United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that carrying food inside the stadium will be banned due to security reasons. Before the first match of the Bangladesh-Pakistan series, BCB had allowed the spectators to carry food. But the board overturned the decision after one match. BCB confirmed the development in a statement on Monday. However, they did not clarify what the new security concern was after the first match that prompted them to make the decision. For now, the ban will be effective for the matches on July 22 and July 24. Bangladesh have won the first match of the series on Sunday, and took a lead in the series. Ahead of the series against Pakistan at home, Bangladesh played a full series with Sri Lanka and lost the Test and ODI series before winning the T20I by 2-1. BCB announces initiatives on national mourning day for Milestone College victims Meanwhile, the BCB will observe a period of mourning following a tragic plane crash at a Dhaka school campus. The incident resulted in at least 20 student deaths and dozens of injuries, many critically. In solidarity, players from both teams will wear black armbands, a one-minute silence will be held before the match, and no music will be played at the venue on Tuesday.

In observance of the National Mourning Day on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, the National Flag will fly at half mast at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) and all BCB venues. The BCB has arranged offerings of prayers for the deceased and the wounded in Monday’s tragic fighter jet crash at Milestone School & College in Dhaka. BNP to hoist black flags, hold nationwide prayers Tuesday for Uttara plane crash victims Ahead of tomorrow’s 2nd T20 international between Bangladesh and Pakistan, a minute’s silence will be observed at the SBNCS. The players and management of both teams and match officials will wear black arm bands. As a mark of respect to the victims of the devastating incident, no music will be played at the venue during the course of tomorrow’s match. The BCB extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and stands in solidarity with the nation in this time of grief.

Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first against the West Indies in the opening match of their five-game T20 international series, which will be played over the span of just eight days. Coming off a clean sweep in the three-match Test series, the Australians handed a T20 debut to Tasmanian allrounder Mitchell Owen, who impressed as an opener for the Hobart Hurricanes in last season’s domestic league. Mitch Marsh is captaining the Australian side, which includes fellow Test squad members Cameron Green and Josh Inglis. Meanwhile, West Indies’ experienced allrounder Andre Russell is set to play his penultimate T20 international. The Caribbean side is being led by Shai Hope and features key players Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph in the bowling department. Parvez guides Bangladesh to victory over Pakistan in series opener Playing XIs: West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph. Australia: Mitch Marsh (captain), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshius, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa. Source: Agency 

Riding on clinical performances from both bowlers and batters, Bangladesh outplayed Pakistan in the opening match of the three-match series on Sunday in Mirpur. Bangladesh won the match thanks to a commanding 56* from Parvez Hossain Emon and a fiery bowling display led by Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. Chasing a modest target of 111, Bangladesh reached 112 for 3 in just 15.3 overs, sealing the match with 27 balls to spare and taking a 1–0 lead in the series. Bangladesh’s chase had an uncertain start as they lost openers Tanzid Hasan and captain Litton Das cheaply within the first three overs. Pakistan in trouble losing half of their wickets for just 46 But Parvez, playing with confidence, stabilised the innings with Towhid Hridoy. The pair added 73 runs for the third wicket before Hridoy fell for 36. Parvez’s knock, featuring five sixes and three boundaries, came off just 39 deliveries. He was well supported in the end by Jaker Ali, who struck three crisp boundaries in a 10-ball 15* to finish the job. Earlier, Pakistan struggled to build momentum after being asked to bat first. Only Fakhar Zaman looked settled, scoring 44 off 34 balls before being run out. Wickets tumbled around him, with captain Agha Salman (3), Hasan Nawaz (0), and Mohammad Nawaz (3) failing to make an impact. Bangladesh opt to bowl first in series-opener vs Pakistan  Pakistan were bowled out for 110 in 19.3 overs. Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 22. Mustafizur was miserly as ever, finishing with 2 for 6 from four overs. Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib chipped in with a wicket each, while three Pakistan batters were run out — reflecting the pressure Bangladesh exerted in the field. Right before this series, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in a T20I series, and they have now made a strong start to another contest against their Asian rivals.

Pakistan are in trouble in the first T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh. After being put to bat first, losing the toss, half of their batters went back to the dressing room just for 46 runs on Sunday evening in Dhaka.  Taskin Ahmed missed an easy catch in the first over of the match. But when he came to bowl, he bagged first wicket, removing Saim Ayub for six. Mustafizur Rahman took a catch at the boundary.  In the third over of the match, Mahedi Hasan removed Mohammad Haris for four.  It was a soft dismissal. Haris tried for a big shot towards the cow corner area, but failed to execute it well. Shamim Hossain took the catch.  Pakistan lost two more wickets inside the powerplay when Mustfizur, and Tanzim Hasan removed captain Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz. Salman scored three, but Hasan suffered a duck.  Mohammad Nawaz fell as the fifth wicket for just three. He was trapped run out.    

Bangladesh have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the opening match of the three-match T20I series against Pakistan in Mirpur on Sunday.  Bangladesh just came home after a long Sri Lanka tour, where they lost the Test and ODI series, but won the T20I series.  The hosts made one change to their last playing XI that faced Sri Lanka, bringing Taskin Ahmed in to replace Shoriful Islam.  Pakistan has been one of the most consistent teams in the T20I. In the last meeting, they beat Bangladesh at home. Now, they are at the home of the Tigers. Series-winning team retained as Bangladesh announce T20I squad for Pakistan Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt), Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed Bangladesh XI: Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (capt & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman//

The three-match T20 series between Bangladesh and Pakistan begins Sunday evening, with the first game scheduled to start at 6 pm at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The remaining two matches will be played at the same venue on July 22 and 24. Both teams have completed their preparations over the past few days, and fans are now waiting for the on-field contest between Litton Das’s Bangladesh and Agha Salman’s Pakistan. Supporters who want to enjoy the match from the stands can purchase tickets online. Prices range from Tk 300 for the eastern gallery to Tk 3,500 for the international lounge. For those unable to attend in person, the matches will be broadcast live on television and streamed online. In Bangladesh, T Sports and Nagorik TV will air the matches live. Captains speak of lofty aims as Bangladesh and Pakistan resume T20 rivalry Along with these, the T Sports app and Tapmad app will offer live streaming for mobile viewers. Cricket fans outside Bangladesh can also follow the action. In Pakistan, A Sports and Ten Sports will broadcast the matches, with the Tamasha app offering live streams. Viewers in North America can watch on Willow TV, while fans in Africa can tune into SuperSport. In the Middle East and North Africa, Cricbuzz will provide streaming coverage.

Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to renew their T20 rivalry with a three-match series starting Sunday in Mirpur. After the last meeting, both sides have seen changes. Bangladesh now has their new captain in Litton Das, while Agha Salman is the captain of Pakistan.  For Bangladesh, this is more than just another bilateral contest. It marks the return of high-profile cricket on home soil against a top Asian rival. Litton accepted the fact the series will be tough for them, but also sounded optimistic.  He pointed to the benefits of franchise cricket, where both sets of players have shared dressing rooms, particularly in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). "They know our strengths and weaknesses, and we know theirs," said Litton. “It makes for a level playing field.” Series-winning team retained as Bangladesh announce T20I squad for Pakistan Pakistan’s preparations have drawn heavily from BPL experience. Nine players in their current squad have played in the league, and head coach Sean McDermott, a former Bangladesh fielding coach, brings local insight. “We’ve spoken to those who’ve played here and built plans around their inputs,” said Pakistan captain Agha Salman. The pitch in Mirpur, notorious for its unpredictability and spin-friendly nature, has been a talking point. Litton acknowledged that the surface had made life difficult for batters in previous years, especially during the 2021 series against Australia and New Zealand. “Many of us struggled back then, but it’s different now. It’s still challenging, but runs are possible,” he said. Pakistan, meanwhile, will field a revamped T20 lineup, continuing their post-Babar-Rizwan experiment. Agha Salman confirmed the team’s intent to play aggressive cricket but said they would adapt if conditions demanded restraint. “If the pitch supports it, we’ll go hard. If not, we’ll reassess. The goal is to score 10-15 more than par,” he said. All three matches will be played at the same venue, with weather expected to stay dry after several days of rain earlier in the week.//

Shakib Al Hasan is set to return as captain, but not for the Bangladesh team, but for a T10 league team. The team, Miami Blaze, confirmed his leadership role via social media ahead of the tournament opener. Miami Blaze will face Boca Raton Trailblazers in their first match, a side that features former Australian opener David Warner. The Max Sixty tournament kicks off on Thursday, with seven teams participating this season — up from five in its inaugural edition. The weeklong tournament will conclude with the final on July 24. Shakib has already been active in franchise cricket this month, playing in the Global Super League. He had a strong start in that competition, scoring a half-century and taking four wickets in the opening game against New Zealand’s Central Districts. Shakib has been out of the Bangladesh national set-up since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government of Bangladesh, of which he was a member. After Hasina’s ouster in a mass uprising, Shakib was supposed to play in the national team at home against South Africa. But due to the protest from the students who led the protest against Haisna, the allrounder was unable to return home. Since then, he has been living out of the country, mostly in the USA, where his family lives. Shakib’s national team return remains uncertain amidst political turmoil. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has recently said the door of the national team is still open for Shakib.  

One of the West Indian greats, Andre Russell, has decided to retire from international cricket following the upcoming T20I series against Australia.  The Jamaican star will bid farewell to the international stage at his home ground, Sabina Park, where the first two matches of the series will be held on July 20 and 22. Russell is a two-time ICC T20 World Cup winner. He won first in 2012 and again in 2016.  The allrounder is added to the squad that will play against Australia, marking his return after missing the England tour late last year due to injury. He is regarded as one of the most influential T20 players of his generation.  In a statement shared by Cricket West Indies, Russell reflected on his career with deep gratitude. “To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life,” he said. “As a child, I never imagined getting to this level. But as I grew in the sport, I realized the legacy I could leave in maroon.” Series-winning team retained as Bangladesh announce T20I squad for Pakistan Russell added that finishing his international journey at home makes the moment even more special. “Playing in front of my family and friends at Sabina Park means the world. I want to go out on a high and set an example for the next generation.”