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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Faheem slams Mirpur pitch
Faheem Ashraf's maiden T20I half-century went in vain as Pakistan suffered an eight-run defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh. Photo: AFP Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf has voiced concerns over the pitch conditions at the Shere Bangla Stadium, attributing the challenging surface to hot weather and recent rainfall after Pakistan's defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ashraf drew comparisons between the current surfaces and those seen during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). "You mentioned the BPL and the current matches — the BPL takes place in December-January, so the weather is cold during that time, whereas now the weather is hot. So the pitches you're seeing now are totally different. At that time, there wasn't as much spin or grip, and the pace wasn't coming through like this," Ashraf remarked. Ashraf also emphasised how changing weather and ground conditions have impacted surface behaviour. He elaborated that while BPL pitches gradually improve for batting, the current series is unfolding on tracks that remain inconsistent in nature. "Early on in those matches, there's usually a bit of grass, so the initial games can be slightly challenging, but later the pitches become good for batting. However, that's not the case in this series because the surface is becoming hard, yet underneath it still feels soft," he said. The 31-year-old also revealed insights shared by the ground staff. "We spoke with the groundsmen as well, and they said maybe due to the rains, the pitches haven't been prepared in the usual way," he revealed. "But if you compare it with the BPL, there's a big difference. I played last year and this year as well — the pitches in the BPL are much better compared to the ones we're playing on now," he concluded. Pak slip in rankings Pakistani cricketers have experienced a significant decline in the latest ICC T20I rankings, following inconsistent performances in the ongoing three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Mirpur, where the national team has lost the first two encounters. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris has fallen 20 places, now sitting at 50th with 514 rating points. Out-of-form opener Saim Ayub dropped three spots to 64th, while top-order batter Hassan Nawaz saw a sharp decline, slipping 22 positions to 68th. Even players not part of the current squad, such as star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, have not been spared, with both dropping one place to 13th and 14th respectively. Fakhar Zaman, who showed discipline in his batting across consecutive matches against Bangladesh, rose eight spots to 79th with 426 rating points. White-ball captain Usman Khan, who struggled with the bat and managed only nine runs off 23 deliveries in the second T20I, dropped 18 places to 93rd with 396 points. Australia's Travis Head continues to lead the T20I batting rankings, followed by India's Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma in second and third place, respectively. In the bowling rankings, pacer Abbas Afridi slipped two places to 22nd with 608 rating points, while Haris Rauf fell four spots to 24th with 593 points. Left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi, currently not part of the T20I squad, also dropped two positions to 36th with 591 points. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed showed improvement, climbing 12 places to 49th with 499 points. Vice-captain Shadab Khan fell four spots, landing at 65th in the latest update. New Zealand's Jacob Duffy retained his number one position in the T20I bowling rankings, followed by England's Adil Rashid and India's Varun Chakaravarthy in second and third place, respectively.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
'Babar, Rizwan are world class'
Pakistan's T20I captain Salman Ali Agha on Saturday expressed confidence in his team's ability to deliver a strong performance in the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, stating that the players are under no pressure and will play aggressive cricket. Speaking to reporters in Dhaka on the eve of the first T20I, Salman termed the series a challenging one but hoped for a positive outcome. He acknowledged the strength of the Bangladesh side, saying, "They are a competitive team and give tough challenges to their opponents at home and abroad, but we are also ready to play aggressive cricket." Salman added that having participated in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), he and several other players have a good understanding of the local conditions. He noted that the team had also trained accordingly during their preparatory camp in Karachi, with pitches made to simulate the conditions in Dhaka. "Understanding the conditions is key. We have prepared to adapt our game according to the pitch and match situations. Our experience from playing in the BPL gives us an edge here," he said. The captain also praised senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, calling them world-class cricketers who have consistently performed for Pakistan. He emphasised that the current squad has the right mix of players to play attacking T20 cricket. "Babar and Rizwan are world-class. They've served Pakistan incredibly well. T20 cricket is evolving every six months, every year. "We have players in the squad who match the style of cricket we want to play. There's no pressure, our focus is solely on playing good cricket in this series," he concluded. For the unversed, the trophy for the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Bangladesh was unveiled in a ceremony held at a local hotel in Dhaka on Saturday. Captains from both sides, Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha and Bangladesh's Liton Das, participated in a photo shoot with the trophy. The green shirts will play three T20Is against Bangladesh on July 20, 22 and 24, with Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium set to host all the matches. The series marks a rematch between the two sides after their last encounter in May, where Pakistan sealed a 3-0 clean sweep at home. Earlier this week, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially announced ticket prices for the upcoming series, with prices ranging from Tk 300 to Tk 3,500, catering to a wide range of fans. The BCB has prioritised a digital-first approach for ticket distribution. Starting July 15, tickets will be available exclusively online through the official eTicket platform. Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufyan Moqim. Bangladesh squad: Litton Kumer Das (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Md Naim Sheikh, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain Patwari, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Md Saifuddin. Series schedule 20 July – First T20I; 22 July – Second T20I; 24 July – Third T20I
News18
7 days ago
- Sport
- News18
East Bengal sign three foreigners
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Kolkata, Jul 18 (PTI) East Bengal on Friday announced the signings of Brazilian Miguel Figueira, Palestinian Mohammed Rashid and Argentine defender Kevin Sibille for the upcoming Indian Super League season. A versatile midfielder, Figueira is known for his creativity and defensive composure, and reunites with Coach Oscar Bruzon, under whose guidance he enjoyed a successful stint at Bangladesh's Bashundhara Kings, winning three consecutive Bangladesh Premier League titles from 2021-24 and two consecutive Independence Cups (2022-24). The tall midfielder represented Brazilian Serie B club Goias EC before joining Bashundhara where he struck 37 goals and made 26 assists in 64 appearances. Rashid, a standout performer for the Palestinian national team, helped his country reach the round of 16 in last year's AFC Asian Cup. The 30-year-old midfielder travels to India after a notable stint with Indonesian Super League side Persebaya Surabaya, where he played 33 matches and scored six goals. His previous clubs include Bali United (Indonesia), Jabal Al-Mukaber (Palestine), Smouha SC (Egypt), Persib Bandung (Indonesia), Al-Jeel (Saudi Arabia), Shabab Al-Bireh (Palestine) and Hilal Al-Quds (Palestine). A product of the River Plate Academy, Sibille joins the Red and Gold brigade from Spanish club SD Ponferradina. Sibille exhibited his defensive prowess across spells with Atletico Baleares, CD Castellon and Valencia B. In the 2024-25 season, the 26-year-old logged 2,602 minutes across 32 matches for Ponferradina. 'Miguel is a game changer in the attacking third. He is at the peak of his career and is expected to display exceptional quality and score crucial goals for the team," coach Bruzon stated in a release. 'Kevin is a young and modern centre-back who not only excels in the main defensive duties of winning duels, blocking shots and covering the backline with his pace, but also contributes to the team's offensive play through his passing and ball control. 'Rashid is a disciplined and strong-minded defensive midfielder, known for his ball-winning ability, interceptions, tactical awareness, leadership, high work-rate and mobility," added the coach. Miguel will wear jersey number 8, Rashid will don 74 and while Sibille will be seen in the No 6 shirt. PTI TAP APA APA view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Litton Das eyes Pakistan heist after historic Sri Lanka T20I win: Won't be easy
Litton Das has acknowledged that defeating Pakistan in the upcoming T20I series will be a tough challenge. The 30-year-old recently led Bangladesh to their first-ever T20I series win over Sri Lanka, sealing the victory with an eight-wicket triumph in the final match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in the Sri Lanka T20I, Bangladesh had another successful away series against the West Indies, highlighting Bangladesh's growing strength in the Litton cautioned that the conditions in Dhaka - particularly the rainy weather - could make batting difficult during the Pakistan series. "Both series wins are huge for me. Beating West Indies in their backyard is massive. They are a strong team in their conditions. It is the same in Sri Lanka. They are a balanced team too."I don't know how the Mirpur wicket is going to behave during the Pakistan series. I think it is raining in Dhaka every day, so the wicket can be difficult for batting in such conditions," Litton told the reporters after the 3rd T20I.'Pakistan have variety in their bowling attack'Litton Das emphasized that Bangladesh will need to work hard to overcome Pakistan, citing their strong bowling attack and familiarity with local conditions. He pointed out that many Pakistani players have participated in several editions of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), giving them valuable experience in secure a series win, Litton said, Bangladesh must focus on playing smart, disciplined cricket."It won't be easy taking on Pakistan in Mirpur. They have variety in their bowling attack. They also play a lot of BPL, so they know our conditions quite well. I know that we can win matches against them if we play smart cricket," Litton first T20I is scheduled for July 20, with all three matches set to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.- EndsMust Watch
India Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Bangladesh drop Najmul Hossain Shanto for T20I series against Sri Lanka
Bangladesh have made five changes to their T20I squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The biggest of them was dropping Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had stepped down as their T20I skipper earlier this year in January. Shanto was also a part of the T20I series against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but played only one of six matches. advertisementApart from Shanto, the Tigers also dropped Khaled Ahmed, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud and Soumya Sarkar. Mohammad Naim, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mohammad Saifuddin have made their comebacks for Bangladesh. The 28-year-old Saifuddin lost his place in the team after a poor outing in the T20I series against Zimbabwe and also missed the T20 World Cup. He took a two-month break from the game in August to reset, after which he made a strong comeback in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Dhaka Premier League (DPL) where he claimed 37 wickets. In place of Shanto, Bangladesh opted for Naim, the leading run-scorer in both the BPL and NCL T20s. He amassed 827 runs at an impressive average of 37.59 and a strike rate of 140.40, including one century and six duo Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman have also made their return to the squad after recovering from injuries. Both featured in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, marking their T20Is Sri Lanka will take place on July 10, 13 and 16 in Pallekele, Dambulla and Colombo respectively. Bangladesh squad for Sri Lanka T20Is Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin.- EndsMust Watch
