United News of Bangladesh

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has warned that some cricketing nations risk going “bankrupt” if they continue to prioritise Test cricket over shorter, more profitable formats. Greenberg, who took charge in March, said the traditional format should be staged selectively in markets where it retains high value. Citing the Ashes as an example, he argued that “scarcity is our friend, not our foe,” and suggested not every International Cricket Council (ICC) member needs to aim for regular Test fixtures. Test cricket has been losing ground globally to one-day internationals and the lucrative Twenty20 competitions, including the Indian Premier League. Greenberg said the game must focus its resources on matches that “mean something” and carry genuine stakes for fans and players. His remarks come as the West Indies, once the most feared Test side in the 1970s and 80s, grapples with a sharp decline. Following a humiliating second innings of just 27 runs in their recent series loss to Australia, the Caribbean side held a two-day crisis summit involving greats Brian Lara and Clive Lloyd. Tri-nation U-19 Cricket: Bangladesh taste first defeat losing to South Africa by 5 wickets   Lara described the review as “long overdue,” stressing that rebuilding will require small, consistent steps. “It’s a long road… not something that’s going to happen tomorrow,” he said, urging immediate action to restore competitiveness. While the West Indies hope to rise again, Greenberg cautioned that for some nations, it may already be too late to sustain Test cricket without risking financial collapse.   Source: Agency

Bangladesh’s U-19 cricket team returned home carrying more than just a trophy. After winning a one-day series in South Africa and a tri-nation tournament in Zimbabwe, the young side say their eyes are now firmly on the 2026 World Cup. The final in Harare belonged to allrounder Rizan Hossain, who struck 95 and took five wickets for 34. Captain Azizul Hakim Tamim didn’t hold back his praise. “When we were struggling, Ratul won us two matches. That means a lot. And Rizan’s performance in the last match—when the team needed it most—was outstanding,” he said. Tamim sees signs of growth in recent weeks. “Our middle-order batters like Abdullah and Rizan have been doing well. Alhamdulillah, overall it’s been a good team performance with contributions from everyone,” he said. West Indies crush Pakistan by 202 runs to seal historic ODI series win The Under-19 World Cup will be held in January in Zimbabwe and Namibia. For Tamim, preparation is already in motion. “Everything is in Allah’s hands, but we’ve been working for a year now—mentally and physically—with the World Cup in mind,” he said. The wins in Africa, he believes, are not the finish line. “It’s encouragement,” he said, “but the real work is still ahead.”

Captain Shai Hope’s brilliant unbeaten century and Jayden Seales’ devastating bowling powered West Indies to a thumping 202-run victory over Pakistan in the third one-day international on Tuesday, clinching a historic 2-1 series win. It was the Caribbean side’s first bilateral ODI series triumph over Pakistan since 1991, ending a long run of home series defeats in both Test and T20 formats against Australia and Pakistan. Hope struck an unbeaten 120 from 94 balls, hitting five sixes and 10 fours, and shared a rapid, unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 110 runs with Justin Greaves, who smashed 43 off just 24 balls. West Indies finished on 294-6 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. In reply, Pakistan crumbled to 92 all out in 29.2 overs. Seales ripped through the top order, taking 6-18 in 7.2 overs. Pakistan’s chase faltered immediately, slumping to 23-4 inside nine overs, with three of the top four dismissed for ducks. Harmanpreet eyes home World Cup as chance to ‘break the barrier’ Opener Saim Ayub fell to the third ball of the innings, Abdullah Shafique followed without scoring, and captain Mohammad Rizwan was bowled first ball by Seales. Babar Azam (9) was trapped lbw by the pacer for his fourth wicket. Salman Agha provided brief resistance with 30 off 49 balls, but the collapse continued as Hasan Nawaz (13) was stumped off Gudakesh Motie and Hussain Talat (1) was bowled by Roston Chase. The innings ended with a run-out of Abrar Ahmed for a golden duck. Hope said he was “extremely proud” of his team, noting that recent focus had been on the negatives in West Indies cricket. “Now there are positives to shout about,” he said. The emphatic win followed a turbulent period, including a two-day crisis summit attended by legends Brian Lara and Clive Lloyd to map a revival plan, after the team’s batting collapse for just 27 runs in a Test against Australia. West Indies had lost the ODI opener to Pakistan by five wickets, leveled the series with a five-wicket win in the second match, and then dominated the decider to complete a morale-boosting victory.

No beeps. No shuttle runs. Just 1,600 metres of open track and a ticking watch. That is how Bangladesh’s cricketers are being tested these days. Fitness coach Nathan Kelly, in the job for 18 months now, has moved the national squad away from the old Yo-Yo and beep tests. In their place — a simple, brutal “time trial.” One run, no breaks. This week in Mirpur, the Asia Cup preliminary squad got their turn. Nahid Rana made it look easy. The quick finished in 5 minutes 31 seconds, the only man rated “elite” by Kelly’s system. Most of the others were filed under “satisfactory.” Why the change? Kelly shrugged when asked on Tuesday at Mirpur. Bangladesh slip to 10th in latest ICC ODI rankings “You don’t need any equipment. A track, or even the grass on a cricket field, will do,” he said. That makes it easier to run for domestic players too, which is why he’s planning the same test before the local season kicks off. But there’s another reason. “The clock doesn’t lie,” Kelly said. “With the Yo-Yo or beep, sometimes a guy just falls short, and it’s hard to stop him and say, ‘You’re done.’ Here, you have your time and that’s it. In my experience, the ones who pass those tests pass this too. The ones who don’t, fail here as well.” Kelly is quick to say it’s not the whole story. “Some players might not run well but are the strongest in the gym,” he said. “We look at all of it — what they’re good at, what needs work.”

Sameer Quader Chowdhury didn’t hide his frustration. A month ago, the Chittagong Kings owner got a legal notice from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) saying his franchise owed Tk 46 crore. Since then, he says, he’s been chasing a meeting. “I’ve been asking for an appointment for months,” Sameer told reporters on Monday. “Today some of the directors said we’ll sit soon, and I thank them for that. But until now, no one from the board was calling me to talk.” And that big number? He doesn’t buy it. “The funny thing is, neither they nor I know where 46 crore came from,” he said. “It’s just floating around. Ask the board — they can’t answer it either.” The Kings finished runners-up in the last BPL and, according to Samir, are owed money in participation and prize fees. He claims the board has been using those funds to pay various creditors without following any clear process. The franchise hasn’t escaped criticism. Unpaid wages to Shahid Afridi, coach Shaun Tait and several local players have been in the headlines. Sameer, though, says the BCB is more to blame for the BPL’s messy image. Asked who made the league more controversial, he shot back: “BCB — with that 46 crore notice.” There’s also talk that the Kings won’t be in the next BPL cycle. But Sameer said otherwise. “If you’re not settling with me, how do you bring in someone else?” The board is planning a revamp — new five-year franchise deals, foreign event managers, open tenders. Sameer says he’s still interested, but he’ll decide after seeing the fees, revenue share and new format. “If I didn’t want to be in the BPL, I wouldn’t be here explaining the 46 crore,” he said. “The interest is still there. But first, I need to see what’s on the table.”

Bangladesh have dropped a spot to 10th in the ICC ODI rankings, losing their place in the top nine less than a month after a comeback. The updated table, released on August 10, shows Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s side slipping behind the West Indies, who now sit at ninth. For nearly 15 years, Bangladesh managed to stay inside single digits in the ODI rankings, but in May this year they fell to 10th for the first time since October 2006. Harmanpreet eyes home World Cup as chance to ‘break the barrier’ A brief revival followed when they beat Sri Lanka in July to reclaim the ninth position, but the West Indies’ recent results have edged them ahead with 78 rating points to Bangladesh’s 77. Pakistan also slid down the list, moving from fourth to fifth, with Sri Lanka climbing to fourth. India remain on top with 124 points, followed by New Zealand (109) and Australia (108). The rankings have direct implications for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe are assured of places, but the other 12 teams will fight for the remaining spots. Eight will qualify directly through rankings, and four through qualifiers. West Indies beat Pakistan by five wickets to level ODI series For Bangladesh, that means they must be inside the top eight by March 31, 2027, to secure automatic entry. With South Africa currently sixth and Zimbabwe 11th, both will be excluded from that calculation, slightly altering the cut-off. Bangladesh also find themselves at 10th in the ICC T20I rankings, while in Tests they are ninth.  

Indian cricket star Harmanpreet Kaur has lived the highs and lows of India’s women’s cricket. Now, with a World Cup on home soil less than two months away, she’s hoping the story finally ends with a trophy. “Playing in front of a home crowd is always special,” the India captain said on Monday during the tournament’s 50-day countdown launch, the Indian media reported. “Hopefully this time we’ll give our 100 per cent and finally break the barrier that all Indian fans have been waiting for,” the star added. India have come close before — runners-up in 2005, third in 2009, and heartbreakingly short in 2017, when they lost the Lord’s final to England despite Harmanpreet’s stunning 171 in the semifinal. “At the time I didn’t fully realise what had happened,” she said, recalling the reception when the beaten squad returned home. “The number of people waiting and cheering was truly remarkable.” The launch in Mumbai featured ICC chairman Jay Shah, who called the event “a defining moment” for the women’s game, alongside stars Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues. Shah said the return of the tournament to India was an opportunity to grow the sport’s reach and profile. The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup begins September 30, with matches in Vizag, Indore, Guwahati, Colombo and Bengaluru. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is slated to host the opener between India and Sri Lanka, plus a semifinal and — if Pakistan fail to qualify — the November 2 final.      

Finals can make or break young cricketers. On Sunday in Harare, Rizan Hossan made his. Ninety-five runs with the bat, five wickets with the ball — and a trophy in his hands by the end of it.   Bangladesh didn’t start like champions. Sent in to bat, they lost three wickets for 65 and looked one more mistake away from a collapse. That’s when Rizan walked in to join Kalam Siddiki.   The pair dug in, nudged singles, and jumped on anything loose. By the time Kalam fell for 65, they’d put on 117 and dragged the innings back into safe waters.   Rizan looked set for a century but didn’t get there.   In the 48th over, chasing a sharp second run, he was caught short for 95 off 96 balls — ten boundaries, plenty of crisp drives, and a few grimaces at the ones that got away. Md Abdullah (38 off 29) and Samiun Basir (12 off 8) gave the innings a late kick to finish at 269 for five. Bangladesh U-19 beat South Africa again ahead of tri-series final   South Africa came out swinging.   Their openers piled on 59 in eight overs before Al Fahad, with two quick strikes, cracked the chase open. They tried to rebuild — Muhammed Bulbulia made 31, captain Jason Rowles 35 — but Rizan was waiting.   He bowled with a heavy ball and a mean length, nicking off Bulbulia, trapping Armaan Manack, then breaking the stubborn stand between Ntando Soni (34) and Bandile Mbatha (29). Shadhin Islam’s leg-spin chipped in with two wickets. Fahad added a third scalp to his tally. And when Rizan knocked over the last man to complete figures of 5 for 34, the job was done.   South Africa were all out for 236 in the 49th over. Bangladesh’s third win over them in this series, and the one that mattered most.   The other team of the series was the hosts Zimbabwe, who lost all six matches in this event.

Roston Chase’s unbeaten 49 and a steady partnership with Justin Greaves guided West Indies to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the rain-affected second one-day international on Sunday, leveling the three-match series 1-1. Chase struck two sixes and sealed victory with a boundary as the hosts reached 184-5 in 33.2 overs, chasing a revised target of 181 in 35 overs under the DLS method. The adjustment came after multiple rain delays limited Pakistan to 171-7 in 37 overs. Fast bowler Jayden Seales led the West Indies attack with figures of 3-23 from seven overs. West Indies had slipped from 101-3 after 18 overs to 111-5 in the 24th, losing Sherfane Rutherford for 45 off 33 balls, which featured three sixes and four boundaries. Chase and Greaves (26 off 31) then put together an unbroken 77-run stand for the sixth wicket to secure the win. Hasan Nawaz guides Pakistan to five-wicket win over West Indies Earlier, Pakistan’s innings was anchored by Hasan Nawaz’s 36 not out from 30 balls, following his unbeaten 63 in the series opener. His innings on Sunday included three sixes, two of them in what turned out to be the final over before more rain arrived. Hussain Talat added 31 off 32, but captain Mohammad Rizwan struggled for fluency, scoring 16 off 38 before being trapped lbw by Gudakesh Motie. Pakistan had taken the series lead on Friday with a five-wicket win in the first ODI. The deciding match will be played on Tuesday at Brian Lara Stadium, which also hosted the first two games. Pakistan earlier claimed the preceding T20 series 2-1 in Florida. Source: Agency 

Fast bowler Nahid Rana set the pace in Bangladesh’s latest fitness trial on Sunday, comfortably winning the 1600-meter run at the National Stadium, while a few established names fell well short of the mark. The new strength and conditioning coach, Nathan Keily, has ditched the familiar Yo-Yo and beep tests in favour of two straightforward measures — a timed mile and a 40-meter sprint. It was a change that seemed to suit Rana, who crossed the line in 5 minutes 31 seconds, the fastest of the 22 players on show. “Rana was just outstanding,” a member of the team management said after the session. “Some others did well, but a couple of cricketers couldn’t meet our expectations.” Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished second in the first batch at 6:01, followed by Mushfiqur Rahim — now retired from ODIs and T20s — in 6:10. In the second group, Tanzim Hasan Sakib posted 5:53, ahead of Shahadat Hossain Dipu (6:00) and Parvez Hossain Emon (6:13). Nahid Rana shines as Rangpur Riders continue winning streak But the day was less encouraging for Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Tanvir Islam and Shamim Patowary, all of whom needed close to eight minutes to finish. Six players from the 25-man preliminary squad were absent, including T20 captain Liton Kumar Das and Towhid Hridoy. Four others are away with the ‘A’ team in Australia. The squad will continue fitness work before shifting to Sylhet on August 20 for skill training ahead of the Netherlands T20Is and the Asia Cup in the UAE.//