Ashfaq-Ul-Alam

Tamim’s misplaced plea and a broken system

At the launching event of the newly-formed platform Bangladesh District and Divisional Sports Organisers Association (BDDSOA) yesterday in Dhaka, former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal made a request to the councillors who will cast their votes in the next Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election.

1w ago

A rivalry spiced up the Bangladesh way

Only by losing the first Test in Sylhet could Bangladesh have fans, and everyone else, turn their focus towards themselves for a series that nearly experienced a media blackout, forcing the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to get state-run BTV as the broadcast partner.

2w ago

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe: A rivalry on its last legs

Bangladesh’s two-Test series against Zimbabwe is set to commence in Sylhet on Sunday at a time when fan interest on any sort of cricketing engagement between these two sides is arguably at an all-time low.

3w ago

Saudi Arabia’s $500m takeover of cricket and its many implications

The Saudis are not just trying to enter the cricket market, they want to establish a new T20 circuit of cricket with them at the helm of it.

1m ago

A legacy of retirement limbo in Bangladesh cricket

“I have decided to quit cricket as a mark of protest against a group of people in the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] who do not want to see me in the squad.”

1m ago

Calling it a day the Australian way

Yesterday, another modern-day Australian great called time on his ODI career a day after he top-scored for his side but could not deliver what was expected off of him.

2m ago

Afghanistan put on a ‘tamasha’ to remember

But the thousands that were present at the Gaddafi Stadium and the millions who tuned in from around the globe to watch the Group B encounter between Afghanistan and England on Thursday, witnessed an absolute cricketing ‘tamasha’ in the truest sense.

2m ago

Lacklustre present and a bleak future

Bangladesh losing convincingly to India and New Zealand and being out of contention for a spot in the semi-final in the ICC Champions Trophy may seem like the worst thing about the team’s ongoing campaign in Pakistan and the UAE, but it’s not.

2m ago
February 14, 2025
February 14, 2025

A ‘Mini World Cup’ with big implications for Bangladesh

“Though the Bangladeshi team was not allowed to take part, the population reacted with enormous enthusiasm to the biggest sporting event -- some said the most positive event of any kind--in the country’s short, fraught, history.”

February 1, 2025
February 1, 2025

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

How many people are watching the ongoing 11th Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is a difficult question to answer.

January 21, 2025
January 21, 2025

The ‘insult’ of Dhaka clubs and the reality of Bangladesh cricket

The Marylebone Cricket Club's (MCC) status as the most famous and influential cricket club in the world is one of the few undisputed facts in the game's storied history.

January 12, 2025
January 12, 2025

The indelible legacy of Tamim Iqbal

Tamim had a chance to rewrite the ending by taking part in the ICC Champions Trophy, starting next month, but eventually chose not to.

January 4, 2025
January 4, 2025

Hopes of ‘better future’ exposes bitter truths

“I only get Tk 3000 as allowance per month apart from accommodation and food in the national camp. They are giving me an additional Tk 2000 as house rent since I got married… There is no future playing for the national team,” Bangladesh’s star archer Ruman Sana said to The Daily Star in March last year, explaining why he no longer wants to play for the national team.

December 28, 2024
December 28, 2024

A year of contrasts in Bangladesh cricket

As for the year that is winding down, it was neither an overarching triumph nor a debilitating failure. The stench of mediocrity was present, but so was vivacious tenacity. Above all, it was an interesting year in cricket for Bangladesh -- one that fans would not forget soon.

December 24, 2024
December 24, 2024

A year of chaos and clean sweeps in Tests

The chaotic results column is overall a good sign for Test cricket.

December 9, 2024
December 9, 2024

Bangladesh’s pace assembly line now up and running

Chances of Taskin Ahmed waking up super early in St Kitts, take time out of his preparation for the first ODI against West Indies to watch the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE yesterday are quite slim.

December 4, 2024
December 4, 2024

Nahid Rana: A golden goose worth taking care of

One of Aesop's renowned fables, 'The goose that laid the golden egg', imparts a timeless lesson: too much greed can ruin one's fortune. It also highlights the value of patience -- a virtue the Bangladesh Cricket Board could embrace to nurture the immense potential of one of their brightest prospects, Nahid Rana.

November 27, 2024
November 27, 2024

IPL snub a reminder of Bangladesh’s talent drought

A total of 1574 players had registered for the players auction of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). From there, 574 got shortlisted by the 10 teams to go under the hammer, of which 208 were from overseas, 12 of which were uncapped cricketers and only one of them was from New Zealand, a 22-year-old middle-order batter named Bevon Jacobs.