Bangladesh's absence takes sheen off ICC Champions Trophy

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The much waited cricket carnival has already started. The ICC Champions Trophy's last edition has kicked off in England and Wales when world cricket's weather is heavy due to match-fixing and spot-fixing scandals. The cricket lovers' heart wants solace and surely this mega event will be the perfect catalyst to provide them with a good amount of excitement for the next two weeks. Cricket needs a controversy-free tournament. Trust is badly missing in cricket at present and the Champions Trophy's biggest challenge will be to reinstall the lost trust among cricket lovers across the world. The Champions Trophy is being contested by the top eight teams of world cricket. It does not feature Bangladesh, Zimbabwe or exciting associate members such as Ireland or Afghanistan. According to critics, the minnows of world cricket offer a dull affair in such events and the Champions Trophy previously has not experienced....

Fixing in Bangladesh cricket and the Indian conspiracy

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Like the gloomy weather in Dhaka, the climate of Bangladesh cricket is dull and gloomy. On May 30, local newspaper Prothom Alo did a staggering and eye-popping report on match-fixing in Bangladesh cricket and dished out some horrifying facts which have left the nation speechless. The involvement of Bangladesh's most renowned cricketers was revealed, those cricketers on whom the nation had always looked forward to. The involvement of ace Bangladesh batsmen Mohammad Ashraful has been the biggest shock for all of us. The ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) was investigating a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match this year for which they questioned Ashraful and several other cricketers. According to local newspapers, Ashraful has confessed about his wrongdoing and also revealed the involvement of several other ex-cricketers. Match-fixing's ugly claw in our cricket is not only limited to the BPL but it has happened in the....

Spot-fixing: What measures should Bangladesh take?

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The cricketing world was shaken when three Indian cricketers were arrested on allegations of spot-fixing in the ongoing IPL. Among the three cricketers was India fast bowler Sreesanth, who by no means was thought to get involved in such a rut. Browsing the cricketing websites give nothing but depression news. It's never a good feeling to watch young and promising cricketers' careers get jeopardized. The disease named 'match-fixing' has never been treated properly. On May 22, Police sources told CNN IBN: "The involvement of a prominent Bangladeshi player, who never played in the IPL, has now emerged in the IPL spot-fixing scandal." It's pretty easy to throw dirt and dish out stories but until and unless strong evidence is available it's better not to claim such things. Tough times are always sensitive and while digging deep many stories crop up which at times sound very funny - will....

Mushfiqur Rahim's mind-boggling emotional exhibition

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So, after a gloomy tour to Zimbabwe the Tigers have returned home. To many Bangladesh critics it was suppose to be a sweet journey for the national cricket team. But in turn, it didn't go according to those expectations. Like the previous tours, it was a sore one. After losing the ODI series while the team was shell shocked, their captain Mushfiqur Rahim, in the post match conference, announced his resignation from the national squad. The fans at home and the Bangladeshi journalists present there were taken aback and could not find a clue to Mushfiqur's hasty resignation. The next day, emotional followers alongside the country's cricket pundits demanded that Mushfiqur take back his decision. Some praised Mushfiqur's decision and wished that our politicians did the same. To speak the truth, politics and cricket aren't the same - a fact our pundits always fail to understand. As....

Bangladesh paid the price for complacency in Zimbabwe ODIs

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Since 2011, in bilateral series, Bangladesh have been superb in bilateral series. They won a five-match ODI series against a strong West Indies side and drew 1-1 against a competent Sri Lankan unit in their own den. On a serious note, in the 50-over format, the critics had started to regard Bangladesh as a fiercely competitive side capable of beating superior teams. But the problem with the Tigers is, whenever they start to gain a fine rhythm, surprisingly, they tend to disturb it. A fine run in bilateral series came to end in the third and final ODI against Zimbabwe on Wednesday when the hosts comprehensively beat Bangladesh by seven wickets. It seems quite unusual to lose a series against a side that is not as well equipped and experienced as Bangladesh. But experience and star performers don't bear enough importance if proper application is not exhibited. Bangladesh....

Harare win has given Bangladesh a reason to smile

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As soon as the match ended, I stepped out to have a cup of tea at a stall near my house. I noticed two middle-aged men hugging each other in joy, their eyes all wet. I asked them why they were crying. One of them, a rickshaw-puller by profession, answered that it had been their expression of joy due to Bangladesh's Test victory at Harare on Monday. There were other rickshaw-pullers sitting in that tea stall whose eyes were moist. For them, this victory meant a lot. It will act as a tonic for them amid the critical situation which Bangladesh as a nation is in at present. The expressions of these daily laborers are the same for all Bangladeshis. Sport's ability to uplift the spirit can never be underestimated. Its ability to make a nation wake up from periods of depression is always critical. These....

Bangladesh should conquer Zimbabwe

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The cricketing world is busy with the cash-rich show named the Indian Premier League. Its glamorous razzmatazz is so bright that it's quite impossible to pay attention towards other cricketing events. Amid this pomp and grandeur of IPL 6, Test cricket will halt its caravan in Zimbabwe where the two most low-key teams in world cricket, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, will clash in a two-match series starting April 17. As a matter of fact, the Test battle between these two nations hasn't yet essayed any epic clashes. So far they had been heavily one-sided affairs and thus, other than the home teams' followers, their clash hardly attracts the cricket fans. For Bangladeshi supporters, the tour of Zimbabwe tour bears enough importance. The 130-run humiliation at the hands of a naive Zimbabwe unit two years back still hurts. Back in 2011, Zimbabwe had just returned to....

Pace bowling a worry for Bangladesh

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Bangladesh cricket boasts some exciting talents - some talented batsmen who possess the ability to strike gold and spinners who are undoubtedly part of the best in the business. But inconsistency undermines their gifted abilities and over the years a lack of quality pace bowlers has dented Bangladesh's chances majorly. Bangladesh just don't have the quality and quantity of pace bowlers able to fully utilize the new ball at will. In short, fast bowling has been a big worry. In the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, the Bangladeshi batsmen and spinners, as usual, were in superb touch. But our pace bowlers have been horrible. They just didn't offer anything. The bowlers just ran in and bowled with a little sense about line and length. Their flirtation with the front foot was utterly irritating and the consistent production of juicy half-volleys simply puts a question mark over their selection....

Nasir Hossain is one of cricket's mercurial assets

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In the rain-hit final ODI against Sri Lanka at Kandy, Bangladesh were set a target of 183 in 27 overs. Mohammad Ashraful and Anamul Haque had given Bangladesh a fluent start before inclement weather interfered. When play resumed after a heavy shower, Bangladesh needed 105 runs in 13.2 overs. Their start was positive but as usual panic had set up amongst the batsmen as wickets were gifted to the Sri Lankans. With the run rate climbing higher and another opportunity seemingly wasted, one man stood firm to script a historic win. That man was Nasir Hossain, who refused to get affected by the panic which let his captain Mushfiqur Rahim set off for an unnecessary run and sacrifice his wicket. The fall of a few more wickets made the situation even muggier. But Nasir was not about to give up easily. He continued to maneuver the innings with....

Adversity has always motivated Bangladesh

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History suggests that whenever adversity has shown its ugly face it has made the Bangladesh cricket team united and immensely motivated to give their best shot. In 2008, the controversial Indian Premiere League devastated our cricket as many of the country's stalwarts flew to play there, thus leaving our cricket in tatters. But our boys replied with a fighting performance in the series against New Zealand. In 2009, in the middle of the first Test against West Indies, captain Mashrafe Mortaza injured himself, but the Tigers gelled together to beat West Indies on their home ground and claimed a historic Test and ODI series win. In 2010, during the first ODI against New Zealand, Mortaza injured himself but Bangladesh notched up a whitewash against a potent New Zealand attack. Last year, before the Asia Cup, an unhealthy tussle took place between chief selector Akram Khan and....