Bashundhara Kings captain Topu Barman has urged supporters to avoid a repeat of last season’s smoke flare incident during the one-off Challenge Cup final against Mohammedan SC in Cumilla on Friday.

Red Team led by Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty endured another tough outing in the three-team Challenge Cup at BKSP on Sunday, suffering an eight-wicket thrashing against the Under-15 men’s team after a dramatic batting collapse.

Women’s cricket in Bangladesh still receives far less attention than men’s, and their preparation continues to lag. Yesterday’s Challenge Cup match in Savar showed just how poorly the team’s arrangements have been, given a quadrennial global event is fast-approaching.