Chittagong Challengers to trust in 'impact players' in BPL 2023

Chittagong Challengers displayed great aptitude with an average team in the previous BPL. This time too they did not run toward well-known superstars. However, there are some players in the battalion of Chittagong Challengers who can satisfy the demands of T20.

Chittagong retained Afif Hossain in a direct agreement. This regular face of the Bangladesh national T20I squad is also a reliable name for the Chittagong team. A glimpse of Afif was seen in vital matches in the last season. Afif does not get the chance to bat in the national team a lot but he can perform at the top orders in BPL.

Chittagong obtained Lankan pacer Vishwa Fernando, off-spinning all-rounder Ashan Priyanjan and Ireland's Curtis Campher on direct contracts. In the meantime, Campher has shown glances of itself in the last World Cup. His batting with a medium pace can be the biggest investment of the team.

Chittagong did not look at local big stars after getting the chance from the draft. The first two they picked, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury and Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, have not been on the national team.

Shuvagata, who earlier played in the national team, is a routine player in domestic cricket as an off-spinning all-rounder. This right-hander can storm the lower middle order. His off-spin is very useful in Bangladeshi conditions.

Although he could not drive it to the national team, Mrittunjoy has already introduced himself. He delivered it in the last BPL by showing the capability of death bowling by making a hat-trick. This left-hander is also very intelligent with the bat.

Chittagong has brought Max O'Dowd of the Netherlands in the opening thought. He has played great in the World Cup. However, there is a huge distinction in the character of Australia's wicket and Bangladesh's wicket. Let's wait and see how he does on the slow wicket. Chittagong has also taken the Unmukt Chand who took the citizenship of the United States. Chand understood the conditions of Asia rather well. Taufiq Khan Tushar is an option among the locals in this place. He came into the discussion by batting fiercely in first-class cricket for the Sylhet division.

Taijul Islam is the reliability of the team in the spin. Although, Taijul is still not strong in T20I cricket. So, there is a challenge ahead of him. They have retained professional domestic cricket all-rounders like Farhad Reza and Ziaur Rahman. There is wicket-keeper batsman Irfan Sukkur. They can make a difference in their day.

The pace battery is not very sharp, to say the least. Mrittunjoy will be accompanied by another left-handed pacer Mehdi Hasan Rana. There is also right-handed pacer Abu Jayed Rahi but he has not been in shape recently. Even if Rana gets a wicket, he is often not much economical. It remains to be seen how much the bowling deficit will concern the unit.

Chittagong Challengers will face Sylhet Strikers in the first match of BPL on January 6, 2023.

Chittagong Challengers Team

Direct contracts: Afif Hossain, Vishwa Fernando (Sri Lanka), Ashan Priyanjan (Sri Lanka), Curtis Campher (Ireland), Darwish Rasooli (Afghanistan).

Locals from Draft: Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Mehedi Hasan Rana, Irfan Shukkur, Mehedi Maruf, Ziaur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi, Farhad Reza, Taufiq Khan Tushar.

Foreigners from the draft: Max O'Dowd (Netherlands), Unmukt Chand (India/USA).

Tamim's Khulna Tigers will be battling with a balanced team in BPL 2023

Tamim Iqbal has already retired from the T20I. Nevertheless, he is very active in twenty-over cricket in the domestic arena. Bangladesh's one-day captain, who played in Dhaka's team last season, will handle Khulna's squad this time. Khulna Tigers are not filled with T20 national team hot-cakes but their squad is fairly balanced.

In addition to Tamim, Khulna has signed Sri Lankan Avishka Fernando, Pakistan's Wahab Riaz, Naseem Shah, and Azam Khan through direct agreements. They will not enjoy Nasim's show at the start of the tournament but the rest will be available from the start.

Meanwhile, there are suspicions about Wahab Riaz's performance. The 37-year-old pacer has long since passed his peak in Pakistan. However, as he is aware of the Bangladesh wicket, Khulna trusts him. Naseem can be the team's trump card. However, it is inquisitive what this speedy pacer does on Mirpur's pitch. It is very challenging for fast bowlers to do good on wickets where normal balls come to rest unless they are tactical.

Avishka and Azam can be the spine of Khulna's batting. Both played in the top orders. Left-hander Avishka is likely to partner Tamim in the openers. Pakistani Azam is quite skilled in creating a shower of runs with the bat. Munim Shahriar is also in Khulna for the opening options. This right-hander, who shined in Fortune Barisal in the previous BPL, is quite useful in the domestic cricket of Bangladesh.

Yasir Ali Chowdhury is Khulna's expectancy in the middle order along with Sabbir Rahman. Though Yasir will have more accountability. Even if they rotate to the top order, they can employ Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the middle order as well. Khulna has brought Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka into the unit from the players' draft. He can create a big influence in the tournament. In addition to fierce batting in the middle order, he can also bowl with a medium pace.

Pace all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin can be the place of the extraordinary power of Khulna. Saifuddin's bowling is always practical in the country's conditions. He can also donate down the bat. The same can be said about Nasum Ahmed who runs the spin bowling department. This spinner of the national team is deadly on the wickets of Mirpur, Chittagong, and Sylhet. He does a fantastic job of stopping runs on the power play.

Khaled Mahmud Sujan will play a major role in determining the tactics of the team, this convincing cricket character who coached Barisal last season is now in Khulna. Khulna Tigers' BPL will begin with a match against Dhaka Dominators at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on January 7, 2023.

Khulna Tigers Team

Direct contracts: Tamim Iqbal, Avishka Fernando (Sri Lanka), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), Naseem Shah (Pakistan), Azam Khan (Pakistan).

Local Players from Draft: Mohammad Saifuddin, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Nasum Ahmed, Nahidul Islam, Munim Shahriar, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiqul Islam, Pritam Kumar, Habibur Rahman Sohan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

Foreigners from the draft: Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands).

How were Russel Domingo's three years and four months with Bangladesh?

The Russell Domingo chapter is now over. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had already taken a policy decision regarding him in the series against India being the last task. Looking for a way to give the South African coach a dignified exit, Domingo took that opportunity himself by resigning. Last night he sent an e-mail to the cricket management department and informed them that he is no longer the head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team.

BCB president Nazmul Hasan expressed satisfaction with Domingo's performance at an event last night. But he hinted at a change by talking about long-term plans for the national cricket team. Although the matter is not clear in the words of the BCB president, according to BCB sources, Domingo is leaving for sure.

In August 2019, Domingo took charge as the head coach of the Bangladesh team. Although the Bangladesh team did not do very well under him in the opening. The Tigers had to lose the test against Afghanistan at home. Bangladesh also lost the T20 series and Test in Pakistan.

However, three significant wins have come under him in test cricket. One of these is against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui. However, Bangladesh lost 17 of the 22 Tests played under the Protea coach. There are 2 draws. He is not very successful in T20 either. Bangladesh has lost 35 out of 59 T20Is and won 23. Where one T20I match did not yield any results.

His biggest success in this edition was winning the T20 series against Australia and New Zealand on home soil. Domingo, however, can claim to be truly successful in 50-over cricket. Bangladesh won 21 out of 30 ODIs during his time. His biggest success was winning the ODI series against South Africa in South Africa this year. Bangladesh also won the ODI series against India in his last assignment as Bangladesh coach. Series wins also came against West Indies and Sri Lanka.

In 2021, there were calls for him to be removed after he failed in the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although BCB kept trust in him at that time, things changed later. Before this year's ICC T20 World Cup, India's Sreedharan Shriram was appointed as the T20 consultant for the national cricketing squad. In the meanwhile, Domingo was pushed away from the T20 team by BCB. Earlier, the appointment of former head coach Jamie Siddons as a batting consultant also narrowed down his work.

England cricket team to play in Bangladesh after six years

England national cricket team last visited Bangladesh in 2016. The Bangladeshi Tigers won the historic Test against the Three Lions that time. The two-match test series was drawn 1-1. Now, England is back on their tour of Bangladesh after a six-year pause. This time, they will play against the hosts in three ODIs and Twenty20s each but no test series will take place this time.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the tour on its official website on Tuesday. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finalized the tour timetable. The two teams will play two versions of white ball cricket. The matches will be held from March 1 to 14 in Dhaka and Chittagong.

England will arrive in Bangladesh in February 2023. The two teams will start the cricket haul with the ODI series. The first two ODI matches will be played at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on March 1 and The final ODI match will be played on March 6 at the Zahoor Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong. The first match of the T20 series will be played at the Chittagong venue in March. The remaining two T20 matches will be played on March 12 and 14 at the Sher-E-Bangla Stadium.

The English won the ODI series 2-1 in their last tour of Bangladesh. They will play two warm-up matches before the beginning of the ODI series. Those matches will take place on February 24 but BCB has not yet finalized the venue.

In a press release, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury Sujan said, "This series will be a great opportunity for the teams to assess their respective strengths in the year of the World Cup (2023 ODI World Cup in India). The ODI and Twenty20 (series) are expected to be very exciting for fans in Bangladesh and around the world. Bangladesh has an extraordinary record in white balls (in cricket) at home and we all know what a great team England is."

Bangladesh has lost just one of their 14 ODI series at home since November 2014. Which was during the 2016 ODI series against England. The Tigers have won a series against Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India, South Africa, Afghanistan, West Indies, and Sri Lanka. They have played 44 ODIs and won 35 of them.

Schedule of England tour of Bangladesh:
20th February - England cricket team arrives in Dhaka.
24th February - Practice match 1 (Venue is not finalized yet)
26th February - Practice match 2 (Venue is not finalized yet)
1st March - First ODI (SBNCS, Mirpur)
3rd March - Second ODI (SBNCS, Mirpur)
6th March - Third ODI (ZACS, Chittagong)
9th March - First T20I (ZACS, Chittagong)
12th March - Second T20I (SBNCS, Mirpur)
14th March - Third T20I (SBNCS, Mirpur)

BCCI confirms EQUAL match fees for Indian cricketers.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that India's women cricketers would earn the same match fees as the male cricketers in international matches - going forward in a significant move towards equal pay.

Legendary Indian cricketer Mithali Raj chose to describe the latest update from BCCI as a "historic decision for women's cricket in India".

With this policy announced, India's women cricketers will earn INR 15 lakh for a Test, 6 lakh for an ODI, and 3 lakh for a T20I, the same as the men's cricketers.

#studentJournalist #Cricket #Women #Equal #EqualPay #BCCI #India

Mushfiq announces retirement from T20Is!

Bangladesh national cricket team's batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has announced his retirement from T20 internationals. His message -

“As salaa mualaikum to all, hope you are doing well. I have been grateful to have you all beside me throughout my long career. Your support has been my inspiration during my highs and lows. Today, I am announcing my retirement from T20 Internationals. I will proudly continue to represent Bangladesh in Test and ODI formats. I am hopeful that I can bring success for our nation in these two formats. I will continue to take part in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and other franchise tournaments. Alhamdulillah. Thank you all. Allah Hafez."

Mushfiq played 102 T20Is and scored 1500 runs with an average of 19.48 and a strike rate of 115.03.

#Sports #Cricket #Bangladesh #Mushfiqur #Mushfiq #T20I #studentJournalist

Sad day for Bangladesh Cricket fans!

Bangladesh lost their first-ever bilateral T20I series against Zimbabwe.

#Bangladesh #Cricket #Zimbabwe #studentJournalist

𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝟮𝟬𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗶-𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

The New Zealand Cricket, NZC confirmed the schedule of the upcoming T20I tri-series on Tuesday. The series will involve Bangladesh and Pakistan along with the hosts.

T20 World Cup will take place this year and as part of their build-up to the grand tournament, the tri-series will begin on October 7. Bangladesh will face Pakistan in the first match. All the matches in the series will be played on Hagley Oval in Christchurch, the only venue for the tri-nation series.

The series will be played in a double round-robin format. Bangladesh will be playing the host nation New Zealand on October 9 and October 12 and Pakistan in their last league match on October 13.

The final match of the series will be played on October 14, as usual, with the top two sides in the points table from the league stage.

#studentJournalist #Cricket #T20I #Bangladesh #NewZealand #Pakistan

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗵

The long South African drought has finally ended for the Bangladesh cricket team, they have secured their first-ever win in the land of the proteas.

After 20 years, losing six tests, nine ODIs, and four T20Is, In the 20th chance, the tigers conquered Africa. Bangladesh won the clash by 38 runs, through a praiseworthy team effort.

With the bat, Litton Das (50), Shakib Al Hasan (77), and Yasir Ali (50) boosted up the scorecard for Bangladesh with their half-centuries. Tigers built on a solid start to post 314/7. Early wickets pegged South Africa's run chase, Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed cleared down the South African top order.

Proteas took the control as Rassie van der Dussen (86) and David Miller (79) scored amazing half-centuries. But Mehidy Hasan Miraz gave breakthrough the tail with a four-for.

On the host side, it has been another disastrous blow as they remain in the 10th position in the point table of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. While Bangladesh is thriving at the top of the table with 110 points.

The top eight in the ODI Super League qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the bottom five teams will be moved into a qualifier tournament.

#studentJournalist #cricket #bangladesh

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵,
𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.

Justin Langer steps down as coach after turning down the offer of a short-term contract extension. Langer's manager confirmed on Saturday their client had tendered his resignation, effective immediately.

Langer had spoken with Cricket Australia (CA) officials on Friday night after his future was discussed at length at a seven-hour board meeting earlier in the day. Cricket Australia later disclosed that Langer had been offered a short-term contract extension, which he declined. CA declared Andrew McDonald, former assistant coach as interim head coach.

Langer took charge of the team in 2018 after Darren Lehmann resigned from the position following the Sandpaper scandal. In Langer's four-year-long career, he delivered some notable milestones.

1. The Ashes retention after 18 years

Just a year after the infamous incident, disgrace, and defeat, Australia started the era of its domination under Langer. With this victory, they were 2-1 up in the series and retained the Ashes for the first time in 18 years.

2. Triumph in the T20 World Cup

After the horrible T20I series lose against West Indies and Bangladesh, both by 4-1, nobody expected that the Aussies will lift up the T20 World Cup. Langer’s side came into the tournament as the least favorites, but their performance lit up the world. However, nobody can deny the reality that it was a complete team effort that saw Australia lift their first T20 World Cup in the game’s history.

3. It's hard to hold an Ashes than win one

It could have been a whitewash, 5-0, but Australia won it 4-0. Even if a supporter does not like Australia at all, they can not deny their dominance in this Ashes. The English side fell so drastically that changes in the team were continuous in almost every test.

Moreover, with a 55.5%-win record in Tests, Langer is second best only to John Buchanan among all Australian coaches. Nick Hockley, the CEO of Cricket Australia, realized how influential Langer was for the team. In his statement -

“I would like to sincerely thank Justin and also his family for all that they have given to Australian cricket over the past four years, for which we remain eternally grateful.”

There are already rumors that England Cricket Board (ECB) is trying to get Langer under their hood, only time will tell what future he chose.

#studentJournalist