Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Armed with Fizz and self-belief, Bangladesh seek a Champions Trophy scalp

With a fiery new bowler named Fizz leading the young guns and all-rounder Mushfiqur Rahim the old guard, Bangladesh are aiming to leave their mark on the ChampionsTrophy where they are appearing for only the second time.

Bangladesh edged ahead of West Indies in the world rankings to get their place at the 50-over tournament where they will feature in the opening match against hosts England on June 1.


Captain Mashraf Mortaza said the team, who last took part in the trophy in 2006, have the mental strength to overcome the tough conditions in England.

"If you look at our group, you must feel it will be a difficult job for us," Mashrafe said before leaving Dhaka.

"But you can never be sure. We defeated England twice in those conditions, beat Australia once.

"Though those victories are a thing of the past, at least they give you some self-belief. It all depends now on how we mentally make preparations for the tournament," he said.

Considered perennial minnows, the Tigers have seen a dramatic rise in their fortunes since the 2015 World Cup. Their move up to seventh, saw West Indies fall out of the top eight teams allowed at the Champions Trophy.

Bangladesh reached the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals and then posted consecutive one day series victories against Pakistan, India and South Africa to zoom up the rankings.

Mustafizur "Fizz" Rahman has emerged as one of the best young bowlers to come out of Asia in recent years.

He blitzed through four Irish wickets in an eight-wicket win in a warmup international last week to highlight his potential.

In Rahim, the country's Test captain, Bangladesh have their best ever wicketkeeper and a match-winning batsman alongside the likes of Soumya Sarkar who made an unbeaten 87 in the win over Ireland.

Former captain Habibul Bashar believes Bangladesh have seen a revolution in their game mindset and are now "worthy competitors".

"The 2006 Champions Trophy was just fun. We had to play in the preliminary round to get into the main draw. But after all these years, we are directly playing in the final round," Bashar said.

"During those years our aim was to avoid humiliating losses. We didn't dare to dream of any spectacular achievement. But now we consider ourselves as worthy competitors," he said.

However former opener Shahriar Nafees believes the team will need to punch above their weight to stand up to the likes of England, Australia and New Zealand in Group A.

"We have got to be realistic," said Nafees, architect of their only Champions Trophy win so far, against Zimbabwe in the 2006 preliminary round.

"We are going to play in the Champions Trophy and our rivals are all tough teams. Especially, all three are good in the English conditions where the tournament will be held," he said.

Nafees said Bangladesh could still pull off surprises as their "confidence" is high following a recent run of form.

Bangladesh drew 1-1 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in a three-match series in April. They were beaten by New Zealand 3-0 in January but they were competitive in all three matches.

Bangladesh open the tournament against England on June 1 at the Oval before facing Australia on the same ground on June 5.

They end their group phase against New Zealand at Cardiff on June 9.

More For You

Chhetri returns to lead India’s Asian Cup charge

Sunil Chhetri

Chhetri returns to lead India’s Asian Cup charge

Eastern Eye

INDIAN football legend Sunil Chhetri will return to the national team aged 40 in an unexpected reversal of his decision to hang up his boots last year.

The former captain, the fourth-highest men’s international goalscorer of all time, played his last match for India in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier.

Keep ReadingShow less
Syed Abid Ali

Abid Ali made his Test debut in December 1967 against Australia in Adelaide, taking 6/55 in the first innings—his best bowling figures in Test cricket. (Photo: BCCI)

Former India allrounder Syed Abid Ali passes away at 83

FORMER India allrounder Syed Abid Ali died on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. He was 83.

Abid Ali, who was known for his all-round abilities and sharp fielding, passed away in the United States. He was part of a distinguished group of Hyderabad cricketers that included MAK Pataudi, ML Jaisimha, and Abbas Ali Baig.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Stokes considered to lead England’s white-ball teams after Buttler’s exit

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes considered to lead England’s white-ball teams after Buttler’s exit

Eastern Eye

ENGLAND cricket chiefs are considering Test captain Ben Stokes as a potential leader for the struggling white-ball teams following Jos Buttler’s resignation.

Rob Key, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) managing director for men’s cricket, confirmed last week that “nothing’s off the table” when it comes to finding Buttler’s replacement for both the 50-over and Twenty20 sides.

Keep ReadingShow less
All England Open: Satwik-Chirag duo storm into second round

FILE PHOTO: Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (Photo by Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)

All England Open: Satwik-Chirag duo storm into second round

INDIA's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the second round of the men’s doubles competition at the All England Open with a straight-game victory over Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard on Wednesday (12).

Returning to the court after his father’s loss last month, Satwik, along with his doubles partner Chirag, put on an impressive display, securing a 21-17, 21-15 win in just 40 minutes.

Keep ReadingShow less
London Marathon 2025

Historic race set to feature the biggest field ever

iStock

London Marathon 2025 set to welcome record-breaking number of runners

The 2025 London Marathon is set to break records as the world’s largest marathon, with over 56,000 runners expected to cross the finish line on Sunday, 27 April. This would surpass the current record held by the New York Marathon, which saw 55,646 participants complete the race in November.

This year's event has already seen record-breaking interest, with more than 840,000 people applying for the ballot, far exceeding the previous record of 578,304 set in 2024. Of the UK applicants, 49% were female, and applications from those aged 20-29 saw a notable 105% rise, reflecting growing participation across younger demographics.

Keep ReadingShow less