The look of pure unadulterated joy in Mirza Ahmad’s face said it all. “Can I hug you? Can I?” he asked repeatedly to the beefy Argentinean team member who had kindly volunteered to reward Mirza’s vigil by getting superstar Lionel Messi to sign Mirza’s Argentina shirt. Mirza was the highlight of the fifty odd brave ... Read more
Sports
Sacked Sakib feels no regret
Deposed national cricket captain Sakib al Hasan said that he harboured mixed feelings about the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s decision to strip him of the captaincy on Monday. The BCB sprang a huge surprise when they axed Sakib, vice captain Tamim Iqbal and manager Tanjeeb Ahsan Saad after their leadership failed to produce a satisfactory outcome ... Read more
Messi in Dhaka
The Argentina national football team arrived in Dhaka Monday morning ahead of their international friendly against Super Eagle Nigeria scheduled for Tuesday. Led by superstar Lionel Messi, the Argentina team landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:00am, amid tight security
Nasser Hussain calls Indian fielders ‘donkeys’
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has once again rubbed the Indians the wrong way as he called some of the fielders “donkeys” during the one-off Twenty20 match between India and England on Wednesday. Sitting in the commentary box, Hussain made the controversial comment after Parthiv Patel misjudged a Kevin Pietersen catch off Munaf Patel’s
Match sure, all else up in the air
A lack of a decisive decision from the Celebrity Management Group (CMG), the Kolkata-based event management firm that is brokering the Argentina friendly match in Bangladesh is threatening to put the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in a real mess. “At the moment the only thing that I can say is that the match between Argentina ... Read more
Inquest a possibility
Manzur Ahmed said yesterday that an evaluation on the state of cricket in the country will be undertaken. The Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO believes that only an honest appraisal that looks into every corner will bring stability in the national team as well as the game as a whole. “I would like to see it ... Read more
Messi still amiss
With only a week left for the scheduled FIFA friendly between Argentina and Nigeria in Dhaka, the football authorities here made little progress till yesterday in terms of the schedule of the two visiting high-profile teams. The Argentina team are expected to arrive here on September 3 while the Nigerians are scheduled to arrive two ... Read more
Kolkata all geared up
While it is still all very hazy here about Argentina’s arrival and their schedule thereafter, Kolkata is gearing up in full swing for the September 2 friendly between Argentina and Venezuela. Argentine football coach Alejandro Sabella and goalkeeper Estaban Andrada along with 15 officials arrived in Kolkata town yesterday morning heightening the football fever that ... Read more
Sakib can’t wait for Messi
While the entire country is gripped by the Lionel Messi fever with the arrival time of the Argentine superstar looming close, national cricket captain Sakib al Hasan is also not an exception. Sakib, currently Bangladesh’s biggest sporting icon, is a keen follower of Messi, so much so that he even recently switched his support to ... Read more
BFF ball-boys cherish the special occassion
Abu Bakar Siddique never thought he will get an opportunity to see Lionel Messi from so close let alone being involved in a game played by the Argentine superstar in some capacity. But his dream is all set to come true as Bakar, 14, is one of the 16 young footballers selected to work as ... Read more
Team leader Munna takes a swipe at Tigers
Shafiqur Rahman Munna, Bangladesh’s head of delegation in Zimbabwe tour, took a swipe at the players for not showing enough commitment during the just-concluded tour. ‘I think some of them lacked commitment. They did not have the urge to play for the national side which is very disappointing,’ Munna told reporters on
Inquest 2003 is perfect model
Tigers’ Zim Debacle Inquest 2003 is perfect model The direction that cricket in Bangladesh will take hinges on the board meeting immediately after the Eid vacation. After the ill-fated Zimbabwe tour, will the Bangladesh Cricket Board thoroughly examine the failure and thus take some measures to lift Bangladesh’s cricketing fortunes? Or will the same old ... Read more
Tight security for Messi & Co
Stringent security measures have been taken by the Bangladesh Football Federation to ensure safe stay of the Argentina and Nigeria teams in Dhaka during their September 6 FIFA friendly. Dhaka Metropolitan Police will co-ordinate the whole security programme with the help of the other related bodies like the BFF, CID, Civil Aviation, SWAT and
Many issues still brewing
Argentina-Nigeria Friendly Many issues still brewing The Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel yesterday officially asked the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to not accommodate the Argentina national football team at their premises due to security issues that have arisen for the stay of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the same time. The Special Security Force of ... Read more
Bobby turns down BPL job
The fate of proposed T20 tournament uncertain Bangla-desh Cricket Board vice-president Ahmed Sazzadul Alam Bobby said on Friday that he has declined to take the responsibility of co-ordinator for the proposed Bangladesh Premier League. Bobby’s name was proposed by the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board long ago as the board was eying to host ... Read more
BCB hunts broom-wielding fans
Bangladesh Cricket Board is looking for broom-wielding fans who defied late night sleep on Wednesday to humiliate the members of the national cricket team upon their return from Zimbabwe. BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal said they have informed the law-enforcing agencies to identify the persons, who appeared to have acted in a planned
Turner takes positives from SA tour
GP-BCB Academy coach Ross Turner said they had a good tour in South Africa as they could take some positives as two players performed exceptionally despite not being able to win any of the two Twenty20 games, the one-day or the longer version cricket series. The academy side returned on Thursday after completing their three-week ... Read more
Akram dismisses feud among Tigers
Chief selector Akram Khan on Tuesday rubbished the reports that a bitter feud between skipper Sakib al Hasan and his predecessor Mohammad Ashraful had cost Bangladesh the Test and one-day series against Zimbabwe. Different reports suggested Sakib had a growing disliking for Ashraful, which created a sharp
Sakib and Tigers slide in rankings
Bangladesh’s one-day ranking has declined sharply after they lost to Zimbabwe 3-2 in the just-concluded series, the International Cricket Council said on Tuesday. Though the Tigers maintained their ninth place in the ranking, they dropped seven crucial points, sliding from 70 to 63. Zimbabwe also remained stuck in the10th place though they added eight points ... Read more
MU canter past Spurs
Barclays English Premier League MU canter past Spurs Danny Welbeck, Anderson and Wayne Rooney were all on target as Manchester United continued their perfect start to the season with a 3-0 victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford here on Monday. Sir Alex Ferguson once again underlined his confidence in youth with a selection that saw ... Read more