Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto exuded confidence ahead of his team’s Champions Trophy opener against India, emphasising that his side has the firepower to challenge the two-time champions. With a blend of quality fast bowlers and dependable all-rounders, Shanto believes Bangladesh has what it takes to make a strong start in the tournament. “All departments have to click if we are to beat India. We have good memories against them, and if we execute our plans well, we have a good chance,” Shanto said in the pre-match press conference.

“We have some quality all-rounders, and we are depending on them. We are not overthinking. All teams in the tournament are capable of winning, and we fancy our chances,” he added.

One of Bangladesh’s biggest strengths heading into the tournament is their potent pace attack. The likes of Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and young Nahid Rana, who has been impressive in his young career, having taken 20 wickets in six Tests and four scalps in three ODIs, give the team a well-rounded bowling unit, capable of exploiting the conditions in Dubai.

“We are very happy to have a fast bowler like Rana in the squad. If he plays, he will do the job for us. Our team has a good balance of spin and pace,” Shanto said.

Despite the absence of veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was left out after being suspended from bowling due to a suspected action, Shanto remains unfazed. The selectors chose not to pick Shakib solely as a batter, leaving Bangladesh without one of their most experienced players.

“Shakib’s absence is not a factor. Over the last couple of years, we have developed a strong pace attack. This is the best seam attack Bangladesh has had. We need to adjust quickly to the conditions here, as the pitches are not as high-scoring as in Pakistan. But we know we will get a lot of crowd support,” Shanto stated.

With Shakib unavailable, the onus will be on Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahmudullah to fill the void, both as experienced middle-order batters and contributors with the ball.

India will be without their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. However, Shanto was quick to dismiss any notion that his team was focusing on an individual’s absence.

“We are not thinking about Bumrah or any other individual. India have a lot of quality players,” he remarked.

Bangladesh face with India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, February 20, in what promises to be a thrilling Group A clash.

Shakib, who was retired from Test and T20I formats, was reported for a suspect bowling action during a one-off appearance for Surrey in the County Championship in September.
| Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA

Bangladesh on Sunday (January 12, 2025) omitted former skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who has been suspended from bowling in international and domestic cricket because of an illegal action, from their Champions Trophy squad.

Shakib, who failed a test of his bowling action at the Loughborough University in England last month, also could not procure a positive assessment in a second independent test conducted at the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science in Chennai recently.

The omission from the 15-member Champions Trophy squad could also mark the end of the 37-year-old’s ODI career. The tournament begins on February 19.

Shakib, who was retired from Test and T20I formats, was reported for a suspect bowling action during a one-off appearance for Surrey in the County Championship in September.

On-field umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and David Millns made the report, which was termed “shocking” by Bangladesh Cricket Board officials.

No place for Litton

Bangladesh, who will open their Champions Trophy campaign against India in Dubai on February 20, have also left out seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das after his recent modest outings.

Das could not make a fifty in his last 13 ODI innings. His last 50-plus score was against India at Pune in October 2023.

In fact, the 30-year-old’s last seven innings read: 6, 1, 0, 0, 2, 4, 0.

Other than these two big names, all-rounder Afif Hossain, and pacers Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud too failed to get a place in the squad which will be led by Najmul Hossain Shanto.

Najmul is returning to the side after missing the home ODIs last year against the West Indies due to a hamstring injury.

Along with Najmul, experienced Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman and promising top-order batter Towhid Hridoy too have made a comeback.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana.

Bangladesh have left their experienced duo of Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan out of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Bangladesh released a statement to announce the 15-member squad for next month’s highly-anticipated tournament. The high-profile axing of players comes on the back of Litton’s dry run of form. In the ODIs, the wicketkeeper batter has struggled to post a single fifty in his last 13 innings. During this run in the last seven innings, he has been dismissed for single-digit scores six times.

Shakib’s exclusion comes amid his suspension from bowling in ICC events. Due to an illegal bowling action, the 37-year-old was suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket. He recently failed the second test of independent assessment of his action.

Apart from Litton and Shakib, other notable exclusions in Bangladesh’s squad are all-rounder Afif Hossain and the pace duo of Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud.

Experienced middle-order batter Mahmudullah has retained his place in the squad. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain will be the two frontline spinners for Bangladesh.

Najmul Hossain Shanto has returned to the ODI fold as the skipper of the side after missing the West Indies tour due to a hamstring injury last November. Other notable returnees in Bangladesh’s squad include Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy and Mustafizur Rahman.

The most notable inclusion in Bangladesh’s squad features Parvez Hossai Emon, who has been handed his maiden ODI call-up. The 22-year-old wicketkeeper has seven T20I outings under his belt, scoring 88 runs at an average of 12.57.

Young prodigy and pace gun Nahid Rana, who made his debut in the format in the recent series against the West Indies, has been included in the squad. In three ODI appearances, the Bangladesh tearaway has four scalps, averaging 31.50 with an economy of 4.72.

Bangladesh will face the last edition’s finalist in their campaign opener in Dubai on February 20.

Bangladesh squad for Champions Trophy: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana.

Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan had earlier failed an independent assessment of his bowling action at Loughborough University. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Shakib Al Hasan suffered a fresh setback ahead of the Champions Trophy after failing a second test of his bowling action, keeping him suspended from rolling his arm over in both domestic and international cricket.

Shakib had earlier failed an independent assessment of his bowling action at Loughborough University, an ICC-accredited testing center in the UK. The result, which was reported on December 15, 2024, had already prevented him from bowling his left-arm spin in any format.

Also Read | ECB suspends Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan for ‘illegal bowling’

The all-rounder was reassessed at the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science in Chennai last month, but the results did not lead to any change in his status.

“Consequently, the player’s existing suspension from bowling in international cricket following the initial independent assessment at the testing centre of Loughborough University in the UK, also remains in place,” the BCB said in a statement on Saturday.

“A successful reassessment is required for the bowling suspension to be lifted.” Bangladesh will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against India in Dubai on February 20, with all participating teams required to announce their squads by January 12.

Shakib, who remains in contention for a spot in Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy squad, has received support for inclusion from both captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed.

“While Shakib is currently unable to bowl, he is eligible to continue playing as a batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket,” the BCB said.

The 37-year-old, who has retired from Test and T20I cricket, was reported for a suspect bowling action during a one-off appearance for Surrey in the County Championship in September. On-field umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and David Millns made the report.

BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain called the entire episode “shocking.” Shakib last appeared for Bangladesh in a two-match Test series against India last year, which Bangladesh lost 0-2.

The veteran all-rounder, who has 4609 runs and 246 wickets in 71 Tests, 7570 runs and 317 wickets in 247 ODIs, and 2551 runs and 149 wickets in 129 T20Is, has not returned to Bangladesh since deciding against playing his farewell Test against South Africa in Mirpur, due to political unrest in Dhaka.

He is currently based in the USA with his family.

Shakib Al Hasan has been banned from bowling in all competitions organised by ECB.© Surrey Cricket

Faruque Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), said he still believes Shakib al Hasan can play for the senior men’s team, provided he gets clearance from legal authorities. Shakib, who retired from Tests and T20Is this year, had hoped to play his final Test on home soil. But security concerns meant he didn’t get to do that and couldn’t even get to play the ODI series against Afghanistan. It has also meant that Shakib, who was elected as MP from the ousted Awami League government, is not named in Bangladesh’s ODI squad for tour of West Indies. “As for Shakib Al Hasan, I cannot provide a definitive answer. I want him to play, but his absence is not related to the cricket board.

“The reasons preventing his participation involve law enforcement and the court. It’s not easy for me to address this. If the issue is resolved, I still believe Shakib has the ability to play for the national team.”

“However, playing in franchise leagues abroad and playing for the national team are not the same. The national team requires a certain combination, and Shakib doesn’t seem to be in the mental state to contribute at that level right now. We’ve left this decision to him,” Ahmed was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

He said there are thoughts to launch women’s version of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), but also pointed out making the upcoming edition of the men’s tournament a success is a priority too.

“The idea of a Women’s BPL is fantastic. I believe we have given proper importance to women’s cricket and will try to increase facilities for them. We need to evaluate our capacity for hosting the Women’s BPL. Our effort will be there, and we’ll see what happens.

“Simultaneously, we aim to strengthen the Men’s BPL further. Although this is the first BPL during my tenure on the board, it’s also the last of this cycle. If I remain in the next term, or whoever does, I hope the major franchises will stay for the long term. Having two or three new franchises every year is not ideal.

“Our first challenge was to ensure the BPL could take place with seven teams despite several obstacles, including the economic situation and teams withdrawing. Now, it’s time for better screening and adjustments,” he concluded.

Shakib Al Hasan, the star Bangladesh all-rounder, has been asked to undergo an official review of his bowling action by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). This request came after on-field umpires raised concerns about the legality of his action during his one-off appearance for Surrey in the County Championship. The 37-year-old all-rounder was reported by umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and David Millns after delivering more than 63 overs during a crucial match against Somerset at Taunton in September, reported ESPNcricinfo.

The fixture marked Shakib’s return to the County Championship for the first time since his stint with Worcestershire in 2010-11. He joined Surrey on a short-term contract, stepping in to support their push for a third consecutive Championship title at a time when Surrey’s ranks were thinned due to eight players’ absence on England duty.

Notably, both of Surrey’s frontline spinners, Will Jacks and Dan Lawrence, were unavailable.

Despite Shakib’s impressive showing, where he claimed nine wickets, Somerset managed a remarkable comeback, securing a 111-run victory and temporarily halting Surrey’s title march.

While Shakib was not penalised with any no-balls for throwing during the match, the umpires nevertheless deemed his action to be “suspect,” raising enough concern for the ECB to initiate a review.

Currently, Shakib is not suspended from playing, and negotiations are underway to arrange for him to undergo an official analysis in an approved testing facility.

ESPNcricinfo has reported that the evaluation is likely to take place in the coming weeks.

This marks the first time Shakib’s bowling action has come under scrutiny in his extensive career. Over two decades, Shakib has made a significant impact on the global cricketing stage, amassing a total of 712 wickets across 447 international matches, including 246 in 71 Test matches.

The scrutiny over Shakib’s action comes as his international career is already in a state of uncertainty. Last month, he withdrew from Bangladesh’s Test squad set to face South Africa in Mirpur, citing security concerns, which sparked protests in Bangladesh. The withdrawal followed Shakib’s political involvement with the Awami League-led government, which was recently unseated in a historic student-led protest movement in July.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week, in a shakeup following Shanto’s request to step down from all-format captaincy. The decision came after a discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday following Bangladesh’s recent Test in Chattogram. Though Shanto will lead the squad against Afghanistan, the BCB has yet to announce a long-term decision on his captaincy or the squad for the West Indies tour later in November, where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

As Shanto’s vice-captain for the Afghanistan series, Mehidy Hasan Miraz is seen as a leading candidate for future captaincy, with Taskin Ahmed also considered a strong option. Both players are in the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series and have shown leadership potential. Taskin, with his pace and experience, has been a mainstay in Bangladesh’s bowling attack, while Miraz’s all-round abilities make him a versatile asset.

The 22-year-old uncapped pacer Nahid Rana is set to make his debut in the ODI format. Known for his impressive pace and bounce, Rana has taken 26 wickets in List A cricket at an average of 16.46, adding fresh talent to the squad. Also returning to the team are opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. Zakir, who has played a single ODI and 12 Tests, will add depth to the top order, while Nasum brings spin options, having last represented Bangladesh in the 2022 World Cup.

The squad, however, will be missing a few key names. Shakib Al Hasan, one of Bangladesh’s star players, has voluntarily stepped down from consideration for this series. Litton Das, sidelined by a fever that kept him out of the recent Chattogram Test, is also unavailable. Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Hasan Mahmud, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, will not join the team either.

The Bangladesh squad will depart for Dubai in two groups over the weekend, with matches scheduled for November 6, 9, and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh’s ODI squad

Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Bangladesh vs South Africa Live Streaming 1st Test Live Telecast: Bangladesh take on South Africa in the first Test encounter in Dhaka starting Monday. The two-match Test series will be the first international cricket fixture that will take place in Bangladesh since the massive protests toppled the Sheikh Hasina-led government. It will also be important with respect to the World Test Championship (WTC) as South Africa are currently sixth in the points table while Bangladesh are seventh. Shakib Al Hasan expressed his wish to play in this match but opted out due to security concerns. (Live Scorecard)

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud

South Africa (Playing XI): Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke, Kyle Verreynne(w), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt

When will the Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match start?

The Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match will start on October 21, 2024.

Where will the Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match be played?

The Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match will be played at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka.

What time will the Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match start?

The Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match will start at 9:30 AM IST. The toss for the game will take place at 9 AM IST.

Which TV channels will live telecast the Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match?

The Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match will not be telecast live on any TV channel.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match?

The Bangladesh vs South Africa 1st Test match will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his men were focused on the challenge of South Africa rather than their missing all-rounder Shakib al Hasan ahead of Monday’s first Test in Mirpur. The two-Test series is the first international cricket fixture in Bangladesh since a student-led revolution toppled autocratic premier Sheikh Hasina in August. The series carries points towards the World Test Championship (WTC), with the final in England next year. South Africa currently are sixth in the standings with Bangladesh seventh.

Bangladesh called up uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad to replace retiring Shakib after security fears led the former captain to cancel plans to return home.

Shakib announced his retirement from international cricket last month but said that he wanted to play one last red-ball series at home. But the 37-year-old was also a former lawmaker in the government ousted by the revolution, and his links to Hasina have made him a target of public anger.

“It will only be a waste of time if we think too much about this, since we cannot control it,” Najmul told reporters Sunday, on the eve of the match at Mirpur, near the capital Dhaka.

“These two Tests are very important to us… Players are preparing and focusing on cricket only.”

‘Nice, hot and sweaty’

Stand-in skipper Aiden Markram said the South Africans were acclimatising to the “nice, hot and sweaty” conditions in Dhaka, but said there was little relief at the news they would not be facing Shakib.

“Ultimately, they’ve still got a really strong squad, and really strong in their home conditions as well,” Markram told reporters.

Bangladesh’s super spin-friendly wickets will be an added “exciting challenge”, he said.

“The spin is a big talking point, especially being from South Africa,” he said. “We don’t get conditions like that at home.”

Bangladesh will start the series with a stand in-coach, Phil Simmons, after Chandika Hathurusingha was suspended on Tuesday for alleged misconduct, charges he denies.

Najmul said the former West Indies all-rounder was a “great coach” but accepted it would take time for the new system to settle in.

“He is trying to understand the environment inside the dressing room,” Najmul said.

“But he is new and we also don’t know him well. I hope in the next few matches we can adjust.”

The second Test will be played in the port city of Chittagong, also called Chattogram, beginning October 29.

Bangladesh squad: 

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Hasan Murad

South Africa squad:

Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne