DHAKA: Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain both hit unbeaten half-centuries to guide Bangladesh to 134-1 in their second innings and consolidate the hosts’ control in their one-off Test against Afghanistan in Dhaka on Thursday.
Bangladesh decided against enforcing the follow-on despite taking a 236-run lead in the first innings and were up by 370 at stumps on the second day, with Zakir and Najmul unbeaten on 54 apiece.
The pair added 116 runs in their unbroken second-wicket stand with Mahmudul Hasan (17) the only batsman so far dismissed in the second innings.
Ebadot Hossain returned figures of 4-47 with Bangladesh needing just three overs after tea to wrap up the Afghan innings, with the tourists bowled out for just 146.
Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam dismissed the final two batsmen, ending with two wickets apiece.
Ebadot and Shoriful Islam reduced Afghanistan to 51-4 shortly after the lunch break, before Nasir Jamal and Afsar Zazai put up some resistance with a 65-run fifth-wicket stand.
Mehidy broke the partnership by trapping Jamal lbw for 35 and Ebadot soon dismissed Afsar for 36 to expose Afghanistan’s tail.
Bangladesh resumed their first innings at 362-5 but were all out for 382 early in the morning as the hosts lost their last five wickets for just nine runs.
Nijat Masood claimed 5-79 on debut for Afghanistan, while pacer Yamin Ahmadzai finished with 2-39.
But Afghanistan then lost three wickets in quick succession to spoil their storming start to the day.
Ibrahim Zadran nicked Shoriful and was out for six, while fellow opener Abdul Malik made 17 before falling to Ebadot, Zakir taking a sharp low catch at third slip.
Rahmat Shah was next to fall after he holed out to Taskin Ahmed at midwicket off Ebadot for nine.
Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi departed for nine after the break.
The hosts had shown some positive intent to build on their overnight total before their sudden collapse.
Mehidy was unbeaten overnight but flashed a catch to Amir Hamza at gully off Yamin to end his promising innings at 48.
Mushfiqur Rahim (47) and Taijul Islam (0) followed Mehidy in the next over from Nijat, before Yamin dismissed Taskin for two.
Nijat then bowled Shoriful to complete his five-for and wrap up the Bangladesh innings in unexpectedly swift style.
Afghanistan won the only other Test between the two teams when they beat the home side by 224 runs at Chittagong in 2019.
Zakir, Najmul fifties give Bangladesh huge lead over Afghanistan
https://arab.news/nnhur
Zakir, Najmul fifties give Bangladesh huge lead over Afghanistan
- Bangladesh decided against enforcing the follow-on despite taking a 236-run lead in the first innings and were up by 370 at stumps on the second day
- Zakir and Najmul added 116 runs in their unbroken second-wicket stand with Mahmudul Hasan (17) the only batsman so far dismissed in the second innings
‘Home of cricket’ faces new challenges
- Lord’s symbolizes the sport’s rich heritage, but has also moved with the times
During the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, a previously unthinkable discussion opened up among friends from a variety of backgrounds: Does Lord’s still justify its cachet as the home of cricket? The very question will be regarded as heresy in many quarters, but the heavy thought hung in the air.
At a meeting of the International Cricket Council’s executives committee in April 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India expressed its desire to host future WTC finals.
India’s motivations are clear. Hosting the event would cement its position as the powerhouse of international cricket. The BCCI argues that viewership and commercial revenue would be boosted, along with tourism. However, these would be jeopardized if India failed to reach the final. Attendances for matches in India which do not involve the Indian team are notably low. If the final continues to be scheduled for June, there is also the issue of the monsoon season. In order to hold it in another month, the existing crowded international and domestic schedules would have to be disrupted. It is probably too late to change the dates of the current two-year cycle and maybe for the two which follow.
In response to this challenge, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Marylebone Cricket Club launched a charm offensive before and during the WTC final.
In January, the MCC invited the ICC’s Chair Jay Shah to join a new advisory board of its World Cricket Connects initiative. Launched in 2024 at Lord’s, the initiative gathers together over 100 people, including administrators, former and current players, coaches, players’ association leaders, media and broadcasting personnel.
The advisory board, comprising 13 members, has replaced the MCC’s World Cricket Committee. After its inaugural meeting at Lord’s, it will meet virtually throughout the year. How much Mr. Shah’s busy schedule allows him to participate remains to be seen.
He was very much in evidence at Lord’s, where he was feted by the ECB’s leaders. Together with the MCC, they ensured that the full pomp and circumstance associated with a Lord’s Test match was brought to bear. This included an invitation to ring the bell prior to the start of the match. As mentioned last week, rumors now abound that Shah was sufficiently impressed to the point where he will recommend to the ICC’s Annual Conference in July that Lord’s should host the next three WTC finals. If this motion passes, it will burnish the claim of Lord’s to be the home of cricket. It will also be a test of Shah’s omnipotence since the BCCI is likely to be disappointed.
His power and presence were encapsulated in the ICC’s 45-second video of the match highlights released after the final. This has not gone down well on social media. Fans expressed their disappointment by trolling both the ICC and Shah, who features in 11 of the 23 frames. A common reaction is that the video is a PR piece for Shah, to the exclusion of key players and moments. Other reactions have been even more uncomplimentary. There has also been adverse reaction to reports that he did not attend the World Cricket Connects forum, an event he also missed last year.
Topics for discussion this year included fan engagement, franchise cricket, growth in women’s cricket, sustainability issues, social impact and shortage of willow. All of these are topical issues for the game. Gathering together “the most influential voices in the sport” alongside a major match is perhaps something that only the MCC and Lord’s can achieve. An interesting aspect of this was that the heads of the main franchise leagues met together in person for the first time. One hopes that they talked about scheduling clashes.
This is a matter which should vex Shah and the ICC. His voice is indisputably influential. The World Cricket Connects forum and its advisory board have no power. Its purpose is to make recommendations to the ICC, which is under no obligation to address them. Inviting Shah to join the advisory board — and his acceptance of the invitation — looks a little odd. Should he be part of a board which will present recommendations to the governing body of which he is the chair? Perhaps his non-attendance reflects an acceptance of this duality and potential conflict of interests. Either way, neither party appears to have made a public statement.
If Lord’s does retain the honor of hosting the WTC final, the ECB and MCC’s overtures will have been successful. It is relevant to wonder what quid pro quo may be in the offing. Perhaps the imminent influx of Indian shareholding of The Hundred franchises, including the one held by the MCC at Lord’s, is playing a part in the decision-making.
The MCC retains a privileged position within cricket. It has been the maker of the laws of cricket since its formation in 1787. Although it maintains this position, law changes will only be made after discussion with the ICC. Until 2005, Lord’s was the home of the ICC, when it moved to Dubai. Both of these pillars underpinned Lord’s as the home of cricket.
Despite the partial removal of the pillars, players say that it remains an ambition to score 100 or take five wickets at Lord’s, for which the reward is to have their name etched on the honors board. There are famous players who have not achieved this feat. Sachin Tendulkar is one of them, along with Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis. On their way to the field of play, each player walks through the Long Room, lined with MCC members, oil paintings and other cricketing artifacts, representing over 200 years of ritual, legacy, shaping and preservation of the game.
The ground symbolizes cricket’s rich heritage and tradition. It has moved with the times, choosing more modern structures to sit alongside the pavilion of late 19th-century vintage. These may not be to everyone’s liking, but spectator viewing has improved along with ground capacity. Unique among Test match venues in England, spectators are allowed to bring alcohol into the ground, but no fancy dressing-up is allowed, or musical instruments.
There is no other cricket ground quite like it. Sydney has a number of similar characteristics and a rich history; the Melbourne Cricket Ground has three times the capacity of Lord’s; the newly built stadium in Ahmedabad has four times more; Eden Gardens, Kolkata, is much noisier; and Newlands at Cape Town sits iconically in the shadow of Table Mountain. Cricket’s governing body now resides in Dubai, UAE, which has become the place to go for countries that require a neutral venue or an emergency outlet.
Compared with these and other venues, Lord’s continues to hold sway over them. MCC membership and ethos is idiosyncratic. The ground and its architecture reek of history and tradition. There are no crumbling facades, and plans for redevelopment of stands are constantly under consideration. The sloping playing area provides another unique characteristic and an additional test of a player’s skill set.
London’s multicultural population means that big matches that do not involve England are able to attract sizable crowds, unlike arenas in other countries.
Lord’s has evolved and endured, while maintaining its essence, grace, dignity, prestige and tradition. These characteristics and its place in shaping the game combine to support its accolade as the home of cricket.
In concluding the discussion with my friends, they were of the view that Lord’s still holds its status. They, along with many others, hope that the uniqueness of Lord’s is strong enough to ward off the competition from India for future WTC finals.
England chooses to bowl first against India in test series opener at Headingley
- The pitch has a green tinge and the weather is sunny and humid, the temperature topping out at 29 degrees on days one and two
LEEDS: England chose to bowl first against India in the test series opener at Headingley on Friday.
Both teams would have picked to field first. The last six test winners in Leeds bowled first.
The pitch has a green tinge and the weather is sunny and humid, the temperature topping out at 29 degrees on days one and two.
India, under new skipper Shubman Gill, has chosen to debut top-order batter Sai Sudharsan, give middle-order bat Karun Nair his first test in eight years. Shardul Thakur, who hasn’t played a test since December 2023, was preferred to Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fast bowling allrounder and Prasidh Krishna headed off uncapped Arshdeep Singh as the third seamer.
England named its team on Thursday, choosing at No. 3 in the batting order vice captain Ollie Pope over Jacob Bethell.
Lineups:
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Bryson Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lokesh Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
DP World International League T20 and Kuwait Cricket Board sign partnership to develop the sport
- Gulf region’s biggest T20 league to promote cricket in Kuwait through tournaments and exposure for local players
- League plans to host DP World ILT20 matches in Kuwait in coming years to inspire next generation of players
DUBAI: The DP World International League T20 and the Kuwait Cricket Board have agreed on a partnership to promote and develop the sport in Kuwait.
Through the partnership the DP World ILT20 will organize cricket matches in the country that will be aimed at identifying and developing participating players.
The agreement was inked at a recent signing ceremony at the Dubai International Stadium. Under the agreement, a domestic event, such as the DP World ILT20 UAE Development Tournament, will be conducted annually in Kuwait to give players the opportunity to get selected by ILT20 franchises for the main DP World ILT20 event.
In coming years, the league will also aim to host DP World ILT20 matches in Kuwait.
Chairman of ILT20 and Vice-Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board Khalid Al-Zarooni said: “We are very proud to announce our collaboration with Kuwait Cricket Board as they join our league (DP World ILT20). It is a great honor for us, and we look forward to many more such collaborations in the future. Kuwait is very important to us; it is a great country and keen on promoting and further developing cricket.
“Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf countries are all one, the (cricket playing) communities are residing throughout the region and our aim with the DP World ILT20 is to grow and develop the game in the entire region. Our endeavor is to provide maximum opportunities to the players and for the fans to join us at this great tournament which we are trying to grow more and more.”
Kuwait Cricket President Haider Farman said: “I am honored to formalize this agreement between Kuwait Cricket and the Emirates Cricket Board to further promote the DP World ILT20 not only in our two nations but across the entire region. This partnership is a key pillar of the league’s broader vision for the growth and globalization of cricket. We firmly believe that cricket can serve as a powerful bridge between our countries, and we look forward to this collaboration bringing meaningful benefits to our players, coaches, and officials alike.”
Farman said it was “a matter of great pride” that Kuwait had become the first country in the world to be officially recognized as a strategic partner of the DP World ILT20.
Cricket continues to grow in popularity in Kuwait, with Kuwait Cricket making significant strides both on and off the field, he added.
“This landmark collaboration with the Emirates Cricket Board and the ILT20 will play a critical role in helping us realize our long-term vision to involve more Kuwaiti nationals in our cricketing ecosystem, especially as players and officials,” he said.
“With the Asian Games scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2030 and Saudi Arabia in 2034, the timing couldn’t be better. DP World ILT20 can be a transformative force in inspiring the next generation of local talent to embrace the sport across the GCC like never before.”
Meanwhile, CEO of DP World ILT20 David White congratulated Kuwait Cricket on the vision and foresight that led to the alliance.
“The DP World ILT20’s long term vision is to grow the game not only in the UAE but across the Gulf region,” he said. “This partnership provides a great opportunity for Kuwait Cricket and their young players to develop further. We have seen it in the DP World ILT20 how the young UAE players have benefited enormously through this incredible platform under some world-class coaching.
“The UAE team recently won a T20I series against Bangladesh which is indeed a testament to the success of the DP World ILT20 as a lot of the UAE team members had received great exposure at the league in recent years, surely Kuwait and other countries in the region are going to benefit as well,” White said.
Director General of Kuwait Cricket Sajid Ashraf described the partnership with the Emirates Cricket Board as a “momentous collaboration” and a milestone for Kuwait Cricket.
“It opens the door to a long-awaited dream: enabling our Kuwait players to pursue full-time professional cricket careers on the international franchise stage,” he said.
“Just as importantly, it offers a powerful platform for corporate houses in Kuwait to connect with a vibrant, cricket-loving expatriate community of over two million people, within a total population of 5 million. This initiative provides a unique opportunity for Kuwaiti brands to expand their footprint regionally, starting with the UAE. We are deeply passionate about our Kuwaiti businesses becoming an integral part of both KCC and the DP World ILT20.
“These well-established corporations in Kuwait have so much to offer in supporting the continued growth of cricket across the region, and their involvement will only strengthen the sport’s ecosystem,” Ashraf added. “This is undoubtedly a win-win for all stakeholders — players, sponsors, partners, fans, and the broader cricket community. We are excited about the ILT20 Development Tournament and eagerly await the first ball being delivered right here in the State of Kuwait.”
The DP World International League T20 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 2 — UAE National Day (Eid-Al-Etihad) — with the six-team, 34-match tournament set to conclude with the final on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
World Test Championship shows its worth at Lord’s
- Despite an imbalance in terms of the number of Tests played, length of series and who plays whom, the WTC provides a competitive framework in which to play Test cricket
In the first day’s play in the 2025 World Test Championship on June 11 at Lord’s, South Africa bowled Australia out for 212 in 56.4 overs. In the final session of the day, South Africa’s response stumbled badly, as the innings slumped to 43 for four against Australia’s relentless trio of quick bowlers. At that point, there was a feeling that this could be a mismatch.
It was not so much that South Africa lost early wickets, it was the lack of positivity in the approach. In a callow innings, Wiaan Mulder scored six runs in facing 44 deliveries, looking barely capable of putting bat on ball. The responsibilities of captaincy seemed to weigh heavily on Temba Bavuma, who scored three from 37 deliveries. Bowlers were in the ascendency throughout the day, high class shining though.
Kagiso Rabada had come into the match under a cloud, following a one-month ban for a positive testing for cocaine use. His response was to claim five wickets for 51 runs. These took his tally of Test wickets to 331, past Allan Donald on South Africa’s all-time list, cementing his reputation as one of cricket’s finest fast bowlers. Conditions were helpful to bowlers, cloud cover persuading Bavuma to ask Australia to bat. The decision was vindicated until that late flurry of lost wickets in South Africa’s response.
In addition, it must be said that Australia’s batters looked underprepared. The team had not played a Test match since February. Several of them had been playing in the Indian Premier League, but that has different demands to Test cricket. Admittedly, two batters had been acclimatizing by playing English county cricket but that has lower demands than the Test arena. On the other hand, South Africa’s squad had united to play warm-up matches in England.
Nevertheless, there was a feeling at Lord’s that the first session on Day 2 could prove fatal for South Africa. Despite middle order doggedness prior to lunch, South Africa’s last five wickets fell for only 12 runs in the face of an inspired spell by Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, who claimed six wickets, the last of which was his 300th in Test cricket. Once again, the Test format displayed the capacity to ebb and flow, which can make it so compelling, prompting references to chess on grass. This match had strategic moves in abundance.
Australia held a lead of 74 runs in the first innings. In the second innings, its task was to bat South Africa out of the game. Towards the end of the second day that plan was in tatters, the response 73 for 7, a lead of 147. A partial recovery was effected, which took the score to 144 for 8 at the close of play, a lead of 217. On the basis of South Africa’s first innings performance this seemed to be enough for many observers. Conditions still favored the bowlers, while batters had displayed faulty techniques. Questions were raised about Australia’s selection policy and the possibility that the places of several in their batting line-ups were in jeopardy.
On Friday morning the sun shone and the characteristic Lord’s hum of chatter and anticipation was in full symphony. It was presented with a stoical last wicket partnership by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood. Obvious to everyone were the existence of more favorable conditions for batting, the ball moving less in the air and off the pitch. The pair compiled a mature partnership of 59 from 135 balls.
Both knew that conditions had eased and that, as bowlers, they needed as many runs as possible to provide a cushion. They were taking the WTC seriously. Hazlewood’s annoyed swish of the bat when he was out on the stroke of lunch suggested that he felt that more runs were needed. If he and Starc, who scored 58 in a three-hour innings, found batting easy, so might the South Africans.
It was difficult to find many to agree with him. Common consent was that a target of 282 looked beyond South Africa, even allowing for the improved batting conditions.
A more positive intent was apparent in South Africa’s second innings, despite the loss of two wickets to Starc. Then Aidan Markham and Bavuma, carrying a hamstring injury, forged a partnership of 147. Markham has always been a striker of handsome cricket shots, but his Test career has been very stop-start. Gradually, the pair pushed South Africa towards an unexpected victory, grinding Australia down to end Day 3 on 213 for three, 69 runs short of victory.
On the fourth day those runs were eked out despite much obvious nervous tension and strangling tactics from Australia. Finally, a victory was achieved that was met by an outpouring of relief and ecstasy from South Africans and for South Africa, whose men’s team’s failures to win global tournaments when well set are well documented. The emotions and reflections of those directly associated with this win have been covered in another Arab News piece. Now that the dust has settled on the match and the South African team have returned home to a heroes’ welcome, a further reflection on what it means for Test cricket is required.
The TWC has not been a universally popular competition. South Africa is now its third different winner after New Zealand and Australia, who each beat India in the two previous finals respectively held in England in 2021 and 2023. England’s representatives have been scornful about losing points for slow over rates in the TWC.
India, no doubt, is more than a little disappointed not to have won the title. This time they have only themselves to blame for failing to reach the final, winning only one of their past eight Tests. The smaller Full Members, such as Zimbabwe, are disappointed not to be included at all.
There is an imbalance in terms of the number of Tests played, length of series and who plays whom. Nevertheless, despite its flaws, the WTC provides a competitive framework in which Test cricket is played. There has been talk of its reform, changing its cycle and even moving the final to India, evidenced by a formal request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to do so. It is rumored that Jay Shah, chair of the ICC, will propose to the ICC Board that Lord’s should host the final of the next three cycles up to and including 2031.
This bastion of class and elitism, proclaimed “the home of cricket,” had to allow its treasured property to be overtaken by Australians and South Africans, but it provided a class environment. Ultimately, South Africa completely took over the ground as they partied joyously. Surely, it can be no bad thing for this to happen, the team and country assuaging past heartbreaks and providing new hope for South African cricket across all formats and all parts of its society.
Record stand puts Bangladesh in command in first Sri Lanka Test
- Mushfiqur, the most capped Test player in Bangladesh history with 97 appearances, silenced his critics with a timely ton
GALLE, Sri Lanka: A record-breaking fourth-wicket partnership between captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim put Bangladesh in control at 292-3 on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
After a wobbly start at Galle, the pair stitched together 247 runs — the highest fourth-wicket stand for Bangladesh in Tests against Sri Lanka — steering the tourists to a commanding position at stumps.
Having elected to bat first, Bangladesh were reeling at 45-3 when the duo came together.
What followed was a gritty rescue act— a partnership built on sound temperament, clever shot selection and an unflinching resolve as they dug their team out of early trouble.
Mushfiqur, the most capped Test player in Bangladesh history with 97 appearances, silenced his critics with a timely ton.
The veteran, under the pump after a lean patch spanning 13 innings without a half-century, rolled back the years with a knock of poise and purpose.
The 38-year-old has fond memories of Galle, having struck a monumental double hundred there in 2013, and once again turned tormentor-in-chief for the Sri Lankan bowlers.
He did enjoy a slice of luck — a tough chance spilled by debutant Tharindu Rathnayake on 25 — but made it count, navigating a nervy passage in the 90s, before scampering a quick single to notch up his 12th Test hundred.
Shanto, positive from the outset, kept the scoreboard ticking with deft footwork and a keen eye for the loose ball.
He brought up his sixth Test century — and second against Sri Lanka — with a cheeky paddle sweep off Prabath Jayasuriya, marking his first ton since November 2023.
Sri Lanka made early inroads with right-arm quick Asitha Fernando drawing first blood, removing opener Anamul Haque for a duck.
Off-spinner Rathnayake, handed his Test cap on the back of a prolific domestic season, struck twice in quick succession.
But once the Shanto-Mushfiqur duo got their eye in, it was one-way traffic.
Sri Lanka also handed a debut to opening batter Lahiru Udara, another domestic heavyweight, while the hosts paused before the start of play to congratulate retiring stalwart Angelo Mathews.
The 38-year-old Mathews, playing his 119th and final Test, will hang up his boots with over 8,000 runs, behind only Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in Sri Lanka’s all-time charts.
Mathews speaking before the start, said he was “extremely proud to have a wonderful journey, thankful for whoever was part of it.”
“Feeling quite special. Realizing that I have played over 100 Tests,” he added.
“Playing for the country was my dream; it has come true.”
The match is the first in the new two-year World Test Championship cycle.
The second Test begins in Colombo on June 25.
