Bangladesh Cricket Team
BD v SL: Najmul eyes to bat longer in Kandy Test
Bangladesh top-order batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto said they are looking forward to batting longer to ensure a commanding position for the Tigers in the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh won the toss on Wednesday and opted to bat first in the first Test of the two-match series. They accumulated 302 runs for two wickets at the end of the day thanks to the maiden ton by Najmul (126*).
“It’s too early to think about the result of this game,” Najmul told a virtual press conference after day’s play. “It’s just day one. The longer we can bat, the more control we’ll have in this game. We’re looking forward to batting for a long time.”
Najmul came to the national set-up playing at all stages of the development group of Bangladesh cricket. But he disappointed with the bat in six Tests that he played so far. Najmul, however, played well at the domestic circuit.
“I had nothing to prove,” Najmul added. “I’ve worked so hard over the last four-five months. So I believed that I score at any moment. I was relaxed at the wicket. I just wanted to stay calm and keep enjoying my batting which eventually resulted in a good way.”
Also read: BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Bangladesh lost the right-handed opener, Saif Hassan, off the last ball of the second over of the match which forced Najmul to come to bat early in the morning. He took it as an opportunity and batted through almost the entire day.
The 22-year-old batsman has credited Tamim Iqbal for his success. He said: “It was tough to bat in the first session as there was some movement. Tamim told me to stay calm and play carefully. He also said the wicket is good to bat. Tamim batted well which helped me to take some time and get adapted.”
Najmul partnered with Tamim in the second wicket to post 144 runs, and he accompanied Mominul Haque in the third wicket to add 150 runs on the board – the highest third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in away Tests.
“I didn’t think much about how many balls I faced or how many runs I scored. We were focused to make big partnerships. We took one step at a time which helped to come up with the big partnerships. Now the next session is very important for us. If we can play well in the first session, it’ll help us to understand how many runs we need to in the first innings and after that, we may think about winning this game,” Najmul added.
BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Najmul Hossain Shanto registered his maiden Test century on Wednesday as Bangladesh took control of Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
At the end of the first day’s play, Tigers had amassed 302 for two wickets. Najmul and Mominul Haque were unbeaten for 126 and 64 respectively. Najmul hit 14 fours and one six while Mominul scored six fours.
Bangladesh captain Mominul won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision proved to be right despite losing Saif Hassan in the second over of the innings.
After Saif’s dismissal, Najmul came and batted with great discipline through almost the entire day. He partnered with Tamim in the second wicket to post a partnership of 144 runs.
Najmul accompanied Mominul in the third wicket stand, which was impregnable at the end of the day, to add 150 runs. It is now the highest third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in away Tests. They still have a good chance to make it even bigger.
Tigers reach Kandy for Sri Lanka Tests
Bangladesh national team have reached Sri Lanka's Kandy to play a two-match Test series against the hosts.
Bangladesh's media manager Rabeed Imam who is travelling with the team in the island nation confirmed this on Monday.
The Tigers played a two-day practice game in Katunayake ahead of the series. Twenty-one players have travelled to Sri Lanka for the preliminary squad.
The team management will announce the final squad ahead of the first Test, which will start on April 21.
Due to the Covid-19 situation in Sri Lanka, both Tests will take place at the same venue – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium of Kandy – so that the players do not have to move much.
This series is part of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh have played five matches of this event but failed to win any of them while Sri Lanka played 10 games of this event and won only one.
The series will be Bangladesh's first Test competition abroad during the pandemic. Mominul Haque, Bangladesh's Test captain, earlier said they can win this series.
"If we can give 100% effort, we can win this series," Mominul told the media before leaving for Sri Lanka.
"What we have done in Tests in the past is past. We do not know what will happen in the future. We have to play well in every session of the game."
Also read: Tour match: Tamim's Red team beat Mominul's Green by 89 runs
Bangladesh will miss the service of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the series.
Both of them are busy playing in the Indian Premier League; Shakib is representing Kolkata Knight Riders, Mustafizur is playing for Rajasthan Royals.
Bangladesh played 12 Tests in Sri Lanka and won just one on their 100th Test and drew one.
Tour match: Tamim's Red team beat Mominul's Green by 89 runs
Tamim Iqbal led Red team earned a comfortable 89 runs victory over Test captain Mominul Haque's Green team in an intra-squad two -day practice match that concluded at the Katunayeke CMC ground in Colombo on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, Red team batted first and scored 314 for 6 in 79.2 overs with top four order batsmen self retired making 50 plus runs.
Skipper cum opener Tamim Iqbal scored 63 runs off 69 deliveries hitting nine fours and two sixes,another opener Saif Hasan made 52 runs off 94 balls with six four and one six, one down Nazmul Hossain Shanta contributed 116-ball 53 runs featuring three fours and two sixes while reliable Mushfiqur Rahim hammered 66 runs off 82 balls hitting nine fours and one six.
Also read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Recap of the Key Test Records
Besides, Nurul Hasan Shohan added 62-ball 48 runs making three four and three sixes, Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 44-ball 24 runs with three boundaries while Taijul Islam made three -ball two runs for the Tamim Iqbal's Red team.
Shuvagata Hom claimed one wicket for 46 runs.
In reply, Test captain Mominul Haque 's Green team opened the innings and were all out for 225 runs in 71 overs with Mominul back to pavilion with duck in the first attempt.
Read: BAN vs SL Cricket Test series 2021: Expected personal milestones to achieve
However, Mominul batted for the 2nd time and scored 47 runs, Litton Das contributed highest 64, Mithun made 28, Shariful not out 20 for the Green team.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz grabbed three wickets for 41 runs, Abu Jayed Rahi and Taijul Islam took one wicket each for 28 and 30 runs respectively.
Also read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series
Touring Bangladesh team will play the first Test against Sri Lanka on April 21-25 at the Pallekela International Stadium in Kandy and will play the 2nd test at the same venne from April 29 to May 3.
BCB announces preliminary Test squad with three new faces
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday announced a 21-member preliminary squad for Sri Lanka Tests, including three new faces.
The final squad for this two-match Test series will be announced once the preliminary team arrives in Sri Lanka and plays an intra-squad practice game starting on April 17.
The series will begin on April 21 with the first Test, and the second and final Test will start on April 29. Both the matches will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy.
BCB included uncapped pace-bowlers Shohidul Islam, Shoriful Islam and Mukidul Islam Mugdho for this series while Shuvagata made a surprise comeback in the Test set-up after a four-year gap.
Also read: Bangladesh Emerging Women seal series against South Africa
Due to the Covid-19 situation, Bangladesh will have to play a practice match themselves. And this is why, BCB announced a 21-member squad for now, and the whole team will travel to Sri Lanka.
“We’ve decided to take the preliminary squad to Sri Lanka as it would help us in our preparation and also give exposure to a number of players who are in our thinking for the longer version going forward,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said in a statement.
“They (pace-bowlers) have been in our HP set-up and have impressed in whatever version they have played in. Mukidul and Shohidul in particular, have caught the eye in domestic First-class this season and are future Test prospects. They all have age on their side and are talented,” he added.
In the two rounds of the National Cricket League (NCL), which is currently on hold due to Covid-19 surge, Mukidul bagged 13 wickets with two five-wicket hauls while Shohidul took six wickets. Shoriful missed the NCL’s first two rounds as he was in New Zealand with the national team.
Also read: Tigers return home after disastrous New Zealand tour
“Shuvagata is coming back after a while but he has been a consistent performer in First-class cricket. We’ve considered him as a batting all-rounder but his off-break bowling is pretty handy also and gives us an option in the spin department,” he said about the inclusion of Shuvagata.
In the NCL, Shuvagata bagged seven wickets and scored 163 runs with a century.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan also made a comeback in the Bangladesh Test set-up. He played his last Test in 2018 during Bangladesh’s West Indies tour.
21-member preliminary Test teamMominul Haque, Litton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam and Nurul Hasan Sohan.
Domingo’s role as head coach under scrutiny
Since Russell Domingo took over as head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, the Tigers have been performing consistently - consistently poorly, that is. Under his coaching, Bangladesh lost a Test to Afghanistan and suffered a clean sweep in a two-match Test series against understrength West Indies as well. Now, his role is finally facing the scrutiny of the board.
The Tigers’ recent assignment was in New Zealand where they crashed to six defeats across two formats and their winless drought in New Zealand across all three reached 32. In this tour, Bangladesh lost every game without offering any sort of resistance. This failure prompted the influential board directors to hold a meeting to discuss Domingo’s future as Bangladesh’s head coach.
BCB parted ways with Steve Rhodes after the World Cup 2019, and right after that, they appointed Domingo as the head coach, though, the South African coach applied to BCB to work with the development group of the cricketers, instead of the national team. But the board had decided to award him the role of the head coach of the national team considering his long-term vision.
Also read: Domingo sees great opportunity to beat New Zealand
His so-called long-term vision was interrupted due to the Covid-19 outbreak throughout the globe last year. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, he coached the Tigers in at least three series but failed to produce a good result.
The board is now set to evaluate his role as the head coach after the home series against Sri Lanka in May this year, said Akram Khan while talking to Cricbuzz recently.
“We are expected to sit for an evaluation meeting after the home series against Sri Lanka,” Akram said. “We’ll discuss everything about our coaches to know where we really stand now. And of course, we’ll discuss Domingo’s role as the head coach.”
Also read: Russell Domingo emphasises playing domestic cricket
After coming back from the disastrous New Zealand tour, Bangladesh will now travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series. They are scheduled to fly to Sri Lanka on April 12.
This series came as an ordeal for Domingo who is currently on leave. He is expected to join the team before the Sri Lanka Tests.
During the Sri Lanka series, the Bangladesh team will be accompanied by Khaled Mahmud, the former captain, as the head of the delegation. It is understood that he will observe closely the way Domingo coaches the team.
Also read: ‘Always good to spread the leadership’: Russell Domingo
Mahmud believes that a coach is responsible to train the players and give them a good plan, and the rest is up to the players. While talking to the reporters in Dhaka, Mahmud said: “The players have to play well. A coach can give you a plan and train you well. I don’t know what happened to the team. I’ll try to find out that in the Sri Lanka tour and take steps accordingly.”
Daraz becomes sponsor of national cricket team
The country’s leading e-commerce platform Daraz has become the new sponsor of the Bangladesh National Men's, Women's, A Team and Under-19 Cricket Team till November 30, 2023.
Daraz has been awarded the rights under which its logo will appear on the kits of the Bangladesh National Men’s and Women’s, Bangladesh A Team and the Bangladesh Under 19 Team.
Meanwhile, Hungrynaki, a sister concern of Daraz, will be the Team Kits Partner. The sponsorship is effective from April 7, 2021, and will run up to November 30, 2023.
Read: Tigers return home after disastrous New Zealand tour
BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury welcomed Daraz to Bangladesh cricket.
"Within a very short period, Daraz has become one of the leading e-commerce sites in Bangladesh and arguably the most popular. The way Daraz has provided customer service at the doorsteps of millions of people, especially during the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been admirable," he said.
The BCB is delighted to form a partnership with an organisation of international repute and one that has a progressive and innovative outlook, the BCB CEO said.
Read Walton becomes title sponsor of Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test series
"I thank Daraz for coming forward and associating its brand with Bangladesh Cricket. I'm sure this will be a strong and durable relationship as we work towards the common goal of pursuing successes for Bangladesh cricket,” he added.
Daraz's Managing Director Syed Mostahidal Hoq said: “This's an auspicious moment for us because it always gives you immense pleasure to be able to do something for the country. By sponsoring our National Cricket Team we feel that we have become a part of the passion and glory associated with the game in Bangladesh and we look forward to celebrating many achievements in the years to come.”
Read: Tamim Iqbal wants to retire from one format
How Can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
Teams must finish in the top eight of the current ICC One-Day International Super League points table to be qualified for the 2023 World Cup. On the other hand, India will automatically qualify for the World Cup as the host nation. In that case, Bangladesh must ensure its place among the other seven nations in order to advance to the World Cup's main event. Each country will do its best to compete in the league. As a result, every ODI Super League match is crucial. This article has discussed how can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
The ICC ODI Super League format for direct qualification
Twelve Test playing nations: Bangladesh, England, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland, tournament host India, and associate nation Netherlands are taking part in the ICC ODI super league.
The top eight teams in the standings at the end of the league will automatically qualify for the 2023 World Cup. For the final two slots, the remaining five teams will compete in another qualification round. Five additional teams from associate nations will also be part of that tournament.
Also read: Bangladesh vs New Zealand ODI Series 2021: Bangladesh Team Report Card
The ODI Super League tournament will finish at the end of 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the tournament, each team will participate in eight bilateral series, four at home and four away. Every series consists of three one-day international matches, which means each team will play a total of 24 ODIs.
Each match will be worth a total of ten points and the winning team will get all the points. In addition, all teams will be awarded 5 points if the tie/match is abandoned. If two or more teams have the same number of points, the net run rate will be used. If still equal, the better-ranked team will be placed higher as per the ICC's ODI rankings on July 1, 2020.
How Bangladesh can secure direct qualification in the World Cup 2023
Bangladesh’s ODI Super League fixture
Bangladesh are a strong one-day international team that can beat any team in the world on any given day. The opponent's capabilities should not be overlooked as every team will give their all in order to qualify for the World Cup 2023.
Home Series
Windies (Jan, 2021) Bangladesh win (3-0)
Sri Lanka (May, 2020)
England (Oct, 2021
Afghanistan (Feb, 2022)
Away Series
Ireland (postponed) to be confirmed
New Zealand (Feb, 2021) New Zealand win (3-0)
Zimbabwe (June, 2021)
South Africa (March, 2022)
Bangladesh’s main focus should be to score 150 points from the ODI super league in order to finish the top eight in the points table. Team tigers’ target should be to win the home series against the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and collect as many points as possible. They also have to secure the away series against Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Read: Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017
Bangladesh will definitely retain their current ODI rankings should they win these five ODI super league series.
Thankfully, Bangladesh already whitewashed the Windies at home and gained 30 valuable points. But team tigers’ failed to collect a point in New Zealand after losing all three matches against the Blackcaps.
Read: Key T20I Records between Bangladesh and New Zealand
Bangladesh will finish inside the top eight in the ODI super league points table if they score at least 100 out of 120 points in the series against Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan.
ICC ODI Super League Points Table (As of March 30, 2021)
Position
Team
Pld
W
L
Pts
NRR
1
England
9
4
5
40
0.468
2
Australia
6
4
2
40
0.347
3
New Zealand
3
3
0
30
2.352
4
Afghanistan
3
3
0
30
0.527
5
Bangladesh
6
3
3
30
-0.128
6
West Indies
6
3
3
30
-0.876
7
India (Q)
6
3
3
29
-0.252
8
Pakistan
3
2
1
20
0.741
Source: ESPNCricinfo
Bottom Line
Bangladesh need not be concerned about the ODI Super League's final outcome because they should comfortably finish in the top eight in the points table. Rather, BCB should concentrate on developing a Bangladesh ODI squad in preparation for the World Cup 2023.
Read Top Online Shops to Find Sports Equipment in Bangladesh
Tamim: Batsmen must step up in next games
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said the batsman failed to post a total that can be defended by the bowlers following an eight-wicket defeat in the first ODI against New Zealand in Dunedin.
Tigers collapse to 131 in series opener against New Zealand
Bangladesh collapsed to 131 all-out in 41.5 overs in the three-match ODI series opener against New Zealand on Saturday at the University Oval, Dunedin.