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Taijul Islam breaks Shakib Al Hasan’s record during Ireland Test

DHAKA: Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam etchede his name into record books as he surpassed Shakib Al Hasan to become Bangladesh leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.

Taijul, 33, increased his tally to 248 wickets, surpassing Shakib’s record of 246 wickets in the longest format of the game.

He achieved the milestone during the second Test against Ireland in the sixth over of their second innings at the Shere Bangla National Stadium here on Saturday.

Most Wickes for Bangladesh in Test Cricket

Taijul Islam 249* wickets in 58 matches
Shakib Al Hasan 246 wickets in 71 matches
Mehidy Hasan Miraz 209* wickets in 56 matches

The 33-year-old stood at 246 wickets before heading into the second Test of the series. With Ireland requiring a daunting 509 to chase, Taijul chipped in the ball and trapped opener Andy Balbirnie to record a historic feat.

Notably, right-arm off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz is third on the list with 209 wickets to his name in 56 matches.

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At stumps on day four, Taijul Islam put Bangladesh into a commanding position to win the series 2-0. The visitors are 176-6 with 333 runs more required to win the game.

The spinner had so far picked three wickets in his 20 overs.

Bangladesh remained dominant throughout the match after opting to bat first and racked up 476 runs in their first innings, courtesy of fine centuries from Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das.

In reply, Ireland were bowled out for only 265 in their first innings, followed by another abysmal show with the bat in their second innings.

For the unversed, Taijul has spearheaded Bangladesh’s spin attack in Test matches in the past couple of years and has scalped 17 five-wicket hauls alongside two ten-fers in 58 games.

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Italy to face Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup playoffs

Four-time World Cup winners Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European playoffs for the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Ukraine will face star-studded Sweden.

Italy will take on Northern Ireland on March 26 next year at an Italian venue that is yet to be confirmed, after to the draw made in Zurich on Thursday.

Five days later the winner will travel to face the winner of Wales’s semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Despite another error-strewn qualification campaign, Italy still have a chance of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since the 2014 tournament in Brazil, having failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.

Facing the Azzurri will be a daunting challenge for Northern Ireland, who have only beaten the Italians once in 11 meetings, and that was in 1958.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said: “Let’s concentrate on the first match. Northen Ireland are a team that we can beat.

“They’re a team that have their own style, they’re very physical… they’ll give us a good game but we can do it.

“We know about Wales and Bosnia, and playing in Cardiff is difficult for anybody, but for now let’s concentrate on the semi-final.”

War-torn Ukraine will play a Sweden team that could feature Liverpool’s £125 million ($164 million) forward Alexander Isak and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedes, though, were woeful in qualifying, finishing bottom of their group, and only got into the playoffs thanks to their performance in the Nations League.

Newly appointed English coach Graham Potter, formerly in charge of Brighton and Chelsea, faces a tough task to steer the Swedes to the finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

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Potter said Sweden had a “fantastic opportunity”.

“We need to make sure we’re in a good place in March. We need to use our time until then wisely,” he said.

Whoever triumphs in the Ukraine v Sweden match will face the winner of Poland’s meeting with Albania — the Albanians are bidding to reach football’s showpiece for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs after a dramatic late goal from Troy Parrott earned a 3-2 win in Hungary on Sunday, face a tough trip to the Czech Republic.

The winner of that match will host the winner of the semi-final between Denmark and North Macedonia.

Turkey will play Romania, who were surprise quarter-finalists the last time the tournament was played in the United States in 1994.

The winner will face either Slovakia or Kosovo, who are also trying to reach a World Cup for the first time in their history.

All the European semi-finals will take place on March 26, with the finals on March 31.

In the inter-continental playoffs, New Caledonia — another nation bidding to make a first appearance at a World Cup finals — will play against Jamaica for the right to face the seeded Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bolivia will play Suriname — yet another country seeking a first ever appearance — with the victor going on to a winner-takes-all game against Iraq.

Those games will be played in March next year.

The expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams from 32 teams in 2022 has led to a clutch of first-time qualifiers, including Curacao and Uzbekistan.

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Mahmudul Hasan Joy stars as Bangladesh thrash Ireland in first Test

SYLHET: Mahmudul Hasan Joy played a 171-run knock to help Bangladesh register a dominant innings-and-47-run victory over Ireland on the fourth day of the first Test on Friday.

Debutant left-arm spinner Hasan Murad starred with 4-60, while Taijul Islam finished with 3-84, including the final wicket of Barry McCarthy, as Ireland were dismissed for 254 in their second innings.

Bangladesh had taken firm control of the game with a massive first-innings total of 587-8 declared in reply to Ireland’s 286.

Ireland tried to unsettle the spinners after they resumed on Friday morning with an aggressive sweep-heavy approach.

Andy McBrine resisted with a gritty 52 off 106 balls, his fifth Test half-century, but received little support until a late counterattack from McCarthy (25) and debutant Jordan Neil (36).

McCarthy and Neil added 54 runs for the ninth wicket to delay Bangladesh’s victory charge.

Murad, who took two wickets late on day three, returned to trap Irish captain Andy Balbirnie (38) with a full delivery.

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Balbirnie, who did not bat on the third evening due to a finger injury, came in at number eight.

The star for Bangladesh in the match was opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who slammed a career-best 171.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made 100, his eighth Test century and fourth as captain, equalling Mushfiqur Rahim’s tally as Bangladesh skipper.

Shadman Islam (80), Mominul Haque (80) and Liton Das (60) also contributed with the bat, while Humphreys finished with 5-170 — his second five-wicket haul in as many Tests.

The teams now move to Mirpur for the second and final Test, starting November 19 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

That match will mark Mushfiqur Rahim’s 100th Test appearance, the first Bangladesh player to reach the milestone.

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Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana penalized for Code of Conduct breach

DUBAI: Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana has been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Code of Conduct during the second day of the first Test against Ireland at Sylhet.

Rana violated Article 2.9 of the cricket governing body’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, the governing body stated.

The article relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match.”

The ICC stated that Level 1 offences carry a minimum sanction of an official reprimand and can lead to a fine of up to 50 percent of the player’s match fee.

“Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points,” it said in a statement.

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Consequently, Nahid Rana has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point, marking the 23-year-old’s first offense in 24 months.

The incident happened in the 27th over of Ireland’s innings when Rana, in his follow-through, threw the ball back towards Cade Carmichael, which hit him on the pads. The batter, however, did not move off the popping crease.

Rana admitted the offence and accepted the charge proposed by ICC match referee Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Sam Nogajski and Ahsan Raza, alongside third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire Tanvir Ahmed.

Nonetheless, Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s highest Test score of 169* demonstrated a commanding performance from Bangladesh on day two against Ireland.

The Tigers ended their day on a high with 338-1, leading by 52 runs after bowling out Ireland for 286 in the opening hours of the day’s play.

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Mushfiqur Rahim set for landmark 100th Test against Ireland

DHAKA: Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim is set to etch his name into the history books as he approaches a remarkable milestone— becoming the first player from his nation to play 100 Test matches.

Mushfiqur is expected to reach the landmark in the second Test against Ireland, scheduled to begin on November 19 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka. The first Test of the two-match series will be held in Sylhet from November 11.

This comes after Cricket Ireland agreed to play two Tests. Earlier, Ireland had preferred to play a One-Day International (ODI) series instead of a second Test.

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Currently on 98 Tests, Mushfiqur Rahim made his debut as an 18-year-old in 2005 at Lord’s – the home of cricket.

The wicket-keeper batter holds several records for Bangladesh, including the most runs in Tests (6328) and the highest individual score (219) against Zimbabwe.

Overall, the batter has represented Bangladesh in 98 Tests, 274 ODIs, and 102 T20Is.

The Ireland series will also mark the start of an action-packed home season for the Tigers.

Following the conclusion of the Ireland tour, the West Indies will tour Bangladesh for six-white ball matches in October. The series will begin with ODIs on October 18, 20, and 23 and conclude with a T20I series on October 27, 30, and November 1.

Bangladesh’s 2025–26 home season will also feature a full series against Pakistan, comprising two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is in March–April.

Later on, New Zealand will also tour Bangladesh as per the Future Tour Programme (FTP).

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Bethell named captain as England announce squads for South Africa, Ireland series

Jacob Bethell is set to become the youngest England men’s captain as the Three Lions announces squads for the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa and Ireland, set to commence in September 2025.

England will contest three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against South Africa. The ODI series begins on Tuesday, 2 September at Headingley.

The three-match T20I series against Ireland will be held at Malahide in Dublin, with the opening game scheduled for Wednesday, September 17.

Jacob Bethell is set to become the youngest England captain after being named as deputy for Harry Brook in the Ireland series.

The 21-year-old will surpass the record held by Monty Bowdow, who was 23 and 144 days when he led England.

Among the notable inclusions is off-pacer Sonny Baker, who has won his maiden call-up to the national side for the ODI series against South Africa.

Meanwhile, Rehan Ahmed is set to return to the ODI fold after having a prolific summer with the bat for his county team.

Following the squad announcement, England men’s selector, Luke Wright, shared his views on Jacob Bethell’s appointment.

“Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads, and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage,” he said.

Wright further commented on Baker’s inclusion and his impressive tour with England Lions.

“Sonny is a player we have identified for a while and he was impressive during the England Lions tours last winter. He has carried that form into this season in white-ball cricket with Hampshire and Manchester Originals and deservedly gets his opportunity,” he remarked.

England ODI squad to face South Africa

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith

England T20I squad to face South Africa

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood

England T20I squad for Ireland Series

Jacob Bethell (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood

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Muneeba Ali’s century hands Pakistan consolation victory against Ireland

DUBLIN: Muneeba Ali’s sublime century steered Green Shirts to an eight-wicket victory in the third Pakistan vs Ireland T20I here at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground on Sunday.

With this win, Pakistan managed to avoid a whitewash, with Ireland securing the series 2-1.

Muneeba Ali bagged the player of the match, while Orla Prendergast was named the Player of the Ireland vs Pakistan series.

The Green Shirts chased down a target of 156 runs, losing only two wickets in the process in 17.4 overs.

Pakistan started briskly in the chase, scoring 33 runs in only 3.4 overs, losing Shawaal Zulfiqar (3), who was caught.

Natalia Pervaiz was joined by Muneeba Ali, who brought the score to 55 before the former’s dismissal.

Natalia could only manage to score nine off five deliveries with the help of two fours.

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Following the two early wickets, Muneeba Ali and Aliya Riaz forged an unbeaten 101-run partnership to guide their team to a victory.

Muneeba remained the core aggressor, whereas Aliya batted cautiously, ensuring that Pakistan reached the target. Aliya Riaz made 39 from 27 deliveries, striking five fours.

Meanwhile, Muneeba Ali scored the winning runs with a single, reaching the triple-figure mark for the second time in her T20I career and becoming the only Pakistani women cricketer to achieve the feat.

For Ireland, Ava Canning and Lara McBride took one wicket each.

Earlier, after opting to bat first in the third Pakistan vs Ireland T20I, the home side managed to score 155-4 in their allocated 20 overs.

The home side’s top-order demonstrated a strong batting showing, with openers Amy Hunter (29) and Gaby Lewis (36) laying a 52-run partnership in only 5.5 overs.

Following the removal of openers, Orla Prendergast continued her rich vein of form and struck an unbeaten 64 off 46 balls. Her gutsy knock included eight boundaries.

For Pakistan, Sadia Iqbal, Waheeda Akhtar, Rameen Shamim, and Fatima Sana picked one wicket each

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Ireland edge Pakistan in last-ball thriller to clinch T20I series

DUBLIN: Jane Maguire hit a last-ball six to secure a series-clinching win for Ireland women against Pakistan women in the second T20I here at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground on Friday.

With this, Ireland women won the three-match series against Pakistan women, with one match to be played between them.

The third Pakistan-Ireland T20I will be played on Sunday, August 10, at the same venue.

Set to chase a challenging 169-run target, the Ireland women’s team hit the winning runs on the last ball of the match.

The home started poorly in the big chase, losing their three wickets inside the power play on the score of 35 runs.

Amy Hunter (6) was run out, while Rameen Shamim removed skipper Gaby Lewis (21) and Leah Paul for a golden duck.

However, Orla Prendergast and Laura Delany forged a crucial 76 runs on the fourth wicket to steer Ireland in the chase. As a result, the home side reached 111 in 15.1 overs.

Prendergast was eventually removed after scoring 51 off 34 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and two maximums.

Delany, on the other hand, continued till the 19th over and crafted another 49-run partnership with Rebecca Stokell to bring the score to 160 in the 19th over.

The duo ensured that Ireland reached within sight of the target. However, the match entered an interesting phase with Ireland requiring nine off six balls.

Delany’s gusty knock of 42 from 34 balls ended as she was caught by Tuba Hassan off Fatima Sana’s bowling.

Sadia Iqbal, the number one-ranked T20I bowler, started well with a single and a dot, followed by two doubles to bring down the equation to four from two balls.

She also managed to remove well Ava Canning (4), with Ireland requiring four of the last ball to seal a memorable win for the home side.

Meanwhile, Jane Maguire had other plans who struck six on the last ball to take his team home in a tense run chase.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan scored 168-6 in their allotted 20 overs.

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The Green Shirts’ opening pair of Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar provided the visitors a strong start, scoring 62 runs in just eight overs before they perished on successive deliveries.

Shawaal top-scored for Pakistan, accumulating 33 runs off 27 balls, which included six boundaries.

Muneeba provided solid support with a quickfire 27 runs off 22 balls, featuring three fours and one six.

Following the loss of the openers, Natalia and Eyman Fatima formed an essential partnership, adding 43 runs for the third wicket before Natalia was dismissed by Lara McBride in the 13th over.

Fatima scored 23 runs off 16 balls, including two fours and one six.

Natalia then teamed up with captain Fatima Sana to contribute an additional 30 runs for the fourth wicket, which helped strengthen Pakistan’s total.

However, the partnership was broken when Cara Murray dismissed Natalia, who had scored 31 runs off just 17 balls with four boundaries.

Captain Fatima soon followed, getting out to Orla Prendergast after making 23 runs off 16 balls, which included one four and one six.

At number seven, Tuba Hassan added an unbeaten 10 runs toward the end, ensuring Pakistan surpassed the 160-run milestone.

For Ireland, Lara McBride and Cara Murray each claimed two wickets, while Orla Prendergast chipped in with one.

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Prendergast stars as Ireland beat Pakistan in T20I series opener

DUBLIN: Orla Prendergast’s all-around performance led Ireland to an 11-run victory over Pakistan in the first match of the three-match T20I series here at the Clontarf Cricket Club on Wednesday.

Chasing a 143-run target, Pakistan crumbled under pressure and could only muster 131-9 in their allocated 20 overs.

In pursuit of the target, Green Shirts were jolted by Ireland’s bowlers with early wickets. Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali were sent back to the pavilion on five, five runs respectively.

Consequently, Pakistan was reduced to 22-2 in only 3.5 overs.

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However, Sidra Amin and Aliya Riaz tried to steady Pakistan’s ship in the chase, with a brief stand of 20 runs. On a total of 42 in 9.1 overs, both batters were dismissed on successive balls.

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Ireland continued to strike at regular intervals amid a shambolic batting display from Pakistan’s middle order. Green Shirts’ trouble was evident with the highest partnership of only 31 runs between Natalia Pervaiz and Rameen Shamim.

Rameen Shamim was caught on 27 from 20 balls, striking four boundaries, whereas Natalia Pervaiz emerged as the top scorer for her 29 off 23 balls with the aid of three fours and a six.

For Ireland, Orla Prendergast was the standout bowler, scalping three wickets in her four overs.

Earlier, after being put into bat, Ireland were bowled for 142 runs in 19.4 overs.

Amy Hunter top scored with 37 off 30 balls, managing to hit five boundaries, while Orla Prendergast was equally good for her 29 from 26 deliveries. She struck three fours in her gutsy knock.

The duo added a vital 42-run partnership for the second wicket, which helped the home side reach a winning total.

For Pakistan, Fatima Sana starred with the ball, taking a four-wicket haul and giving away only 26 runs in her four overs.

The second T20I between Ireland and Pakistan will be played on Friday, August 8, at the same venue.

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Trophy unveiled for Pakistan-Ireland T20I series

DUBLIN: The trophy for the forthcoming three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Ireland women’s cricket team was unveiled here on Tuesday.

Captains from both sides, Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis, posed with the trophy here at the Clontarf Cricket Club.

The opening match of the Pakistan-Ireland series will be played on August 6 at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for August 8 and 10, respectively.

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Pakistan and Ireland are both looking to extend their winning momentum, as the visitors come off an undefeated run in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers campaign.

On the other hand, last month, Ireland thumped Zimbabwe with 3-0 whitewash.

The Ireland series serves as essential match practice ahead of a busy international calendar, including a home series against South Africa in September and the ICC Women’s World Cup, which is set to be played under a hybrid model later this year.

Pakistan Squad

Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tuba Hassan, and Waheeda Akhtar.

Ireland squad

Gaby Lewis (capt), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Freya Sargent, Rebecca Stokell

Schedule for Pakistan-Ireland T20I series

August 6 – First T20I at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin
August 8 – Second T20I at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin
August 10 – Third T20I at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin

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