelmsford, England, Bangladesh lost the toss and went into bat and scored 246 runs for 9 wickets. In reply, Ireland did not get a chance to score more than 65 runs for 3 wickets in 16.3 overs due to rain. Later, the match was declared abandoned as the game was not played on the field.
Read More: Bangladesh-Ireland ODI series starts with a washout
Ireland's openers Stephen Doheny and Paul Stirling got off to bat with a target of 247 runs. However, Stalling was caught by Shariful after 22 runs. After Stirling's departure, Balbirnie quickly returned. The right-handed batsman was bowled in the in-swing by Hasan Mahmud after the team scored 27 runs.
The Irish team found themselves in a tight spot as they lost a couple of early wickets, increasing the pressure on them. Subsequently, spinner Taijul Islam claimed the dismissal of Doheny. Shariful and Hassan started to hold down the Irish after getting a quick wicket. But then the rain hit.
Earlier, Bangladesh lost the toss and went into batting, lost 9 wickets, and collected 246 runs on the scorecard. Mushfiqur scored the highest 61 runs for Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh did not start well in batting. In the opening over, Josh Little came into the attack. A Yorker in the off stump on the fourth delivery of his over hit Litton's pads straight and it was an out. Litton had to return without scoring after playing just one ball. Further, Tamim Iqbal could last long. He scored 14 runs from 19 balls.
Read More: BAN v IRE 1st ODI: Tigers restricted to modest total batting first
Despite Bangladesh having a chance to regain momentum during the middle overs, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, and Shanto failed to capitalize on their promising starts and convert them into substantial innings. Shakib Al Hasan, known for his reliability, fell victim to Hume's bowling when he attempted a reckless shot. Shanto seemed to be in excellent form, but unfortunately, he mistimed a delivery from Curtis Campher, resulting in a straightforward catch for Mark Adair.
Then Mushfiqur Rahim came to bat. On his 36th birthday, Mushfiqur Rahim showcased his skills in front of a passionate crowd of over 3000 predominantly Bangladeshi fans. He notched up a well-deserved half-century for his team. Alongside him, Najmul Hossain Shanto contributed with a commendable 44 runs.
Despite their efforts, Bangladesh couldn't collect a challenging total on the scoreboard. The foundation of Bangladesh's innings was built upon Mushfiqur Rahim's fifty, with Shanto playing a supportive role in the process.
Read More: Despite cricket-mad nation, broadcasters fail to secure Ireland tour rights
IRE vs BAN 2nd ODI Preview
In the first match, Bangladesh couldn't collect a big score. That's why the primary goal of the Tamim Iqbal-led team was to prevent Ireland from building a strong base. Both the pacers of the Tigers bowled well in the beginning, using the advantage of the wicket for that purpose.
So, the Tigers will need to follow this approach in the next match even if they collect a big score. Further, both teams will need to focus on the field. The shape of the field at Chelmsford is also worth seeing, as one side is small, and the other side is big. Players will have to be tactical in such a field.
Bangladesh will also need to focus on how the team will be coordinated in this condition. However, with Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the team, Bangladesh does not have to think much about coordination as Miraz is now a pure batsman. He has Test and ODI centuries, and we can call him an all-rounder. So is Shakib. Hence, Bangladesh is very lucky that they can play an extra batsman or bowler if needed. That's a luxury for any team.
Read More: IRE vs BAN ODI Series 2023: Bangladesh Squad Analysis
On the other hand, Irish bowlers did very well in the first match. They will need to keep it up and put more pressure on Bangladeshi batters. However, they will need to focus on batting as they lost three wickets in the first 15 overs.
Probable Playing XI for Bangladesh Team
Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain.
Probable Playing XI for Ireland Team
Stephen Doheny, Paul Stirling, Batting Allrounder, Andy Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Josh Little.
Read More: Bangladesh cricket team departs for England tonight
Key Players to Watch
Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur has had a great form lately. While the established batsmen failed to play long innings in the last match, Mushfiqur Rahim took the lead. With his half-century, Bangladesh marked it. But when more runs were needed on the scoreboard, he was caught out while hitting Little. The last established batsman fell on his departure in the 45th over. Mushfiqur made 61 off 70 balls before departing. It had 6 fours. So, fans can expect that Mushi will play another great inning in the second match.
Josh Little
Josh Little is a star bowler for the Irish, and he proved that too. The left-handed pacer, who played in the IPL as Ireland's first cricketer, gave the team success in the first over with a great delivery and dismissed Litton Das by LBW with a superb yorker off the fourth ball. He took 3 wickets for 61 runs for the Irish, and he started getting great movement from the first ball. So, he might play a great role in stopping the Bangladeshi batters.
Final Words
The first one-day game held at the Chelmsford venue was abandoned without a clear indication of which team had the chance to win. However, we anticipate that the more experienced Bangladesh side will emerge victorious in the second ODI as the game is taking place at the same venue.
Read More: Bangladesh Tour of Ireland 2023: Venue, Schedule, Fixtures, Previous Records.
Nonetheless, the Irish team displayed an admirable performance in the first match, indicating that we can anticipate a close contest in the IRE vs. BAN 2nd ODI 2023.
1 year ago
Preview of IRE vs BAN 1st ODI 2023
The Bangladesh cricket team travelled to England early this month to participate in the ICC ODI Super League against Ireland. On May 9, the first match of the series between Bangladesh and Ireland will take place in Chelmsford. The match will start at 3:45 PM BDT time. It is an important series for Ireland as a 3-0 will help them direct entry to the ICC World Cup in India.
Although the Irish are easy opponents at home, it might be difficult for the Tigers to win in the English conditions. Unlike the series in Bangladesh in March, we may expect a competitive series in Chelmsford.
IRE vs BAN Preparation Match
Tamim Iqbal's team was scheduled to participate in the preparation match at Furners in Cambridge on May 5. However, the match was abandoned due to the rain. Even the toss couldn’t take place. The toss was scheduled to take place at 10:45 AM UK time but was not possible due to rain. After that, two hours passed like this. Later the rain stopped, but the match was declared abandoned due to a wet pitch.
Although the Bangladesh team travelled early to practise in England conditions, they could practise for only two days. Now Bangladesh will head to the first match without playing any warm-up match.
Read more: IRE vs BAN ODI Series 2023: Bangladesh Squad Analysis
Ireland vs Bangladesh 1st ODI Preview
Bangladesh last played in England in 2019. As a result, the Tigers will have to give a tough test on this wicket as they are not familiar with the current condition. Therefore, the preparation match would have been a great help for the Bangladesh team. But the Tigers are in good form, and it is expected that they will find an easy way to win the first ODI.
Furthermore, Bangladeshi players have been playing continuously from the beginning of the year. BPL, Dhaka Premier League, series against England and Ireland kept Bangladeshi players in continuous practice. So, there will not be any problem for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will have to take the challenge of the wicket if they want to win. The pitch conditions are completely different than in Bangladesh. If the game was played in June-July, it would have been an advantage for the Tigers as the wicket remains dry at that time. But now the weather is different, and the pitch condition will be a big challenge for Bangladesh as well as for Ireland.
Although this series is not so important for Bangladesh, it is a life-and-death battle for Ireland. Because if they beat Bangladesh by 3-0 in this series, the Irish will go directly to the World Cup with 30 points in the ICC ODI Super League. And if they fail to win 3-0, they will have to meet in Zimbabwe in June in the qualifiers.
Irish are more or less familiar with the England weather and pitch conditions. Therefore, they will plan accordingly to give a good fight to win the match as well as the series. However, the recent loss to Bangladesh last March may decrease their confidence. But, the Irish star bowler Joshua Little is joining the team, and this will surely boost the confidence.
Read More: Bangladesh Tour of Ireland 2023: Venue, Schedule, Fixtures, Previous Records
Probable Playing XI for Bangladesh Team
Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.
Probable Playing XI for Ireland Team
Andy Balbirnie (c), Stephen Doheny, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Josh Little.
1 year ago
IRE vs BAN ODI Series 2023: Bangladesh Squad Analysis
Bangladesh is going to play a three-match ODI series against Ireland in England next month. The series will start on May 9 at Chelmsford, and all three matches will take place at the same venue. However, the tour was scheduled for 2020, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, it is a part of the Super League, and winning the series by 3-0 may help Ireland play the ODI World Cup 2023 directly. While Ireland is yet to announce the team, Bangladesh has already announced the squad for the tour. Let’s analyze the squad and see the potentiality of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh ODI Squad Against Ireland
Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, and Mohammad Mrittunjoy Chowdhury.
Bangladesh Squad Analysis for IRE vs BAN ODI Series 2023
BCB has announced the Bangladesh squad for the ODI series against Ireland to be held in England next month. Although Bangladesh had a 14-member squad in the home series against Ireland last month, BCB announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming tour.
Left-handed pacer Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, who is waiting for his debut, has been called to the team. Pacer Taskin Ahmed is not on the team. Taskin was ruled out during the only Test against Ireland due to injury this month. At that time, he was supposed to be out of the field for about four weeks.
Read More: Dhaka League: Sheikh Jamal on top going into Super League.
Apart from Taskin, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed was also left out. They were included in the last Ireland series team. Besides Mrittunjoy, Shoriful Islam and Taijul Islam have come to the team. While Shoriful and Mrittunjoy were taken in place of Taskin, Taijul Islam returned to Nasum Ahmed’s place.
Mrittunjoy played for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi club last season in Dhaka Premier League. So far, in 7 matches, he took 9 wickets at 27.88 with the best bowling performance of 3 wickets for 31 runs. Although he was in the under-19 World Cup winning team in 2020, he had to return home early due to injury. Further, Mrittunjoy’s previous BPL performance was great, but the 21-year-old could not shine well in the last season.
On the other hand, Shoriful played the last ODI in August 2022. He also returned to Tests after the T20 team with the series against Ireland. The left-handed pacer who played 14 matches in this edition returned to ODIs as well.
The presence of Mustafizur Rahman, along with Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das, in the Ireland series is also noteworthy. As Shakib was in the IPL, there was a discussion about whether he will play in this series or not. However, Shakib has removed himself from this IPL season. Litton is staying for Kolkata Knight Riders till this series. Mustafiz, who is in the IPL, will also have to leave Delhi Capitals.
Read More: Bangladesh Tour of Ireland 2023: Venue, Schedule, Fixtures, Previous Records
Yasir Ali, who scored 17 and 7 runs in 2 matches against the Irish in the home series, has retained his place in the team. Rony Talukdar, who is waiting for his debut, has also been retained. But he should be thought of mainly as a backup opener.
As England’s pitch will be challenging, team selector Minhajul Abedin and team management have considered different factors before the announcement. And they also wanted to test some players before the Asia Cup, which will help selectors to create the team for the World Cup.
Bangladesh Players to Watch
Since Bangladesh just played with Ireland, the most recent performers will surely get attention in the upcoming tour.
Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur’s overall performance against the last Ireland series was incredible. To speak about the ODI performance, he scored 144 runs in two innings with a record-breaking century. In the second ODI match, Mushfiqur broke Shakib’s 14-year record by scoring a century off only 60 balls. He secured his ninth century on the last ball of the innings, collecting a total of 100 runs with 14 fours and 2 sixes. So, fans will surely be looking forward to his performance.
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Towhid Hridoy
Towhid scored 141 runs in two innings. During his ODI debut, Towhid Hridoy set a new record for the highest run scored by a Bangladeshi player. Despite having a good chance to become the first player to achieve a century in fifth down, Hridoy fell short of the world record by just 8 runs. However, this broke the record previously held by Nasir Hossain, who had scored 63 runs during his debut match for Bangladesh, and Hridoy accomplished this feat after 12 years.
Ebadot Hossain
Ebadot was one of the top wicket-takers in the last series. He took 6 wickets in total. In the first ODI match, Ebadot Hossain displayed an impressive bowling performance. In his 6.5 overs, he took 4 wickets while giving 42 runs with no maiden overs. His economy rate of 6.14 was quite impressive, considering the fact that he was constantly putting pressure on the Irish batsmen with his line and length. So, it is evident that he understood the Irish batsmen’s playing style, and we may see some incredible performances from Ebadot again.
Final Words
Bangladesh is going to the UK to play Ireland with a full-strength team. Overall, there are five pacers in the 15-member team. Hence, Bangladesh will try to keep pressure on the Irish using the pacers. So, the IRE vs BAN ODI series 2023 will be a thrilling encounter between the two teams. Although Bangladesh emerged as a winner on the home ground, the Tigers may need to change their tactic in England. We may see some standout individual performances from Bangladeshi players.
Read More: Shakib Al Hasan named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March 2023.
1 year ago
Bangladesh Tour of Ireland 2023: Venue, Schedule, Fixtures, Previous Records
Bangladesh is going through a busy schedule in international cricket this year. The tour to Ireland in May is the last series of the ODI Super League cycle. The tour was supposed to take place in 2020. However, it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic situation. Bangladesh will fly to play the ODI away series against Ireland in the upcoming May month. However, the Irish will host the series against Bangladesh at Chelmsford of England, instead of hosting in their own field. Let’s explore some details of Ireland vs Bangladesh ODI series 2023.
Bangladesh Tour of Ireland 2023 Schedule
The first ODI will be held on May 9 at Chelmsford. The second ODI might be a day-night match on May 12 at the same venue. The third and final match, scheduled on May 14 will again be played in daylight.
The Bangladesh team will also play a warm-up match against Ireland in Cambridge on May 5 before the three-match ODI series.
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Table: Schedule, and venue of IRE vs BAN ODI series 2023
Matches
Date
Time (Bangladesh Time)
Venue
Warm-up Match
May 5, 2023
4:45 pm
Cambridge
1st One Day
May 9, 2023
4:45 pm
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
2nd One Day
May 12, 2023
4:45 pm
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
3rd One Day
May 14, 2023
4:45 pm
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Why does Ireland Choose England as A Venue to Host Bangladesh?
This series against Bangladesh is very important for Ireland for the 2023 World Cup. If the Ireland cricket team can beat Bangladesh by 3-0, then they will get a chance to play the ODI World Cup 2023 directly. Otherwise, they will have to win the qualifier against Zimbabwe to participate in the World Cup.
And since it’s the rainy season in Ireland, they don’t want the weather to interrupt the game. According to the Cricinfo report, there is a high risk of rain in Ireland in May, and the “English Summer” has been renowned for rainless seasons for ages. That’s why Ireland wants to play in England so that no games get spoiled due to rain. Besides, the Ireland team may believe that matches played in England are more likely to get good results for them.
Read More: Shakib Al Hasan named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March 2023
Ireland is in the 11th position in the Super League with 68 points from 21 matches. Sri Lanka is 10th with 81 points in 24 matches, South Africa is 9th with 98 points in 21 matches, and West Indies is eighth with 88 points in 24 matches. However, West Indies have no more matches left in the Super League.
South Africa had 79 points at the end of the England series recently. But in the last ODI, they deducted a point due to their slow-over rate. It opens the door to new possibilities for Ireland.
According to the calculation, if Ireland beats Bangladesh 3-0, they will also have 98 points. Then the team that will be ahead in run rate will get the opportunity to play the World Cup directly. Currently, South Africa (-0.077) is ahead of Ireland (-0.382) in run rate. So, Ireland will surely try their best to fulfill their plan.
Read More: Mushfiqur, Shakib see Improvements in ICC Rankings
Ireland vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Records in ODI
After finishing the recent ODI series, Bangladesh and Ireland faced 14 times in total. So far, Bangladesh has won 9 matches, and Ireland has won two matches. Ireland’s last win was in 2010, while Bangladesh’s last win was last month in Sylhet. Out of these 14 matches, two matches had no results.
So, in terms of head-to-head record in ODIs, Bangladesh has a dominant 9-2 lead against Ireland. However, Ireland emerged victorious in their first-ever encounter during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
Final Words
The upcoming Bangladesh tour of Ireland will be a very important series for Ireland as a 3-0 win may lead them to play the World Cup 2023 directly. The Bangladeshis living in the UK will get a chance to watch Bangladesh’s match live on the field after a long time. Since 2010, Bangladesh has not played any cricket matches in England except for ICC tournaments.
Read More: Mrittunjoy earns call-up as BCB announces ODI squad for Ireland ODIs
1 year ago
Dhaka Test: Ireland win toss, opt for batting first
Ireland won the toss and chose to bat first in their first-ever Test match against Bangladesh.
Prior to this game, Ireland had played three Tests, losing all of them.
This match features six Test debutants: Murray Commins, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker, Graham Hume, and Ben White. In addition, Peter Moor, with eight Tests for Zimbabwe, will make his first appearance for Ireland. It will also be White's first-ever first-class match.
While Ireland is a relatively inexperienced team in Tests, Bangladesh has opted for an experienced squad. In the absence of Taskin Ahmed, they have included Shoriful Islam in their playing XI.
Yesterday, it was unclear if Tamim Iqbal would play, but he has been included in the playing XI for Bangladesh.
Also read: Taskin ruled out, Tamim uncertain as Tigers set to take on Ireland in one-off Test
Bangladesh XI: Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain
Ireland XI: Murray Commins, James McCollum, Andy Balbirnie, Harry Tector, PJ Moor, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Graham Hume, Ben White
1 year ago
BAN vs IRE 2023 Test Preview: Analysis of Bangladesh Squad
After so many calculations, BCB announced a 14-man squad on Saturday for the only Test against Ireland. Though Shakib and Litton have been expecting to attend the IPL, they are selected as captain and vice-captain. Bangladesh vs Ireland test match will take place from April 4 to April 9 at Dhaka. Let’s take a look at the preview Bangladesh vs Ireland Test 2023.
Analysis of Bangladesh Test Squad Against Ireland
Ireland has played only three Tests since receiving Test status. The last match was almost three and a half years ago. Against teams that lag behind in strength and experience, there is an opportunity to experiment. There is also the matter of seeing someone playing outside the regular eleven. But Bangladesh Cricket Board is not walking that way as they have announced a squad with top players, including Shakib and Litton. According to selector Abdur Razzak, they want to get a big win against a small opponent. And that is why Bangladesh will play with full strength.
However, there are some changes in the Bangladesh squad. Yasir Ali Rabbi, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Nasum Ahmed, and Rejaur Rahman Raja have been dropped from the team that played against India. Also, Zakir Hasan, who scored a century in the Test debut, is out due to injury. Zakir's injury opened the luck for Sadman Islam. The left-handed opener returned to the national team after a year.
Read More: Analysis of BAN vs IRE T20i Series 2023: Best Performances, Records, Achievements
On the other hand, regular opener Tamim Iqbal, who could not play in the India vs Bangladesh series due to injury, has returned to the Test team. Pacers Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam also returned to the team. Shoriful and Ebadat were not in the India series due to injuries. Both returned to the squad for the Ireland Test. Rejaur and Nasum, who are waiting for their Test debut, could not make it to the team because of Shoriful and Ebadat’s return.
The Irish could not give a big fight except winning the last T20 in Bangladesh this time. They did not get any chance at all in the ODI series. The same happened in the first two T20Is. The last match was only a consolation win. But that does not reduce the fear of doing well in the Test. That is why Bangladesh doesn’t want to take any risk, as this is the only Test.
Bangladesh Squad
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Litton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy.
Read More: Bangladesh Announce Squad for Ireland Test
Players to Watch
Among these 14 players, fans are expecting more from a few players, such as Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mehidy Hassan Miraz.
Litton Das
Litton’s performance in the series against India did not live up to expectations. But he got good news after scoring a half-century in the last inning. The stylish batsman touched his career-best position in the ICC Test batsmen rankings, which is also the best in Bangladesh's 22-year Test history.
In the weekly update of the ICC rankings, Litton was at number 12 after the India series. He rose to twelfth place in March 2022. His ranking remained the same after finishing the Test against Sri Lanka in May at Mirpur. No other batsman from Bangladesh has ever climbed so high in the test ranking. Now he is at 14 with 702 ratings. So, it is expected that Litton will climb up in the test ranking again.
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Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib contributed tremendously in the last test series against India. With the bat, he scored 87 runs but could not take any wickets in the first match. However, he performed well with balls in the second game, as he took 6 wickets.
However, he could not contribute well with bats in the second match. Shakib has had great form, as he proved in the England and Ireland series. And we can expect excellent performance in Test too. Currently, Shakib is at number 3 allrounder in the ICC Test ranking.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the highest wicket-taker for the Bangladesh team in 2022. Miraz took 31 wickets in Tests and played 8 matches. He gave 1030 runs off 2061 balls. Therefore, Miraz took 1 wicket in every 33 balls. He also did excellent in the most recent test series against India. He took 11 wickets against India. And he is certainly waiting for Ireland to give his best.
Read More: Indore GM Chess: Bangladeshi IM Abu Sufian Shakil earns 1.5 points after 2nd round
Final Words
It is expected that the BAN vs IRE 2023 test will be a one-sided match as Bangladesh is more experienced than young Ireland. And BCB wants to achieve a big win as they have announced an experienced team consisting of top players. So, this test squad may impact overall team selection for test cricket in the future.
1 year ago
Biden and his 2024 campaign: Waiting for some big decisions
President Joe Biden has all but announced he's running for reelection, but key questions about the 2024 campaign are unresolved: Who will manage it? Where will it be based? When will he finally make it official?
Advisers have long said he planned to wait until after March, when the year's first fundraising period wraps up. That was an effort to help manage expectations because many donors who gave generously to Democratic causes during last fall's elections were looking for a break.
But an announcement isn't imminent even now, aides insist, and probably won't come until at least after Biden returns from an expected trip to Ireland in mid-April.
Working on his own timeline could counter Biden’s low approval ratings and questions about his age — the 80-year-old would turn 86 before the end of a second term. It also means Biden won’t be hurried by pressure from former President Donald Trump, who's already announced his 2024 campaign, or other top Republicans who may enter the race, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or former Vice President Mike Pence.
“He’s earned the luxury of making the timetable,” said Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist in Washington. “The longer he can keep this thing focused on his duties in the White House, and less about the campaign back-and-forth, the better off he’s going to be.”
That said, Biden aides are mindful that Trump has been indicted for his role in the payment of hush money to a porn actor, and they say Biden will look to time his announcement to a point when he won't share the political spotlight with the man he beat in the 2020 election.
Biden's inner political circle is ready to begin executing on the campaign's strategy from Day One and sees no drawbacks to the president taking his time. Biden faces no significant Democratic challenger for the nomination. The self-help guru Marianne Williamson is the sole contender at this point in the primary race.
It will also be up to Biden to decide where next year's Democratic National Convention is held among the three finalist cities of Atlanta, Chicago and New York. But with the logistical groundwork mostly laid, there is little pressure for that decision until the president is ready to make it, organizers say.
Much of the reelection effort will be run from the White House, where Biden's most senior advisers are expected to remain. Still, the campaign manager and top staff will be responsible for raising vast sums of money, reaching millions of voters and making the case for Biden at Americans’ doors and online while he is still occupied with governing.
One top Biden adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a reelection campaign that hasn't yet been announced, noted that Biden's 2020 bid was a $1.7 billion operation and that the effort this time would be larger. The adviser said a key will be finding “validators,” or non-Washington voices who can spread the campaign's message at a time when many people have lost faith in everything political.
Aides and allies are discussing how to build the appropriate 2024 race infrastructure. The circumstances are different from 2020 for Biden, whose race then was conducted while the country was largely shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: How Biden leaves wiggle room to opt against reelection bid
The political environment is different, too, as technological and cultural shifts have continued to change how people communicate. Biden's advisers are preparing a new model of campaigning fit for the moment to activate his base and identify and woo the persuadable center — essentially a customized communication strategy for each target voter.
Aba Blankson, chief marketing and communications officer for the NAACP, said her organization is nonpartisan but found success mobilizing Black voters — an important part of Biden's base — before last November's elections using similarly targeted political messaging. That included text messages, radio ads and knocking on doors to promote “peer-to-peer” organizing in areas capable of swinging pivotal races.
“I think his timing is what his timing is," Bankson said. "But, for us, it is an every-year reality.”
The choice of Biden's campaign headquarters has been narrowed to Philadelphia, the 2020 location, and Wilmington, Delaware, where his home is and where the president spends many weekends away from the White House. While Biden tends to prefer Delaware on all matters, some top Democrats worry that recruiting top campaign talent to Wilmington will be difficult.
The Biden adviser downplayed the importance of choosing between the two immediately. And Biden waited until weeks after the start of his 2020 campaign to announce that he had settled on Philadelphia, making a commitment to an important battleground state.
More challenging has been filling the job of campaign manager. Some potential candidates view it as a thankless task, with so much of the decision-making confined to the White House, though the adviser said whomever is ultimately chosen will be empowered with wide latitude to run 2024.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s 2020 campaign manager, is now a deputy White House chief of staff and plans to remain in her job. Many potential candidates have expressed interest in the campaign manager position, but among those on the short list are Julie Chavez Rodriguez, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and a deputy campaign manager of Biden’s 2020 campaign, and Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee.
Quentin Fulks, campaign manager for Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reelection victory last fall, has been mentioned.
Biden led Democrats to a stronger than expected midterm performance in 2022 by urging voters to reject “extreme” adherents to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. So bringing in an outsider who ran successful Democratic campaigns last fall is a possibility. But party leaders acknowledge that breaking into Biden’s famously tight inner circle has at times been challenging.
An exception is O’Malley Dillon, who was a late 2020 entrant to Biden’s orbit after leading former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s failed presidential bid.
Trump hasn’t named a campaign manager despite announcing his candidacy months ago. But others aren't waiting to staff up.
Republican Nikki Haley, Trump's U.N. ambassador and a former South Carolina governor, picked Betsy Ankney, executive director of Haley's Stand for America political action committee, to manager her presidential campaign . The super PAC linked to DeSantis brought on former Trump aide Matt Wolking and strategist Jeff Roe, the architect of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign and Republican Glenn Youngkin winning campaign for Virginia governor in 2021.
Even with the unanswered questions about his campaign structure, the outlines of Biden’s pitch to voters are forming.
Read more: US midterm election: Democrats repel Republicans backed by Trump in several left-leaning states
From the State of the Union address in February to speeches to donors, the president has begun making the case that Americans should let him “finish the job” he started. He's also tried framing the race as a choice between himself and “MAGA Republicans” who, he argues, will undermine the nation's core values.
Biden has spent recent months traveling to promote what he sees as his administration's key policy accomplishments, including a bipartisan public works package, and plans more of the same going forward. That would let him use this year to test political messaging that can best resonate in 2024, aides said.
“He's not going to win reelection or lose reelection based on what happens in his campaign," Bannon predicted. "He's going to win it based on his performance as president and the performance of his opponent, whoever it is.”
1 year ago