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.

Two cricket players from India and Australia have been nominated for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2023.

Travis Head (Australia):
Runs: 1698 in 31 matches

Notable Achievements: A key member of the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2022, Travis Head overcame a fractured hand to contribute significantly to Australia’s success.Australia’s win in the World Cup was largely due to his outstanding performances, which included centuries in important matches. Head had a significant influence on Test cricket as well, as Australia won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship with his support.

Virat Kohli (India):
Runs: 2048 in 35 matches

Notable Achievements: Virat Kohli’s consistent form in both Test and ODI formats marked a remarkable comeback. Notable innings include a crucial 44 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Series and a majestic 186 in the final Test. His most memorable moment was at the Wankhede Stadium during the World Cup semi-final, when he achieved his 50th ODI century.

Ravindra Jadeja (India):
Runs: 613, Wickets: 66 in 35 matches

Notable Achievements: Ravindra Jadeja returned from a knee injury with a stellar performance.With both bat and ball, he was instrumental in India’s triumph in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In Test cricket, Jadeja showcased his batting skills and joined forces with Ravichandran Ashwin to create a strong bowling duo. Additionally, he stood out in white-ball cricket by taking 16 wickets in the World Cup.

Pat Cummins (Australia):
Runs: 422, Wickets: 59 in 24 matches

Notable Achievements: Pat Cummins had a standout year, both as a player and captain. Despite early setbacks, Cummins led Australia to victories in the WTC final, a successful Ashes defense, and a remarkable comeback to win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup for a record sixth time.Australia’s win was greatly influenced by his valuable contributions with both bat and ball.

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.

Shoriful performed exceptionally well in the Bangladesh-New Zealand series, taking six wickets in three matches and earning the best player award. Mustafizur Rahman, ranked 22 among Bangladeshi players, improved by five spots, giving 4.88 runs per over with 2 wickets in New Zealand. Other notable bowlers include Shakib Al Hasan (28), Mehidy Hasan (29), Taskin Ahmed (33), Nasum Ahmed (35), and Hasan Mahmud (43). However, there were no significant improvements in batting, with Litton Das leading at 23 (falling two steps) and Nazmul Hossain at number 32.

In a recent critique, former Australia captain Steve Waugh expressed dismay at South Africa’s decision to dispatch a less-experienced squad to New Zealand for a Test tour, concurrently allowing their key players to participate in a domestic T20 tournament. Waugh emphasized that such choices pose a significant threat to the traditional and enduring format of the game.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) unveiled a squad featuring seven uncapped players, led by Neil Brand, for the upcoming two-Test series in New Zealand, coinciding with the commencement of the SA20’s second edition on January 10.

Waugh urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other cricket administrators to intervene to safeguard the sanctity of Test cricket. He conveyed his concern to the Sydney Morning Herald, stating:

“Obviously they don’t care. If I was in New Zealand, I wouldn’t even play the series. Why would you when it shows a lack of respect for New Zealand cricket? If the ICC or someone doesn’t step in shortly, then Test cricket doesn’t remain a true test against the best players.”

Reuters reached out to the ICC for comment, but no response has been received at the time of reporting. The ICC, however, holds limited influence over bilateral cricket schedules and domestic T20 leagues, as these are determined by the respective cricket boards. Greg Barclay, the ICC chairman, previously acknowledged the challenge, stating “there’s not a lot we can do” regarding the dominance of T20 leagues in the cricket calendar.

The prevalence of franchise cricket has placed pressure on bilateral tours in recent times, with certain teams, such as the West Indies, struggling to field their strongest squads. Last year, Cricket South Africa canceled a tour of Australia to ensure the participation of its top players in the inaugural SA T20 tournament, which is financially supported by Indian Premier League franchises.

Expressing concern about the potential shift away from Test cricket, Australian captain Pat Cummins remarked:

“I know the South African team aren’t sending their strongest side. I’m hoping it’s just a phase.”

Cummins acknowledged the broader issue of the overwhelming amount of cricket and its impact on player availability.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood weighed in on the situation, suggesting that better scheduling could have prevented this scenario. He remarked:

“All the best sides have to play for the World Test Championship, so it’s a pity that South Africa aren’t being able to send their full-strength squad. Hopefully, somewhere down the line, schedules can be made in a certain way where we see the strongest elevens playing Test cricket.”

South Africa decided to focus on their Twenty20 competition instead of going on a planned tour of New Zealand. Waugh is disappointed and feels they don’t care. South Africa picked a 14-man squad with seven new players and a new captain, Neil Brand, who hasn’t played international cricket yet. Waugh worries that important events like the Boxing Day Test might have difficulties in the future.

“It’s going to happen if the South African Cricket Board are any indication of the future, keeping their best players at home,” he said. “If I was New Zealand I wouldn’t even play the series. I don’t know why they’re even playing. Why would you when it shows a lack of respect for New Zealand cricket?

“It’s pretty obvious what the problem is. The West Indies aren’t sending their full-strength side [to Austalia this summer]. They haven’t picked a full-strength Test team for a couple of years now.

“Someone like Nicholas Pooran is really a Test batsman who doesn’t play Test cricket. Jason Holder, probably their best player, is not playing now. Even Pakistan didn’t send a full side [to Australia].

“If the ICC or someone doesn’t step in shortly then Test cricket doesn’t become Test cricket because you’re not testing yourself against the best players.

“I understand why players don’t come. They’re not getting paid properly. I don’t understand why ICC or the top countries who are making a lot of money don’t just have a regulation set fee for Test matches which is a premium, so people are incentivised to play Test Cricket.

“Otherwise they just play T10 or T20. The public are the ones who are going to suffers because it’s not the full side playing, so it’s not Test cricket.

The rich Board of Control for Cricket in India asks for and gets a bigger portion of ICC money, even though many other countries lose money on Test cricket.

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has reportedly been denied permission to display a peace symbol on his bat and shoes during the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. The symbol, featuring a black dove and the inscription “01:UDHR,” a nod to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was visible in his gear during a training session in Melbourne.

Khawaja, a prominent batsman, engaged in multiple discussions with Cricket Australia in recent days, attempting to find a message deemed appropriate for the second Test this week. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected his latest humanitarian gesture, according to reports from The Australian and Melbourne Age newspapers.

This is not the first time Khawaja has faced challenges regarding messages in his gear. In the initial Test in Perth, he was prohibited from wearing shoes with hand-written slogans supporting human rights and expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza. The slogans, reading “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal,” were deemed in violation of ICC rules on messages related to politics, religion, or race.

While the ICC has not officially commented on the recent denial, Khawaja’s previous experience suggests strict adherence to regulations on messages displayed by players.

The cricketer, who is of Muslim faith, expressed his dismay over the Israel-Hamas conflict, particularly highlighting the impact on innocent children. Despite facing restrictions on his messages, Khawaja remains committed to using his platform to bring attention to causes he feels strongly about.

“I don’t have any agendas other than trying to shine a light on what I feel really passionately, really strongly about,”

Khawaja stated on Friday, underscoring his dedication to humanitarian concerns beyond the cricket field.

“The concerned players, Wesley Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta, both tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case recorded during a recent in-house doping test,” the board said in a statement.

Madhevere and Mavuta are suspended immediately until a hearing for violating anti-doping rules. The board didn’t disclose the specific drug or when the tests were failed. This comes as another setback following coach Dave Houghton’s resignation due to Zimbabwe’s inability to qualify for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

“They have been charged under the Zimbabwe Cricket Code of Conduct for players and team officials and will appear for a disciplinary hearing soon,” the statement said.

Madhevere, a 23-year-old all-rounder, is seen as a rising talent in the national team. He debuted for Zimbabwe in 2020 and has played in two Tests, 36 one-day internationals, and 60 Twenty20 internationals.

Mavuta, aged 26, has four Tests, 12 one-day internationals, and 10 T20 internationals under his belt.

Both were part of the Zimbabwe squad in the recent one-day series against Ireland, which ended in a 2-1 loss for the team.

Following their failure to qualify for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the loss in the Ireland series, Zimbabwe has initiated a thorough investigation. Coach Dave Houghton resigned, citing a loss of the change room’s support.

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.