The Tigers are preparing for their next battle, the T20 World Cup in Australia next month, after Bangladesh’s disappointing Asia Cup campaign in the UAE, where they failed to win a single game.

As part of a tour that serves as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh are also slated to participate in a tri-nation series against Pakistan and the hosts, New Zealand.

With the deadline for naming the squad for the World Cup set for September 15, the national team players and some selected cricketers from the BCB HP team and Bangladesh Tigers programme will partake in a three-day training camp — from September 12 to 14 — at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selectors are expected to name the squad for the marquee event by September 14 and whispers from within the team management suggest that Mahmudullah Riyad, who led Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup in the previous edition last year, is no longer an automatic pick in the Tigers’ T20I squad.

Meanwhile, Soumya Sarkar, who was dropped from the side due to a sombre campaign at the last T20 World Cup, is a strong candidate to make a return to the squad. It was learned that Soumya is being considered, given the left-hander’s free-flowing stroke-making prowess, while keeping the fast and bouncy Australian conditions in mind.

Bangladesh’s newly appointed technical consultant Sridharan Sriram will be keeping a close eye on the three-day training camp, which begins today.

The post Tigers’ three-day training camp begins today appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

Bangladesh team management is considering Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim as openers for the upcoming Asia Cup, said the national team’s director Khaled Mahmud on Monday.

The selectors have picked just two recognised openers-Anamul Haque and Parvez Emon- in the 17-man squad for the Asia Cup.

Regular opener Liton Das is out injured and domestic performer Munim Shahriar has been dropped after he failed to make his mark against West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh will start their Asia Cup campaign against Afghanistan on August 30 and Mahmud said that the players for the opening slot will be decided keeping the opposition’s bowling attack in mind.

‘We have two specialist openers in [Anamul Haque] Bijoy and [Parvez Hossain] Emon. However, apart from these two, there are quite a few players who have got the experience to open the innings in domestic cricket. Keeping in mind Afghanistan’s bowling attack, we need to fix who will open the innings for us,’ Mahmud told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.

‘It can be Mushfiqur Rahim. Or, you never know, even Shakib can open the innings. Mehidy Hasan, and Sheikh Mahedi can also open the innings. We have got a lot of options but we need to think about the team combination,’ he added.

Both Mushfiq and Shakib opened the innings for Bangladesh in T20Is just once in their career. Mushfiqur opened the innings against Afghanistan back in 2019 in Mirpur, scoring just five, while Shakib scored nine against West Indies during the ICC T20 World Cup last year when he opened the innings.

The opening slot has remained an area of concern for the team management, and since the retirement of Tamim Iqbal from the shortest format, the Tigers are desperately looking for a settled opening pair.

‘None of our openers is unable to perform and we need to keep that in mind and in some cases, we need to change the positions. We might change the combination considering the pitch and conditions. But at the moment, I am not willing to disclose the names,’ he said.

The 15th edition of the Asia Cup, which will be played in T20 format, is scheduled to take place in the UAE from August 27 to September 11.

The post “Shakib and Mushfiqur could open if necessary” appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

With two early dismissals, Hasan Mahmud gave the Tigers a strong start with the ball, before spinners Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam each got one wicket to leave Zimbabwe in crumble.

At that point, a win was looking like a matter of time for the visitors, but Chakbva joined Sikandar Raza, and started scoring rapidly to keep up with the required rate.

Raza came in when the chips were down as his side were struggling at 49 for four. Along with Chakabva, Raza slowly got the score moving with both batters initially focusing on reconsolidating the innings.

The pivotal moment from Bangladesh’s perspective came when Raza got a reprieve in the 26th over after Mehedi Hasan Miraz dislodged the stumps with his wrong hand while Raza was out of his crease, running back to the

danger end. The third-umpire’s call saw Raza get the lifeline that he and his side desperately needed. From then on, the duo showed the required skill and mental resilience to get the game away from the Tigers.

Chakabva departed to Miraz after a stormy 75-ball 102, laced with 10 fours and two sixes. However, Raza and debutant Tony Munyonga ensured that Zimbabwe won without further hiccups.

Earlier, Bangladesh put on 290 runs on the board, courtesy of Mahmudullah Riyad’s unbeaten 80 and Afif Hossain’s 41.

Bangladesh got off to a solid start with Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque Bijoy’s 71-run stand. Tamim looked in good touch during a 45-ball 50 but then Bangladesh lost both openers within the space of nine deliveries as Bijoy departed for 20. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim got starts during a 50-run partnership but neither went on to make a big score, departing for 38 and 25, respectively.

Afif accelerated with a run-a-ball 41 after sluggish scoring rate in the middle overs while Mahmudullah’s late surge during an 84-ball 80 not out helped Bangladesh to 290 for nine.

The post Zim clinch ODI series appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

Bangladesh suffered their first-ever bileteral series defeat to Zimbabwe, as the hosts won the third and final series-deciding T20 international at the Harare Sports Club Ground by 10 runs on Tuesday.

Mahmudullah, returning to the T20I side following injury to skipper Nurul Hasan, failed to inspire the side to victory after the top-order did not get the Tigers off to a commendable start in chase of 157 runs set by Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh lost Liton Das (15), Anamul Haque Bijoy (14) and Parvez Hossain Emon (2) inside the Powerplay before Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudullah stabilised the innings with a 34-run stand for the fourth wicket. After Shanto departed to a scoop shot in the 10th over, Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain contributed with a 39-run stand.

Medium pacer Brad Evans turned the game in his side’s favour, removing Mahmudullah after a run-a-ball 27 and skipper Mosaddek Hossain for a duck in back-to-back deliveries. Afif and Mahedi Hasan carried Tigers’ hope during a 34-run stand. Once Mahedi fell in the 19th over after a 17-ball 22 the equation started getting out of hand. Needing 19 off the last over, Afif, who remained unbeaten on a 27-ball 39 could not produce the necessary big hits as Tigers fell short by 11 runs, reaching 146 for eight. Victor Niyauchi was the top performer with the ball for the hosts, bagging three wickets for 29 runs.

Earlier, Zimbabwe had started positively with the bat after winning the toss. Regis Chakabva struck Nasum Ahmed for a few boundaries before the batter fell to the left-arm spinner in the fourth over, unable to get the connection he wanted as Afif latched on to the catch at cover.

Mahedi Hasan then got wickets of back-to-back deliveries, first removing Wessley Madhevere for five as the batter yorked himself by coming down the ground to see his stumps castled before the dependable Sikandar Raza was holed out to the man at short-fine leg to depart for naught. With Zimbabwe’s run-rate being curbed after the Powerplay, they lost three more wickets with skipper Mosaddek Hossain removing Sean Williams and Mahmudullah then getting Craig Ervine out stumped with his first delivery of the game.

Mustafizur Rahman got the edge of Milton Shumba’s bat with Anamul Haque, in charge of wicket-keeping responsibilities taking a diving catch behind the stumps to restrict Zimbabwe to 67 for 6 in 13 overs.

From that point on, it was the Ryan Burl show as he picked his moment to hit five sixes and a four off a single over by Nasum, who became the Bangladesh bowler to concede most runs in a single over in T20Is. That 34-run over changed the momentum of the game for the hosts as Burl and Luke Jongwe strung together a 79-run seventh-wicket stand. Jongwe was holed out after a 20-ball 35 and Burl powered to a 28-ball 54 before he skied one off Hasan Mahmud to depart in the 19th over as Zimbabwe reached 156 for eight. Spinner Mahedi and pacer Mahmud each got two wickets for 28 runs in their four overs.

The post Tigers lost the series after a 10-run defeat to Zim in the third T20I appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

In the second Twenty20 international of the three-match series on Sunday at the Harare Sports Club Ground, off-spinner Mosaddek Hossain’s brilliant opening stint drove Bangladesh to a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Zimbabwe.

The part-time bowler claimed his first five-wicket haul in T20I play in the seventh over, reducing the hosts to 31-5 before Liton Das helped them reach a 136-run total with a fifty.

After Elias Sunny, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shakib Al Hasan, Mosaddek became just the fourth bowler from Bangladesh to record a five-for in T20Is.

He is also only the second spinner, after Pakistan’s Imad Wasim, to take five wickets after opening the bowling.

After Mosaddek’s exploits, Sikandar Raza struck another quickfire 62, but it also needed him to show restrain seeing his side under so much trouble.

Still, 135 would never be enough, as the visitors won with two and a half overs to spare.

Opening the bowling for the first time in T20Is, Mosaddek took a wicket with the first ball. Regis Chakabva edged the wide, innocuous delivery, only to be caught behind for a duck.

Then Wessly Madhevere, who had struck a fifty the previous afternoon, slammed one straight to cover the point where Mahedi Hasan took an easy catch off the last ball of the over.

With Zimbabwe’s score just six, Mosaddek had captain Craig Ervine, attempting a reverse sweep, caught at slip.

Sean Williams was next to go, chipping one back at Mosaddek in the fifth over, with the bowler having to jump to complete the return catch.

Mosaddek completed his five-for when Milton Shumba dragged one towards deep midwicket, only to see Hasan Mahmud run hard to complete a diving catch.

Meanwhile, 31 turned out to be the lowest score on which Zimbabwe lost their first five wickets in a T20I.

Raza and Burl stopped the rot with an 80-run sixth-wicket stand. Raza pounced on his own form to get his side out of trouble, hitting fours through cover and deep third, and also sixes over the leg-side boundary.

He struck 62 off 53 balls before succumbing to Mustafiz.

Burl was out earlier when Hasan bowled him for 32. He struck three fours through the offside.

Towards the end, Luke Jongwe struck a late six in his unbeaten 11, as Zimbabwe scampered in the last few overs to capitalise on the momentum provided by Raza.

Liton got Bangladesh’s chase off on a quick note when he struck Tanaka Chivanga for two sixes and a four in the third over.

But he lost his opening partner Munim Shahriar cheaply for the second game in a row when Richard Ngarava bowled him through the gate.

Liton then added 41 for the second wicket with Anamul Haque, who made 16 with two fours.

Anamul once again flattered to deceive, getting out as soon as he looked set. And shortly after reaching his fifty, Liton fell for 56, having struck six fours and two sixes in his 33-ball knock.

Afif Hossain was unbeaten on 30 off 28 balls with a four and a six, while Najmul Hossain Shanto made 19 off 21 balls with just one boundary.

Their unbroken 55-run fourth-wicket stand ensured no more dramas for the visitors, who had lost Liton and Anamul in the space of three deliveries.

The third and final match of the series will be held at the same venue on Friday.

The post Tigers’ seven-wicket victory in the second T20I levels the series appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

The post Tigers beat WEST Indies in ODI opener, get 1st win on tour appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

The post Tigers training camp for SL series starts on May 9 appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

The post Tigers contingent off to South Africa appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

The post ‘Confident’ Tigers leave for SA today appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

The post Tigers suffer five-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.