Tag: Bangladesh

Skipper Pat Cummins and injured paceman Josh Hazlewood were named in the squad of Australia for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, in Pakistan next month.

Cummins opted out of the Sri Lanka series, which is set to commence later this month, due to the birth of his second child. He is also reportedly carrying a knee injury.

Meanwhile, Hazlewood was included in the two-time tournament winners’ preliminary 15-man line-up after calf and side strains restricted him to just two Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India over the summer.

While they return, opener Jake Fraser-McGurk was dumped, paying the price for his poor recent form after opening for Australia during their most recent one-day series against Pakistan.

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“This is a balanced and experienced squad with the core having been involved in the previous one-day World Cup, the West Indies series, last year’s successful tour of the UK and the more recent Pakistan home series,” said chief selector George Bailey.

“It offers a variety of options for touring management depending on the opposition and the conditions that may present in Pakistan.”

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Australia squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Pat Cummins (capt), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

READ: Women’s Ashes 2025: Ashleigh Gardner helps Australia defeat England in first ODI

AUCKLAND: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled in Pakistan, with India playing their matches in Dubai.

Seasoned players Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson were recalled to form an experienced New Zealand squad to contest the Champions Trophy.

The aforementioned three players were unavailable for the recently concluded home ODI series against Sri Lanka because of offshore T20 commitments.

Batters Williamson and Conway have been playing in South Africa’s T20 league while pace bowler Ferguson is involved in Australia’s Big Bash competition.

Ben Sears was also selected for the ICC tournament co-hosted by Pakistan and UAE, having missed the 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka with a knee injury.

It will be the first senior ICC event for Sears and fellow pace bowlers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith.

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Coach Gary Stead will oversee a squad he said also boasted experience and depth.

“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions,” Stead said.

Spin bowler Mitchell Santner will lead New Zealand at a major event for the first time, after being named full-time white ball captain in December.

Santner, former skipper Williamson and wicketkeeper Tom Latham were all part of the New Zealand squad for the last edition of the Champions Trophy, in England and Wales in 2017.

New Zealand will contest the tournament’s opening match against Pakistan in Karachi on February 19, followed by pool games against Bangladesh and India.

New Zealand squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke

READ: Shakib Al Hasan dropped as Bangladesh announce squad for Champions Trophy

DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, with veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan missing out.

The all-rounder was recently banned from bowling in competitions governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). This decision came on the heels of an independent re-assessment of his bowling action revealing concerns over the legality of his deliveries.

Although Shakib Al Hasan remained eligible to participate as a specialist batter, the Bangladeshi selectors opted to exclude him.

Moreover, Bangladesh will also be lacking the services of another veteran player, Tamim Iqbal, who recently retired from international cricket, despite having been approached by the team’s white-ball captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, along with other key figures within the squad, urging him to reconsider.

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However, experienced players such as wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Mahmudullah have secured their places in the contingent, bringing their wealth of knowledge and skill to the mix.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Bangladesh are placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan and New Zealand. They will play their opening game in the tournament against India in Dubai on February 20.

Bangladesh squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

READ: Tamim Iqbal retires from international cricket again

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially announced on Thursday that Najmul Hossain Shanto has chosen to resign from his position as the national T20I captain.

This decision comes on the heels of his earlier statements indicating that he would not be continuing in this role following the conclusion of the home series against South Africa last year.

Initially, Najmul had contemplated stepping down from the T20I captaincy after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which took place in the USA and West Indies.

However, after a period of reflection, he has decided to withdraw from leadership responsibilities altogether across all formats of the game.

Although the BCB had initially supported Najmul’s decision to step back, a twist in the narrative occurred when BCB President Faruque Ahmed intervened unexpectedly.

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Ahmed’s intervention resulted in Najmul’s reinstatement as captain for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. However, Najmul’s leadership was cut short due to an injury incurred during the series.

“Shanto finally told us that he won’t lead in the T20Is, and we accepted it. But since we don’t have T20Is at the moment, we have time on hand, so we are not picking a new captain,” a senior BCB official said.

However, he confirmed that Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead Bangladesh in the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled for Pakistan in February-March.

“If there is no injury issue, Najmul will remain the captain for Tests and ODIs, and we have discussed it,” he added.

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KINGSTON: Taijul Islam snared five wickets for the 15th time in a Test innings to lead Bangladesh to a series-levelling 101-run victory over the West Indies on the fourth evening of the second and final Test at Sabina Park on Tuesday.

After Jaker Ali’s Test-best innings of 91 lifted the tourists to 268 all out in their second innings and left the home team with a daunting victory target of 287, Taijul Islam broke the back of the Caribbean side’s effort with five for 50 as they were dismissed for 185 in the day’s final session.

Fast bowler Nahid Rana, whose maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings pulled Bangladesh back into contention, had the satisfaction of administering the final rites when he yorked last man Shamar Joseph for his only wicket of the innings.

“It’s a great feeling to win a Test match abroad which we don’t often do and all the boys really put in a tremendous effort,” said player-of-the-match Islam.

Seamers Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud took two wickets each with Taskin emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the brief series with 11 victims to his name.

Kavem Hodge top-scored for the West Indies with 55, while captain Kraigg Brathwaite played with unusual adventure at the top of the order, contributing 43 off 63 deliveries.

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But they lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually succumbed in just 50 overs as Bangladesh swiftly avenged the 201-run mauling they endured in the first Test in Antigua a week earlier.

“We wanted to be positive and I thought we started well but obviously we couldn’t carry it through to the end of the day,” said Brathwaite.

This was the first Test victory for Bangladesh in the West Indies since their 2-0 sweep over a depleted Caribbean side in 2009.

Earlier Ali’s belligerent innings, which occupied 106 deliveries and was embellished by eight fours and five sixes, tilted the balance heavily in favour of Bangladesh as the highest successful run-chase in a Test at Sabina Park was the 212 achieved by the West Indies over Sri Lanka in 2003.

Such was the extent of the 26-year-old right-hander’s dominance of the morning that he contributed 62 of the 75 runs added by the tourists after resuming at the overnight position of 193-5.

Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach took three wickets each for the West Indies, Joseph ending Ali’s quest for a maiden Test hundred when he was last out, caught at deep midwicket a half-hour before lunch.

READ: South Africa name squad for T20I series against Pakistan

KINGSTON: Nahid Rana claimed his first five-wicket haul to take Bangladesh ahead of the West Indies before the tourists’ usually suspect batting line-up displayed a measure of resilience to claim the upper hand on the third day of the second Test here at Sabina Park.

Rana led the rout of the home side’s first innings for 146 on Monday with impressive figures of five for 61, giving the visitors a lead of 18 runs.

Buoyed by that effort, the Bangladesh top-order batting then displayed the sort of shot-making confidence previously unseen in this brief series to reach stumps at 193 for five in the second innings, a lead of 211 with five wickets in hand.

Given that the highest successful run-chase in a Test match at Sabina Park is just 211, achieved by the West Indies against Sri Lanka in 2003, history would appear to be on the side of the tourists forcing a series-levelling victory over the final two days.

Starting the day at 70 for one, West Indies were swiftly undermined by the 22-year-old Rana, who added four more victims to the dismissal of Mikyle Louis the previous evening.

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Rana was well supported by fellow seamer Hasan Mahmud, who returned with bowling figures of 2-19.

Keacy Carty top-scored for West Indies with 40 while captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the first wicket of the day when he was caught in the gully off Rana, contributed 39.

“We knew it was coming at some stage,” said Bangladesh bowling coach Andre Adams. “When you bowl 150 k’s (km/h) you are going to take wickets eventually.

“We’ve got to look after him. That’s why he didn’t play in the first Test match. Luckily he has guys out there like Taskin (Ahmed) and Hasan as fellow seamers to keep him focused on the field.”

Bangladesh rallied from the early loss of Mahmudul Hasan Joy at the start of the second innings with 46 from Shadman Islam and a 39-ball 42 from captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who promoted himself to number four in the order, taking the initiative from a West Indies team which lost the plot in the final session when they insisted on ultra-aggression and paid the price with a succession of boundaries.

Bangladesh Playing XI: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana

West Indies Playing XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

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CHATTOGRAM: South Africa thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 273 runs inside three days of the second Test here on Thursday to sweep the two-match series 2-0.

Bangladesh were all out for 143 in Chattogram after being put straight back into bat by the Proteas, a single session after ending their first innings on 159.

Left-arm spinner Maharaj took 5-59 after fast bowler Kagiso Rabada posted 5-37 from just nine overs in the first innings.

It was South Africa’s biggest Test win, surpassing their innings and 254-run victory over Bangladesh at home in 2017.

After ending the first innings behind by 416 runs, the onus was on home team veterans Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to save face — but all fell cheaply.

Mushfiqur, who failed to score in the first innings, returned to the pavilion having made two. He tried to sweep Senuran Muthusamy but missed the ball, which hit his pad at the leg-stump line.

Maharaj claimed Mehidy for six while Muthusamy sent back Najmul, leaving the hosts on a despairing 78-7.

Bangladesh fought on through the last session with Hasan Mahmud the last man left on 38 off 30 balls, including four sixes.

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Maharaj sealed the match taking the last wicket of Nahid Rana for a duck. It was his 10th five-wicket haul. Muthusamy finished the second innings with 4-45.

He struck in his first over of the innings when his tossed-up delivery to Mahmudul Hasan Joy kissed the bat and landed in the palms of Aiden Markram at slip.

Maharaj first struck when he sent back Mominul Haque, who scored 82 in the first innings, for a duck.

At the start of the day, the hosts were reduced to 48-8, conceding four wickets to add 10 runs to their overnight total, before a mini-fightback by Mominul.

Rabada struck twice in one over as Mehidy Hasan Miraz was caught behind and debutant Mahidul Islam Ankon offered no shot to a ball nipping back and was trapped lbw for a duck.

The burst gave Rabada his second five-wicket haul of the series, to go with his 6-46 in the first Test victory in Mirpur.

South Africa had three batsmen hit maiden Test centuries in their first innings 575-6 — De Zorzi (177), Tristan Stubbs (106) and Wiaan Mulder (105 not out).

Earlier, South Africa won the first Test by seven wickets. It’s worth noting that Bangladesh have never won a Test against South Africa in 16 attempts.

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Bangladesh called up uncapped spinner Hasan Murad on Friday to replace retiring Shakib Al Hasan ahead of the first Test against South Africa after security fears led the ex-skipper to cancel plans to return home.

Shakib announced his retirement from international cricket last month but said that he wanted to play one last red-ball series at home.

But the 37-year-old is also an ex-lawmaker in a government ousted by a revolution, and his links to Bangladesh’s autocratic former premier has made him a target of public anger.

Shakib cancelled plans to return home on Thursday for the first time since the August uprising, saying the decision was made as “a matter of my own security”.

Left-arm spinner Murad, 23, was named in the squad instead for the first match of a two-Test series starting in Dhaka on Monday.

“We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selection panel chair Gazi Ashraf Hossain said in a statement.

“He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that calibre with both bat and the ball to replace him,” he added.

“However, Hasan Murad has performed consistently in first-class cricket… We believe he has the potential to deliver at this level.”

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Hasan Murad has taken 136 first-class wickets from 30 matches since his 2021 debut.

Shakib is a former lawmaker from the party of autocratic ex-leader Sheikh Hasina, who fled by helicopter to India in August.

He is among dozens from Hasina’s party facing murder investigations for a deadly police crackdown on protesters during the uprising.

Asif Mahmud, who heads the sports ministry, said he had advised the cricket board to discourage Shakib from returning because of public anger.

Shakib Al Hasan apologised in a Facebook post earlier this month for remaining silent during the revolution.

Bangladesh squad for South Africa Tests: 

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Zaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Hasan Murad.

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Retiring Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has apologised for remaining silent during a student-led revolution but defended his contentious decision to serve the autocratic regime it toppled.

Shakib, 37, is among dozens of figures from ousted premier Sheikh Hasina’s party facing murder investigations for a deadly police crackdown on protesters during the summer uprising.

The former captain had been elected as a lawmaker earlier this year and served until parliament was dissolved after Hasina’s August resignation and exile to neighbouring India at the peak of the unrest.

In a long note posted on his official Facebook page late Wednesday, Hasan said he was “sincerely apologetic” for not speaking up during the protests.

“I pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives,” the note said.

“While nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, I sincerely apologise to everyone who was hurt by my silence. I too would have been upset if I were in your place.”

More than 700 people were killed in the unrest leading up to Hasina’s ouster, according to Bangladesh’s health ministry.

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Shakib was playing in a domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Canada when the regime collapsed and has not returned to Bangladesh since.

But he has toured Pakistan and India with the Bangladeshi team with the approval of the interim government established to govern the country after Hasina’s departure.

Shakib’s election to parliament in January came after a poll boycotted by Hasina’s opponents and criticised by observers as unfree and unfair.

He said he had decided to contest the vote because he wanted to “contribute to the development of my hometown”.

“It is difficult to directly play a part in the development of your area in Bangladesh if you don’t have a designated position,” he wrote.

Shakib Al Hasan announced his retirement from international cricket last month but said then that he wanted to play one last Test series at home, with South Africa slated to tour later this month.

He said in his Facebook post that he wanted the opportunity to “say goodbye” to all of his fans.

“You all know that I will soon be playing my last match,” he said. “I hope — not just hope but believe — that at my farewell hour, you will all be with me.”

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Former Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad said Tuesday his remaining two T20 matches in India will be his last international appearance in the format, vowing to play out with a “good show”. 

The 38-year-old Mahmudullah, who quit Tests in 2021, is set to play his 140th T20 match for Bangladesh in the second game in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The tourists need to win in the Indian capital to keep the three-match series alive, after they lost the opener by seven wickets in Gwalior.

“I am retiring from T20 cricket after the last game of this series,” Mahmudullah told reporters.

The final match of the series will be in Hyderabad on Saturday.

“I was pre-decided before coming here. I had a chat with my family and with my coach and captain,” Mahmudullah added.

“It is the right time to move on from this format for me and the team as well and concentrate on the one-day game.”

Mahmudullah Riyad has been Bangladesh’s warhorse after he made his international debut in 2007 in a one-day international against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

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He has played 50 Tests, 232 ODIs and 139 T20 matches for his country with over 10,500 runs across formats as a dependable middle-order batsman and 165 wickets with his off-spin.

“If we can play to our ability (in Delhi), then we could put up a good show”, he said.

Mahmudullah said he had “no regrets” in his 17-year career.

“I have never ever regretted, at any stage at any point of my life, playing for Bangladesh,” he said. “I have always been a team man.”

The veteran said the T20 team remains in good hands under skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto.

Mahmudullah Riyad’s T20 exit comes soon after star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan announced his decision to quit the format last month during the Test series, which the tourists lost 2-0.

India’s left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh meanwhile said he was making the most of his opportunities in the national team without thinking much about the future.

“My life mantra is to enjoy the present,” Arshdeep, who made his India debut in 2022, told reporters.

“I want to do my best in all the formats wherever I get the opportunity.”

Arshdeep, who has claimed 86 wickets in 55 T20 internationals, played in India’s T20 World Cup triumph in June.

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