Cricket

Shakib Al Hasan Accused of Murder, Faces Legal Notice and Potential Cricket BanFormer Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan has been embroiled in a shocking murder case, leaving cricket fans worldwide in disbelief. The case stems from the ongoing protests in Bangladesh, during which Rubel, the son of Rafiqul Islam, was killed on August 7.A case has been filed with the Adabor police station in Dhaka, naming Shakib as the 28th accused among 154 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Rafiqul Islam's lawyers have demanded Shakib's immediate removal from the ongoing Test series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.A legal notice has been sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), requesting a ban on Shakib from all forms of cricket. BCB president Faruque Ahmed has stated that a decision regarding Shakib will be made after the conclusion of the first Test."We are yet to receive any legal notice. The case is under investigation, and we will take a decision after the game is over," Ahmed said. "We have a Test match to play, and we are focused on that. We will address the legal notice and make a decision during the gap between the first and second Tests."Ahmed emphasized that the BCB's relationship with Shakib is contractual, and they cannot withdraw him from the Test match in progress. However, he indicated that the board will consider the legal notice and make a decision during the break between the Tests.The murder accusation against Shakib has sent shockwaves through the cricket world. Shakib is one of Bangladesh's most celebrated cricketers, having captained the national team in all three formats. He is also a renowned all-rounder, known for his exceptional batting and bowling skills.The case has raised questions about Shakib's involvement in the protests and the circumstances surrounding Rubel's death. The investigation is ongoing, and it remains to be seen what the outcome will be.

Abdullah Shafique's reckless dismissal in the first Test against Bangladesh has drawn sharp criticism from former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali. Pakistan's hopes of salvaging a draw were dashed when Shafique attempted a reckless shot against Shakib Al Hasan, resulting in his dismissal and ultimately the team's defeat.Ali expressed his frustration, stating that Shafique's shot was the reason Pakistan lost the match. He emphasized that such irresponsible play is unacceptable in international cricket and that Shafique should be held accountable for his actions.Another player who came under fire was Naseem Shah, who also gave away his wicket cheaply. Ali criticized Shah's shot selection, calling it "street cricket" and not befitting of the Pakistan team.Pakistan's inability to read the pitch conditions was also a major factor in their loss. Despite the presence of two quality spinners in Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Pakistan opted for an all-out pace attack, which proved to be a costly mistake.Ali believes that Pakistan's head coach, Jason Gillespie, misjudged the pitch and made a tactical error in excluding Abrar Ahmed from the squad. He compared Gillespie's mistake to that of Gary Kirsten, who made a similar error in the Super Over against the United States in the 2007 T20 World Cup.Pakistan will have a chance to redeem themselves in the second Test, which begins on August 30 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. However, they will need to address their batting frailties and make better decisions on the field if they want to level the series.

Pakistan's humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in their own backyard has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has attributed the debacle to a combination of poor team selection, a lack of confidence in the fast bowlers, and skipper Shan Masood's inability to read the conditions.Raja believes that Pakistan's decision to field four pacers on a Rawalpindi track in August was a tactical blunder. "The Bangladesh fast bowlers seemed more penetrative while our bowlers were involved in more drama around their wickets," he said. "Since Pakistan did not have an out-and-out fast bowler on that track, even Bangladesh, with that line-up stood tall against our pacers with speeds around 125 to 135kmph."Raja also criticized Masood's leadership, saying that he "did not read the conditions well." "Shan Masood is currently on a losing streak," he said. "I felt, in Australian conditions, things are tougher and it was impossible for Pakistan team to win a series there. But you are now losing in home conditions, against a team like Bangladesh, because you did not read the conditions well."Raja urged Masood to improve his batting and leadership skills, or risk losing his place in the team. "He needs to work on his batting," he said. "It's not like he is a great captain and so if he keeps getting out ducks, he would still have his place in the side. Losing makes a huge dent in the team and the morale of the side."The defeat has raised serious questions about the future of Pakistan cricket. Raja believes that the team needs to rebuild its confidence and find a way to counter the attacking style of play that has been successful against them. "This debacle, a sort of a confidence crisis, started during the Asia Cup when India bashed our pacers on seaming conditions and then the secret was out to the world that the only way to counter this line-up was to attack," he said.

Pakistan's Test captain, Shan Masood, has defended his team's decision to field four fast bowlers and no specialist spinner in their opening Test match against Bangladesh, despite suffering a humiliating 10-wicket defeat.Masood's decision raised eyebrows, especially after Bangladesh's spinners, Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, combined to take seven wickets on the final day, dismissing Pakistan for a paltry 146 runs. However, Masood insisted that the pitch was expected to offer more assistance to the seamers."We had anticipated the pitch to offer more assistance to the seamers. Looking at the pitch, we expected it to do more," Masood said at the post-match conference. "If we played 3 fast bowlers, we would be pushing them to the limit and the spinner would be bowling 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid."Masood also explained that the decision to declare their first innings at 448 for six was made with the intention of pursuing a decisive outcome in the match."We wanted to go for a win in the match and thus felt we had enough runs on the board to declare. But the Bangladesh batters showed a lot of discipline and intent in their first innings. Mushfiq and Miraz batted really well," he added. "We felt that with 448 runs we could get a crack at them in the fourth innings."However, Pakistan's bowlers failed to make any inroads into Bangladesh's batting lineup, and the visitors chased down the modest target of 30 runs without losing a wicket.Masood acknowledged that the defeat was a disappointing start to Pakistan's home season, which includes seven home Tests and two away matches in South Africa."We just have to now get everything right and try to level the series in the world test championship," he said.Sunday's defeat was Shan's fourth straight defeat as captain after Pakistan's 0-3 whitewash at the hands of Australia last winter.

Pakistan's hopes of winning the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi were dashed after the visitors took an unexpected first innings lead of 117 runs. The lead has given Bangladesh a glimmer of hope for a victory, while Pakistan's pacer Naseem Shah has criticized the pitch for not providing the home advantage they desired.After the end of the fourth day's play on Saturday, Shah called out the board for not creating a pitch that could give the hosts the advantage they sought. "We have had enough series where we had such pitches," Shah said in the post-match press conference. "They did their best to prepare a pitch that was helpful, but I think because of the heat, or excessive sunshine, the surface wasn't quite helpful."Shah emphasized the need for home advantage, stating that it is crucial to get a match result at any cost. "We didn't get the help we expected from the pitch," he said. "But everyone tried their best."In the second innings on Day 4, Pakistan started badly when opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for just a single. However, Mushfiqur Rahim played a brilliant innings, adding 114 with Liton Das for the sixth wicket and then a record 194 for the seventh wicket with Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Bangladesh's previous Test best against Pakistan was the 555-6 they made at Khulna in 2015.Pakistan will need to bat aggressively in the second innings to chase down the target and avoid defeat. The match is evenly poised, and either team could emerge victorious.

Mohammad Rizwan's stunning one-handed catch on Day 3 of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh has left fans and experts in awe. The wicketkeeper's brilliance dismissed Zakir Hasan, providing Pakistan with a crucial breakthrough.Bangladesh openers Hasan and Shadman Islam had added just four runs on Day 3 before Naseem Shah's delivery found Hasan's outside edge. Rizwan, alert behind the stumps, dived to his left and completed a spectacular one-handed catch.The catch was a testament to Rizwan's exceptional reflexes and athleticism. It also highlighted the importance of wicketkeeping in Test cricket, where every dismissal can turn the tide of the match.Meanwhile, Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam fought valiantly, scoring a half-century to lead his team to 134-2 at lunch on Day 3. The left-hander, along with Mominul Haque, defied Pakistan's pace attack on a Rawalpindi pitch that had slowed down considerably.The visitors still trail Pakistan's first innings total of 448-6 by 314 runs with eight wickets intact. However, the unbroken third-wicket stand between Islam and Haque has given Bangladesh hope of a comeback.Pakistan employed all four pacers but missed the services of a frontline spinner. Part-time slow bowler Agha Salman has made little impact so far.The match resumed at 27-0, with Bangladesh losing Zakir Hasan to Rizwan's catch in Naseem Shah's fifth over. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was also dismissed for 16, leaving the visitors on 53-2.Haque has batted with confidence, hitting four boundaries. Islam, on the other hand, reached his third Test half-century with a boundary off Naseem Shah's last delivery before the interval.The match is evenly poised, with both teams having their chances. Pakistan will be looking to build on their first innings lead, while Bangladesh will aim to continue their recovery and set a challenging target for the hosts.

Pakistan's dominance continued on Day 3 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, as the hosts tightened their grip on the match. Resuming at 27/0, Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan faced a relentless Pakistan bowling attack.Pakistan's bowlers, led by Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, kept the pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen. Islam fell for 23, caught behind off Afridi, while Hasan was dismissed for 30, trapped lbw by Shah.With the openers back in the pavilion, Bangladesh's middle order struggled to cope with Pakistan's pace and spin. Mushfiqur Rahim (16) and Liton Das (14) were both dismissed cheaply, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 85/4.Mohammad Rizwan, who scored a magnificent 171 in Pakistan's first innings, continued to torment Bangladesh with his off-spin. He dismissed Najmul Hossain Shanto (18) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (12), reducing Bangladesh to 123/6.As the day progressed, Pakistan's bowlers continued to chip away at Bangladesh's batting lineup. Yasir Shah claimed the wickets of Nurul Hasan (16) and Khaled Ahmed (0), while Afridi returned to dismiss Taijul Islam (10).At the close of play, Bangladesh were struggling at 169/9, still trailing Pakistan by 279 runs. Ebadot Hossain (10*) and Shoriful Islam (0*) were the only batsmen left at the crease.Pakistan will be confident of wrapping up the match on Day 4 and securing a crucial victory in their quest for a Test series win on home soil. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will need a miraculous effort to avoid defeat.

Faruque Ahmed, the newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, has reiterated his stance that Chandika Hathurusinghe should no longer continue as the head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team. Ahmed had previously expressed this view before taking up the BCB job."I have not moved from my previous stance," Ahmed said. "I have to see some stuff officially, but I have to speak to my colleagues over the next two or three days and see if we can find someone better than him."Ahmed had resigned as the chief selector in 2016 after then-BCB president Nazmul Hassan put in place a two-tier selection panel, reportedly at Hathurusinghe's request. Hathurusinghe's current contract as the head coach runs till the end of February 2025.Ahmed questioned Hathurusinghe's credibility and background, stating that there was no reason for him to stay as Bangladesh's coach. He believes that Hathurusinghe's presence is causing greater damage to the team.When Hathurusinghe was brought back for a second stint in 2023, Ahmed was one of those who had questioned his return. Despite the BCB showing confidence in Hathurusinghe, Bangladesh's performance has not improved.Within a few months of Hathurusinghe's appointment, there was instability in the dressing room, with Tamim Iqbal retiring and Shakib Al Hasan lashing out at Tamim in the media. Allan Donald soon left his role as fast-bowling coach. Bangladesh's T20 World Cup performance was also sub-par, with many questioning Hathurusinghe's decision-making.Ahmed believes that it was a blunder to bring back Hathurusinghe for a second stint. He feels that Hathurusinghe had left Bangladesh in trouble when he left the job in 2017 and that Bangladesh was merely a stepping stone for him.Ahmed also expressed his desire to understand if Shakib Al Hasan is willing to play in Bangladesh this year. Shakib was an Awami League member of parliament until the government fell on August 5.Ahmed is hopeful of Tamim Iqbal's return to international cricket. He believes that Tamim can still play for two or three more years and that he has leadership qualities.

In a thrilling display of cricketing prowess, Pakistan's Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan etched their names in the annals of Test cricket by completing an all-run four during the second day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. This rare feat, a testament to their exceptional agility and understanding, highlighted a dominant partnership that propelled Pakistan to a commanding position.The incident unfolded in the 49th over of Pakistan's innings. Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana unleashed a fiery delivery at 147.6 km/h, which Shakeel drove straight towards mid-off. Fielder Shoriful Islam managed to slow down the ball, but it still threatened to reach the boundary. However, it fell short, giving the batsmen ample time to complete four runs without the ball crossing the fence.Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto gave chase from mid-on, but Shakeel and Rizwan had already seized the opportunity to run all four. This rare all-run four showcased the sharp running between the wickets and the clear communication between the two batters.Shakeel, who remained unbeaten on 86 from 169 balls, and Rizwan, not out on 89 from 129 deliveries, played pivotal roles in resurrecting Pakistan's innings after a shaky start. The hosts had been in trouble on the first day, losing three wickets for just 16 runs. However, a solid 98-run stand between Shakeel and Saim Ayub (56 off 98) for the fourth wicket laid the foundation for Pakistan's fightback.Their ongoing partnership for the fifth wicket has now surpassed 100 runs, putting Pakistan in a strong position as they look to build a substantial lead against Bangladesh. The all-run four, a rare and exhilarating moment, further cemented the dominance of Shakeel and Rizwan, who have emerged as key figures in Pakistan's batting lineup.