CRICEKET
Ireland Opt to Field as Bangladesh Fight to Keep Series Alive in Chattogram
The second T20 between Bangladesh and Ireland began at 6 p.m. at the Birshreshtha Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram, where Ireland won the toss and opted to field. The match is crucial for Bangladesh to keep the series alive, while a victory would give Ireland their first-ever T20 series win against Bangladesh at the third attempt.
Spectator turnout has been noticeably lower compared with the previous match, with a layer of mist hanging over the stadium as both teams completed their fielding drills before the start.
Bangladesh made three changes to their lineup, dropping Zakir Ali, Rishad Hossain and Shoriful Islam. Nurul Hasan, all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin and spinner Mehidy Hasan have returned to the side.
The Bangladesh XI includes Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Saif Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Nasum Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan.
Ireland field a lineup featuring captain Paul Stirling, along with Tim Tector, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys and Josh Little.
Three Bangladeshi women cricketers have registered for the upcoming Women’s IPL mega auction, scheduled to be held on 27 November in Delhi. The high-profile event will feature some of the world’s top female cricketers competing for limited team spots.
Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter, Shorna Akter and Rabeya Khan have entered their names in the auction, each with a base price of 3 million rupees. A total of 227 players have registered this year, including 83 overseas cricketers — but only 23 foreign players will be able to secure team contracts.
Pacer Marufa Akter gained international attention during the recent Women’s ODI World Cup with her impressive swinging deliveries, notably dismissing Pakistan’s Omaima Sohail and Sidra Ameen. Her viral bowling clip even drew praise from Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga.
Shorna Akter contributed 116 runs and took six wickets in seven World Cup matches, showcasing her credentials as an all-rounder. Rabeya Khan also made her mark with seven wickets and 87 runs across seven matches.
The participation of three Bangladeshi players in the Women’s IPL auction is being seen as a significant step forward for women’s cricket in Bangladesh.
Ireland opt to bat first in Sylhet Test, Bangladesh debutant Hasan Murad gets cap
Ireland have won the toss and elected to bat first against Bangladesh in the opening Test of the series, being held in Sylhet on Tuesday (11 November).
Bangladesh handed a maiden Test cap to left-arm spinner Hasan Murad, who received his cap from senior spinner Taijul Islam ahead of the match. The hosts fielded a combination of two pacers and three spinners in their playing XI.
Ireland also introduced two debutants — Jordan Neill and Cade Carmichael — with Neill becoming the youngest Irish cricketer to debut in Test cricket at just 19 years old.
The two teams last met in a Test in April 2023, when Bangladesh secured a convincing four-day victory in Mirpur.
Bangladesh XI: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Hasan Murad.
Ireland XI: Andy Balbirnie (captain), Paul Stirling, Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker, Jordan Neill, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Craig Young.
After 17 long years, international cricket has returned to Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, and Pakistan celebrated the occasion with a nail-biting victory over South Africa in the opening match of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday.
Faisalabad last hosted an international game in 2008, when Pakistan faced Bangladesh. Following the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, Pakistan was exiled from hosting international cricket, forcing them to play home matches in the UAE. After recent infrastructure upgrades, the historic venue finally welcomed international cricket again.
Led by new ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan chased down South Africa’s 263-run target with two wickets in hand in the final over — giving Afridi a memorable win in his captaincy debut.
For South Africa, Quinton de Kock (63) and Luan-dre Pretorius (57) set a solid foundation, but Pakistan’s Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each to halt the visitors’ progress.
In reply, Pakistan’s openers Fakhar Zaman (45) and Saim Ayub (39) gave a strong start. Despite another failure from Babar Azam (7), middle-order batsmen Salman Agha (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (55) steadied the innings. Afridi’s unbeaten cameo ensured Pakistan’s thrilling win at home.
South Africa, missing several key players including captain Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, and Marco Jansen, fielded a young side under Matthew Breetzke. Despite the loss, Breetzke said, “It’s an opportunity for the youngsters to prove themselves.”
The remaining two ODIs will also be played at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium on Thursday and Saturday.