Miraz, Tamim guide Bangladesh to series-clinching win against West Indies

After Bangladesh were asked to field on a sunny day in Dhaka, Miraz took four for 25 while Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan bagged two wickets apiece to skittle out the visitors for 148 at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Friday. Chasing a measly target, Tamim sensibly  

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Big wins vs Saudia, BD, boost up Pakistan in BFAME Bridge

Chennai, May 28 (IANS) Indian men's and women's teams maintained steady course and continued to lead the field in 16th Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) Bridge Championship at Hotel Chola Sheraton here Saturday.

At the end of the third match of the round robin two, Indian men led with 155 Victory Points (VPs) while the women's team remained at the top collecting 141 VPs .

In the men's section, India were followed by Pakistan (146), Saudi Arabia (111), Bangladesh (104), Jordan (103) and Sri Lanka (85).

In the women's category, Jordan put up a better show than their men's team and were third behind Pakistan who have so far collected 119 points.

Commenting on Indian women team's performance, non-playing captain Arijit Guha said: "Except for the setback against Palestine on the second day, my players performed well so far. I am sure they will rise to the occasion and qualify for the next World championship for the Bermuda Bowl trophy.

In the Men's section the hosts are followed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with 146 and 111 VPs, while Bangladesh, Jordan and Sri Lanka are placed third,fourth and sixth with 104, 103 and 85 VPs respectively.

In the Women category after the second match of the round robin three, Jordanian women put up a little better show than their Men team and are positioned at the third spot behind Pakistan.

Pakistan have so far collected 119 points while Jordan and Palestine women have got 115 and 105 points respectively in this championship.

Commenting on Indian women team’s performance, non-playing captain of the team Arijit Guha said: “Except the set back against Palestine on the second day, my players performed well so far. I am sure they will rise to the occasion in the rest of the matches and qualify for the next world championship for the Bermuda Bowl. trophy.

Pakistan spearheaded by veteran Rashid-ul-Ghazi-Tehseen Gheewala, Tahir Masood, Javed Miran-Hasan Askari, and Hasan Jawad played intelligently and smartly to defeat Saudi Arabia 17-13 in the eighth round, information available here said.

Earlier in the 17th round, Pakistan thrashed Bangladesh 20-10. They beat Jordan 25-4 to record their biggest win in the event so far.

2009 runners-up, Pakistan has started badly by losing 9-21 to defending champions India but since then they have shown a good recovery to maintain their second slot in the six team points ladder.

India maintained their fine run when they beat Bangladesh 22-8 in the 8th round and Saudi Arabia beat Jordan 17-13.

Indians are enjoying top position with a whooping 155 Victory Points (VPs), Pakistan is placed second 6 points behind the arch rival with 149 VPs.

Saudis are occupying third place with 111, followed by Bangladesh (104), Jordan (103) and Sri Lanka (83).

The Pakistan Ladies team put up a great show in the 9th round when they went down fighting against India 14-16 in a thrilling encounter.

Pakistan team comprising Zeenat Azwer, Fizza Adamjee, Qudsia Dossa, Rubina Agha, Shamim Mahmood and Farida Ahmad played skillfully before losing narrowly.

Like the open team event, the hosts Indians also lead in Ladies competition with 141 VPs followed by Pakistan (118), Jordan (118) and Palestine (105).

Danish footballer in line to represent Bangladesh

DHAKA: Bangladesh have included Danish-born midfielder Jamal Bhuyan in their provisional squad for next month's 2014 World Cup qualifier against Pakistan, making him the first European-based player to be called up.

"For some time we have been scouting talent among Bangladeshis living abroad and Jamal is the one we are really looking at," said Badal Roy, chairman of the national team management committee.

"We saw his game on the internet and talked to him over the phone. He is really keen to play for Bangladesh," said Badal.

Jamal, son of a Bangladeshi family living in Denmark, was born and brought up in Copenhagen and played for FC Copenhagen, one of the country's top clubs, at under-19 level.

The midfielder, who moved to second tier team Hellerup IK on a free transfer in 2009, was brought to the attention of Bangladesh by an agent, officials said.

Jamal, who has a Danish passport, will have a trial under Bangladesh's Croatian coach Robert Rubcic who will then decide whether to include him in the final 18-man squad.

Born to a Bangladeshi family living in Denmark, Bhuyan was born and brought up in the Copenhagen and also played for FC Copenhagen at Under-19 level.

Explaining the decision to include the 21-year-old in the provisional squad, chairman of the national team management committee Badal Roy said: "For some time we have been scouting talent among Bangladeshis living abroad and Jamal is the one we are really looking at.

“We saw his game on the internet and talked to him over the phone. He is really keen to play for Bangladesh.”

However, the decision to include Bhuyan, who possesses a Danish passport, in the final 18-man squad rests with the national team coach Robert Rubcic.

For some days we are scouting talents among Bangladeshis living abroad and Jamal is the one who we are really looking for. We saw his game on the internet and talked to him over phone. He is really keen to play for Bangladesh,’ said Badal.

Badal said Jamal, who holds a Danish passport, will arrive in Dhaka in mid-June to face a trial. If coach Robert Rubcic likes him he will be picked to play for Bangladesh in the World Cup pre-qualifiers against Pakistan.

Bangladesh will face Pakistan in the first leg match on June 29 in Islamabad and the return leg will be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on July 3.

The BFF will trim down the 27-member squad to 18 before Rubcic starts his training camp.

Apart from the inclusion of Jamal, the preliminary squad features no surprises. Seasoned player Enamul Haque, Waly Faisal and Tauhidul Alam Sabuj did not find any place in the squad yet again having been overlooked in AFC Challnge Cup in March.

World Cup opening ceremony: Pawar starts his speech in Bengali

Dhaka: The president of the International Cricket Council Sharad Pawar today surprised everyone as he delivered the introductory lines of his speech at the inauguration ceremony of the World Cup in Bengali.

"Swagato (Welcome)," Pawar said at the Bangabandhu Stadium. "Bangladesh khoobi sundor desh (Bangladesh is a beautiful country)," the Indian Union Minister of Agriculture stated amid thunderous applause from a sell-out crowd.

There was more surprise as Pawar addressed the Bangla crowd saying, "Pradhan Mantrir haath dhore progotir pothe egiye cholechen apnara (The Bangladesh Prime Minister is guiding you (Bangaldeshi public) towards the road to progress)."

Pawar praised the local organisers for arranging the event on such a grand scale.

"This will be a World Cup which everyone will remember," Pawar said.

"I have been associated with two World Cup opening ceremonies but this was organised on a grand scale."

Pawar thanked Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the government of India for their support. He also thanked BCCI president Shashank Manohar and his Sri Lankan counterpart DS de Silva for their support.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the biggest cheer during the opening round of speeches but she made a faux pas while announcing the tournament open in Bengali.

She initially said "Biswa Cup Du Hajar Ek" (which means World Cup 2001) but later corrected when she declared the tournament open in English.

(source:wikipedia)

Tough time for media at World Cup opening ceremony

DHAKA: The internet was irregular, the television sets in the media box did not work, and covering the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony turned a nightmarish experience for the scribes who gathered at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Thursday.

With internet connections snapping repeatedly, the organisers attributed the flaw to the lines being jammed to ensure fool-proof security for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

With the LCD television sets also conking out time and again, the journos could hardly follow the speeches of Sheikh Hasina and International Cricket Council (ICC) president Sharad Pawar. However, a written copy of Hasina's speech given later to the mediapersons proved to be the saving grace.

Though it is a routine at such cultural extravaganzas, no written material explaining various parts of the ceremony was given to the press.

Bangabandhu National Stadium

Bangabandhu National Stadium

Bangabandhu National Stadium (Formerly known as the Dacca Stadium) is the national stadium and main sports arena in Dha lolka, Bangladesh. It is located at Motijheel at the heart of the capital city, Dhaka. The stadium is variously known as Number 1 National Stadium, Dhaka Stadium etc. Its current name was given to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, also known as "Banga bandhu" or "Friend of Bengal".

The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka is the only venue in the world to have hosted an inaugural home fixture for two Test nations. India were the visitors on both occasions: in 1954-55, when Dacca was the capital of East Pakistan, and 46 years later, when Bangladesh became the tenth nation to attain Test status. Situated in the throbbing heart of Dhaka, the Bangabandhu and the nearby National Hockey Stadium are so incorporated into the daily hustle and bustle of Bangladeshi life that it is hard to tell from the outside that they are in fact sporting venues, especially given the plethora of electrical goods stalls that have sprung up all around the concourse. With a purpose-built cricket stadium being constructed on the outskirts of the city, the ground was taken out of commission at the end of the 2004-05 season, and handed over for the sole use of the Bangladesh national football team.

Currently, the stadium is used for football and athletics. Total seating capacity is about 40,000. It was also home to the Bangladeshi cricket team until March 1, 2005.

The stadium is located next to National Hockey Stadium. Bangladesh registered its first win at home at Bangabandhu National Stadium against India on 26 December 2004.

The stadium was used for competitions of the 2010 South Asian Games, including football and athletics. The stadium has exclusively been modernized and renovated into a world class stadium to host the grand opening ceremony of the 2011 ICC world cup co hosted jointly by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.about 25 000 chairs have been installed as well as the large LED screen. An eye catching and modern shed or roof has also been attached over the whole stadium, giving it the typical bowl like appearance of a world class stadium. The entrances and VIP box has also been upgraded to host the grand gala inaugral ceremony.

(source:wikipedia)

Afridi eleven departs for World Cup show

LAHORE: National cricket team, led by Shahid Khan Afridi, has flown for Bangladesh to partake in cricket World Cup. The mega event is scheduled to kick off on February 19, Geo News reported.

Earlier, Afridi eleven arrived Lahore airport from National Cricket Academy where the boys flew for Bangladesh.

A large number of cricket fans thronged Allama Iqbal airport to see team off in shadow of prays but players did not talk to media on the occasion.

Earlier, skipper Pakistan team Afridi told a press conference that players had developed good winning-combination, which, according to his experience, would help Pakistan in mega event.

He said he was watching Pakistan team competing in semi-final in the mega event, adding that he was satisfied with the performance of his side.

“Pakistani team is capable of wining world cup,” wicket keeper Kamran Akmal said.

The fifteen-member squad include Shahid Afridi (Captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (Vice-Captain), Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan and Ahmed Shehzad.

Shahid Afridi, ہ محمد شاہد خان آفریدی

Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi, صاحبزادہ محمد شاہد خان آفرید,born 1 March 1980 in Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan), popularly known as Shahid Afridi, شاهد ‏افریدی, is a Pakistani cricketer and current ODI and Twenty20 captain of the Pakistani national team in the international circuit. He made his ODI debut on 2 October 1996 against Kenya in Nairobi and his Test debut on 22 October 1998 against Australia at Karachi.

He is known for his aggressive batting style, and currently holds the highest career strike rate in the history of international cricket. He also holds the record for the fastest one day century which he made in his debut innings in his second one day international, as well as scoring 32 runs in a single over, the second highest scoring over ever in an ODI. He also holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of One Day International cricket. In a survey taken in 2007, Afridi was named as the most popular cricketer in Pakistan.

Afridi started his ascendence to the captaincy in June 2009 when he took over from Younus Khan after that he was handed the ODI captaincy for the 2010 Asia Cup. In his first match as ODI captain against Sri Lanka he scored a century however Pakistan still lost by 16 runs. He then also took over the test captaincy but resigned after one test-match in charge citing lack of form and ability to play test cricket. He captained Pakistan in the following limited overs series against England and South Africa. Afridi after taking the captaincy has been publicly fighting with the Pakistan Cricket Board over who has the say in selection. Afridi and coach Waqar Younis criticsed the fact that they were not consulted among the selection of the team for the October ODI series. Afridi became much happier with the selection when he was consulted for the 30-man world cup squad and the squad for the New Zealand series.

Afridi is from the Afridi tribe of the Khyber Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas near the Afghan Border and hails from a Pashtun family. He is married to his maternal cousin, Nadia, with whom he has two daughters, Aqsa and Ansha.

International career

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Afridi's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

In October 1996 at the age of sixteen he was brought into the ODI team as a leg spinner as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He then gained notability as a pinch-hitter and began opening with Saeed Anwar. He holds the record for scoring the fastest century in One Day Internationals (off 37 balls), scored in only his second match and his first ODI innings. He also shares with Brian Lara the record for the third-fastest century in ODIs (off 45 balls).He also holds the record for the sixth fastest century which he made on 53 balls against Bangladesh One of Pakistan's most useful all-rounders, he has an extremely aggressive batting style, which has garnered him over 6,000 ODI runs (including a world record of 280 sixes), as well as taking over 270 wickets in ODI's and over 40 in Tests.

For various reasons, including a perception that he lacks patience in his batting, Afridi had limited opportunity in Test matches, although he currently averages in the high thirties and mid-thirties with bat and ball respectively. As it is, Afridi has featured in less than one third of the Test Matches played by Pakistan over the course of his career.[citation needed] However, he made his presence felt in the third Test against India in March 2005, scoring a quick-fire second-innings half-century and taking five wickets in the match (including Tendulkar twice) to help Pakistan to win the game and register a series draw.

It is perceived that his batting struggles on bouncy pitches. He has had success as an opener on sub-continent pitches, Afridi is often moved into the lower order as well.

Afridi was more consistent with his batting and bowling throughout 2005, starting with the tours of India and West Indies and through to the England tour. The Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer helped Afridi to reach a fuller potential by improving his shot selection and giving him free rein over his batting attitude.

In the 2007 World Twenty20, he performed poorly with the bat but brilliantly with the ball, earning the Man of the Series award, though he failed to take a wicket in the final and was out for a golden duck.But in the next ICC Twenty20 World Cup, held in 2009 Afridi performed brilliantly in the series scoring 50 runs in the semi-final and 54 in the final and leading his team to victory.

On the 30 December, Afridi claimed 4-14 in a Twenty20 International game against New Zealand resulting in him taking his 50th wicket in all Twenty20 Internationals, being the first man to do so, he ended the match with 53 wickets.

Shortly after Pakistan won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 the captain Younis Khan announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket the Pakistan Cricket Board subsequently announced that Shahid Afridi had taken over the Twenty20 captaincy. Shahid Afridi is Pakistan's second most successful captain in Twenty20 cricket. In March 2010 the board announced that Shahid Afridi had been appointed ODI captain in place of the sacked Mohammad Yousuf he led Pakistan in the 2010 Asia Cup and during his first three matches as ODI captain he scored two centuries against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh he finished as the tournaments highest runscorer with 384 runs from 3 matches.

On 25 May 2010, Afridi was appointed captain of the national team in all three formats, after he announced his return to Test cricket. After leading Pakistan in the Lords Test against Australia in July 2010, Afridi announced that the second Test at Headingley would be his last.

Afridi has shown his disapproval of selection matters with the board as for the tour of South Africa in October 2010 as he had not been consulted for the selection of the players nor did the team managament Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed and Intikhab Alam Afridi released a statement to inform the media about these incidents and the board sent Afridi a notice telling him to "keep his mouth closed" 

Chief selector of the Pakistan team Mohsin Khan defended his decision and told to the media Afridi and the team management did not need to be consulted on the selection process. However former Pakistan fast-bowling great and former captain Wasim Akram stated that not consulting the captain and coach on the selection is a joke in international cricket . Due to the pressure that the Selectors and the Pakistan Cricket Board had to face they decided to add two more players (Shahzaib Hasan and Wahab Riaz) to the team as per the request of Shahid Afridi, Aaqib Javed, Waqar Younis and Intikhab Alam  Mohsin then denied allegations that he was a 'dummy' selector and said that Shahzaib and Wahab were added to the squad on Afridi's request and that Younis Khan was also a request and he was added after he successfully reconciled with the Pakistan Cricket Board. The squad did however suffer a major setback as Mohammad Yousuf one of the key senior batsman suffered a hamstring injury and missed 2–3 weeks this meant that he missed the limited overs matches  After playing 4 matches against South Africa the series was drawn at 2-2 however the team suffered a major setback when Zulqarnain Haider went missing and this deflated team morale and eventually Pakistan lost the match and the series 3-2. After the series Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis were consulted on selection of the team for the series against New Zealand and the 30-man proviisonal squad for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. 

Despite this positive for Afridi negative continued to surround the rest of the team. When Mazhar Majeed (involved in spot-fixing with Amir, Asif and Butt) revealed that 4 more cricketers Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz and Imran Farhat were associated with him in fixing. Of the 4 two cricketers (Kamran Akmal and Imran Farhat were not selected for the NZ ODI series and Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz were named in the original squad.) Majeed also confrimed that he approched Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Younis Khan and Saeed Ajmal but all off them refused to be affiliated with him of his fixing menace. 

Worth mentioning is that the four names given above were not associated in the original scandal and that no disciplinary action have been taken against them by the sports governing body the International Cricket Council. He also stated just before the New Zealand series that he had been working on honing his batting technique and that to address Pakistan opening troubles he will open in Twenty20 Internationals in the future  and that he will also consider opening in ODI's as well with Umar Akmal also being considered a possibility to open with Umar Akmal  Afridi also had a big say in convincing the Pakistan Cricket Board to have Javed Miandad as the national team's batting and fielding consultant. This being because of Pakistan's recent batting and fielding woes. In the first Twenty20 against New Zealand in December 2010 Afridi opened the innings with Mohammad Hafeez and he scored a quick fire 20 of 12 balls in an innings that included 1 four and two sixes. Despite this solid start Pakistan failed to build on it as Tim Southee took a five-wicket haul including a hat trick that saw Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, 

Mohammad Hafeez and Abdul Razzaq fall for the addition of only five runs. This left Pakistan reeling at 64/7 before Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz scored 30 each and along with a six whacked by Shoaib Akhtar the team pushed the total to 142/9. Shoaib Akhtar took three wickets but proved expensive and Martin Guptill scored a half-cenutry to seal a five-wicket win for New Zealand.

Currently Afridi is the leading wicket taker in the Twenty20 format taking 53 wickets from 41 matches. He also became the first Twenty20 cricketer to reach 50 wickets when he had figures of 4/14 and wiped out the New Zealand tail. Afridi reached his 50th wicket on 30 December 2010 when he had Nathan McCullum trapped leg-before. Pakistan also won that match by 103 runs the biggest margin of victory between two test-playing nations.

Afridi was announced in the World Cup squad but was not named as captain. Pakistan lost the first match against New Zealand by 8-wickets, the second match got rained out and in the third Mohammad Hafeez scored a century and Afridi scored a blistering 65 from just 25 balls. The following match was a tight game but Pakistan prevailed by two-wickets thanks to three boundaries from Sohail Tanvir, the match was setup by a 93* from Misbah-ul-Haq. The fifth ODI was won for Pakistan by 43 runs courtesy of a maiden ODI-century from Ahmed Shehzad. Afridi helped in the lower order by scoring 24 and taking two crucial top order wickets to help guide Pakistan to a 43-run victory and their first ODI series win in two years 

On April 12, 2006 Afridi announced a temporary retirement from Test cricket until after the 2007 World Cup so that he could concentrate on ODIs. Even then his performance in county cricket for Ireland recently had declined and he bowled better than he batted. He also claimed that the workload was too much to cope with.

However, on April 27, 2006 after much discussion with Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Afridi reversed his decision. Despite this, Afridi was later dropped from the Test team in early August 2006 after three quick-fire innings against England. He was placed well down the batting order, away from his more usual spot in the middle-order, and displayed flamboyantly reckless strokeplay on the English pitches, leading to short but entertaining innings.

In July 2010, Afridi captained Pakistan in the first Test of the home series in Lords against Australia. He scored 31 off 15 deliveries in the first innings and 2 in the second but was dismissed succumbing to rash strokes in both the innings. After the match, he announced retirement from Test cricket again citing lack of temperament for Test cricket as the reason.

On 16 July 2010, after Pakistan's loss to Australia in the Lords Test on the fourth day, Afridi spoke to BBC Radio and informed them that he would retire from Test cricket after the second Test at Headingley. The Pakistan Cricket Board was not informed prior to his interview. While speculation arose and suspicions were cast over the timing of the unexpected announcement mid-series during an overseas tour, it appears there was no correlation of his decision with the spot-fixing controversy that engulfed the team during later stages of the tour. Afridi was officially removed from the Test squad on the England tour, but after the spot-fixing scandal saw Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Test captain Salman Butt temporarily suspended by the International Cricket Council, he stated that he might return to Test Cricket if "the team needs it".

His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi" for his fastest One Day International century just in 37 balls. Moreover, out of the six fastest ODI centuries of all time, Afridi has produced three of them. As of 21 February 2010, he has an ODI strike rate of 111.65 runs per 100 balls, the highest in the game's history.

This attitude has been transferred to Test cricket as well, with Afridi scoring at a relatively high strike rate of 86.13 in Tests. He has an approach to batting that can change the tempo of a game and inspire the mood of an audience, as shown when a mass exodus of spectators occurred in Pakistan in late 2005 following his dismissal from the crease.

He hits many sixes long and high, favouring straight down the ground or over midwicket and hit the longest ever six in the history of one day internationals against Australia. His trademark shot is a cross-batted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump. This explosive style has led to memorable shots, most notably the first ever 12 in power cricket in 2002, where Afridi successfully hit the roof. However, his aggressive style increases his risk of getting out and he is one of the most inconsistent batsmen in cricket. This is reflected by the fact that he is the only player to score more than 6000 ODI runs at an average under 25.

While he is renowned for his aggressive batsmanship, he is also a handy leg-spinner capable of producing a good mix of wicket taking balls. He has over 300 International wickets, most of which are from the ODI format. While his stock ball is the leg break, his armory also includes the conventional off break and a 'quicker one' which he can deliver at nearly 80 mph in the style of a medium-pacer. He bowls at a high speed for a spinner, resulting in lesser turn, and relying more on variations in speed. He occasionally sends down a bouncer to a batsman, which is very rare for a spin bowler. He has, on occasion, played in the team primarily as a bowling all-rounder as well, coming much lower down the batting order.

Records and Achievements

On 4 October 1996, playing his maiden international innings, Afridi hit the fastest One-Day century off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi. His innings included 28 runs off one of Sanath Jayasuriya's overs, whose record he broke.

Youngest player in history to make an ODI century at just 16 years and 217 days with his 37 ball ton against Sri Lanka. It included 11 sixes and 6 fours.

Made a half-century from 26 balls and took 3 second-innings wickets in Pakistan's series-drawing Test victory against India in March 2005.

Holds the joint record with Brian Lara for the third fastest ODI century off 45 balls in April 2005 against India. This actually was the first match that witnessed the Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri giving him the nickname Boom Boom Afridi.

Highest aggregate sixes scored in the 50-over game, and he the most sixes per innings record.

Scored four consecutive sixes off a Harbhajan Singh over in a Test match against India in January 2006, matching a feat that Kapil Dev achieved in 1990.

Was the first player to score 12 runs off one ball, by hitting the roof of the Millennium Stadium. This took place in a game of Power Cricket.

Holds four of the top ten fastest ODI half centuries, twice completed in 18 balls and twice in 20 balls. He has also scored a half century off just 21 balls.

Made 32 runs off a Malinga Bandara over in an ODI game at Abu Dhabi in 2007. He struck four consecutive sixes and it was the 2nd most expensive over in ODI history.

Is only the third player in ODI history to achieve the combination of 6000 runs, 100 catches and 250 wickets. The other players being Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya and South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

On 21 June 2010, batting in the fifth match of the Asia Cup against Bangladesh in Dambulla, he achieved the world record of hitting the most number of sixes in an ODI career, which was previously owned by Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka. In the same match, he scored his sixth ODI century, also the sixth fastest century in ODI Cricket coming off 53 balls. He ended at 124 off 60 balls, which became his highest ODI score. This was also his second century in the 2010 Asia Cup.

On 2 November 2010, in the UAE neutral series against South Africa, in the third ODI, Afridi broke the record for most sixes hit in all formats of the game. He beat Sanath Jayasuriya to the top spot with 353 sixes. He scored more sixes than Jayasuriya but also took less than 200 matches to equal Jayasuriya's record.

On 30 December 2010, against New Zealand in New Zealand Afridi became the first bowler to take 50 international Twenty20 wickets. He finished the match with 53 Twenty20 wickets to his name from 41 matches.

Test Centuries

In the column Runs, * indicates being not out

The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career

Test Centuries of Shahid Afridi

Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year

 141 2 India Chennai, India MA Chidambaram Stadium 1999

 107 12 West Indies Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Sharjah C.A. Stadium 2002

 122 18 West Indies Bridgetown, Barbados Kensington Oval 2005

 103 21 India Lahore, Pakistan Gaddafi Stadium 2006

 156 22 India Faisalabad, Pakistan Iqbal Stadium 2006

One Day International Centuries

In the column Runs, * indicates being not out

The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career

One Day International Centuries of Shahid Afridi

Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year

 102 2 Sri Lanka Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi Gymkhana Club 1996

 109 65 India Toronto, Canada Toronto CSCC 1998

 108* 146 New Zealand Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Sharjah C.A. Stadium 2002

 102 204 India Kanpur, India Green Park 2005

 109 294 Sri Lanka Dambulla, Sri Lanka Dambulla International Stadium 2010

 124 296 Bangladesh Dambulla, Sri Lanka Dambulla International Stadium 2010

Pitch-tampering

On 21 November 2005, Shahid Afridi was banned for a Test match and two One Day Internationals for deliberately damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-Test series against England. TV cameras pictured him scraping his boots on the pitch scuffing the surface when play was held up after a gas canister exploded. Afridi later pleaded guilty to a level three breach of the ICC code of conduct relating to the spirit of the game. Inquiries were made and Afridi's antics came into view. He was investigated and banned after the day's play, along with receiving a huge amount of criticism from the cricketing world for bringing the game into disrepute.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama said: "This ban should serve as a message to players that this type of behaviour is not allowed." On this Afridi accepted his fault and said that a "senior player like me should set good examples to others because they see us to learn." His behaviour was also condemned by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Spectator incident

Afridi was charged on 8 February 2007 of bringing the game into disrepute after he was seen on camera thrusting his bat at a spectator who swore at him on his way up the steps after being dismissed. Replays seemed to show that the action was not meant to cause injury, though the spectator had to move out of the way to avoid contact. Afridi was found guilty and given a four-game ODI suspension, the minimum possible ban for such an offense, meaning that he would miss Pakistan's first two 2007 World Cup matches. The PCB and Afridi chose not to appeal the ban, despite feeling that the punishment was excessively harsh. It should be noted that the South African Cricket administrators and the spectator were both also rebuked for playing a part in the causation of the incident.

Ball tampering

On 31 January 2010, Afridi was caught on camera biting into the ball towards the end of the 5th Commonwealth Bank One Day International series in Australia, at the WACA Ground. He was immediately called by the match referee after the match was over. In his defence, he told a Pakistani TV channel that he was trying to "Smell the ball"  however later Afridi pleaded guilty to ball tampering and he was banned from two Twenty20 internationals.

(source:wikipedia)

Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium

Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium or Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNS), is a cricket ground in the Mirpur Thana district of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It holds 35,000 people and was built in 2006.At first, it was named "Mirpur Stadium", but the Bangladeshi government later renamed it as "Shere-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium."

The Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, named after AK Fazlul Haque, one of the country's most renowned leaders and freedom fighters in the 1940s, is situated about 10 kilometres outside the centre of Dhaka. The move from the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka to Mirpur was met with much resistance, but the BCB had decided they needed a stadium dedicated exclusively to cricket, and carried on despite criticism.

The most striking feature of the ground is the drainage facility which is probably the best in the subcontinent. The ground was originally built for football and athletics and was hence rectangular in shape. To bring it back to a shape suited for cricket, a lot of demolition had to be done, and also the athletics tracks had to be dug up. About three feet of soil was excavated to remove all the red clay. PVC pipes were fit in before filling it up with rock chips and sand and then grass. The slope is nice and even, a difference of 29 inches from the wicket to the boundary.

The ground hosted its first Test when Bangladesh played India in May 2007; a timely start was made possible because of the efficient drainage after heavy overnight showers. The wicket was pretty flat and slow. The stadium is being renovated ahead of the 2011 ICC world cup.

See also: Bangladesh national cricket team

(source:wikipedia)

Cricket in Bangladesh

Cricket is a game which has a massive and passionate following in Bangladesh. There is a strong domestic league which on many occasions also saw Test players from many countries (Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, England) gracing the cricket fields of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has now joined the elite group of countries eligible to play Test cricket. The Bangladesh national cricket team goes by the nickname of the Tigers—after the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Read More: History of cricket in Bangladesh

Cricket has been played in India since the 18th century and it continued to be played in first Pakistan and then Bangladesh as these countries became politically independent.

Bangladesh had staged first-class and even Test cricket when it was part of Pakistan. The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka was first used for Test cricket when Pakistan played India there in January 1955. It was used for numerous important matches, including Tests, right up to the declaration of independence in 1971. The MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong also dates back to 1954 as a first-class venue but it was not used for Tests until Bangladesh played there in 2001.

The beginning of Bangladesh's own first-class era (i.e., as an independent state) began when the national team played England A in Chittagong on 25–27 October 1999. The match was drawn.

On 10–13 November 2000, Bangladesh played its inaugural Test Match v India in the Bangabandhu National Stadium. India won by 9 wickets.

The 2000-01 season saw the beginning of first-class domestic competition in Bangladesh, although the country had already staged first-class matches against touring teams in the previous year. The Green Delta National Cricket League was constituted as the first-class championship and the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea One-Day League as the premier limited overs competition. In 2000-01, both titles were won by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

The National Cricket League had in fact been inaugurated in the 1999-2000 season but was not then first-class. In 2000-01, eight teams played 12 matches each in two groups. Group A consisted of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Chittagong Division, Rajshahi Division and Dhaka Division. Group B had Dhaka Metropolis, Khulna Division, Barisal Division and Sylhet Division. Four teams qualified for a final stage in which they each played a further 8 games.

In 2001-02, Ispahani Mirzapore Tea became the sponsor of the National Cricket League in addition to the One-Day League.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) (known then as the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board) was established in 1972. Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket Council.

The Bangladesh Cricket Control Board was established in 1972. Soon after, a cricket league commenced in Dhaka and Chittagong. A national level cricket tournament begun in the country in 1974-75. During this time the cricket league started at the district (regional) level. Other tournaments that were organised were aimed school, college, youth and university level.

The National Cricket League of Bangladesh is the domestic first class cricket competition in Bangladesh. The One-Day Cricket League of Bangladesh is the principal domestic limited overs cricket competition in Bangladesh.

In 2010 the Bangladesh NCL T20 was first started in 2010 which was a t20 tournament which bought lots of international players

The Bangladeshi cricket team, also known as "The Tigers", is the national cricket team of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status. It played its first Test match in 2000 (against India at Dhaka), becoming the tenth Test cricket playing nation.

They also take part in officially sanctioned ACC tournaments including the Asia Cup, Asian Test Championship, ACC Trophy and Asian Cricket Junior Tournaments.

Bangladesh NCL (National Cricket League) Twenty20(NCL T20) and Port City Cricket League (PCL) and supported by Bashundhara group with ATN Bangla as media partners, will see some of the finest Twenty20 players from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in action in this tournament.

This is the second edition of this tournament which attracted a huge response in Bangladesh last year. The league is being held here as the cricket grounds in Bangladesh are undergoing renovation for the ICC cricket World Cup matches to be held there next year.

See also

Sport in Bangladesh

(source:wikipedia)

History of cricket in Bangladesh

The history of cricket in Bangladesh may seem short when the "inaugural first-class match" was as recent as October 1999 but in fact the area has a long cricketing history that has been distorted by political change.

The borders of Bangladesh, previously 1947-1955 were set by the Partition of British India in 1947, when it became the eastern wing of Pakistan and known as 1955-1970. It was separated from the main (western) part of Pakistan by some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of volatile Indian territory, hostile towards them. Despite their common religion of Islam, the ethnic and linguistic gulf between the two parts of Pakistan, compounded by an apathetic government based in the west, resulted in the independence of Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971 after the bloody Bangladesh Liberation War, in which it was morally supported by the Republic of India.

Bangladesh formally declared its independence from Pakistan on 26 March 1971. This was confirmed on the new nation's Victory Day of 16 December 1971.

1780: It stands established that organized cricket in India began in Calcutta (current Kolkata), a major city of Bengal. Early English expatriates banded together to form the Calcutta Cricket Club. The earliest mention of this club is found in the 48th issue of Hickys Bengal Gazette, dated from Saturday December 16 to Saturday December 23, 1780 where the newspaper reported that the Gentlemen of the Calcutta Cricket Club are getting themselves into Wind, and preparing to take the Field, for a very active Campaign (sic). With its tentative year of birth at 1780, the Calcutta Cricket Club becomes senior to the Marylebone Cricket Club, which was established in 1787, by a clear margin of seven years. The London-based MCC, which was till a few years ago the parent body of cricket, still holds an eminent position in the world of cricket.

1792: Englishmen residing in the districts of Barrackpore and Dum Dum play a cricket match (Source: February 23, 1792, the Madras Courier). This particular cricket match was in all likelihood played on the "maidan" opposite the Raj Bhavan. The assumption is based on the reason that a scorecard of another match played in January, 1804, survives to convey to us that teams representing Old Etonians and Calcutta Cricket Club duelled on the same ground. Incidentally, the year 1792 is officially recognized by Wisden cricket almanac as the date of establishment for Calcutta Cricket Club, making it the oldest surviving cricket club outside the British Isles.

1926: (Unofficial) Test cricket comes to Eden Gardens in Calcutta on the last day of 1926 with Arthur Gilligan leading the MCC team; India was still not an official test nation. MCC had come at the invitation of Calcutta Cricket Club and the Bengal Gymkhana was one of its principal patrons.

1934: The Ranji Trophy, named after the famous Indian cricketer Ranjitsinhji, commences in India.

1935: The first Bengal team takes part in the second Ranji Trophy.

1947: After the partition of Bengal in 1947, matches of domestic cricket in Pakistan were conducted in four leagues. Regional East Bengali of Pakistan teams regularly took part in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam trophy from 1954 through 1968.

1955-1969: Seven international Test matches with Pakistan participating as the host team were played in Dhaka between 1955 and 1969.

The first test was held between Pakistan and the Republic of India in January 1955. The match started on the first day of the year. The newly-built Dacca (now "Dhaka") then had the maximum capacity of accommodating 15,000 spectators. According to an old follower of Dacca cricket, the full house crowd gave a standing ovation to both the captains, Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Vinoo Mankad, as they walked out to toss. The match was drawn.

The next match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium was played between Pakistan and New Zealand from November 7 to 12 the same year. Legendary batsman Hanif Mohammad scored his second Test century (103). Besides, his compatriot Khan Mohammad returned with his career best bowling figures of 6 for 21. This match also ended in a draw.

The third Test was played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium between Pakistan and West Indies in March 1959. In the low-scoring match, Pakistan recorded their only Test win at Dhaka by 41 runs, mainly because of their famous fast bowler Fazal Mahmood, who took 12 wickets, six in each innings, for 100 runs.

Then came Australia in the November of the same year under the leadership of Richie Benaud and they defeated Pakistan by eight wickets. This was also Pakistan's only Test defeat at Dhaka.

The fifth Test at the Bangabandhu National Stadium was played in January 1962 between Pakistan and England. Although the match ended in a draw, it was a personal landmark for Hanif Mohammad who scored centuries (111 and 104) in both the innings.

The next match was also played between Pakistan and England after seven years in February 1969. The most notable feature of the match was the presence of all-rounder Basil D'Oliveira, who scored an unbeaten 114 in the first innings

The last, but not the least, Test between Pakistan and New Zealand was played in November of the same year. Kiwi skipper Glen Turner hammered a century (110) in that match, which also concluded in a draw.

1972: The Bangladesh Cricket Control Board is established. Soon after, a cricket league commences in Dhaka and Chittagong. It is a slow start, other things having priority in the war-torn country. Early in 1975 the Dhaka (then "Dacca") stadium was still in disrepair, the square having sunk several inches and the Press Club shell-torn.

1974/75: A national level cricket tournament begins in the country. 1st division and 2nd division cricket leagues start at the districts level. Other tournaments that were organised included National Youth Cricket, Inter-university Cricket, College & School Cricket, Shahid Smriti Cricket, Damal Summer Cricket and Star Summer Cricket.

1976/77: Robin Marlar writes Whither Bangladesh?, a detailed description of Bangladesh cricket's state of affairs and a yearning to see Bangladesh in the international stage. Bangladesh Cricket Board officials become more alert and enthusiastic after this international exposure.

After the completion of the 1975-76 domestic season, Bangladesh Cricket Control Board's acting secretary Reza-e-Karim writes to the International Cricket Council (then called the International Cricket Conference), requesting ICC membership status for Bangladesh. The ICC replies, suggests the BCCB to invite the Marelybone Cricket Club, and that their decision rests on MCC's post-tour report.

Reza-e-Karim drafts the first constitution of the BCCB and in May, 1977 invites the MCC to Bangladesh. In June, 1976, the membership of Bangladesh is discussed in an ICC meeting. The meeting decides to finalize Bangladesh's membership status after the MCC tours Bangladesh.

The MCC arrives at Dhaka for their first Bangladesh tour on December 27, 1976 and helps build the enthusiasm; over 40,000 people attends the representative match at Dacca.

On July 26, 1977, Bangladesh becomes an Associate member of the I.C.C.

The BCCB seeks coaching help from the MCC. The MCC sends Bangladesh her first foreign cricket coach, an Englishman named Robert Jones.

1978: In January, Sri Lanka, yet to be a test team, tours Bangladesh.

In February, the Deccan Blues, an Indian team comprising of famous first-class cricketers, tours Bangladesh for a three-day match against the BCCB XI.

In December, the MCC arrives in Bangladesh for the second time in a tour that lasts until 14 January 1979.

1979: Bangladesh appears in the first ICC trophy in England. Bangladeshis win matches against Fiji and Malaysia.

1980: In January, Pakistan tours Bangladesh for a 2-day match in Chittagong and a 3-day sellout match in Dacca. The crowd's misbehavior toward Pakistani players abruptly ends the Chittagong match, and the tour.

1980/81: The MCC tours Bangladesh for the third time.

1982: An Indian first-class team, the Hyderabad Blues, boasting five Indian test players, visits Bangladesh in January.

In May–July, 1982, Bangladesh takes part in its second ICC trophy competition and finishes fourth among sixteen national teams.

1983: In March, 1983, a West Bengal team tours Bangladesh. In December, Bangladesh follows up with a visit to the Indian state.

1984: In January, 1984, Bangladesh hosts the first ever South-East Asia Cup; Singapore and Hong Kong participates. Bangladesh beats Hong Kong in the final to take the trophy.

In February, Bangladesh team tours Kenya for the first time.

Having returned from Kenya, in late February, Bangladesh hosts a series of cricket matches with Pakistan's PIA and India's the Hyderabad Blues.

1985: The Sri Lankan test team visits Bangladesh in March for a three-day match in Dhaka.

1986: In January, 1986, the Omar Kureishi XI containing Pakistani Test cricketers visits Bangladesh.

In March, 1986, Bangladesh takes part in the Second Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, and plays its first ever One Day International match against Pakistan (Bangladesh was still not a full member of ICC). The tournament gives Bangladesh players international exposure.

In June, 1986, Bangladesh flies to England to take part in the third ICC tropy.

Earlier in the year, Bangladesh toured Pakistan for the first time.

1988: In January, Bangladesh takes part and wins the second South-East Asia trophy, defeating Hong Kong.

The Third Asia Cup takes place in Bangladesh in October–November 1988 with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participating as well as the host country.

1989: In August–September, Bangladesh U-19 team tours England.

In December, 1989, Bangladesh hosts the First Under-19 Asia Cup.

1990: The Decan Blues, captained by Syed Kirmani, tours Bangladesh in January and February. On February 4, 1990, pyjama cricket comes to Bangladesh, as the first ever day-night match is played in the Bangabandhu national stadium between BCCB U-25 and the Deccan Blues.

In February, 1990, a team from Denmark tours Bangladesh.

In March, 1990, Pakistan and India takes part in a two-match series. Bangladesh, the host country, is a surprising absentee.

In April, 1990, Bangladesh takes part in the Australasia Cup in Sharjah and plays against New Zealand and Australia for the first time in group matches.

In June, 1990, Bangladesh participates in the fourth ICC trophy held in Holland. Bangladesh finishes third in the tournament, losing in the semifinal against eventual champions Zimbabwe.

In December, 1990, Bangladesh visits India to take part in the fourth Asia Cup cricket along with India and Sri Lanka.

1992: West Bengal visits Bangladesh in February. A little-known West Bengal batsman Saurav Ganguly scores a century and a half-century to help West Bengal prevail in both matches.

1992: In June, Bangladesh takes part in the third South East Asia cup and wins the trophy again by defeating Hong Kong.

In December, 1992, Bangladesh hosts the first SAARC cricket tournament. But the tournament comes to an abrupt end with two matches to go, as tensions in Dhaka rise after the Babri mosque incident.

1993: In March–April, 1993, the Karachi Airport Gymkhana team tours Bangladesh.

1994: Bangladesh takes part in the fifth ICC Trophy and fails to qualify for the semifinals. In December, Dhaka hosts the 2nd SAARC cricket tournament. Bangladesh finishes runners up after losing the final to India 'A'.

1996: IN September, Bangladesh takes part and wins the ACC Cup in KL, Malaysia.

1997: Bangladesh wins the Sixth ICC trophy in Malaysia. Bangladesh also becomes a regular ICC member with the right to play One Day Internationals. Earlier, (in Feb), Dhaka hosted the 3rd & final SAARC cricket tournament.

1998: Bangladesh posts its first ODI win against Kenya in India. In October, Bangladesh hosts (although did not participate in) the first ever "Mini World Cup", a knock-out ODI tournament featuring all the test playing nations.

1999: Bangladesh performs in the 7th Cricket World Cup in England. In a group match, Bangladesh defeats Pakistan.

1999-2000: A new first-class format National League is launched. The home and away tournament has divisional teams from Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Barisal and Rajshahi.

2000: Bangladesh attains the status of a test playing country on 26 June. Bangladesh's inaugural Test match takes place in Dhaka against touring India on 10–14 November 2000

2004: In December, Bangladesh defeats World Cup Runners-up India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, It was Bangladesh's overall sixth win in one-dayers, but the first ODI victory on home soil. It was also only their third win against a Test-playing nation after defeating Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup in England and beating Zimbabwe in March, 2004.

2005: In January, Bangladesh records their maiden test victory with a thumping 226 runs win over Zimbabwe. This was the 35th test for Bangladesh. Bangladesh team also secures its first ever Test and ODI series wins.

In June, Bangladesh defeats world champions Australia in a Natwest Series ODI match. Mohammad Ashraful is the hero with a run-a-ball century.

Early in 1975, the Dhaka (then "Dacca") stadium was in disrepair, the square having sunk several inches and the Press Club shell-torn. The M.C.C. tour in 1976/77 helped to build the enthusiasm; over 40,000 people attended the representative match at Dhaka. In 1977, Bangladesh became an Associate member of the International Cricket Council. Two further M.C.C. teams toured in 1978/79 and 1980/81.

The standard of cricket quickly rose, and soon Bangladesh was the top ICC associate country in the region, winning all ACC tournaments. This gave them the opportunity to play in the Asia Cup, against teams like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Third Asia Cup took place in Bangladesh in 1988 with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participating as well as the host country.

In 1989/90, Bangladesh played hosts to the First Under-19 Asia Cup. In 1997, Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in Malaysia, qualifying for its first ever world cup appearance. Soon after, Bangladesh, along with Kenya were granted full ODI status by the ICC. Bangladesh posted its first ODI win against Kenya in India in 1998. In October 1998, Bangladesh hosted—although they did not participate—the first ever "Mini World Cup", a knock-out basis ODI tournament featuring all the test playing nations. In 1999, in their maiden appearance at the World Cup in England, Bangladesh defeated fellow ICC associate Scotland, and then won a match from favorites Pakistan.

As a reward of bright performance in ICC and World Cup, Bangladesh was given the status of the 10th test playing nation on the 26 June 2000. As the famous ex-cricketer Ali Bacher of South Africa noted during his visit to Dhaka, 'the game of cricket has great prospects in a country like Bangladesh where there is cricket on the streets, cricket in the schools, in the villages, a competitive league, and Friday cricket—drawing crowds of spectators who love the game in all its forms.' The game, having shed its aristocratic restrictions, prospers at the very grass-roots of Bangladeshi society.

In the 2007 Cricket World Cup on March 17, 2007, Bangladesh beat India by a 5 wicket margin to advance to the Super 8 stage, where they beat South Africa by a 67-run margin on April 7, 2007.

Cricket has been played in India since the 18th century and it continued to be played in first Pakistan and then Bangladesh as these countries became politically independent.

Bangladesh had staged first-class and even Test cricket when it was part of Pakistan. The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka was first used for Test cricket when Pakistan played India there in January 1955. It was used for numerous important matches, including Tests, right up to the declaration of independence in 1971. The MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong also dates back to 1954 as a first-class venue but it was not used for Tests until Bangladesh played there in 2001.

The beginning of Bangladesh's own first-class era (i.e., as an independent state) began when the national team played England A in Chittagong on 25–27 October 1999. The match was drawn.

On 10–13 November 2000, Bangladesh played its inaugural Test Match v India in the Bangabandhu National Stadium. India won by 9 wickets.

The 2000-01 season saw the beginning of first-class domestic competition in Bangladesh, although the country had already staged first-class matches against touring teams in the previous year. The Green Delta National Cricket League was constituted as the first-class championship and the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea One-Day League as the premier limited overs competition. In 2000-01, both titles were won by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

The lists below give the leading first-class runscorers and wicket-takers in each domestic season.

Batsmen

2000-01 – Imran Farhat – 735 runs @ 91.87

2001-02 – Minhajul Abedin – 1012 @ 72.28

2002-03 – Sajjadul Hasan – 447 @ 40.63

2003-04 – Faisal Hossain – 809 @ 38.52

2004-05 – Golam Rahman – 825 @ 51.56

2005-06 – Ehsanul Haque – 955 @ 59.68

2006-07 – Gazi Salahuddin – 791 @ 46.53

2007-08 – –

Pakistan played 3 first-class matches, including 2 Tests; and 3 ListA limited overs internationals. Pakistan won the Test series convincingly, winning both matches by an innings:

1st Test at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – Pakistan won by an innings and 178 runs

2nd Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – Pakistan won by an innings and 169 runs

Zimbabwe 2001-02

Zimbabwe played 2 Test matches and won the series 1-0 with one match drawn:

1st Test at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – match drawn

2nd Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – Zimbabwe won by 8 wickets

West Indies 2002-03

West Indies played 2 Test matches and 3 limited overs internationals. They won both the Test matches:

1st Test at (Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – West Indies won by an innings and 310 runs

2nd Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – West Indies won by 7 wickets

South Africa 2003

South Africa played 2 Test matches against Bangladesh and took part in a limited overs tri-series with Bangladesh and India. South Africa won the Test series against Bangladesh, winning both matches convincingly by an innings:

1st Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – South Africa won by an innings and 60 runs

2nd Test at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – South Africa won by an innings and 18 runs

England 2003-04

England played 2 Tests and 3 limited overs internationals. They won the Test series against Bangladesh, winning both of the 2 matches :

1st Test at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – England won by 7 wickets

2nd Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – England won by 329 runs

India 2004-05

India played 2 Test matches and won both by an innings margin:

1st Test at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – India won by an innings and 140 runs

2nd Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – India won by an innings and 83 runs

New Zealand 2004-05

This was New Zealand's first tour of Bangladesh. They played 2 Test matches and 3 limited over internationals. New Zealand won the Test series convincingly, winning both matches by an innings margin:

1st Test at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka – New Zealand won by an innings and 99 runs

2nd Test at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong – New Zealand won by an innings and 101 runs

Zimbabwe 2004-05

For information about this tour, see : Zimbabwean cricket team in Bangladesh in 2004-05

Australia 2005-06

This was Australia's first tour of Bangladesh.

For information about this tour, see : Australian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2005-06

Kenya 2005-06

The Kenyans played a four-match series of limited overs internationals which Bangladesh won 4-0:

1st ODI at Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra – Bangladesh won by 131 runs

2nd ODI at Motiur Rahman Stadium, Khulna – Bangladesh won by 9 wickets

3rd ODI at Narayanganj Osmani Stadium, Fatullah – Bangladesh won by 20 runs

4th ODI at Narayanganj Osmani Stadium, Fatullah – Bangladesh won by 7 wickets

Sri Lanka 2005-06

For information about this tour, see : Sri Lankan cricket team in Bangladesh in 2005-06

Scotland 2006-07

For information about this tour, see : Scottish cricket team in Bangladesh in 2006-07

Zimbabwe 2006-07

For information about this tour, see : Zimbabwean cricket team in Bangladesh in 2006-07

India 2007

For information about this tour, see : Indian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2007

See also

Cricket in Bangladesh

(source:wikipedia)