A time for introspection
There was much that was discouraging about Bangladesh’s 224-run loss to Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Chattogram yesterday. It has already been mentioned ad nauseum, but bears repeating one more time. Afghanistan were playing their third Test match just
9 September 2019, 18:00 PM
Cricket philosopher’s triumph
Kane Williamson stood with hands outstretched as an accurate throw from Martin Guptill ricocheted off a diving Ben Stokes’s bat and went for four in the 100th over of a sublime World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday. If the ball had just found the keeper’s glove, or even
15 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Cricket’s greatest celebration
‘The world’s greatest cricket celebration’ was the tagline for the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales. Yesterday, the catchy marketing slogan was proven true by two of the most deserving teams in champions England and runners-up New Zealand. The high
14 July 2019, 21:14 PM
England’s cup of joy at last
Martin Guptill played a full ball on leg stump from Jofra Archer to deep midwicket. Two runs were needed off the last ball of the Super Over and he put in a desperate dive -- the second fateful one in less than half an hour -- to complete the second, but there was too
14 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Kiwi resilience versus English aggression
Cricket’s global crown will find a new resting place today when perennial bridesmaids England and New Zealand square off in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s. By the end of the final, cricket will have first-time world champions for the first time since 1996, when Sri Lanka etched its name into cricketing folklore.
13 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Battles within the battle
One of the two sides that qualified as the third and fourth-placed teams from the group stages will take home cricket’s most glittering trophy today at Lord’s. There will of course be talk about how India and Australia had played more consistent cricket before the semifinals
13 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Smith battles the Edgbaston cauldron
Deafening boos rang out when Steve Smith went out to bat, when he reached a fighting 50 and when he was finally run out through a brilliant direct hit from wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. The crowd reaction in Edgbaston felt cruel and unappreciative towards a great
11 July 2019, 18:00 PM
From cynicism to enjoyment
Before the World Cup began, West Indies legend Viv Richards said during a pre-tournament function that somewhere along the line, favourites England would mess it up.
11 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Day 2, Session 1 wins it for Kiwis
The second morning, overcast conditions, two pacers steaming in, three slips and the ball talking up a storm as batsmen just try to survive. If fans of Test cricket were missing the sport’s most primal, stripped-bare format, Old Trafford was the place to be yesterday.
10 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Brave Kiwis overcome mighty India
A magnificent rearguard effort from India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could not offset the early damage done by seamers Trent Boult and Matt Henry as New Zealand secured a second successive World Cup final berth with an 18-run win in a pulsating semifinal at Old Trafford yesterday.
10 July 2019, 18:00 PM
The illusion of taking action
In the aftermath of an ultimately disappointing World Cup campaign which saw Bangladesh finish eighth in the 10-team table, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Monday that they would be parting ways with coach Steve Rhodes even though the
9 July 2019, 18:00 PM
First semifinal to resume today
Rain was the major actor at Old Trafford yesterday, but unlike in the group stages it will probably not have the final say when the first World Cup semifinal between New Zealand and India will resume at 10:30 am (3:30 pm Bangladesh time) on the reserve day today. New Zealand will resume
9 July 2019, 18:00 PM
No table without Tigers
Fans may still be reeling from Bangladesh’s group-stage exit from the World Cup, but the real impact is borne by the touring journalists who are reduced to being nomads when the object we are chasing, the Bangladesh cricket team, is no longer setting the pace.
9 July 2019, 18:00 PM
India take on Kiwis in even battle
After more than five weeks of high-octane cricketing action, the 2019 World Cup has boiled down to three matches and four teams.
8 July 2019, 18:00 PM
The Kohli and Dhoni show
Coming from Bangladesh, the fanfare surrounding cricket and cricketers is par for the course, especially during big events. Media presence around the Bangladesh team, too, is one of the heaviest around the world. But there is a difference between ‘one of the heaviest’
8 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Battle for the middle overs
On paper it is a face-off between the group-stage champions and the team that made the last-four cut as the fourth member, but today’s World Cup semifinal at Old Trafford between India and New Zealand will pit sides more evenly matched than their table positions suggest.
8 July 2019, 18:00 PM
‘We get down during partnerships’
“Fielding, it has been a concern all of my career. When there is a partnership, we get down,” Mashrafe said. “This is the part that a player can change. I think we really need to improve fielding.”
5 July 2019, 20:54 PM
Tigers save their worst for the last
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s World Cup career was brought to an inauspicious end as the Tigers saved their worst performance for their final 2019 World Cup match, which they lost to Pakistan by 94 runs at Lord’s yesterday.
5 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Still worth a fight
A final match at Lord’s was what all of Bangladesh -- team and fans alike -- would have dreamed of before the World Cup started. However, instead of July 5, they would have been eyeing a final match on July 14.
4 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Uncertainty abounds around Mashrafe
Speculation surrounding Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s future was given fresh life when the 35-year-old did not show up for the pre-match press conference at Lord’s yesterday, ahead of Bangladesh’s last World Cup game against Pakistan today. It was instead Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes
4 July 2019, 18:00 PM