When Bangladesh reached 200 in the 47th over yesterday after having slipped to 1/3 by the first ten minutes, it was akin to a highly strung mountaineer having climbed Mount Everest on one leg and with a busted oxygen tank, but in favourable overhead conditions. The proverbial leg came off when the openers Tamim Iqbal ... Read more
Sports
Disaster Avoided, Humiliation Not
WI take unbeatable 2-0 lead The Tigers threatened a repeat of their dismal World Cup show in the early stages, losing three wickets for one run, but the home team rode on two half centuries from captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain to put up a decent total of 220 runs on the board. In ... Read more
Mushfiqur blames careless approach
Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim has held the top-order responsible for their careless approach, describing it as an instance when he even forgot it was his 100th ODI yesterday. Imrul Kayes, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful and after three boundaries, Shakib Al Hasan all fell in a heap as the Tigers crumpled to 18 for four by the ... Read more
Pay raised, not where it matters
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has increased the prize monies for this year’s National Cricket League, but improved the players’ travel and daily allowance by just Tk 50. The winners of this season’s NCL will receive Tk 20 lakh, a boost from the Tk 12 lakh given last season. The runners-up will also get Tk ... Read more
Tigers fight for their lives
Mushfiqur’s 100th ODI today On the eve of today’s crucial second day-night one-day match, the pitch has become the centre of discussion following Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim’s disappointment over the surface of the first game which the home team lost by 40 runs. The Tigers go into the second one-day match against West Indies today ... Read more
No respect in a loss
Bangladesh-West Indies 2nd ODI today Thursday was exactly the sort of evening Bangladesh cricket had yearned for years. Chasing a huge total, the Tigers fell 40 runs short making a respectable 250-plus score against the West Indies in the first ODI. Two batsmen got half-centuries; one sauntered and the other battled his way. The perennial ... Read more
Splendid Simmons keeps Tigers at bay
Expectations got the better of the Tigers yesterday in the first one-dayer against the West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. A defeat of 40 runs was a justifiable result as Bangladesh was erratic with the ball, slack in the field while ultimately the batsmen too flattered to deceive. The energy and smartness of Tuesday’s ... Read more
Wicket’s faulty: Mushfiq
Smart cricket was found nowhere in Bangladesh’s approach as West Indies bounced back in the series with a comfortable 40-run victory in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. On a batting track, the home side’s bowling attack that included the slow bowlers, the main
Smartness in all facets
In the end, it was a matter of choice. With his side needing four runs from two balls, Mushfiqur Rahim was presented with a shorter length ball from Ravi Rampaul. He swung from the hips, a sort of swat-pull that landed over their dressing-room and bounced into the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium Grandstand. In a similar ... Read more
Mushfiq a captain’s dream
Scarcely had the ball sailed over the thirty-yard circle did Mushfiqur Rahim let out a war cry signalling victory, that too in his first match as captain of the Tigers. It all seemed to be slipping away just as it had in that heartbreaking third ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare in mid-August, when Mushfiq had ... Read more
Focus on new regime
Bangladesh-West Indies lone T20 today With today’s T20 International the series between Bangladesh and the visiting West Indies gets underway at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. It will no doubt be a huge challenge for the Tigers when they play the shortest version of the game after a gap of almost one and a ... Read more
Sublime Samuels thumps BCB XI
Marlon Samuels rediscovered his form in style with an explosive unbeaten hundred to put the BCB XI bowlers to the sword as West Indies posted a 75-run victory in the T20 warm-up match at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday. The right-hander, along with Andre Russell took full advantage of the home side’s poor bowling attack ... Read more
West Indies start with big win
West Indies were given a ritualistic welcome to the country despite their shortcomings as the BCB XI simply surrendered in the practice match at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday. The visitors won by 65 runs after going past their own struggles with the bat to score 217 for nine in 45 overs (after being unnecessarily ... Read more
Optimism despite loss
At the end of yesterday’s 65-run defeat at the hands of the West Indies, Alok Kapali said that there’s a lot of optimism for the Tigers in the series proper, despite a lot of shoddy batting. In front of a 7,000-strong holiday crowd at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Kapali was one of only two performers ... Read more
Jurgensen named Tigers’ bowling coach
Australian Shane Jurgensen has been appointed as the new bowling coach of the Bangladesh cricket team on the recommendation of head coach Stuart Law, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Friday. The 35-year-old Queenslander, a former bowling coach of New Zealand, is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Sunday, two days before the Tigers face ... Read more
‘Suarez best signing’
Barclays English Premier League ‘Suarez best signing’ Liverpool legend Alan Hansen believes Luis Suarez is the signing of the year and has the potential to become an international superstar with the Reds. The Uruguayan has made a remarkable impact since his move from Ajax in January, having scored nine goals since his Anfield arrival. Away ... Read more
Good start key: Riyad
Mahmudullah Riyad is usually a man of few words, but the newly-appointed vice-captain of the Tigers makes his point precisely. Despite the West Indies having the ICC Emerging Player of the Year, Devender Bishoo, as their leading spinner, the Tigers are concerned of the opposition pace attack. Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul and Carlos Brathwaite make ... Read more
An opportunity, not revenge for Sammy
The only two times Darren Sammy played Tests against Bangladesh were during the 2-0 defeat in 2009. But earlier this year, he was at the helm when the Tigers were shot out for 58 runs. Despite the World Cup West Indies would be willing to reverse those Test defeats but are not yet calling this ... Read more
Batsmen vs WI
Shahriar to lead BCB XI Shahriar Nafees will lead a batsman-heavy BCB XI side against West Indies in the first practice match at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium on Friday. The left-handed Nafees, who is part of the Tigers’ ODI plans but was ignored for the only Twenty20 against the tourists, will have Junaed Siddiqui, Mohammad ... Read more
Hungry for more
Siddikur Rahman rose to stardom when he became the first Bangladeshi golfer to win an Asian Tour event (Brunei Open in August 2010). Since then, he has been there or thereabouts amongst the top Asians wherever he played, even though he hasn’t managed to win another tour event. Hungry for more success, Siddikur now feels ... Read more