After winning the election, the new MP arrived in a car with a new bat and went into the indoor facilities this afternoon to prepare for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He’s returning to training after being sidelined with an injury for a few weeks. Today, he’s expected to train with his childhood mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who arrived before him. The Awami League candidate for Magura-1 constituency won the election with a total of 185,388 votes.

Shakib Al Hasan, the captain of the Bangladesh cricket team, won a seat in the country’s Parliament during the general elections on Sunday, January 7. Contesting from Magura-1 for Awami League, Shakib secured a significant victory in the elections, which were boycotted by the opposition. He defeated his closest rival, Kazi Rezaul Hossain, by a margin of 1,50,000 votes, with Hossain securing 45,993 votes. Shakib took a break from cricket to focus on his election campaign. Before the polls, he expressed that while there were challenges, he was not facing any serious barriers.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also secured another term for Awami League, with her party winning 200 out of the 300 parliamentary seats. Although the election commission stated that the Awami League might be proclaimed the winner based on the current results, the counting is still proceeding. The final announcement will be made after counting votes in the remaining constituencies.

Shakib’s last cricket appearance was in the ODI World Cup 2023, where he led Bangladesh to an eighth-placed finish. Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy spot was guaranteed by this outcome, despite the team’s lackluster record; Sri Lanka and the Netherlands were not included. Following the World Cup, Bangladesh played against New Zealand in two different tours, one at home and one away, but Shakib did not participate in any of these assignments

The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) grounds committee is gearing up to craft playing surfaces of International Cricket Council (ICC) standards for the imminent 10th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), set to kick off on January 19.

Mahbub Anam, the BCB director and chairman of the ground committee, expressed confidence in the BCB’s current team, led by Tony Hemming, asserting their capability to align the pitches with ICC standards ahead of the T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the Caribbean islands and the USA.

“T20 is a batsman’s game, and we aim for high-scoring matches. Our goal is to replicate the pitches seen at ICC events, keeping in view the upcoming ICC T20I World Cup,”

shared Anam with reporters yesterday.

At a meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Anam and Roquibul Hasan, the BPL technical committee chairman, communicated their desire for batting-friendly pitches to venue managers and curators for the country’s sole franchise-based T20 tournament.

“This BPL timing is opportune, allowing players to refine their skills ahead of the World Cup. We’ve conveyed this to venue managers and curators, emphasizing the need for pitches favoring batsmen, leading to substantial scores,”

Roquibul explained.

Addressing concerns from the previous tournament, Roquibul highlighted instances where runs were scarce, attributing it to various factors such as the condition of the wickets, batters’ performance, and bowlers’ effectiveness. He assured us that these issues have been addressed, and a comprehensive Decision Review System (DRS) will be implemented from the beginning of the tournament.

In our nation, the previous year was exceptional for women’s cricket. The team drew the ODI series and won the T20Is against India at home. They also won the T20I series and the ODI series against Pakistan. Bangladesh, who won bronze in the Asian Games, created history when they became the first team to win the ODI and T20I series in South Africa. Captain Nigar Sultana Joty is proud to lead this talented group and hopes for a domestic T20 league before the upcoming T20I World Cup in Bangladesh in 2024. Joty shared her thoughts on the potential franchise league in an exclusive interview with Cricfrenzy.

“We’ve discussed this. BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) is ambitious about it, but I don’t know how much practical implementation there will be. A few days ago, when I had a meeting with the Chairman (BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon), we raised this issue. He asked me, “Joty, how many teams can you manage?” He expressed personal interest about it. I said, “Look, sir, since we are relatively new, having 3-4 teams would be good. At least there should be healthy competition among the teams.” Joty said.

Women’s franchise leagues like WPL, Women’s Big Bash, and CPL are not as financially lucrative as men’s tournaments. Joty is encouraging franchise owners in Bangladesh, who have successfully run the men’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for years, to take the initiative and establish a women’s league.

“Here, franchises need to play a significant role. If they want to buy our teams, it will be good because when the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) happens, the women get one league per year.”

“When foreign cricketers come to play in Bangladesh, our players will have the opportunity to play in their countries too. As such, there will be multiple opportunities. Certainly, the more we play in the T20 format, the more we can progress. If this happens before the World Cup, then we can contribute even more,” Joty added.

In a notable turn of events, Chandika Hathurusingha, the coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, commends Najmul Hossain Shanto for his exemplary leadership skills at the conclusion of the white-ball tour in New Zealand.

Despite Bangladesh sharing the T20I series 1-1 after a narrow loss to Mount Maunganui, Hathurusingha highlighted Shanto’s strategic acumen and effective communication, steering the team to historic victories without key senior players.

Bangladesh faced setbacks in the absence of regular captain Shakib Al Hasan, pacers Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, and all-rounder Mahmudullah in the last T20I. However, Shanto’s remarkable leadership was pivotal in securing their maiden T20I win against New Zealand and replicating the success in ODI cricket.

Hathurusingha praised Shanto’s clarity in conveying messages and setting expectations, noting an improved team environment in the dressing room. Notably, Shanto led the Tigers to their first home Test victory against New Zealand the previous month, further strengthening his case for long-term captaincy.

As Shakib contemplates his future captaincy role across all formats amid recovery and electioneering commitments, Hathurusingha suggests that Shanto’s compelling evidence merits serious consideration from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

“I think they (BCB) will strongly think about that (Shanto for long-term captaincy). Of course, it’s the board’s decision, but Shanto has shown enough evidence for them to take him seriously,” concludes the coach.

Jalal Yunus, Chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s cricket operations committee, expressed satisfaction that Bangladesh’s ‘Poster Boy’ is committed to playing for the country full-time rather than participating in franchise leagues.

“Obviously [good news]. I saw his statement in the media. It is good news that now he is focusing more on country’s cricket than outside franchise cricket. This is great news for us. We want Shakib to play for our country as many versions as we have here,” Jalal told media in a press meet.

In recent years, Shakib hasn’t consistently played for the national team due to injuries, franchise commitments, and personal leave. However, he now aims to focus entirely on representing the country in cricket. Despite previous statements about stepping down as the ODI captain after the World Cup, the Bangladesh Cricket Board director clarified that Shakib remains the captain in all formats.

“Reconsideration part does not come here. Still, he is our captain, now we have given Shanto (Najmul Hasan). We told Shanto that there are two series ahead which is the New Zealand series, that’s why we gave him the captaincy,”

“Shakib has been captained for a long time. Still he is the captain of all those editions. We assume that he is the captain. Now there is no question whether he will be the captain or not. He knows he is still the captain” added Jalal.

Cricket Australia (CA) asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to move their planned two-match Test tour in March 2027 to August-September 2026. This is so they can have a special Test match against England to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first-ever Test match in 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). CA had also organized a centenary Test at the MCG in March 1977.

“They (CA) have requested us to reschedule it (tour for Test series in 2027) but it is still under discussion. They have got a plan to celebrate their 150 year anniversary and that is a national commitment and due to that they want to reschedule the Test series against us and working on that,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told Cricbuzz.

The Australian cricket team is set to play a three-match Test series against New Zealand in the summer of 2026 before their two Tests against Bangladesh. They’re thinking of making it a four-match series. After that, Australia plans to go on a five-match Test tour of India in January-February 2027.

For Bangladesh, fitting in a two-match Test tour to Australia in August-September 2026 will be quite busy. They have tours to Zimbabwe and Ireland in July and August, followed by matches against West Indies at home and South Africa away in October and November.

Bangladesh last visited Australia in 2003 for a two-Test series, and they haven’t been back since. Their planned tour in 2018 got canceled because the host broadcasters didn’t think it would be profitable.

Results of the First and 100th Tests: Australia vs. England
Quiz Alert: Australia won both the first Test in 1877 and the 100th-anniversary Test in 1977, and guess what? They won both by 45 runs. Despite the different ways the matches unfolded, the end result was surprisingly identical.

Bangladesh’s emerging spin sensation played a crucial role in their T20I series win against Pakistan in October and continued her impressive form in the subsequent 2-1 ODI series victory in November. She took seven wickets at an average of 14.14 with an outstanding effort, earning the Player of the Series title.. Despite a challenging first ODI where Bangladesh was dismissed for 81, her 3/30 effort showed resilience. In the second ODI, she contributed 1/43 and played a key role in a tied game, excelling in the Super Over to secure a Bangladesh win. The final match saw her take 3/26, aiding in restricting Pakistan to 166/9, eventually leading to Bangladesh’s victory.

Fargana Hoque, Bangladesh’s top-order batter, was the highest run-scorer in the ODI series against Pakistan, accumulating 110 runs at an average of 36.66. Notable contributions included a confident 40 in the second ODI and a crucial 62 in the deciding encounter, forming a record first-wicket partnership of 125 runs and securing a comfortable seven-wicket triumph.

Sadia Iqbal, Pakistan’s 28-year-old left-arm spinner, stood out during the tour of Bangladesh, taking six wickets at an impressive average of 12.5 and an economy rate of 2.58. Her career-best 4/13 in the first ODI set the tone for Pakistan’s success in chasing down the target of 81. In the second game, she claimed two wickets, and in the final ODI, despite going wicketless, she maintained an economical spell, conceding only 30 runs from her 10 overs.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has set up a special committee with three members to check how well the Bangladesh national cricket team did in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023. The committee, made up of BCB directors Enayet Hossain Siraj (leader), Mahbubul Anam (member), and Akram Khan (member), aims to figure out why the team didn’t perform as expected in the tournament. They will then share their findings with the board. In the World Cup, Bangladesh ended up in eighth place out of 10 teams, winning only two out of nine matches. This was below the team’s earlier goal of reaching the semifinals. Before the World Cup, there were controversies involving Tamim Iqbal being left out and a public disagreement between him and captain Shakib Al Hasan.

Shakib won’t be playing in the upcoming home series because of a finger fracture he got during the ODI World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s doctor, Debashis Chowdhury, mentioned that they need to wait for three weeks to reevaluate Shakib’s injury. After this period, they’ll check the X-ray and decide on his rehabilitation program. If all goes well, he might return to the field in about three to four weeks.

The Bangladesh team is set to go to New Zealand for a series on December 11 or 12, but Shakib won’t be joining them due to his condition. He’ll miss out on playing 3 ODIs and T20s during that trip.

On another note, Shakib has applied for nomination forms from the ruling party Awami League to contest in three constituencies for the upcoming 12th parliamentary elections on January 7, 2024.