What equations for the Tigers to stay alive in Asia Cup?

Afghanistan managed to post 116 for seven against Bangladesh in the second of the two-match T20I series after the match got reduced to 17 overs due to rain at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. 

The visitors overcame their initial struggles as they were reduced to five for 67 after being put into bat first. But a 42-run stand between Azamatullah Oamarzai and Karim Janat propelled Afghanistan's score to 116.

Omarzai top-scored with a 21-ball 25, while Janat took 15 balls for his 20.

For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed picked up three wickets, while Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman scalped two each, with the former extending his position at the top of the all-time T20I wicket-takers list with 140 scalps.

A placard reading "We love you Miraz" held by a Bangladesh fan in the stands of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium yesterday reflected the trust the all-rounder has gained in recent times.

Never shy of taking on responsibilities, Mehedi Hasan Miraz has been skipper Shakib Al Hasan's go-to man as of late.

The 25-year-old once again showed his class in the Tigers' all-important World Cup 2023 opener against Afghanistan in Dharamshala yesterday, producing an all-round performance to guide Bangladesh to a convincing six-wicket win.

Miraz did the job with the ball first -- the off-spinner ended with figures of three for 25 in nine overs, including three maidens. The all-rounder then came in at number three for the first time in ODIs and went on to play a momentum-swinging 57-run knock off 73 deliveries.

It was Miraz's 97-run third-wicket stand with Najmul Hossain Shanto that saw Bangladesh recover from a precarious two for 27 in chase of a paltry 157-run target.

Miraz has often shied away from expressing his own philosophy, remaining in the shadow of the seniors despite having the potential to become the next big thing in Bangladesh cricket.

But it was a different Miraz attending the post-match presser yesterday. Bold, poised, and confident, it was as if Miraz's improvement as a genuine all-rounder had transformed his personality as well. An ever-smiling Miraz is now more confident and specific with his replies.

"I have worked really hard on my batting. I have thought long and hard about it, how I can improve my batting. I prepared myself really well. The team also gave me a lot of opportunities up the order. It is a big deal for me," said Miraz when asked about his mental preparedness in order to bat at any position asked.

In the past 12 months, Miraz batted at various positions -- from coming in at number nine to scoring a century while opening the innings against the same opposition in the last Asia Cup in September.

"Every position poses a different situation. I don't think too much whenever presented with an opportunity. If you think simply, it is better to bat anywhere above number eight. The team gets help if I play well. I face some problems but I don't focus on them. I have to perform well for the team, that's the most important thing," he added.

Miraz, however, admitted that he was nervous initially with the ball in hand after he gave away nine in his first over. But the off-spinner managed to make a comeback, pairing with Shakib to build pressure on the Afghans with some tight bowling.

"When the pacers weren't doing well at the top, it put the spinners under pressure. Shakib bhai got two wickets which boosted the team. We started bowling well from both ends. We didn't expect such a wicket in Dharamhsala, but we got the ball to turn in our first two or three overs. The ball stopped a bit. We shared this information with everyone, about how to bowl in this wicket. We had great communication throughout the game," said Miraz.

The all-rounder has always been handy with the ball in any format, but his recent transformation as a batter unsurprisingly brought the topic of him being the next Shakib in the making for Bangladesh. But for now, Miraz kept quiet on the matter, perhaps not thinking too much about it as well and focusing only on doing his job.

The last time Bangladesh played in Dharamshala was back in 2016 during the ICC T20 World Cup. In that match against Oman, Tamim Iqbal made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi to score a century in the format. Even though Tamim is not a part of this World Cup campaign but, thanks to the fans, his presence was felt at the picturesque Dharamshala stadium during Bangladesh's match on Saturday. A number of Bangladesh supporters in the gallery were seen holding up a placard written, 'We will never forget you' with Tamim's picture, reminiscing the contributions of the former Bangladesh captain.

Shoriful's World Cup transition

Just three years ago, pacer Shoriful Islam was part of the Bangladesh squad that emerged victorious in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. On Saturday, the left-arm pacer made his World Cup debut for the senior side and his two scalps had contributed to his team's six-wicket win in their tournament opener against Afghanistan. Shoriful said that he hopes the senior side will replicate the U-19 team's feat. "If I compare it to the Under-19 World Cup, I think we have started in a similar manner and we are all supporting each other. We want to finish it in the same way and win the World Cup." Shoriful's U-19 teammates Tanzid Hasan and Tawhid Hridoy also made his World Cup debut yesterday but the latter did not get a chance to bat.

Ashraful's new role

Mohammad Ashraful was seen in a different role in Dharamshala. The former Bangladesh captain is working as an expert analyst for a Bangladeshi TV channel in the World Cup. "I think it's a very tough job to be honest, but I am enjoying this role. This is my first time here in Dharamshala and I think Bangladesh played really well today (Saturday)." The youngest Test centurion in the history of cricket praised Mehedi Hasan Miraz's all-round performance, adding that he has emerged as the game changer for Bangladesh.

After an agonising defeat in the final of the Asia Cup against India in UAE on Friday night, the Bangladesh cricket team returned home last night with heads held high.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and his troops fought till the last ball of the match defending a small total of 222, but ended up as runners-up once again.

It was a mixed bag for the Tigers in terms of performance and there were a lot of incidents on and off the field, making the competition a memorable one.

It started with Tamim Iqbal's return to bat with a finger injury and defending a Suranga Lakmal delivery against Sri Lanka in the opening game where the left-hander left the field early after suffering a blow to his left hand knuckle against the same bowler. Tamim's bravery was praised worldwide.

Mushfiqur Rahim smashed a magnificent hundred with a fractured rib in the same game before scoring 99 against Pakistan while Shakib Al Hasan's departure from the tournament following a finger injury ahead of the Pakistan game made matters more desperate for the Tigers.

Tigers' next assignment will be the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe later this month featuring three ODIs and two Test matches.

The Zimbabwe series will be followed by another home series against West Indies in November where they will play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.

"We have two home series and the New Zealand tour. We have a lot of work to do in the next two series, where we will have to play well," Mashrafe told reporters after the defeat in the final on Friday.

The team management will also have to deal with the injury concerns of the senior members of the side ahead of the home series.

The 2022 Asia Cup will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while still being officially hosted by Sri Lanka, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said in a statement on Wednesday. The ACC said that the tournament has been moved to the UAE "considering the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka". It will be played between August 27 and September 11.

"Considering the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, the ACC after extensive deliberation has unanimously concluded that it would be appropriate to relocate the tournament from Sri Lanka to the UAE," the ACC said in a statement.

Sri Lanka has been reeling under economic and political turmoil. However, they had hosted Australia in a bilateral series and are currently hosting Pakistan. The ACC said that it had made every effort to host the tournament in the country.

"Every effort was made to host the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken after much deliberation. The UAE will be the new venue while Sri Lanka will continue to retain hosting rights," ACC president Jay Shah was quoted as saying. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly had earlier said that the tournament had been moved out of Sri Lanka to the UAE.

This will make it the second consecutive time that the tournament will be played in the UAE. The six-team Asia Cup will be played as a T20 tournament this year. India are the defending champions, having won the tournament in 2018 while it was still played in the ODI format.

The Asia Cup will be played in T20 format this time and serve as preparation for the World Cup in October. It will start with a qualifying round of matches between UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong. The winner will go on to the main tournament and play Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.