Reporters present during the Bangladesh squad announcement in Mirpur yesterday, ahead of the upcoming T20I series against the UAE and Pakistan, may have felt a strong sense of deja vu.
Bangladesh and Pakistan cricket boards have decided to remove ODIs completely from the upcoming bilateral series between the sides in May and July, respectively, Pakistan Cricket Board’s media and communications director Sami Ul Hasan confirmed to The Daily Star on Sunday.
Bangladesh’s spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed is close to signing a two-year contract extension with the Tigers. The former Pakistan spin wizard left to be with his family in Lahore after Bangladesh’s final ICC Champions Trophy group-stage fixture got washed out in Rawalpindi but had a chat with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan about Bangladesh’s disappointing campaign in the global event and some of the factors that contributed to it. The excerpts are as follows:
Hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh have had several similarities in their disappointing ICC Champions Trophy exits.
Bangladesh's final Champions Trophy 2025 Group A game against hosts Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday was called off without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain.
It appears that interest has waned in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and its twin city, Rawalpindi, as fans turn their backs on today’s ICC Champions Trophy Group A clash between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
“Ben Duckett cost them [England] the game… scored too slow, mate… they should have got to at least 380,” former South Africa batter Herschelle Gibbs said about Duckett’s innings after England lost their Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Lahore last Saturday, despite posting 351 for eight -- the highest total in the competition’s history -- only for Australia to chase it down with five wickets and 15 balls to spare.
The weather in Islamabad and its twin city of Rawalpindi has suddenly changed over the last 12 hours as it is currently witnessing drizzle with shivering cold around the capital of Pakistan.
Former captain Mohammad Yousuf quit as a Pakistan selector "for personal reasons" on Sunday, just a week before the team begin a home Test series against England.
Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has not been able to grip the bat over the last two days, resulting in him missing out on the crucial Bangladesh-Pakistan encounter in Abu Dhabi, team manager Khaled Mahmud informs
Bangladesh suffer a major blow in their virtual Asia Cup semifinal against Pakistan as ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is ruled out of the match with a flare-up of his longstanding left little finger injury
The heat is a dominant topic here in the UAE, and while it is true that the mercury is the same for all four remaining teams in the ongoing Asia Cup, Bangladesh would be justified in saying that they are the most disadvantaged.
The Asia Cup so far has been an exercise in making lemonade out of lemons for Bangladesh. From the first match, during which opener Tamim Iqbal was felled by a fractured left hand because of which he eventually had to leave the tournament, Bangladesh have had to deal with the heat in the UAE, which the country's cricketers have not experienced since the 1995 Asia Cup, and tough scheduling.
When Bangladesh meet Pakistan in the last Asia Cup Super Four game, it will be a virtual semifinal between two teams who have had similar paths to this point. Both have won two matches out of four so far.
Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's availability is in doubt ahead of today's virtual semifinal against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Will Bangladesh national cricket team seal their entry to yet another dream final of Asia Cup? Sports reporters Ariful Islam Roney and Masud Parvez talk to The Daily Star’s Ekush Tapader on Bangladesh team’s possibility to play the Asia Cup 2018 final and different other aspects. Watch the Star Live video to know more.
Changes may be in the offing for Bangladesh when they take on Pakistan on Wednesday in what will be a virtual Asia Cup semifinal at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. They won their last match against Afghanistan in thrilling fashion Sunday when Mustafizur Rahman conceded just four runs when Afghanistan needed eight to win in the last over.
After being routed by Sri Lanka for 63 less than 24 hours ago, Bangladesh stormed back to beat two-time runners up Pakistan by seven wickets to get off the mark in the 2018 Asia Cup T20 at Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has turned down the Pakistan Cricket Board’s proposal to send its national team to Pakistan for two T20 internationals after the ICC Champions Trophy in June this year.
