United News of Bangladesh

Sri Lanka crushed Pakistan by eight wickets on Tuesday to eliminate England from contention for the final of the ODI tri-series. Fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka claimed a career-best 5-34 as Pakistan were bowled out for 110 after Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis elected to field after winning the toss. Sri Lanka reached 114-2 in just 18.1 overs, securing a comfortable victory before the floodlights at Gaddafi Stadium were fully switched on for the day-night match. Kamindu Mendis led the chase with an unbeaten 62 off 60 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. He survived an early chance when the wicketkeeper dropped him before he had scored and later overturned an on-field leg-before-wicket decision on review when he was batting on 44. Mendis completed his half-century with a pull shot for six after substitute fielder Ghazi Ghori touched the boundary with his foot while taking a catch. Sri Lanka had earlier chased down 430 against England in Rawalpindi, the second-highest successful chase in ODI history. Pakistan had already secured a place in the final after defeating England twice, including a dramatic one-wicket victory on Sunday, and beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the tournament opener. Pakistan finished the league stage with six points from three wins, while Sri Lanka have four points. Sri Lanka will face England on Thursday ahead of Saturday's final.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said on Tuesday he was thinking only about the first Test against West Indies, as the pitch for Wednesday's match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium remained covered in grass. Bangladesh go into the two-match series having won seven of their 13 Tests since December 2024, with two draws and four defeats. The run includes a win over Australia in Darwin in August and a home whitewash of Pakistan in May. Questions at the pre-series press conference in Mirpur kept returning to the World Test Championship final, but Shanto said he had not looked that far ahead. “Honestly, I haven't thought about it at all,” he said. “I'm only thinking about this Test. Even the second Test of this series isn't on my mind.” The second Test starts in Sylhet on November 5. The day after the series ends, the squad flies to South Africa for two Tests starting on November 15. Bangladesh's last series of the championship cycle is against England in February. “As a team, we always think about how we will play this match or this series,” Shanto said. “If we can win these matches or series, our goals are met on their own. So we always think in small targets. That is how we have moved forward over the last few years.” He would not be drawn on the pitch, saying with a laugh that he did not want the West Indians to hear his answer. West Indies captain Roston Chase expects the surface to change by the morning. “I saw the wicket yesterday, but I don't think it will be the same tomorrow,” Chase said. “Probably some more grass will be cut, or some more work will be done on it.” He said the pitch still looked dry underneath. “When there's grass, you'd naturally think it will help the pacers more. But this is Bangladesh, who are known mainly for spin. So we expect spin to be there too.” Chase said the conditions would be the same for both sides. “Both teams have to play on it. There will be four innings, so whoever adapts best to the pitch and the conditions will win in the end,” he said. West Indies arrived in Dhaka about a week ago and played a two-day warm-up match. Bangladesh trained together as a team for the first time on Monday, as most of the players had been at the tri-nation series in the UAE. Shanto said he was happy with the preparation. “In terms of preparation, we are in a good position. In the time we had, everyone was able to prepare in the areas they needed to. We are not thinking too much about how the opposition prepared,” Shanto said. He said public interest in Test cricket was a big motivation for the team, but the players were not satisfied. “We will try to improve another 20 to 30 percent from where we are now,” he said. Bangladesh had an injury scare on Tuesday when Mushfiqur Rahim was hit on the right index finger by a bouncer from a net bowler at practice. The extent of the injury was not immediately known.

Mushfiqur Rahim was hit on the finger by a bouncer from a net bowler during Bangladesh's practice on Tuesday, a day before the first Test against West Indies begins. The experienced batter sat down beside the net in pain straight after the blow at the Academy ground in Mirpur. He then left the net and was treated in a chair by national team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan. Mushfiqur did not bat again. After about 20 minutes of treatment, he returned to the dressing room with tape on his right index finger. The extent of the injury was not immediately known.   He had been batting in one of three nets alongside Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy after the squad's warm-up and fielding drills on the main ground. Shortly after Mushfiqur was hurt, Litton Kumer Das kept wicket in the nets behind pacer Shoriful Islam.   Head coach Phil Simmons on Monday said Litton, who missed the tri-nation series in the United Arab Emirates due to injury, was ready to play. Liton also batted at practice on Monday.   The first Test starts at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday.  

Mustafizur Rahman has sought a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to play in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL), BCB President Tamim Iqbal said on Monday. He disclosed the information at the D3 Trophy players' auction at a city hotel. The board is willing to release the left-arm pacer, who is expected to play for the Melbourne Renegades. If cleared, Mustafizur will be the third Bangladeshi to play in the BBL, after Shakib Al Hasan and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. Rishad is set to return to the Hobart Hurricanes, for whom he played last season. The BBL runs through December and January, overlapping with the T20 phase of the D3 Trophy, which starts on December 15. Both Mustafizur and Rishad will miss it. Seven Rings Cement, who signed Mustafizur for 70 lakh points at Monday's auction, will have him only for the one-day phase of the tournament. Mustafizur does not play first-class cricket at home, having stepped away from Test cricket.

Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf put on an unbeaten 89 for the 10th wicket to take Pakistan to a one-wicket win over England in Lahore on Sunday. It is the highest last-wicket partnership in a successful ODI chase. The previous record of 64 had stood since the 1975 World Cup, when West Indies' Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts set it against Pakistan. Chasing 242 in the tri-nation series, Pakistan were 154 for nine when Rauf walked out. Shadab did most of the scoring. Rauf's share of the stand was seven runs. Shadab finished on 113 not out, his first ODI century. It was only the third century in ODI history by a batter coming in at No. 8 or lower. He survived a close call on 97, with 21 still needed. Given out lbw the ball after hitting a six, he reviewed, and UltraEdge showed a faint spike as the ball passed the bat. The decision was overturned. On 99, Tom Banton missed a chance to run out Rauf. Shadab, back on strike, reached his hundred with a four off Gus Atkinson, hit the next ball for four and finished the over with a six, leaving Pakistan needing three off 18 balls. Rauf hit Henry Crocombe for four off the first ball of the next over to finish the match. The win, Pakistan's third in a row, put the hosts into the final. England have lost all three of their matches, including the previous one, in which they scored 429. Saad Baig's 32 was the second-highest score of Pakistan's innings. Earlier, Ben Duckett made 105 off 111 balls as England were bowled out for 241. Harry Brook, who hit the fastest double century in ODI history in England's previous match, was out for one. Shaheen Afridi took four for 46.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and elected to field against England in Sunday's ODI tri-series match. England are seeking their first victory in the tournament after losing to Pakistan by 87 runs before Sri Lanka chased down the second-highest total in ODI history, scoring 430 runs at Rawalpindi. England captain Harry Brook's record-fastest ODI double century, off 114 balls, went in vain. Pakistan began the tri-series with a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi, successfully defending its total. However, the hosts made two changes for the first match of the Lahore leg of the tournament. Fast bowler Razaullah made his ODI debut after Naseem Shah dislocated a finger during Sunday's warm-up. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf was also left out, with spin-bowling all-rounder Shadab Khan replacing him for his first appearance in the series. England handed an ODI debut to 25-year-old fast bowler Henry Crocombe, who replaced Josh Tongue. It was the only change to the side that suffered a surprise defeat against Sri Lanka in its previous match. As part of a breast cancer awareness initiative, Pakistan's players wore pink uniforms for Sunday's match.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday named a 15-member squad for the first Test against West Indies, which starts at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on October 28. Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain the side, with all-rounder Mehidy Hassan Miraz as vice-captain. Shadman Islam and left-hander Tanzid Hasan are the specialist openers in the squad. The middle order includes Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Litton Kumer Das, Tawhid Hridoy and wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali Anik. The squad has three spinners: left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and off-spinners Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan. Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain and left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam make up the pace attack. The match is the first of West Indies' tour of Bangladesh. Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumer Das, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hassan Miraz (vice-captain), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam.

Sri Lanka pulled off a stunning chase of 430 runs to beat England in a one-day international after Harry Brook struck the first double century by an England batter in the format, scoring 202. Brook smashed 202 off 116 balls, including 21 fours and 10 sixes, reaching his double century in 114 deliveries - the fastest in men's ODI history. He surpassed Ben Stokes' previous England record of 182 as England posted 429-4, then the highest ODI total in Pakistan. Despite slipping to 24-2, Sri Lanka completed the second-highest successful chase in ODI history. Pavan Rathnayake scored 130, while Aviksha Fernando and Dasun Shanaka both made 97. England's bowlers struggled, with Sam Curran conceding 103 runs in nine overs. Jofra Archer was rested, while Adil Rashid was left out for tactical reasons. Dew also hampered England's fielding and bowling. Sri Lanka needed eight runs in the final over, bowled by Josh Tongue, who dismissed Dinuth Wellalage and Eshan Malinga on consecutive deliveries. However, Janith Liyanage hit a six off the penultimate ball when six runs were needed, sealing victory. The match produced 847 runs, the second-highest aggregate in ODI history, and a record 123 boundaries - 93 fours and 30 sixes. Brook's innings included a rapid acceleration after a cautious start, with 156 runs scored in England's final 10 overs. He became the first player in ODI history to score a double century in a losing cause. England remain winless after two matches in the tri-series and may need to beat Pakistan in Lahore on Sunday to stay in the competition ahead of next year's World Cup in southern Africa.

Captain Harry Brook smashed the fastest double century in men's ODI history and England's first, scoring 202 to propel England to 429-4-their fourth-highest total-against Sri Lanka in Thursday's tri-series match. Sent in at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Brook reached his double ton in 114 balls-two faster than Shubman Gill's 116-ball record for India against West Indies at Guwahati last month-before holing out off the final ball. He hit 10 sixes and 21 boundaries. Brook reached 100 off 75 balls with a ramped fine-leg boundary, reached 150 similarly, and completed his second century in 39 balls via a paddle sweep off Janith Liyanage. Joe Root (69), Will Jacks (66 not out), and Tom Banton (50) scored fifties, with Brook and Jacks adding 156 runs in the final 10 overs. Sri Lanka's seamers suffered: Eshan Malinga (0-91), Dilshan Madushanka (0-89), and returning Dasun Shanaka (0-74 off 6 overs). Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage took 2-56  . Both teams seek their first win after losing to Pakistan.

Bangladesh talk about winning trophies before every big tournament but do not back it up on the field, stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy said on after his side went out of the tri-nation series in the UAE. “When we go to play a big series, a tri-series, the Asia Cup or the World Cup, everyone wants to win the trophy, individually and as a team,” Hridoy told a press conference after the seven-wicket defeat to Afghanistan. “But we only say it. It doesn’t show in what we do,” he added.  Bangladesh needed to beat Afghanistan by at least 41 runs to reach the final after Hridoy won the toss and chose to bat. They lost two wickets for six runs in 1.3 overs and four of their top five, Hridoy among them, inside seven overs. They were bowled out for 160 without batting their 50 overs. “We lost a few wickets early. I think that was the main reason,” Hridoy said at the post-match presentation. He is leading the side in the absence of the injured Liton Das. Hridoy said the problem was not confined to one position when he was asked if Bangladesh has enough batters in the pipeline.  “I don’t want to single out one place, because the whole batting unit failed together. There are certainly enough players in the pipeline,” he said. He also defended the state of the team. “I don’t want to judge the whole team on one or two matches or one or two series. I’d say the team is in a good place, but as a batting unit we have batted very badly in every match we’ve played away. That’s why the whole team is suffering.” Bangladesh had won home ODI series against West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia before July, when they lost a series in Zimbabwe. They failed to chase 141 in the first match there and 234 in the next. In the tri-nation series, they did not reach 200 in either of their two matches. Hridoy pointed to next year’s Asia Cup, which Bangladesh will host. “The Asia Cup at home is a big opportunity for us. We have to sit down properly, or do whatever it takes, to get the team into a good position, because the Asia Cup is an important stage for us. Hopefully, Inshallah, we’ll do something good,” he said.