United News of Bangladesh

During a Pakistan Super League match on Friday night, Bangladesh’s left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman became the highest wicket-taking left-arm pacer in the history of recognised T20s. Playing for Lahore Qaladars, Mustafizur claimed two wickets against the Multan Sultans to surpass Pakistan's Mohammad Amir, who previously held the record with 414 wickets. The cutter master reached the milestone in 325 matches, significantly fewer than Amir’s 356 appearances. Mustafizur entered the PSL season third on the all-time list for left-arm pacers. He overtook retired Pakistani bowler Wahab Riaz, who finished his career with 413 wickets, during his second match of the tournament against the Karachi Kings. The contest for the top position remains active, as 33-year-old Amir is also competing in the current PSL season for Rawalpindi. Of his 416 overall T20 wickets, 158 were taken in international matches, making Mustafizur the leading T20I wicket-taker for Bangladesh. He secured that national record last September by surpassing left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan. Across all bowling disciplines, Mustafizur currently ranks seventh on the all-time T20 wicket-taking list. Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan leads the global rankings with 703 dismissals.

Fast bowlers Matt Fisher, Will O’Rourke, and Blair Tickner have been named in the New Zealand squads for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Bangladesh, returning to international cricket following injury layoffs. Test captain Tom Latham will lead both the one-day international and Twenty20 international sides. Regular white-ball captain Mitch Santner is unavailable due to commitments with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.  O’Rourke returns to the ODI squad after recovering from a back injury, while Fisher joins the T20I side following a shin issue. Tickner, recovering from an ankle injury, has been named in both 15-man squads. New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said the return of the fast bowlers is crucial for managing workloads in the modern game. “Will, Blair and Matt have been working very hard over the past few months to get themselves back on the park and back in contention for selection,” Walter said.  The tour also marks a recall for off-spinning allrounder Dean Foxcroft, who has not played a T20I since April 2024. Foxcroft earned his spot following a strong domestic season where he finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the Ford Trophy, helping the Central Stags reach the final.  Several players, including Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, and Ben Sears, will join the national team directly from the New Zealand A one-day series in Sri Lanka.  Clarke and Jayden Lennox are set for their second ODI appearances following New Zealand's historic away series victory against India in January. During that tour, Clarke took seven wickets across three matches, while Lennox maintained an economy rate of 4.20 over 20 overs. Lennox is also in line for a potential T20I format debut.  The team will depart New Zealand on April 13. The first ODI is scheduled to begin on April 17. New Zealand ODI Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young. New Zealand T20I Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Bevon Jacobs, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner.

Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman has been charged over alleged ball tampering before the final over of a Pakistan Super League match against Karachi Kings on Sunday. According to a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaman denied the allegation during a disciplinary hearing conducted by match referee Roshan Mahanama. The board said another hearing will be held within 48 hours, after which a decision will be announced. If found guilty, he could face at least a one-match suspension under Level 3 offence rules. The incident occurred late in the match when fast bowler Haris Rauf was preparing to bowl the final over, with Karachi needing 14 runs to win. At that point, Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zaman and Rauf were seen discussing strategy at the top of the run-up, during which all three handled the ball — a common practice in tense moments. However, on-field umpire Faisal Afridi requested the ball for inspection and consulted with fellow umpire Sharfuddoula. The umpires concluded that the ball had been deliberately altered, awarding five penalty runs to Karachi and replacing the ball. Following the decision, Karachi’s target was reduced to nine runs from the final over. Although Khushdil Shah was dismissed off the first delivery, Rauf bowled a wide before Abbas Afridi struck a boundary and a six to secure a four-wicket victory for Karachi in 19.3 overs.

England captain Ben Stokes will miss the start of the county cricket season as he continues to recover from a broken cheekbone.The 34-year-old Durham all-rounder sustained the injury last month during a training session with academy players and underwent surgery soon after. Stokes has not played since England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia in January.He will miss Durham’s County Championship opener against Kent next week but could return for matches against Worcestershire in early May, Durham coach Ryan Campbell said. England’s first summer Test match is scheduled against New Zealand starting June 4. Naseem Shah issued show-cause notice over social media post mocking Punjab chief ministerLast week, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed it would retain the current leadership following its Ashes review. Managing director Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum, and Stokes as captain will continue in their roles after England lost the series in just 11 days with two games to spare.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to fast bowler Naseem Shah after a post from his social media account mocked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's heavily guarded arrival at the Pakistan Super League opener. The controversy began Friday when Naseem’s X account shared a PCB video showing Nawaz arriving at Gaddafi Stadium with a massive security convoy to meet players.  The shared post included the comment: "Why is she being treated like the Queen of Lord's?" The match was notably being played without spectators as part of a PCB initiative to conserve fuel amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement from international cricket The post was deleted minutes later, and Naseem subsequently claimed his account had been hacked. The PCB rejected the explanation, issuing a statement on Saturday that accused the bowler of breaching his central contract and violating the board's media and disciplinary guidelines. While the PCB did not specify a deadline for Naseem’s formal response, officials indicated the post likely violated Article 2.23 of the code of conduct. The clause strictly prohibits players from making critical or offensive public remarks regarding board policies, sponsors, or officials. The PCB has a history of penalizing players for politically adjacent actions. Last year, the board fined all-rounder Aamer Jamal 1 million Pakistani rupees after he wrote "804" — the prisoner number of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan — on his practice cap during a series against England. Naseem, who plays for the Rawalpindi franchise, is scheduled to take the field against Peshawar Zalmi today.

Lahore Qalandars began their Pakistan Super League title defence with a convincing 69-run win over debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen on Thursday, but the season opener was played in an empty stadium as fans stayed away due to soaring fuel costs. The match at Gaddafi Stadium was held without spectators after authorities urged people to limit travel and work from home amid rising fuel prices linked to the ongoing Iran conflict. Mohsin Naqvi said it would be inappropriate to allow thousands of fans to attend matches while the government is advising citizens to stay home. As part of cost-cutting measures, the Pakistan Cricket Board reduced the number of venues from six to two and barred spectators from matches in Lahore and Karachi. Only a small number of officials and franchise representatives were present at the opening game of the 39-day tournament. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended briefly as a guest of the PCB. To compensate for the lack of crowd presence, artificial crowd noise was added to the live broadcast as Lahore posted 199 for 6 after being put in to bat. Opener Fakhar Zaman scored 53 off 39 balls and became only the second player in PSL history to reach 3,000 runs. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier chosen to bat after winning the toss. In reply, Hyderabad, led by Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, were restricted to 130 for 9. Lahore’s pace attack dominated, with Haris Rauf and Ubaid Shah taking two wickets each, while Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and Afridi chipped in with one apiece.

Six Bangladesh national team cricketers will begin competing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Thursday, though their participation in the franchise tournament will be curtailed by an upcoming home series against New Zealand. The Bangladesh Cricket Board cleared the players to join three different franchises in the newly expanded eight-team tournament, which runs from March 26 to May 3. Mustafizur Rahman and Parvez Hossain Emon will represent the Lahore Qalandars. Fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam, along with batter Tanzid Hasan, joined Peshawar Zalmi. Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain signed with the newly formed Rawalpindi franchise. None of the Bangladeshi players received No Objection Certificates for the full duration of the PSL. New Zealand is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 13 for three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 matches. The BCB is prioritizing the ODI matches, scheduled for April 17, 20, and 23, to field a full-strength squad ahead of World Cup qualification efforts. Mustafizur received a split clearance, allowing him to play in Pakistan from March 26 to April 12 before returning to Bangladesh for the ODI series. He is cleared to rejoin the PSL on April 24.//

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cleared six national team players to compete in the upcoming Pakistan Super League on Monday, issuing No Objection Certificates after the government concluded there were no visible security threats in the host country. The board said it consulted extensively with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Bangladesh mission in Islamabad before authorizing the travel. Officials prioritised the personal safety of the players amid ongoing regional instability. Following the clearance, fast bowlers Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Nahid Rana, along with top-order batter Parvez Hossain Emon, departed for Pakistan on Monday. Rana shared a photograph of the group on social media from their flight, captioned "Eid ends." Batter Tanzid Hasan Tamim and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain complete the contingent of cleared players. Mustafizur and Parvez will join the Lahore Qalandars. Shoriful, Nahid, and Tanzim signed with Peshawar Zalmi, while Rishad will play for the Rawalpindi Pindis. The franchise tournament, scheduled from March 26 to May 3, will operate under severe logistical constraints this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Saturday that matches will be restricted to two venues and played in empty stadiums, citing a domestic fuel crisis exacerbated by the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East.

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz advanced to the seventh position among ODI bowlers and climbed to second in the all-rounder standings in the latest rankings released Wednesday, following his team's 2-1 series victory over Pakistan. Miraz jumped nine spots in the bowling rankings after finishing the series, which ended March 15, as the most economical bowler. He took five wickets across 30 overs with an economy rate of 3.33. In the all-rounder category, the 28-year-old moved up two places to secure 280 rating points, overtaking Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza (276 points). Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai retained the top all-rounder spot with 329 points. Opening batter Tanzid Hasan surged 31 spots to No. 55 in the batting rankings after scoring 175 runs in three matches, including a century. Towhid Hridoy advanced two places to No. 32, maintaining his position as the highest-ranked Bangladeshi batter. Daryl Mitchell, Virat Kohli, and Ibrahim Zadran hold the top three batting positions globally. Fast bowler Nahid Rana made a massive leap in the bowling rankings, climbing 65 spots to No. 98. Taskin Ahmed moved up 12 places to No. 28, and Mustafizur Rahman advanced 13 spots to No. 47. Conversely, Rishad Hossain dropped seven places to No. 68 in bowling and fell 13 spots to No. 43 among all-rounders. The top three positions in the global ODI bowling rankings remain occupied by Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer, and Keshav Maharaj.

Devon Conway struck a team-high 60 as New Zealand national cricket team defeated South Africa national cricket team by 68 runs in the second Twenty20 on Tuesday, leveling the five-match series 1-1. Sent in to bat, New Zealand posted 175-6 on a surface that became increasingly difficult as the match progressed. In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 107 in 15.3 overs, with pacers Ben Sears and Lockie Ferguson sharing six wickets. The Proteas struggled with timing on a pitch offering uneven pace and bounce, and all 10 wickets fell to catches. South Africa lost their last six wickets for 40 runs, with only George Linde showing resistance, smashing 33 off 12 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Sears returned figures of 3-14, while Ferguson claimed 3-16, including the wicket of Linde to end the innings. “We bowled well for a while but lost our way with the bat,” said South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj, noting that dew did not aid batting as expected and New Zealand’s disciplined bowling made scoring difficult. New Zealand made a solid start, reaching 43 without loss in the powerplay, with Conway leading the charge and Tom Latham contributing with inventive strokeplay. They were 81-2 at the halfway stage. Australia overcome China 2-1 to book place in Asian Cup final However, scoring slowed on the two-paced pitch. Nick Kelly (21 off 12) and Mitchell Santner (20 off 14) made useful contributions before Conway fell after anchoring the innings. A late flourish from Josh Clarkson, who scored 26 off nine balls, along with Cole McConchie, added quick runs in the final over. The third match of the series will be played in Auckland on Friday.