United News of Bangladesh

The schedule for the 2025 Asia Cup has finally been confirmed after weeks of speculation and diplomatic tension between cricketing giants India and Pakistan. Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the news on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’m pleased to confirm the schedule for the 2025 Asia Cup, to be held in the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to 28. We look forward to a tournament full of exciting cricket,” he wrote. ACC hopeful of Asia Cup after successful Dhaka meeting  While the detailed fixture list is yet to be released, Naqvi assured that it will be published soon. This year’s Asia Cup is officially hosted by India. However, as per an earlier agreement, the tournament will be played at a neutral venue since India and Pakistan have opted not to play bilateral cricket on each other's soil due to ongoing political tensions. The decision to host the tournament in the UAE follows a period of uncertainty, especially after military tensions flared between India and Pakistan in May. At one point, there were even discussions about a possible boycott if the two countries were required to face each other. SAFF Men’s U-17: Bangladesh placed in Group A with hosts Sri Lanka, Nepal Earlier this week, the ACC’s annual general meeting took place virtually after India declined to attend the in-person session in Dhaka. Naqvi had hinted then that a resolution on the Asia Cup was close. With the dates now locked in, all eyes are on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is expected to release the full schedule soon.

England captain Ben Stokes delivered a stellar all-round performance on Saturday, scoring a commanding 141 as the hosts built a massive 311-run lead in the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford. After taking five wickets in India’s first innings, Stokes followed up with his 14th Test century  his first in two years  thrilling the Manchester crowd with three sixes in his innings. His milestone moment was met with emotional celebrations as he removed his helmet, looked skyward, and acknowledged the cheering fans. Resuming the day on 544-7, England pushed their total to 669, with support from Liam Dawson (26) and Brydon Carse (47). Ravindra Jadeja claimed four wickets, including Stokes, who was caught by Sai Sudharsan. Injured Pant returns with gritty 54, but England seize control of 4th Test India's troubles deepened further in their second innings when they lost two wickets in the very first over. Chris Woakes struck twice, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck and Sudharsan for a golden duck, leaving India reeling at 1-2 by lunch. Now trailing the series 2-1, India faces a daunting challenge to avoid defeat in both the Test and the five-match series. The visitors are still 310 runs behind, with little room for error after a disastrous start to Day 4.

Rishabh Pant made a surprise return to bat and scored a defiant half-century despite injury, but England took firm control of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Thursday. Pant, who retired hurt on the opening day after injuring his foot attempting a reverse sweep, came back to resume his innings on day two. Battling visible pain and limping heavily, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter managed to score 54 before being bowled by Jofra Archer. His courageous knock helped India post 358 all out in their first innings. “He was in serious pain. We’ve seen him do incredible things before — this was just another remarkable effort,” teammate Shardul Thakur said. England, however, responded aggressively. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on a commanding 166-run stand, guiding the hosts to 225-2 by stumps, just 133 runs behind India’s total. Duckett made 94, narrowly missing a century, while Crawley scored 84. Both batsmen hit 13 boundaries each, with Crawley also clearing the ropes once. “The boys are really pleased. We’re in a strong position,” Crawley said. Ollie Pope (20*) and Joe Root (11*) were unbeaten at close of play. England lead the five-match series 2-1. Tigers collapse as Pakistan clinch consolation win in final T20I Pant’s return was the focal point early in the day, especially after reports suggested he might have fractured his foot. He came in after Thakur fell for 41, walking in slowly to a rousing ovation. Despite his discomfort, he added 17 more runs to his overnight 37. “He was incredible. We weren’t sure how mobile he’d be — whether he could even run a two,” Crawley admitted. Earlier in the morning, England removed Ravindra Jadeja (20) and Thakur to gain early momentum. Later, England's aggressive response continued after tea, as Crawley and Duckett kept the scoreboard ticking. Duckett’s dismissal for 94, caught off Anshul Kamboj, came as a disappointment, while Crawley was dismissed by Jadeja. Captain Ben Stokes starred with the ball, finishing with 5-72 — his first five-wicket haul in eight years and bringing his series tally to 16 wickets. He dismissed Gill (12), Sudharsan (61), Thakur, Sundar (27), and Kamboj (0). “He’s just relentless,” Crawley said. “His attitude, his leadership, and his bowling have been brilliant this series.” Source: Agency 

Bangladesh’s bid to complete a clean sweep fell short at the final T20I, as Pakistan romped to a 74-run victory in the third and final T20I at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Thursday. Despite already sealing the series 2–0, the hosts were thoroughly outplayed, collapsing for just 104 in reply to Pakistan’s challenging 178 for 7. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Bangladesh struggled to contain Pakistan’s batters. Opener Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings with a fluent 63, setting the tone during a commanding 82-run opening stand. He received good support from Hasan Nawaz, who added 33, while Mohammad Nawaz contributed with a 27 in the latter part of the innings. For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed stood out with the ball, claiming three wickets for 38 runs. Nasum Ahmed also contributed with two wickets, but Pakistan’s total of 178 looked strong on a tricky Mirpur surface. In response, Bangladesh faltered from the outset. Within just 4.4 overs, the top order had crumbled — five wickets down for a mere 25 runs. Pakistan post a challenging total in the 3rd T20I vs Bangladesh The powerplay turned into a disaster for the home side. The collapse continued as Bangladesh slumped to 41 for 7 before eight overs had been completed. Only one of the top seven batters managed to reach double figures, underscoring the struggle against Pakistan’s relentless attack. Fast bowler Salman Mirza was the best bowler forPakistan, returning superb figures of 3 for 19 in fourovers. Faheem Ashraf complemented the effort with 2 for 13 from his two overs, applying further pressure on Bangladesh’s fragile batting. With the result virtually sealed, Mohammad Saifuddin offered brief resistance down the order, scoring 35. But his effort was too little, too late. Bangladesh were eventually bundled out for 104 in 16.4 overs — their lowest total of the series — handing Pakistan a comprehensive consolation win. Bangladesh opt to bowl first in 3rd T20I Bangladesh had made five changes to their lineup, opting to test their bench strength after winning the series with back-to-back victories. But the experiment backfired, exposing the lack of depth and composure in unfamiliar conditions.

Pakistan, who were put to bat first, posted a challenging total of 178 for seven in the first innings of the 3rd T20I vs Bangladesh on Thursday. Bangladesh won the toss and sent Pakistan to bat first. Pakistan made a good start thanks to opener Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 63. He contributed to Pakistan’s 82-run opening stand that set the tone for them. Bangladesh opt to bowl first in 3rd T20I Hasan Nawaz posted 33 for them. In the late order, Mohammad Nawaz posted 27 runs. For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed bagged three wickets for 38 runs in four overs. Nasum Ahmed also contributed with two wickets. Bangladesh won the first two matches and sealed the series with one wicket in hand.

Bangladesh have won the toss and chose to bowl first in the third and final T20I vs Pakistan. Bangladesh have already won the series, and so the hosts decided to bring a bunch of changes in the squad. They have dropped five players— Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, and Mustafizur Rahman—, and added Naim Sheikh, Mehdiy Hasan Miraz, Mohamamd Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam and Nasum Ahmed. Gill accuses England of breaching 'spirit of cricket' ahead of 4th Test Bangladesh: Litton Kumar Das ( c & wk), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Naim Sheikh, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Md Saifuddin, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Harris (wk), Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Muhammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal, Salman Mirza.

Mohsin Reza Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council, said the ACC is hopeful of the Asia Cup later this year.  ACC held an AGM in Dhaka, and after the meeting, Naqvi addressed the media on Thursday.  All 25 members of the ACC joined the meeting. The majority of the member nations joined in person, but India and a few others joined virtually.  “The pending issues will be resolved soon, and the much-anticipated Asia Cup will be held. We are now in coordination with the BCCI. We hope everything will be finalised shortly,” Naqvi told reporters after the meeting.  Naqvi also thanked Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam for hosting the event. “Special thanks to Aminul Bhai and the BCB for their warm hospitality. These two days were truly memorable,” he added. Meanwhile, some Indian media reported that the Asia Cup will take place in September in the UAE as the BCCI agreed on this date.    

Tensions are mounting ahead of the fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford, with India captain Shubman Gill accusing the hosts of violating the "spirit of the game" during the previous match at Lord's. Speaking on Tuesday, Gill criticised England for intentionally slowing down play during the dramatic third Test, which England won by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The Indian skipper expressed frustration over the delay caused by England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who arrived late at the crease on day three when India had seven minutes of play left. “A lot has been said about it, so let me be clear,” Gill stated. “There were seven minutes remaining in the day’s play, and their batsmen were 90 seconds late to the crease. Not 10 or 20 — 90 seconds late. That’s not in line with the spirit of the game.” Tensions remained high throughout the final two days, with multiple confrontations between players. Bangladesh hold nerve to seal series with 8-run win over Pakistan England, who can clinch the series with a win in the fourth Test starting Wednesday, have responded to the remarks. England captain Ben Stokes said his team would not initiate any conflict but wouldn't shy away from standing their ground either. “We won’t go looking for a fight, because that would distract us from our main goal,” Stokes said. “But we won’t be backing down if we’re challenged. That applies to most teams — it’s not something unique to us. Source: Agency 

Bangladesh clinched a tense eight-run victory over Pakistan in the second T20I at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday, successfully defending a modest total of 133 to take a 2–0 lead in the three-match series. With this win, Bangladesh recorded their first-ever T20I series win over Pakistan.  After a top-order collapse saw Bangladesh post just 133, it was the home side’s bowlers who turned the game around with a spirited effort under lights. Pakistan collapsed to 17 for five, and that was the point where they lost the grip of the match. They were never able to turn the table until the last few deliveries. However, Bangladesh’s bowlers held the nerve.  Shoriful Islam struck twice early, removing Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Haris in quick succession. Saim Ayub was run out in the opening over after a mix-up, while Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz departed without scoring, both falling to an inspired spell from Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Captain Agha Salman and Khushdil Shah tried to stabilize the innings but were tied down by disciplined bowling. Mahedi Hasan accounted for both batters, removing Agha for a scratchy 9 and trapping Khushdil lbw for 13. Bangladesh struggle to 133 as Pakistan bowlers dominate in second T20I At 47 for 7, the game seemed firmly in Bangladesh’s grip before Faheem Ashraf launched a counterattack. He smashed 51 off 32 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and as many sixes, and found support from Abbas Afridi and Ahmed Daniyal as the visitors edged closer. But the damage was already done. Shoriful returned to remove Afridi, finishing with figures of 3 for 17. Faheem eventually fell in the final over, caught behind off Rishad Hossain, before Mustafizur Rahman claimed the final wicket of Daniyal to end the match with four balls remaining. Pakistan were bowled out for 125 in 19.2 overs. Earlier, Jaker Ali’s 55 and Mahedi Hasan’s 33 were the only notable contributions in a Bangladesh innings that never found fluency. Pakistan’s bowlers — led by Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, and Abbas Afridi — shared the spoils, keeping the hosts to a below-par score. Yet, in a low-scoring thriller, Bangladesh’s bowlers rose to the occasion to deliver a memorable win and seal the series with one game to spare. The final T20I will be played on Thursday in Mirpur.  

Bangladesh’s top order failed to impress as they managed only 133 runs against Pakistan while batting first after losing the toss on Tuesday in Dhaka.  Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals and never quite recovered from an early collapse. Mohammad Naim fell in the second over for 3, attempting a lap shot off Faheem Ashraf only to edge it to the keeper. The pressure grew further when Litton Das, Bangladesh’s captain, tried to go over midwicket but was caught by Hasan Nawaz off Salman Mirza for 8. In the very next over, Towhid Hridoy was run out for a duck following a sharp direct hit by Pakistan skipper Agha Salman.  Parvez Hossain Emon tried to break the shackles with a six but soon gave away his wicket for 13, skying a simple catch to mid-on off Ahmed Daniyal. Security concerns lead BCB to ban outside food at upcoming matches By the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh were struggling at 28 for 4. Jaker Ali and Mahedi Hasan offered some resistance, forging together a 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Mahedi struck two boundaries and two sixes in a brisk 33 off 25 before falling to Mohammad Nawaz in the 14th over. His dismissal triggered another collapse. Jaker Ali, who top-scored with 55 off 48 balls including five sixes, was the last to fall in the final delivery of the innings. Salman Mirza impressed with the ball, finishing with figures of 2 for 17 from four overs, while Abbas Afridi and Ahmed Daniyal also picked up two wickets each. //