Match Preview - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022, 5th Match, Group B

Big picture

It is a knockout match, so perhaps we should ask the tough question. Is this a real rivalry? Pull on your criss-cross deerstalker hats, Sherlocks. Get your magnifying glass. Clasp your notebooks tight. We about to investigate.

To understand what happened between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the 2018 Nidahas trophy, we must roll the clock back to the previous Bangladesh Premier League, where Nazmul Islam, an unassuming slow left-arm bowler, sought to sex up his workaday act by adding a fun celebration. This is the birth of the now-infamous "Nagin dance". In Nazmul's hands, it was joyful. Innocent even. Little did he know how this was all about to blow up.

When he claimed wickets against Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series early in that year, he busted out his celebration again. Hands cocked above his head, like a cobra, a little body-thrusting action. Why wouldn't he? But then, drama. Danushka Gunathilaka did an imitation of the dance when he got a wicket in that series.

Gunathilaka might say it was all just a little bit of fun, sir, and he didn't mean anything by it. But then you can also see from the Bangladesh perspective, how it might have seemed a mockery.

So when Mushfiqur Rahim hit the winning runs in a big chase against Sri Lanka in Colombo, he did the mock-Nagin dance at Gunathilaka, who was walking past him. Other Sri Lankan players then started doing it to mock Mushfiqur, I guess? Then the whole Bangladesh team started doing it, almost in solidarity with Nazmul and Mushfiqur.

Towards the business end of the series, there was a tense game between the two sides, and after some truly wild gesticulating and on-field arguments, the Bangladesh dressing room door at the Khettarama stadium was left shattered, when they won.

If this sounds like grown men acting childish, like a little celebration being blown way out of proportion, like fans getting riled up over meaningless theatrics, or if you've got dumber reading this preview until now, all of the above are valid feelings

But we are chroniclers here at ESPNcricinfo. It is our job to present facts. Even when the facts are stupid.

But we're in sports media, so I guess we should try hype this up. It could be close? If nothing else, these teams are evenly matched. Between Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin, Bangladesh certainly have a more experienced seam attack. Sri Lanka perhaps have the better spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. On the batting front, Bangladesh have the experience of Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur. But the likes of Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis have prospered against Bangladesh in the past. There's not a lot to separate the teams

Either way, whoever wins this game advances to the Super 4 round. Whoever loses returns home much earlier than their fans would have hoped.

Celebrations in the Bangladesh dressing room in Colombo went a bit too far in 2018•Andrew Fernando/ESPNcricinfo

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first) Sri Lanka LWLLL Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight

Kusal Mendis has been in excellent Test-match form recently, before extending that to the shortest format, when he dominated Sri Lanka's premier T20 domestic tournament this year, shortly before setting off to the Asia Cup. He seems to have been sent up the order to open the batting in this series. Although his T20I stats are otherwise modest, this is a position he enjoys, striking at 137 when he opens, averaging 32 (career numbers are 121 and 20). He is auditioning to play this role in the T20 World Cup in October.

Amid Bangladesh's struggle in T20s over the last 12 months, Mahedi Hasan has been one of the rare consistent performers. He has the best economy rate in world cricket among bowlers who have played at least 25 innings, proving once again that orthodox offspin can still work. He brings out the side-arm deliveries from time to time, but is generally quite tight with his orthodoxy. Mahedi is also a decent hitter, and could even be used as an opener.

Pitch and conditions

It seems likely that the match will be played on a used surface, which means it might be a little more spin-friendly than tracks we have seen at this tournament. Temperatures will be scorching - likely in the low 30-degree celsius range, even in the evening.

Team news

Sri Lanka might just go in with the same XI, despite the big loss against Afghanistan. They may consider bringing the in-form Ashen Bandara into the middle order, however, perhaps in place of Danushka Gunathilaka. Or they might move Gunathilaka back up to the top of the order, and leave Pathum Nissanka out.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Danushka Gunathilaka, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Bangladesh have a batting quandary which could see them change the opening pair again. Mushfiqur Rahim was talked about as one of those options although he would have to agree to this unusual role. Bangladesh also could revisit their bowling attack.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 4 Afif Hossain, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Nasum Ahmed

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have won eight of the 12 completed matches between these teams, but lost two of the last three.

Kusal Mendis has scores of 53, 10, 57, and 11 against Bangladesh, striking at 169 across those four innings. He has opened the batting on all those occasions, twice in Bangladesh, and twice in Colombo.

In five innings in the UAE so far, Mahedi Hasan hasn't been particularly penetrative, taking just three wickets. But he has been economical, even if not quite up to his standards elsewhere, conceding 7.45 an over.

Quotes

"Our opening pair isn't clicking at all. We are missing Litton Das who is injured. I am hopeful the openers can bat to a plan. You can get out trying to hit the first ball, but it hurts us when nobody shows the intent. I want to see the intent. I want to see the change in mindset."
Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud, when asked about the possible batting improvements against Sri Lanka.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf

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BCB to decide on Russell Domingo's future as Bangladesh head coach on Monday

The BCB will take a call on Russell Domingo's future as Bangladesh's head coach on August 22. Board president Nazmul Hassan has indicated that Bangladesh are "trying to separate" roles and that Domingo might stay on as the Test and ODI coach. Hassan had said a couple of days ago that the BCB were looking to make "drastic changes" ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup

It is understood that BCB and Domingo haven't been on the best of terms over the last 12 months. Bangladesh's recent losses in the T20I and ODI series in Zimbabwe has added to the tension. Jalal Yunus, BCB's cricket operations chairman, had even said earlier this month that Domingo wasn't aggressive enough as a coach in the T20 format.

Domingo is also set to take part in the BCB discussions on Monday.

"We haven't decided on (Domingo)," Hassan said on Friday. "We will sit together on August 22, and then we will decide. There will be a lot of changes. Not just one or two. Whether we will include Russell Domingo in our changes or not, will be decided on August 22. We will listen to everyone on that day. For now, we want Domingo to concentrate on Tests and ODIs. We are trying to separate everything.

"There's so much cricket that it is hard for Domingo to concentrate on three formats. He can't even go to some of the series, if you look at our contract with him. He has specific breaks. We have to keep these things in mind. It is not that easy."

Under Domingo, Bangladesh have won just 19 out of 46 T20Is. They achieved 4-1 and 3-2 wins against Australia and New Zealand last year but many believe those two victories were because of tailor-made raging turners in Mirpur. Bangladesh had a poor T20 World Cup last year, losing all their matches in the Super 12 round, and later lost series against Pakistan, Afghanistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

"Mentality is one of the factors," Hassan said. "There's no connection between Tests and ODIs with T20s. So considering these things, we are trying to plan separately. We might separate the coaching staff too, if possible. We will see what happens in the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. Then we will take that decision. Whether we will keep Sriram after the T20 World Cup or not, will depend on the performance."

In Tests under Domingo, Bangladesh have won three out of 20 matches and are languishing at the bottom of the World Test Championship table - they finished last in the previous WTC cycle too. Their only significant win was against New Zealand at the start of 2022. Bangladesh have had a good run in the ODIs under Domingo, winning seven out of nine series under him.

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Bangladesh appoint S Sriram T20 consultant for Asia Cup, T20 World Cup

"We are not a strong side when it comes to T20 matches, and to do something about that, we have decided to bring drastic changes in our thought process and mentality," Hassan said. "'We want to start anew from the Asia Cup, and if we don't do it now, we will face even worse results in the World Cup. We have done appallingly in the last T20 World Cup. We don't know if we can get out of the circle of substandard results in T20 games. Since the Asia Cup is the biggest stage after the World Cup, we will try to change our way of playing and bring results."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/bangladesh-appoint-s-sriram-t20-consultant-for-asia-cup-t20-world-cup/?feed_id=13149&_unique_id=62ffdb0246532

Bangladesh Premier League - In the clutter of T20 leagues, BPL has fallen behind in race to sign big names

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is lagging behind in the race to sign overseas T20 stars for the January-February window. The BPL has a window from January 6 to February 15, the dates clashing with the UAE's ILT20, South Africa's yet-to-be-named T20 league and the Australian BBL. The BBL's draft for overseas players is scheduled for August 28. The UAE and South Africa leagues have been in the news practically every day, for the big-ticket players the franchises are signing on. There has been no buzz around the BPL.

The BCB has set August 31 as the deadline for potential franchise owners' "expression of Interest" (EOI). Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB chief executive, had earlier said that the board was hoping most of the previous franchise owners would return, with the BPL providing three-year contracts for them. Earlier, the franchise contracts were for just a year.

"We will try to finalise everything soon, so that the owners can start their preparation," Chowdhury had said. "They will be in a better position since it is for three years. Franchise owners usually want everything to be organised, so this time it will be quite good since we are giving the teams a longer period."

The BCB is also hoping that the BPL will not be without its share of overseas names, while all Bangladeshi cricketers would be expected to participate.

"We have to keep in mind that the member countries are looking for a window to hold domestic T20 leagues. There's going to be conflict (in scheduling) if other members' windows fall at the same time. Everyone is going to suffer, not just us," Chowdhury said. "Two or three of our most important players will be playing in our domestic league. I don't want to mention any names but those who usually play overseas will be missed in those leagues. But we are expecting foreign players to play in our league.

"There's the matter of the NOC [no-objection certificate]. There is also an understanding among member countries. Everyone abides by this rule. I don't personally think anyone will play anything other than their own competition."

There is bound to be a demand for established stars, but the franchise owners, whoever they are, will be in a race against time.

Among the ILT20's signings are Dwayne Bravo and Andre Fletcher, respectively the second-highest wicket-taker and the second-highest run-getter in the last edition of the BPL. Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali and Sunil Narine, who formed the core of the Comilla Victorians side that won the title the last time, are all unavailable. Du Plessis will play for the CSK-owned franchise in South Africa, while the ILT20 has announced the names of Moeen and Narine. Andre Russell, who played for Minister Group Dhaka, is also on the ILT20's list of signings, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who represented Fortune Barishal, will be playing in South Africa.

The top local players will, in all likelihood, play the BPL, but will there be enough overseas stars?•AFP/Getty Images

For the BPL, if the EOI list is revealed on August 31, and roughly another month is required to get through the official procedures for the franchises to sign up, the players' draft or auction can't be held till October. With several T20 leagues running at the same time, and player demand being at an unprecedented high, the BPL would have benefitted from having a more settled appearance about it.

Historically, the BPL franchises have been known to pay well, but there is another niggle. As several player agents told us, because of the laws of the land in Bangladesh, the players end up paying higher taxes than they do elsewhere. It might sound like a trifle, but the lack of nightlife options in most cities in Bangladesh is something that has bothered overseas players in the past.

So what does the BPL do? If the big stars don't come, the tournament will lose its sheen. The ILT20 and the South African leagues have appeared as gamechangers, and with the windows almost set in stone for the next few years, the BPL will have to up its game, somehow, to remain relevant.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

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Bangladesh urges UN to effectively engage in Rohingya crisis

UN rights chief meets senior officials in capital Dhaka to assess human rights and conditions of Rohingya refugees.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will meet Rohingya refugees in the border district of Cox’s Bazar. (AP)

Bangladesh has urged the United Nations to effectively engage with Myanmar in the sustainable repatriation of the displaced Rohingya people to their home country of Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen made the appeal while meeting with the visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in the capital Dhaka on Sunday evening, said a Foreign Ministry statement.

“Protracted stay of the displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh bears the risk of the spread of radicalism, transnational crimes, etc., and thus may hamper regional stability,” the statement quoted Momen as saying.

Claiming that the Bangladesh government has been taking good care of the persecuted Rohingya since the very beginning and even during the pandemic by providing vaccines, Momen urged the UN system, including UNDP, “to undertake projects in Rakhine to create a conducive environment for the return of the Rohingya.”

READ MORE: Bangladesh seeks China's help for Rohingya repatriation

Safe and voluntary return

Bachelet assured the host country of the “UN’s continued efforts to realise the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya to Myanmar.”

But for a better and conducive life in Bangladesh until the peaceful repatriation, she underscored the need for their (Rohingya) "education through fully operationalising the learning centres in the camps," the statement added.

Bachelet had a busy day on her first day, also meeting Law Minister Anisul Huq, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni.

The issues discussed during her meetings with the high officials include Bangladesh’s controversial Digital Security Act (DSA) which the critics have marked as “a draconian law” enacted before the 2018 general election to politically harass the opposition voices.

Huq, however, told the UN rights chief that the act was enacted to combat cybercrimes.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-3cT6pL75c[/embed]

Assessing rights situation

The UN human rights chief arrived in Bangladesh in the morning on a 4-day official visit to assess the state of human rights in the South Asian nation and monitor the plight of the persecuted Rohingya community.

This is the first-ever official tour of any UN rights chief to Bangladesh, a country of more than 165 million people.

During her tour, Bachelet will meet Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her Cabinet and members of the civil society.

She will also interact with the National Human Rights Commission in Bangladesh and youth representatives.

Also on the agenda are meetings with Rohingya refugees in the border district of Cox’s Bazar.

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya, most of whom fled a brutal military crackdown in the home country of Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August 2017.

READ MORE: Rohingya praise US for recognising their genocide in Myanmar

Source: AA

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Bangladesh cricket - Shakib Al Hasan named Bangladesh captain for Asia Cup and T20 World Cup

Shakib Al Hasan is back in charge for Bangladesh in T20Is, being named captain for the upcoming Asia Cup, New Zealand tri-series and the T20 World Cup.

The BCB made the announcement this afternoon, bringing to an end the uncertainty of the past couple of weeks, when Shakib was told by the board to choose between playing for Bangladesh or keeping his endorsement with a "betting company". Shakib had duly ended his deal with Betwinner News. It is understood that he is likely to be asked to stay on as a long-term captain in the format. He was appointed Test captain in June after Mominul Haque stepped down.

The BCB also announced a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup, which will be played in the UAE from August 27. Middle-order batter Sabbir Rahman, who last played a T20I in 2019, returns to the squad, while Mushfiqur Rahim, who was rested for the T20I series against Zimbabwe, is also back. While Litton Das misses out due to his hamstring injury, there was no place for Shoriful Islam, Munim Shahriar and Najmul Hossain Shanto.

Allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin returns though his recurring back problem remains a concern, while fast bowler Ebadot Hossain also earns a place. Nurul Hasan has been named in the squad despite a finger injury, but BCB said they are expecting an update on him on August 21.

While Sabbir did not have a great BPL season - where he made 109 runs in six matches - he scored 515 runs at 39.61 average in the Dhaka Premier League one-day tournament. He also caught the eye during the Bangladesh Tigers programme, where a number of fringe players are trained. Sabbir has been sent to the Caribbean to play one-day matches For Bangladesh A against West Indies A. He has played 44 T20Is so far, for 946 runs at an average of 24.89.

"We have seen him [Sabbir] in the domestic T20 side," selector Minhajul Abedin said. "We think he has the experience. We have sent him to play in the one-day series against West Indies A, to give him some game time."

Bangladesh had missed the initial deadline for naming the Asia Cup squad, while the board sorted out the Shakib sponsorship issue. Bangladesh will be one of six teams contesting the main round of the Asia Cup, along with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and a qualifier. The identity of the qualifier will be known via a qualifying tournament that starts on August 20.

Yunus: 'We have asked Shakib to not commit such a mistake again'
Shakib was "misguided" into the deal with Betwinner and vowed not to repeat the "mistake", according to BCB's cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus. Shakib had met with the BCB high-ups, including board president Nazmul Hassan, in Dhaka earlier in the day.

"Shakib admitted his mistake (regarding Betwinner controversy), but he is important for us," Yunus said. "He is still our best player. We had already decided on Shakib being the captain earlier, so we are sticking to it. He thought it was an online news website. He felt he was misguided. He has said he has terminated the (Betwinner) contract. We are hopeful he will not repeat it again. We have asked him not to commit such a mistake again. We have ended the whole thing."

Nurul had taken over in T20Is from long-time white-ball captain Mahmudullah for Bangladesh's previous assignment, in Zimbabwe, before being sidelined by a fractured finger. Mosaddek Hossain then captained the team in the last of three T20Is in Zimbabwe, as Bangladesh went down 2-1.

The T20I tri-series in New Zealand, which also involves the hosts and Pakistan, starts on October 7 and will be Bangladesh's last chance to fine-tune for the T20 World Cup, which is set to be played in Australia in October-November.

Bangladesh's Asia Cup squad: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed

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Bangladesh tea workers strike against dollar-a-day wages

DHAKA: Nearly 150,000 workers at more than 200 Bangladeshi tea plantations went on strike Saturday to demand a 150 percent rise to their dollar-a-day wages, which researchers say are among the lowest in the world.

Most tea workers in the overwhelmingly Muslim country are low-caste Hindus, the descendants of labourers brought to the plantations by colonial-era British planters.

The minimum wage for a tea plantation worker in the country is 120 taka a day — about $1.25 at official rates, but only just over a dollar on the free market.

One worker said that was barely enough to buy food, let alone other necessities.

Unions are demanding an increase to 300 taka a day, with inflation rising and the currency depreciating, and said that workers in the country’s 232 tea gardens began a full-scale strike on Saturday, after four days of two-hour stoppages.

“Nearly 150,000 tea workers have joined the strike today,” said Sitaram Bin, a committee member of the Bangladesh Tea Workers’ Union.

“No tea worker will pluck tea leaves or work in the leaf processing plants as long as the authority doesn’t pay heed to our demands,” he told AFP.

Plantation owners have offered an increase of 14 taka a day, after an 18-taka rise last year and M. Shah Alom, chairman of the Bangladesh Tea Association, said operators were “going through difficult times with profit declining in recent times”.

“The cost of production is increasing. Our expenses have increased as the price of gas, fertiliser and diesel have gone up,” he told AFP.

Researchers say tea workers — who live in some of the country’s most remote areas — have been systematically exploited by the industry for decades.

“Tea workers are like modern-day slaves,” said Philip Gain, director of the Society for Environment and Human Development, a research group, who has written books on tea workers.

“The plantation owners have hijacked the minimum wage authorities and kept the wages some of the lowest in the world.”

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Recent Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 3rd ODI 2022

Sikandar Raza stood in as Zimbabwe captain for the third ODI against Bangladesh, with regular skipper Regis Chakabva ruled out due to a sprained hand*. Zimbabwe won the toss for the third time in a row and decided to field in their hunt for a series sweep.

With Chakabva - also the wicketkeeper - missing, Zimbabwe gave an ODI debut to 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande, while Richard Ngarava returned in place of Tanaka Chivanga in the bowling attack.

Bangladesh, who have already lost the series, dropped fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam and replaced them with Mustafizur Rahman and Ebadot Hossain, who is making his ODI debut.

Zimbabwe had chased down totals of 304 and 291 in the first two ODIs of the series, and thus have an unassailable 2-0 lead already. They now have the chance to sweep an ODI series 3-0 for the first time against a Full Member side since their 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2001-02.

Zimbabwe: 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 2 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 3 Innocent Kaia, 4 Wessly Madhevere, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Clive Madande (wk), 7 Tony Munyonga, 8 Brand Evans, 9 Luke Jongwe, 10 Victor Nyauchi, 11 Richard Ngarava

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ebadot Hossain

*This story was updated at 8.07 GMT after Zimbabwe Cricket provided the injury update about Regis Chakabva

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Recent Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI 2022

Toss Zimbabwe chose to bowl vs Bangladesh

Zimbabwe captain Regis Chakabva decided to field after winning the toss against Bangladesh in the second ODI in Harare. While the home side's good luck continues with the coin, having won all five tosses during this white-ball tour, opposition captain Tamim Iqbal said that he was happy to bat first on a used pitch, as it may slow down in the second half.

Bangladesh have made three changes by bringing in fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, opener Najmul Hossain Shanto and fingerspinner Taijul Islam, in place of the injured Mustafizur Rahman (soft tissue edema) and Litton Das (hamstring strain) and Mosaddek Hossain.

Among them, Chivanga was not in the original ODI squad named before the first game.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Shoriful Islam were passed fit despite suffering knocks in the first game. Bangladesh had already flown in Mohammad Naim and Ebadot Hossain as additions to the ODI side after Litton was ruled out of the tour.

Zimbabwe: 1 Regis Chakabva (capt & wk), 2 Innocent Kaia, 3 Wessly Madhevere, 4 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 7 Luke Jongwe, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Tony Munyonga, 10 Tanaka Chivanga, 11 Victor Nyauchi

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahamudullah, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Shoriful Islam

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-bangladesh-vs-zimbabwe-2nd-odi-2022/?feed_id=7731&_unique_id=62ef848b80193

Recent Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI 2022

Zimbabwe 307 for 5 (Raza 135*, Kaia 110, Mustafizur 1-57) beat Bangladesh 303 for 2 (Litton 81, Anamul 73, Raza 1-48) by five wickets

The pair added 192 runs for the fourth wicket - breaking a 25-year old partnership record and becoming the new best for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh. Raza and Kaia also became only the second Zimbabwean duo to score centuries in the same ODI innings. To think they actually came together when the score was 62 for 3 and the game was almost slipping away from them.

Kaia displayed a refreshing batting approach, concentrating on keeping the ball all along the ground. Still he picked up 11 fours and maintained a strike rate of 90.16 by running himself ragged for those ones and twos. He hit two two sixes over midwicket, but he never tried to out-hit the man of the moment.

Raza, recently named Player of the Series at the T20 World Cup qualifier, grabbed the game with both hands and struck 14 boundaries including six sixes, the last of which was the winning hit. He had earlier been their best bowler too, taking 1-48.

Fifties from Litton Das (81), Anamul Haque (73), Tamim Iqbal (62) and Mushfiqur Rahim (52*) had them sitting pretty, but scoring just 39 runs in the last five overs hurt them. It is only the third time that Bangladesh have lost a game scoring in excess of 300, and the fourth time for Zimbabwe have won one chasing 300-plus.

Bangladesh join a forgettable list•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Things had been so different at the start of the chase. Regis Chakabva barely had any time to soak in the fact that he was the first Zimbabwean to captain, keep wicket and open the batting since Andy Flower in 1996. He chopped a Mustafizur Rahman delivery on to his leg-stump for 2. Tarisai Musakanda skied Shoriful Islam to cover in the next over, and Zimbabwe were suddenly 6 for 2.

Wessly Madhevere fended Bangladesh off, with Kaia, adding 56 runs for the third wicket. But the partnership ended disastrously when miscommunication between the two, having seen a fumble out in the deep, resulted in an entirely avoidable run-out.

That brought Zimbabwe's match-winners together and though there were a few iffy moments - substitute Taijul Islam dropped Raza on 43, a simple chance at cover. Kaia was dropped twice in the same Shoriful over on 68 and 74 respectively - they soon settled into rhythm.

And when they brought up their 162nd run in tandem, they broke the record for Zimbabwe's biggest ODI partnership against Bangladesh, eclipsing the Flower brothers, Andy and Grant, effort from October 1997.

Raza was the dominant one in the partnership, starting his six-hitting in the 21st over when he hammered Shoriful down the ground. He pulled Taskin over midwicket, took a five-over break between the 25th and the 30th, then smashed Mustafizur straight back over his head to reach his fifty. He thrashed his next six off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, pulled Shoriful over midwicket for good measure and finally sealed the match with 10 balls to spare by carting Mosaddek Hossain over the ropes as well.

Luke Jongwe played an important hand (24 off 19) after Kaia got out for 110 in the 42nd over.

Tamim couldn't find a wicket-taker among his bowlers. To make matters worse, Shoriful looked to have hurt his knee. Their gamble to go without a left-arm spinner for the first time against Zimbabwe also hurt them.

Bangladesh's score of 303 for 2 was built around four half-centuries but it was the big partnerships that really helped them. Tamim and Litton added 119 runs, their fourth 100-plus stand as an opening pair. Tamim was the first to fifty, and shortly afterwards when he reached 57 runs, he became the first from Bangladesh to reach 8,000 ODI runs.

After Tamim's departure, Litton got to his seventh fifty, and suddenly got into a groove to hit a cluster of fours and a six to get to 81. But while taking a quick first run, he pulled his hamstring, and had to stretchered off after the second drinks break.

Anamul followed the openers with his first fifty for Bangladesh in almost eight years. This was also the innings in which he struck the ball the sweetest since making his comeback this year. Anamul got into the Bangladesh side with a world record 1,138 runs in the domestic List-A tournament, the Dhaka Premier League. He continued on the same vein against Zimbabwe, hitting his tenth one-day fifty in 2022, and this was his sixth in a row in this format.

Anamul added 96 runs for the second wicket with Mushfiqur, as the pair got into the last ten overs with a gung-ho approach. But after taking 51 runs between the 41st and 45th, they got only 39 runs in the last five. The Zimbabwe bowlers pulling back the scoring rate was their only success in an innings in which they took just two wickets.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-bangladesh-vs-zimbabwe-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=7206&_unique_id=62edc00799f8a

Zim vs Ban - Fractured finger puts Bangladesh captain Nurul Hasan out of remainder of Zimbabwe tour

Nurul Hasan, Bangladesh's new T20I captain, was ruled out of the remainder of the Zimbabwe tour following a finger injury during his side's seven-wicket win in the second T20I in Harare on Sunday. Nurul fractured his left index finger while keeping against fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, according to team physio team Muzadded Alpha Sany.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/zim-vs-ban-fractured-finger-puts-bangladesh-captain-nurul-hasan-out-of-remainder-of-zimbabwe-tour/?feed_id=5041&_unique_id=62e791387038a

Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh 2nd T20I 2022

Bangladesh 136 for 3 (Litton 56, Afif 30*) beat Zimbabwe 135 for 8 (Raza 62, Mosaddek 5-20) by seven wickets

Mosaddek Hossain's stunning opening spell set up Bangladesh's series-levelling win against Zimbabwe in Harare. The part-time offspinner completed his maiden five-wicket haul in just the seventh over of the innings, and became only the fourth Bangladesh bowler to take a five-for in T20Is, after Elias Sunny, Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan

With Zimbabwe in tatters, Sikandar Raza scored a fighting half-century - his second of the series - but a total of 135 proved inadequate. Opener Litton Das spearheaded Bangladesh's chase with a half-century and the target was achieved with seven wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare.

Five wickets in seven overs
Opening the bowling for the first time in T20Is, Mosaddek struck with the first ball of the match - Regis Chakabva edging the wide, innocuous delivery to the wicket-keeper. Wessly Madhevere, who had struck a fifty in the first T20I, slammed one straight to cover-point where Mahedi Hasan took an easy catch off the last ball of the over.

In his second over, Mosaddek had captain Craig Ervine caught at slip while attempting a reverse sweep, reducing Zimbabwe to 6 for 3. Sean Williams was next to go, chipping one back at Mosaddek in the fifth over, with the bowler having to jump to complete the return catch.

Mosaddek completed his five-for when Milton Shumba dragged one towards deep midwicket, only to see Hasan Mahmud run hard and complete a diving catch. Mosaddek became the first Bangladesh bowler to take the first five wickets to fall in an innings, and 31 was the lowest score for which Zimbabwe had lost their first five wickets in a T20I.

Raza leads the recovery
Raza and Ryan Burl stopped the slide with an 80-run stand for the sixth wicket. Raza scored his second half-century of the series, hitting fours through cover and deep third, and also sixes over the leg-side boundary. He struck 62 off 53 balls before falling to Mustafizur in the 19th over.

Burl had fallen in the 18th, when Hasan Mahmud bowled him for 32. Towards the end of the innings, Luke Jongwe struck a late six, as Zimbabwe tried to capitalise on the recovery that Raza had led.

Litton starts quickly
Litton got Bangladesh's chase off to a quick start when he struck Tanaka Chivanga for two sixes and a four in the third over. But he lost his opening partner Munim Shahriar cheaply for the second game in a row when Richard Ngarava bowled him through the gate.

Litton added 41 for the second wicket with Anamul Haque but got out shortly after reaching his half-century - his 56 off 33 balls included six fours and two sixes. Anamul struck two fours in his 16, but once again got out soon after getting set.

The final act
Afif Hossain was unbeaten on 30 off 28 balls and Najmul Hossain Shanto made 19 off 21 balls to take Bangladesh to the target. Their unbroken 55-run stand for the fourth wicket ensured there were no more hiccups for Bangladesh, who had lost their previous two wickets in the space of four balls.

The seven-wicket victory brought Bangladesh level at 1-1 in the series, with the decider on Tuesday in Harare.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-zimbabwe-vs-bangladesh-2nd-t20i-2022/?feed_id=4957&_unique_id=62e7585430e98

Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh 1st T20I 2022

Zimbabwe 205 for 3 (Madhevere 67, Raza 65*, Mustafizur 2-50) beat Bangladesh 188 for 6 (Nurul 42*, Shanto 37, Jongwe 2-34) by 17 runs

A late flourish by Bangladesh captain Nurul Hasan could not defy Zimbabwe, who kept their nerves to clinch a 17-run win in the first T20I and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The win was fashioned by fifties from Wessly Madhevere and Sikandar Raza, followed by some efficient death bowling by Richard Ngarava and Luke Jongwe. This is Zimbabwe's sixth successive T20I win, their best streak in the format.

Chasing 206, Bangladesh were never really in the chase until Nurul started hitting sixes in the last few overs, but an already struggling side looked out of their depth all through.

This is the second time in the space of six T20Is that Zimbabwe have breached the 200-run mark. It is also the first time in eight years that Zimbabwe have taken a 1-0 lead in a bilateral series against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh still had an outside chance in the last two overs when they needed 32 runs, but Ngarava and Jongwe did just about enough to close out the win.

Ngarava nails his wide yorkers
As often happens in T20s, the match came down to a critical penultimate over. Ngarava, drafted into this squad to make up for an injury-hit pace bowling attack, more than made up for the absentees Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani. He conceded just four runs in the 19th over, kept the rampant Nurul quiet and picked up a wicket for good measure to leave Bangladesh needing 28 runs in the last over.

Nurul had struck three sixes until that point, including two off Wellington Masakadza in the 15th over. He then struck Jongwe over long-on, but Ngarava bowled his wide yorkers very well, not allowing any room to Nurul and Mosaddek Hossain. Nurul collected a four - off a leg bye - and a six in the last over after a dot ball, but Tanaka Chivanga came back superbly to shut down the visitors with three consecutive dot balls.

Williams helps Zimbabwe pick up pace
After Zimbabwe opted to bat, they cruised to 80 for 2 in 11 overs before Sean Williams laid into Nasum Ahmed. He struck the left-arm spinner for two fours and a six in the 18-run 12th over to give some impetus to the innings. He went after Nasum's down the leg-side deliveries and dispatched them over deep square leg, steered one fine with a paddle sweep, and pulled one to the long-leg boundary.

The boundaries propelled Zimbabwe after their powerplay of 43 for 1 in which they struck only four fours. Williams exited shortly afterwards, bottom-edging a Mustafizur Rahman slower ball onto his stumps for 33 off 19 balls.

Raza raises the roof
Zimbabwe scored 91 runs in the last six overs of their innings, thanks mainly to Raza who was in a punishing mood for his unbeaten 65 off 26. The first of Raza's four sixes was a pull off Taskin Ahmed in the 15th over, before he struck Shoriful Islam for two more in the 19th over and one off Mustafizur in the last over.

Raza also struck two straight fours, and a beautiful cover drive to finish the innings. Madhevere supported Raza very well despite appearing to suffer from a hamstring pull. Before he was joined by Raza, he was more focused on using the pace of the ball to hit boundaries behind square. His innings was cut short in the last over when he had to retire hurt for 67.

Litton exits in confusion
After giving Bangladesh their best powerplay score - 60 for 1 - in nearly four years, Litton attempted a scoop against Wiliams in the seventh over. Ngarava, at short fine leg, dropped a sitter in haste to celebrate the big wicket but made up for it by quickly throwing the ball to the bowler, who ran back to break the stumps at the non-striker's end, where Litton was well short. Litton did not even try to make it to the crease as he took a bit of time to realise the catch had been shelled. The on-field umpire, who seemed confused with the proceedings, asked Litton to wait and signalled for the TV umpire, signalling not out as the soft signal. This added to the confusion, but the TV umpire adjudged that Litton was actually run out.

In a slightly similar incident four years ago, Law 27.7 of the ICC handbook (now 31.7) had to be invoked, but in that case, Hardik Pandya was caught in the first instance. Here, Litton was dropped, and then run out. The 31.7 law states that "an umpire shall intervene if satisfied that a batsman, not having been given out, has left the wicket under a misapprehension of being out. The umpire intervening shall call and signal Dead ball to prevent any further action by the fielding side and shall recall the batsman".

Zimbabwe win the middle overs too
Bangladesh never quite got a big partnership going after Litton fell for 32. Anamul Haque got out the ball after hitting his second six in the tenth over, while Afif Hossain pulled a half-tracker down deep midwicket's throat in the 13th. Najmul Hossain Shanto, a surprise inclusion in the T20I squad, struck a six and three fours in his 25-ball 37 but he was unable to cope with the rising asking rate and was caught behind in the 16th over. It was left to the new captain Nurul, who, eventually, couldn't quite get Bangladesh to the target.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-zimbabwe-vs-bangladesh-1st-t20i-2022/?feed_id=4495&_unique_id=62e5c58369127

Bangladesh seeking IMF loan but economy not in trouble

Bangladesh has asked to start talks on a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but will take it only if conditions are favourable, the finance minister said on Wednesday, adding its macroeconomic conditions were fine.

The country’s $416 billion economy has been one of the fastest-growing in the world for years, but rising energy and food prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war have inflated its import bill and the current account deficit.

“A letter was sent to the IMF seeking assistance, but we have not mentioned how much we want,” Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal told reporters.

“We are waiting to see their conditions. If the IMF conditions are in favour of the country and compatible with our development policy, we’ll go for it, otherwise not. Seeking a loan from the IMF does not mean Bangladesh’s economy is in bad shape.”

A senior IMF official had told Reuters on Tuesday that Bangladesh had asked it to start talks on a new loan under the global creditor’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust. Such funds are capped at 150 per cent of a country’s quota or, in Bangladesh’s case, a maximum of $1 billion.

Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper reported on Tuesday that the country wanted $4.5bn from the IMF.

Bangladesh’s economic mainstay is its export-oriented garments industry, which could suffer if sales fall in its main markets in Europe and the United States because of a slowdown in the global economy.

After garments, remittances are the second highest source of foreign currency for Bangladesh.

The South Asian country’s foreign exchange reserves fell to $39.67bn as of July 20 — sufficient for just over five months worth of imports — from $45.5bn a year earlier.

Its July to May current account deficit was $17.2bn, compared with a deficit of $2.78bn in the year-earlier period, as its trade deficit widened and remittances fell.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are the other two South Asian countries to have sought IMF support this year.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/bangladesh-seeking-imf-loan-but-economy-not-in-trouble/?feed_id=3102&_unique_id=62e1dc4350564