Atique Anam

The World Cup should not be a mere extension of the IPL

For those cricket fans who have got used to enjoying the sight of batters steamrolling bowlers of all ilk over the past 65 days or so, will the forthcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies may prove to be a bit of a turn-off.

6m ago

Should Murshedy get away with sweeping dirt under the rug?

In stark contrast to many developed nations where people in power often relinquish their positions in face of charges of corruption or incompetence even before allegations are proved in a show of true accountability -- there is a disturbing tendency to brush aside all sorts of allegations, even after proven, under the rug by the people in power in countries like Bangladesh, which ranks among the lowest in various corruption indexes.

6m ago

History-makers Kings playing a different ball-game

After referee Symoon Hasan Sunny blew the final whistle following Bashundhara Kings’ 2-1 win against Mohammedan in Mymensingh yesterday, ensuring the Kings’ historic fifth consecutive title of the Bangladesh Premier League, two-goal hero Dorielton Gomes sunk to his knees before laying on the ground, thanking the heavens for what they had just achieved.

6m ago

Cabrera losing Salahuddin’s trust?

The BFF boss watched from the VIP Box of the Bashundhara Kings Arena on Tuesday as Bangladesh conceded a stoppage time goal in a 1-0 home loss against the Middle Eastern nation, five days after being thrashed 5-0 by the same side in Kuwait.

8m ago

‘We are back to where we were 20 years ago’

In an interview over phone with The Daily Star, golfer Siddikur Rahman spoke about the disappointment of the last season, his target for the new season, the changes in his game and in the golfing landscape overall and other aspects.

9m ago

Abahani vs Mohammedan: Worth gold in nostalgia

Almost every major football crazy city in the world has a historic club rivalry that it can brag about. Kolkata, London, Manchester, Milan, Madrid – you name it and there’s at least one colourful and storied rivalry to whet the appetite of football fans.

1y ago

Maradona must be smiling

While the fans of Italian football continue to struggle to convince their peers from the English Premier League and LaLiga about the relevance of Serie A in European footballing hierarchy, it is with a renewed optimism that they can now boast about Napoli – the new entertainers of European football.

1y ago

Hijacking success, chasing clout

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) seems to have mastered the art of spoiling its own party every time it achieves something substantial. It has this uncanny knack of producing moments of controversy just when the whole nation is looking towards it with great anticipation.

1y ago
December 17, 2022
December 17, 2022

Real lives in ‘artificial’ land

If you happen to come to Qatar from the subcontinent, you could often get confused whether you landed in an Arab land some 3000-4000 kilometres away from home or you were just in another of Bangladesh or India or Pakistan.

December 16, 2022
December 16, 2022

Mbappe with world at his feet

When Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi broke the 100m dollar mark in annual earnings for the first time, both of them were in their 30s. In comparison, Kylian Mbappe broke that threshold at 23 and is about to be anointed as the richest-earning footballer of all time, according to Forbes.

December 15, 2022
December 15, 2022

Messi has the whole world believing

Step aside Cristiano Ronaldo, step aside Neymar. Lionel Messi is here, and he is here for business.

December 15, 2022
December 15, 2022

‘Standout’ Alvarez complements his idol

There was a poignant moment at the end of Argentina’s victory over Croatia. Julian Alvarez, who scored two goals in the 3-0 victory, went to his team’s dugout and was hugged by Lautaro Martinez, who was almost in tears.

December 14, 2022
December 14, 2022

With overwhelming support, Morocco ‘dare to dream bigger’

Ever since the four semifinalists were decided, the streets and buses and metros in Doha have been occupied by fans mostly from Argentina and Morocco, with a large number of fans shuttling to the Qatari capital over the last few days.

December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022

Desert Fest: Two legends on collision course

Neymar departed in tears. The Brazil No 10 cried inconsolably, only to be lifted off the pitch as the pre-tournament favourites were knocked out on penalties by Croatia in the quarterfinals at the Education City Stadium on Friday night.

December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022

Argentina want more of feisty Messi

Lionel Messi wasn’t available at the pre-match press conference for Argentina’s World Cup semifinal against Croatia on Monday. He wasn’t, in fact, expected to be; the PSG talisman hardly ever attends a press conference.

December 12, 2022
December 12, 2022

Giroud exhibiting his mettle

As the world heads into the final week of the Qatar 2022 with only four matches left, including an irrelevant one involving the third-place decider, the focus will be on whether Kylian Mbappe can lead the French to a consecutive World Cup title or whether Lionel Messi can end Argentina’s 36-year wait for a third world title.

December 12, 2022
December 12, 2022

Atlas Lions get Arab world and beyond to rally behind them

As the World Cup advances towards its climax, there has been a constant exodus of fans from countries which have already been eliminated.

December 11, 2022
December 11, 2022

The Messi we never saw before

For large parts of his career, Lionel Messi has painted an image of himself as a calm individual, leaving his boots to do the talking, trying his best to deflect attention. He hardly ever attends press conferences and avoids making controversial remarks. On the pitch, his goal celebrations often remain restrained and his remonstrations with match officials minimal.