Sakeb Subhan

There was not much time for Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza to celebrate an opening win that seemed unlikely when the fixtures were confirmed before he had to make his way to the post-match press conference. It was enough time for the captain to get his game face on and face the media and remind the fans that the 21-run win over South Africa at The Oval yesterday was just one game.

Early in his pre-match press conference, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza provided a guideline of what to expect by strongly asserting that South Africa were the favourites in the Tigers’ opening World Cup match at The Oval today.

That Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is a special captain is known to all in Bangladesh, but yesterday, during the pre-match press conference ahead of today’s World Cup opener against South Africa, the wider world caught a glimpse of why the entire team swears by the battling cricketer and has united under him like no other.

The point of interest surrounding Bangladesh’s practice on the eve of their World Cup opener against South Africa was the status of star opener Tamim Iqbal’s left forearm and whether he would be able to play tomorrow, and the early signs as well as skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s words were encouraging.

A month of preparation in similar conditions will be tested today when Bangladesh take on South Africa in their opening match of the 2019 World Cup.

“I think we will be playing on the wicket that was played on yesterday [Thursday], which should be very good for us,” Bangladesh bowling coach Courtney Walsh said in a press conference during the team’s practice session at the venue yesterday ahead Bangladesh vs South Africa match. “At The Oval

The Bangladesh squad are now faced with a test at the eleventh hour before they open their World Cup campaign with a high-pressure match against South Africa at The Oval in London tomorrow. The test is a stern one as it involves perhaps the most important player in their batting line-up -- opener Tamim Iqbal. During practice at The Oval yesterday, Tamim sustained a painful blow to his left wrist while batting in the nets, but fortunately for the Tigers, an X-Ray later yesterday revealed no fracture.

There were many cricket legends at St. James’s Park on Wednesday’s World Cup Opening Party, but one figure attracted the most attention and was the most sought after for interviews during the mixed media zone. Sir Vivian Richards, the West Indies legend nicknamed ‘King Viv’ was pulverising

Some of the pre-match hype turned out to be unfounded as the South Africa-England game was not a humdinger and a score over 350 proved not to be a given, but the opening game of the 2019 World Cup at The Oval yesterday did provide early vindication of one forecast: hosts England

It is not obvious if you are in London as the fanfare is not anywhere near what it is about 10,000 kilometres to the east in Dhaka, but the stage is all set for the 2019 World Cup to kick off with hosts England taking on South Africa today at The Oval.

Bangladesh supporters may well be waiting for someone to pinch them in order to wake them from what has so far been a dream lead-up to the 2019 World Cup. 2019 so far has been a rollercoaster ride, and the current ascent -- after the win-less tour of New Zealand in February-March

A win or loss in a practice match is not as important as taking on board what it says about the team in its current state. Therefore, it is

The record books will show that Bangladesh lost their only World Cup warm-up match by a hefty margin of 95 runs against India at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff yesterday but apart from the meek surrender at the end, there was not much to be disheartened about for the

After their first World Cup warm-up game against Pakistan on Sunday was washed out due to rain, the Bangladesh squad practised under bright sunshine yesterday at Cardiff’s Swalec Stadium.

Mohammad Saifuddin’s ODI career is only 13 matches old, but he may be one of the hidden assets for Bangladesh heading into the World Cup. Not long ago, in October 2017, Saifuddin was being tonked for five sixes in an over by South Africa’s David Miller in Potchefstroom, and then followed

Bangladesh’s first World Cup warm-up match against Pakistan was washed out without a ball bowled at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff yesterday, but it spoke to the team’s battle-readiness that a wasted day did not bother them too much.

Bangladesh’s warm-up match against Pakistan in Cardiff’s Swalec Stadium was an acute disappointment because a very light but persistent drizzle prevented play, and ended up causing an abandonment without a ball being bowled yesterday. Pakistani and Bangladeshi expatriates

After two days of uninterrupted and fruitful practice sessions in Cardiff, the 15-member Bangladesh squad may feel aggrieved that the first of their two World Cup warm-up games was washed out without a ball being bowled at the Swalec Stadium yesterday. However, head coach Steve Rhodes

Mehedi Hasan Miraz has only recently become a vital member of Bangladesh’s ODI squad, with his off-spin often used to stifle the opposition’s rate of scoring in the middle overs and also, at times, with the new ball. The effervescent 21-year-old proved his value in Bangladesh’s recent triumph

The Bangladesh squad’s World Cup campaign will get underway today with their first warm-up game against Pakistan at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff, which will always be Sophia Gardens to Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Co as it was so called when they sensationally beat the mighty Australians at the venue in 2005.