United News of Bangladesh

West Indies won the toss and asked Bangladesh to bat first in the first ODI of the three-match series in Dhaka on Saturday.  Right before this series, Bangladesh suffered a thumping defeat to Afghanistan.  However, before the 3-0 ODI series defeat to Afghans, Bangladesh beat them in the T20I series.  With the West Indies series at home, Bangladesh will aim to rectify previous mistakes and stand strong as an ODI team.  Bangladesh announces squad for West Indies ODIs; Mahidul earns maiden call Bangladesh XI: Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Mahidul Islam Ankon, Nurul Hasan (wk), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman West Indies XI: Brandon King, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (capt & wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales.  

At least three Afghan cricketers were among eight people killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province near the border, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said Friday. According to the ACB, the players — identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon — had travelled from Urgun to Sharana to participate in a friendly match. They were later targeted “during a gathering after returning home to Urgun” in what the board condemned as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.” In a statement on X, the ACB expressed “deep sorrow and grief” over the deaths and announced Afghanistan’s withdrawal from next month’s tri-nation cricket series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka “as a gesture of respect to the victims.” Afghanistan’s T20 captain Rashid Khan said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives” in the Pakistani airstrikes, which also killed women and children. Calling the attack “immoral and barbaric,” Khan backed the ACB’s decision, saying national dignity must come first. Other Afghan cricketers, including Mohammad Nabi and Fazalhaq Farooqi, also condemned the strike, describing it as “a heinous, unforgivable crime” against civilians and the nation’s cricket community. Afghan police accuse Pakistan of cross-border strikes after ceasefire ends Meanwhile, Afghan media reported that Pakistan carried out multiple airstrikes in Paktika’s Urgun and Barmal districts on Friday, breaching a temporary ceasefire between the two countries. The strikes came as both sides prepared for renewed peace talks in Doha aimed at easing border tensions. With inputs from NDTV  

Defending champions Australia stormed into the semifinals of the Women's Cricket World Cup with two matches to spare after thrashing Bangladesh by 10 wickets on Thursday. Skipper Alyssa Healy smashed an unbeaten 113 off 77 balls, while Phoebe Litchfield scored 84 not out off 72, guiding Australia to 202 without loss in just 24.5 overs, chasing Bangladesh’s 198-9. Healy’s knock, her second straight century following a 142-run innings against India, featured 20 boundaries and became the fastest hundred of the tournament. Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six as the pair shared Australia’s third-highest World Cup partnership for any wicket. Bangladesh announces squad for West Indies ODIs; Mahidul earns maiden call Leg-spinner Alana King starred with the ball, taking 2-18 in 10 overs, earning her the Player of the Match award. “We wanted to bowl to our strengths and keep them to a reasonable score,” King said. With nine points from five games, Australia extended their World Cup winning streak to 13, while Bangladesh, with two points, remained sixth. Australia will face England in Indore next Wednesday, while Bangladesh meet Sri Lanka in Navi Mumbai on Monday. Source: AP 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies. After an ODI series defeat by 3-0 to Afghanistan, the Bangladesh team returned home on Wednesday There are two changes to the squad from the one that had played against Afghanistan recently. Opener Mohammd Naim and fast bowler Nahid Rana have been left out. Experienced batsman Soumya Sarkar returns to the ODI team having played his last match in February this year. Right-handed middle order batsman Mahidul Islam Ankon, the only uncapped player in the squad, is the other inclusion: Bangladesh ODI team vs West Indies: Mehidy Hassan Miraz (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Soumay Sarker, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Hasan Mahmud.

Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, who has been staying abroad since the fall of the previous regime led by the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has inked deals for three new foreign leagues. The Bangladesh allrounder will represent Royal Champs in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which kicks off on November 18. He has also joined the Houston Riders for the U.S. Global League, a T20 competition featuring top international players. And he will also take part in the Indian Haven League, a new T20 tournament set to begin in Srinagar, Kashmir, on October 25, though his team name there has not yet been disclosed. While Shakib is pursuing cricket in foreign leagues, his international career for Bangladesh remains uncertain due to his political connection with the Awami League, which was ousted following a popular uprising in Bangladesh last year. Shakib served as a member of the parliament for the Awami League party when they assumed power in early 2024 in an election tainted by allegations of irregularities and boycotts by their political opponents. Recently, he was involved in a social media clash with Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud, who was one of the main leaders of the protest that toppled Hasina. Asif later said he will not allow Shakib to represent Bangladesh again. Shakib has played 447 international matches across the formats and scored 14,730 runs with 14 centuries and 100 half-centuries. He also has taken 712 wickets in international cricket with 25 five-fors across the formats. These stats established him as one of the great players of all time in the game.

The tournament committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the itinerary for the 27th edition of the National Cricket League (NCL) four-day version, set to begin on 25 October.  NCL is one of the main first-class domestic cricket events in Bangladesh.  In a move aimed at supporting player preparation for upcoming international red-ball commitments and as per the suggestions from the BCB cricket operations, the event’s technical committee has approved the use of Kookaburra balls for the first two rounds. The remaining rounds will be played with Duke balls. Additionally, as approved by the BCB Board during its 20th meeting held on August 9, 2025, Mymensingh Division has been included in the NCL four-day format for the first time. Consequently, the Dhaka Metro team will not be a participant in the upcoming competition.

Tickets for the ODI series between Bangladesh and West Indies are now available online. According to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), ticket sales for the three-match ODI series opened on Wednesday morning through the website www.gobcbticket.com.bd and the “Go BCB Ticket” mobile app, which is available on the Play Store for Android smartphone users. Ticket prices start at Tk 300 for the Eastern Gallery, while seats at the Shaheed Abu Sayeed Stand and Northern Gallery are priced at Tk 400. The Club House galleries will cost Tk 800 each. Fans seeking premium views can opt for the International Galleries at Tk 1,500 or the Grand Stand at Tk 2,500. The ODIs will take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on October 18, 21, and 23, all starting at 1:30 p.m. The action will then shift to Chattogram, where the sides will play a three-match T20I series on October 27, 29, and 31 at the Birshreshtha Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium. After a bruising 3-0 defeat to Afghanistan, the Bangladesh cricket team is ready to take on the West Indies at home.  

The verbal sparring for the upcoming Ashes has already begun, with former players from both Australia and England weighing in ahead of the 2025-26 series. Ex-Australia opener David Warner predicted a 4-0 series win for Australia, suggesting England might claim a single Test only if skipper Pat Cummins misses due to injury, while describing England’s Bazball approach as aiming for a “moral victory.” England pace veteran Stuart Broad escalated the rhetoric, calling Australia’s squad “the worst since 2010-11” and claiming England has its strongest team in the same period. Broad cited uncertainty over Australia’s batting order and Cummins’ fitness as key weaknesses to exploit. Nabi’s late fireworks lift Afghanistan to 293 Broad recalled the 2010-11 series when Australia struggled to replace legends like McGrath, Warne, Hayden, and Langer, lacking a frontline spinner. He said the current lineup mirrors that vulnerability. England, boosted by Jofra Archer’s return, Mark Wood’s fitness, and Joe Root as the world’s No. 1 Test batter, are confident ahead of the five-Test series starting Nov. 21 in Perth. Source: AP 

Afghanistan crushed Bangladesh by a big margin of 200 runs in the third and final ODI on Tuesday, completing a 3-0 clean sweep in emphatic style. Young fast bowler Bilal Sami delivered a spell for the ages, claiming 5 for 33 — his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs — as Bangladesh folded for just 93 in 27.1 overs chasing a target of 294. It was Afghanistan’s biggest win in ODI history at this venue, and a performance that underscored their growing confidence in the 50-over format. Earlier, Afghanistan had posted 293 for 9, built around a steady 95 from opener Ibrahim Zadran and a blistering 37-ball 62 from veteran Mohammad Nabi. Nabi’s late assault — featuring five sixes and four boundaries — lifted the innings from a modest total to a match-winning one. His fireworks in the final overs, including 44 runs off the last two overs bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud, turned the momentum firmly Afghanistan’s way. When Bangladesh came out to bat, they quickly crumbled under the pressure. Rashid Khan struck with his very first ball, removing Saif Hassan for 43 — the only batter who looked settled. From there, the collapse was relentless. No other Bangladeshi batter managed to reach double figures. Sami, just 22, bowled with pace and precision, unsettling the top and lower order alike. His aggression and control offered shades of the team’s new-found fast-bowling depth, particularly crucial with Naveen-ul-Haq out injured. Rashid Khan complemented Sami perfectly, finishing with 3 for 12 in six overs of classic leg-spin mastery. Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with one wicket, and even debutant AM Ghazanfar bowled tidy overs as Bangladesh lost their last nine wickets for just 58 runs. For Bangladesh, it was a night to forget. Their batters looked uncertain against both pace and spin, and their lack of application was glaring. Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who earlier leaked 67 runs with the ball, fell cheaply again with the bat. By the 20th over, half the side was gone for just 70, and the rest soon followed. Hasan Mahmud’s 9 off 23 was the second-highest score in a dismal scorecard.      

A fiery 37-ball 62 from Mohammad Nabi powered Afghanistan to a strong total of 293 for 9 in their final ODI against Bangladesh at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Batting first after winning the toss, Afghanistan built their innings around opener Ibrahim Zadran’s steady 95 off 111 balls, while Nabi’s explosive finish in the last five overs turned a modest total into a challenging one. Afghanistan were 249 for 9 in the 48th over before Nabi launched a late assault, smashing five sixes and four fours in the space of 21 balls. His onslaught — 44 runs coming in just two overs off Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud — lifted the scoring rate to nearly six an over by the end. Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave Afghanistan a brisk start with 42 off 44 balls before being trapped by Tanvir Islam. Zadran and Sediqullah Atal then steadied the innings with a 74-run stand for the second wicket. But Bangladesh’s spinners struck back in the middle overs. Saif Hassan, playing as a part-time off-spinner, claimed three wickets for only six runs — dismissing Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Ikram Alikhil — to pull Afghanistan back to 188 for five. However, Nabi’s counterattack negated that progress, taking full advantage of Bangladesh’s erratic death bowling. Hasan Mahmud picked up two wickets but leaked 57 runs in six overs, while Me hidy’s nine overs cost 67. Tanvir Islam was the most economical with 2 for 46 from his 10 overs.Bangladesh now need 294 runs to win and avoid a whitewash, having already lost the series 2–0.