United News of Bangladesh

A heated controversy has erupted following the recent Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) now formally demanding the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. The dispute stems from the Indian team’s refusal to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts at the end of the match on September 14, when India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets. The PCB issued a statement alleging that Pycroft violated the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Code of Conduct and should be “immediately removed from the Asia Cup.” This demand follows a formal complaint lodged by the PCB with the ICC. On his official X account, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated, “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup.” Bangladesh not playing their brand of cricket, says Mukund The PCB also brought the issue to the attention of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), describing the Indian team's actions as “unsporting” and “against the spirit of the game.” According to the report, Pakistan's team manager, Naveed Cheema, “strongly objected to the behavior of Indian players.” In protest, Pakistan’s captain did not attend the post-match ceremony. India’s Stance India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav, defended the team's decision, explaining it was a mark of solidarity and respect for the victims of a recent terror attack. At the post-match presentation, Yadav stated, “We stand with the victims and families of the terror attack and express our solidarity. We want to dedicate today's win to all of our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery.” The attack, occurred on April 22 in Pahalgam, reportedly killed 25 Indians. India blamed Pakistan for the attack — which Pakistan denied — and then launched air strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with Pakistan firing missiles back. The retaliatory actions from both sides led to the worst military confrontation between the neighboring countries in decades, resulting in dozens of casualties.

Former Indian cricketer and analyst Abhinav Mukund has voiced his concern over Bangladesh's performance in the Asia Cup, suggesting the team has abandoned its aggressive, high-scoring style of play that defined their game in recent years. Highlighting the struggles of openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon, Mukund said Bangladesh are not showing the fearless style that once made them dangerous. “They [Bangladesh] hit a lot of sixes and played a different brand of cricket over the last couple of years. But that hasn’t been seen enough in this Asia Cup,” he said in a recent discussion with ESPNcricinfo. Mukund emphasized that a return to an attacking mindset is crucial, especially as Bangladesh faces a challenging Afghan bowling lineup. “I’d love to see them be brave, especially against Afghanistan, build a strong total, and put pressure on Afghanistan," he stated. The analyst noted that while both Tanzid and Emon have shown promise, they are struggling to adapt to international conditions. “They play a particular brand of cricket, but in international cricket, you need to adapt everywhere. I’ve seen them trying to be aggressive, but it just hasn’t come off,” Mukund said. Looking ahead, Mukund warned that Afghanistan's bowlers, particularly Fazalhaq Farooqi and Ghazanfar, will pose a significant challenge to the Bangladeshi batsmen. Bangladesh is playing its last group match against Afghanistan, where they have to win to go through to the next stage. Litton Das won the toss and decided to bat first. It remains to be seen whether Bangladesh could play their brand of cricket. Their Asia Cup run is hanging by a thread after a bruising loss to Sri Lanka on Saturday night. Bangladesh performed poorly in this tournament, especially after the powerplay. Quick wickets have left the middle order exposed. Mushtaq admitted those collapses weigh on the team.

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stirred debate in the cricketing world by questioning the very competitiveness of the Asia Cup. Arguing that India face little challenge within the continent, he proposed bringing in African teams and even rebranding the tournament as an “Afro-Asia Cup” to rekindle excitement among fans. Speaking on his YouTube channel ahead of India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE, Ashwin did not mince words about what he sees as the event’s diminishing charm. According to him, there is hardly a team in Asia capable of beating India. He said. “How are these teams going to even compete?” India’s dominance is undeniable: they have lifted the trophy eight times, including three of the last four editions. Ashwin himself admitted that for the sake of competition, he would prefer to see another champion emerge. “In a way, I really hope someone else wins the tournament. Because only then will there be a contest in Asia,” he remarked. Even Afghanistan’s emphatic victory over Hong Kong in Tuesday’s curtain-raiser failed to impress him. While acknowledging Afghanistan’s bowlers as potential threats, he dismissed their batting depth: “Even against the so-called threat of the Afghanistan bowlers, if India bat well and score 170+, who will Afghanistan chase this down with? It’s nearly impossible.” Bangladesh fared even worse in his assessment. Once a team known for spirited performances, they no longer merited serious mention in Ashwin’s eyes. “We’ve not even spoken about Bangladesh,” he said, “Because there is nothing to talk about with them.” Bangladesh squad leave for Asia Cup, batter Jaker dismisses criticism The statistics back his argument. India enter the tournament riding the momentum of 17 wins in their last 20 T20Is since clinching the 2024 T20 World Cup. Armed with a deep batting lineup and spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, Ashwin believes the team is virtually untouchable. “None of these teams pick Kuldeep or Varun. And we’ve not even spoken about India’s powerful batting line-up, which has match-winners galore.” For Ashwin, the solution lies in broadening the tournament’s horizons. “They can almost include a South Africa and make it an Afro-Asia Cup to make the tournament competitive.” he suggested. He even floated the idea of fielding an India A side to create at least some semblance of a contest. Wrapping up his assessment of India’s rivals, Ashwin noted that the only realistic path to victory against India is to limit them to a modest total and then hope to chase it down. Otherwise, even the inherently thrilling format of T20 could turn into a one-sided affair in this Asia Cup.

Afghanistan made a dream start to their Asia Cup 2025 campaign, steamrolling Hong Kong by 94 runs in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday—their biggest-ever T20 win against the side and the third-biggest margin in the history of the Men’s Asia Cup T20. For a nation still reeling from the devastation of a recent earthquake, the resounding triumph offered a moment of joy and pride. Winning the toss at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Afghan captain Rashid Khan opted to bat first, and his side piled up a commanding 188 for six wickets, thanks to opener Sediqullah Atal’s composed 73* and Azmatullah Omarzai’s blistering all-round display. In reply, Hong Kong crumbled to manage just  94 for nine. The Afghans were jolted early, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (8) and Ibrahim Zadran (1) in quick succession with the scoreboard reading a precarious 26 for two. But Atal and veteran Mohammad Nabi steadied the innings, crafting a 51-run stand that shifted momentum. Nabi’s lively 33 off 26 balls laid the platform before he departed. Omarzai then joined Atal and tore into Hong Kong’s bowling attack with a dazzling cameo. Their 82-run partnership came off just 35 balls, with Omarzai smashing 53 from 21 deliveries—an innings studded with five towering sixes and two boundaries. By the time he was caught at long-on, the damage had already been done. Atal, calm and composed, carried his bat through the innings, anchoring Afghanistan to 188 with a fluent 73 off 52 balls. For Hong Kong, captain Yasim Murtaza stood out with a miserly spell, conceding only 23 runs in four overs, while Ayush Shukla and Kinchit Shah claimed two wickets each. Yet their efforts were undone by sloppy fielding, as five catches went down during Afghanistan’s innings. Chasing 189, Hong Kong’s top-order collapsed swiftly. Four wickets tumbled inside 22 runs, and though Babar Hayat (39) fought hard to stem the collapse, the lack of support doomed his effort. They limped to 94 for nine, barely clearing the halfway mark of Afghanistan’s total. Afghan bowlers kept things tight across the board, with only Karim Janat proving slightly expensive (21 runs in two overs). The rest of the attack choked Hong Kong into submission. This emphatic win not only boosted Afghanistan’s morale but also gave them a significant net run rate advantage (+4.700), which could prove crucial in their bid to reach the finals alongside the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. T20 tri-series: Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan enters as favorites in Asia Cup warm-up Skipper Rashid Khan’s men have now set the tone for the tournament, sending an early warning to rivals that Afghanistan are here not just to compete, but to dominate. Afghanistan next face Bangladesh on September 16, while the Tigers meet Hong Kong on Thursday, September 11. Later today, hosts UAE will take on India in the second match of the tournament, starting at 8:30 pm Bangladesh time.