Bangladesh Cricket
NCL: Rajshahi pull off record win
Rajshahi Division pulled off a record-breaking win in the second round of the Bangabandhu National Cricket League (NCL), the most prestigious First-class cricketing event in the country, on Tuesday.
In the four-day game, Rajshahi beat Barishal Division in less than two days. There is no precedent of winning a First-class match within this short period in Bangladesh.
Barishal scored 142 runs in their two innings, which is now the lowest match aggregate in First-class in the country.
Sunzamul Islam bagged 10 wickets conceding 33 runs, the most economical haul of ten or more wickets in the country’s first-class history, and Taijul Islam took eight wickets. The tremendous bowling efforts set the foundation for Rajshahi’s win.
Brief scores of the 2nd round games of NCL after 2nd day:
Khulna vs Rangpur:
Khulna 1st innings: 221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54)
Rangpur 1st innings: 364/10 in 97.1 overs (Ariful 97, Nasir 66, Dhiman 43, Tanbir 31; Masum 4/78, Robiul 2/41, Abdul Halim 2/88)
Khulna 2nd innings: 4/1 in 1.3 overs (Imrul Kayes 4*, Amit 0*; Mukidul 1/4)
Sylhet vs Dhaka Division:
Sylhet 1st innings: 370/10 in 114.4 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 67; Shuvagata 4/86, Taibur 2/31, Sumon 2/55)
Dhaka 1st innings: 239/6 in 63 overs (Shuvagata 89*, Saif 42, Joyraj 41, Sunny 34*; Rahatul 3/65, Tanzim 2/42)
Barishal vs Rajshahi Division:
Barishal 1st innings: 82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7)
Rajshahi 1st innings: 151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4)
Barishal 2nd innings: 60/10 in 34 overs (Moinul 28, Kamrul 14; Sunzamul 6/15, Taijul 4/23)
Result: Rajshahi win by an innings and 9 runs. Taijul man of the match
Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro:
Chattogram 1st innings: 402/8 (declared) in 126.3 overs (Pinak 159, Shahadat 53, Yasir 49; Arafat Sunny 3/120, Shohidul 2/78, Al Amin 1/26, Abu Haider 1/30)
Dhaka Metro 1st innings: 132/3 in 48 overs (Shamsur 68, Zabid 46*; Nayeem 1/42)
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
Bangladesh vs New Zealand ODI Series 2021: Bangladesh Team Report Card
Bangladesh lost the three-match ODI series (3-0) against host New Zealand after losing the third match by a massive 164-run margin on Friday at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. Except for the second match, Bangladesh had shown little intent against the host during the contest. Shakib Al Hasan didn't take part in the series for Bangladesh due to injury and personal reasons. Bangladesh had struggled against the Blackcaps because of his absence, which was understandable. Young players were regarded highly, but we had seen nothing remarkable from them. Here is the Bangladesh team report card at the end of the ODI series.
BAN vs NZ ODI Series 2021: Team Performance Breakdown
Batting/Top orders
Captain Tamim Iqbal was inconsistent in batting
Bangladesh’s top orders failed again in the series. Captain Tamim Iqbal only had a good outing in the do-or-die second ODI. Bangladesh had a real chance to upset New Zealand in the second match thanks to Tamim's 78 runs, but they eventually lost by 5 wickets.
Read: Key T20I Records between Bangladesh and New Zealand
Liton Das was unexciting. In the series, he only scored 40 runs, with his highest score of 21 runs coming in the third ODI. On the other side, Soumya Sarkar contributed 32 runs to an 81-run partnership with skipper Tamim in the second match. Soumya was promoted to no.3 position but he only managed to score 33 runs in three innings.
Batting/Middle-Order
Mohammad Mithun justified his selection for playing XI
Bangladesh's most important middle-order batsman Mushfiqur Rahim had a quiet series. He made some shot selection mistakes, resulting in just 78 runs in three innings. There was a high expectation from Mushfiqur but he was a massive disappointment throughout the series.
Mohammad Mithun was outstanding with the bat in the second ODI. He played an aggressive 73* runs knock and guided Bangladesh to post a challenging total defend and justified his inclusion in the playing XI. While Mahmudullah Riyad did his part with the bat as well. He played a couple of fiery knocks including unbeaten 76* runs in the third match. However, Bangladesh's batting performance in the series was not up to the mark.
Read: Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017
Bowling/Pace
Bangladeshi pacers were expensive in the series
Among the fast bowlers, Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain took the highest 3 wickets. While Taskin Ahmed scalped 2 and Hasan Mahmud took 1 wicket. However, every fast bowler was quite expensive.
The series was quite disappointing for Taskin Ahmed who made a comeback in the last series. Bangladesh fielders dropped at least 6 catches off Taskin's ball. Taskin could have been Bangladesh's most successful bowler if the catches had not been dropped.
Besides, Mohammad Saifuddin was able to slow down the scoring rate a little, but he did not take a wicket in the series.
Read: Shakib's 34th Birthday: 34 achievements to celebrate the no.1 all-rounder
Bowling/Spin
Mahedi Hasan exploited the opportunity with an encouraging bowling display
There was a lot of speculation about who would be in the starting XI between Mehidy Hasan and Mahadi Hasan. Tamim finally put both of them in the XI. Mahadi made the most of the chance. Considering all aspects, he was the most effective Bangladeshi bowler in the contest. Mahadi took two wickets with 4.58 economy rates in the series. He couldn't do much with the bat, though.
On the other hand, Mehidy Hasan Miraz couldn't pick up a wicket but he was the most economical (4.11) Bangladeshi bowler in the series.
Fielding
One of the main reasons Bangladesh conceded so many runs when bowling was poor fielding. They were less productive and displayed no real urge to put in extra effort, as they dropped countless catches. Mushfiqur Rahim's wicket-keeping was also subpar.
Read: Bangladesh vs New Zealand T20 Series 2021: Who can replace Tamim in the opening slot?
Bottom Line
With the exception of two or three players, the Bangladesh team report card shows that none of the other players had satisfactory performances in the series. Bangladesh still remains winless in New Zealand against the Blackcaps, but they should have played much better this series to build confidence for the future. For the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, team management and selectors should carefully consider the overall performance of Bangladesh players.
Tamim Iqbal, Hasan Mahmud to return home Sunday
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal and right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud will arrive in Dhaka by 10 pm on Sunday, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Saturday.
Tamim has cleared earlier that he won’t be available for the three-match T20 series against New Zealand due to personal reasons while Hasan Mahmud has been suffering from a back injury since the second game of the three-match ODI series.
Hasan, a 21-year-old pacer, played the ODI series opener in Dunedin. In the same game, he sustained a blow on his back, and he will need more time to get rid of this injury. After returning home, he will be under observation of the BCB medical team.
Bangladesh lost the ODI series in New Zealand 3-0. They failed to pass the 200-run mark in the first and the last game. In the second game of the series, they posted 271 runs but failed to seal the match.
Also read: We need some big partnerships: Tamim Iqbal
Tamim, Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah Riyad hit a fifty each in the ODI series while Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed bowled some good spells which are the only positive things that Bangladesh can take forward.
The Tigers will now take on the hosts for a three-match T20 series starting on March 28, with the remaining two games will take place on March 30 and April 1 at McLean Park, Napier and Eden Park, Auckland.
After this series, Bangladesh scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series against the hosts. As per the schedule, both Tests will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy with the first match taking place from April 21 to April 25 and the second match from April 29 to May 3.
Also read: Bangladesh includes Hasan Mahmud in Test squad against WI series
Before the series begins, the Bangladesh team will play an intra-squad game at Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Ground, Katunayake. This tour was originally scheduled to take place in September last year. But due to the Covid-19 situation and strict quarantine condition in the island nation, the series was postponed.
Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017
Everyone was surprised when Mashrafe Mortaza announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket during the 2017 away series against Sri Lanka. While talking to a private TV channel, Mashrafe stated that he was forced into a situation to announce his retirement from Twenty20 cricket. The BCB is in shambles following Shakib Al Hasan's surprising statements regarding BCB personnel. Mashrafe has now accused BCB officials of disrespecting him. Overall, BCB has to find a way to resolve the issue with both Mashrafe and Shakib. Otherwise, things would become even uglier. The bombshell Mashrafe disclosed about his alleged T20 retirement in 2017 is discussed in this post.
Why did Mashrafe announce his retirement from T20 cricket?
Bangladesh cricket fans were in shock when Mashrafe announced his retirement from the T20i back in 2017 during the tour of Sri Lanka. Because Mashrafe had done a good job as the team's leader. As a result, there was no compelling cause for him to retire.
Read: Shakib's 34th Birthday: 34 achievements to celebrate the no.1 all-rounder
But in a recent interview with a television channel, Mashrafe Mortaza revealed that he was in a circumstance where he had no choice but to announce his retirement from the format.
"There was an immediate meeting with me when I arrived in Sri Lanka. I knew there was an issue after the meeting. At that moment, I understand there is no need to continue the game," Mashrafe said during the interview.
Read: Bangladesh vs New Zealand T20 Series 2021: Who can replace Tamim in the opening slot?
However, Mashrafe went on to captain the Bangladesh ODI team for two more years before stepping down from the role after the Zimbabwe series in 2020.
The selectors didn't pick Mashrafe for the last home series against the Windies citing that he has a fitness issue. On the other hand, Mashrafe said that he has never had a fitness issue during his 20 years long professional career.
“No one can say I missed a fitness test in my 20-year career. I passed a fitness test even during the Bangabandhu T20 Cup to make myself qualified for the tournament. I'm satisfied with my health and form, which is why I want to keep playing cricket,” Mashrafe Mortaza also added.
Read: Shakib Al Hasan: What lies ahead after a dispute with BCB?
The BCB president and Mashrafe have had many disputes about his retirement. However, as time passes, the debate becomes more heated.
Bottom Line
Mashrafe and Shakib are the superstars of Bangladesh cricket. It is not appropriate to make fun of these cricketers in any way. The BCB has a responsibility to handle cricketers with respect. Cricketers, on the other hand, are responsible for following BCB guidelines. All issues should be resolved as soon as possible in the greater interest of Bangladesh cricket.
Shakib's 34th Birthday: 34 achievements to celebrate the no.1 all-rounder
Bangladesh's greatest player ever Shakib Al Hasan turned 34 on Wednesday. He was born on March 24, 1987, in the Magura district. Shakib got admitted to Bangladesh Krira Shiksha Pratisthan after completing his secondary school certificate as he was proficient in cricket since boyhood. He made his debut in the National League for the Khulna Division Cricket Team at the age of only 17. Shakib Al Hasan made his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2006 after representing the Bangladesh Under-19 team. Then the rest is history! In this article, we will look at 34 achievements to celebrate the number-1 all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's birthday.
Shakib Al Hasan's some notable achievements
01) Shakib Al Hasan’s international stats
In international cricket, Shakib Al Hasan scored 11,933 runs and took 568 wickets for Bangladesh.
02) 600 runs at a world cup tournament
Shakib is the first all-rounder in World Cup history to score over 600 runs in a single tournament. He set this unique record in the 2019 World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar, Matthew Hayden, Rohit Sharma, and David Warner have also scored more than 600 runs in a single World Cup.
03) 600 runs and 10 wickets at a world cup tournament
Shakib has the honor of being the first cricketer to score over 600 runs and take over 10 wickets in a single World Cup tournament. He set this record in the 2019 World Cup. He scored 606 runs and took 11 wickets in 8 innings.
04) 1000 runs and 30 wickets in the world cup
Shakib Al Hasan is the first and only cricketer to score 1,000 runs and take 30 wickets in the World Cup's history.
05) First Bangladeshi to score 1,000 world cup runs
Shakib Al Hasan became the first Bangladeshi to score 1000 runs in the World Cup tournament by taking part in a total of four World Cups from 2007 to 2019.
Tamim to skip New Zealand T20Is for personal reasons
Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal confirmed that he will be unavailable in the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand due to personal reasons.
Domingo sees great opportunity to beat New Zealand
Ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, Bangladesh’s head coach Russell Domnigo said he sees a great opportunity for the Tigers to beat the hosts for the first time.