Bangladesh are determined to further prove their top-tier ODI credentials as they welcome world champions England for a three-match series.
England remain the benchmark in limited-overs cricket for many, and they should provide a stern test to a Bangladesh team in hot form.
Bangladesh have won six of their last seven men's bilateral ODI series, including a 2-1 win over India at home in December. The only series loss the Tigers have suffered in that time was against Zimbabwe in August.
Captain Tamim Iqbal is back after missing the series with India, likely replacing Anamul Haque, as Bangladesh go into the series with something approaching their strongest team.
Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes that could be a key difference, with England missing the likes of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook due to their participation in the Test series in New Zealand.
"We are playing full strength," Hathurusingha told reporters. "I don't think they have come with their full strength. Some of them are playing Test cricket. I back our skills and strength.
"Saying that, they have incredible strength in the last 10 years or so. England have one of the best pace attacks in the world. They have five fast bowlers and three spinners on this tour.
"The challenge will be to play their fast bowlers in this series. They have developed great depth in English cricket. They are the envy of every Test-playing nation."
That attack could indeed be what gives England the best chance of winning, with fit-again Jofra Archer joined by Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran.
Rehan Ahmed will be another one to watch for the tourists, with the 18-year-old potentially able to take advantage of some spin-friendly surfaces, though the first match in Mirpur on Wednesday could come too soon for him after he missed two days of training due to illness.
England skipper Jos Buttler will use the three games as preparation for the team's World Cup defence in India later this year.
"We only have these matches and then don't play again until September just before the World Cup," Buttler said at a press conference. "All our preparation is geared towards that World Cup and these are the conditions that will probably be the closest that we can get to playing in India.
"This is exactly the kind of challenge we need. With the World Cup not too far away we can test ourselves against conditions that we as a side find the hardest.
"It's going to be a great measure of where we are as a team."
Shakib closing in on 300
Shakib Al Hasan is six wickets shy of 300 in ODI cricket, bidding to become the first player from Bangladesh to reach that landmark.
With 6,835 runs already, Shakib can also become just the third all-rounder after Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430 runs and 323 wickets) and Shahid Afridi (8,064 runs and 395 wickets) to register 5,000+ runs and 300+ wickets in the format.
Moeen approaches a century
Moeen Ali is just four scalps away from becoming the 14th England cricketer to get to 100 wickets in ODI cricket. In doing so, he (2,154 runs) would become the fourth England player to record 2,000+ runs and 100 wickets in ODIs (after Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood).
One factor in Moeen's favour is that he was a part of the Comilla Victorians team that won the Bangladesh Premier League final in mid-February, so he is familiar with playing in the country.
Chris Gayle challenges Usain Bolt to race: “All Usain will be seeing is a lot of dust”
West Indian batting legend Chris Gayle has spoken about the time Jamaican spring king Usain Bolt got his wicket in a friendly game which led the hard-hitting batsman to challenge the sprinter to a race.
“Till this day, he’s still afraid of me. Doesn’t want to see me on a 100m track,” Gayle tells ICC in a new video released by cricket’s world governing body before breaking into a laugh.
“Of course, I’m a sprinter. All Usain Bolt will be seeing is a lot of dust and the Universe Boss just going down the stretch,” Gayle added.
In response, Bolt said “we all know Chris can’t run. We have seen him. We know Chris doesn’t do quick singles or anything. We’re not worried about Chris.”
Responding to this, Gayle said, “that’s a big lie. I run a lot of ones, twos, threes, you name it… sometimes even fours. So, Bolt, get your running spikes ready. And if you want to bring any other athlete along, you know, Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell, anybody. Somebody gonna come fourth. And it’s not me!”
Talking about Bolt taking his wicket, Gayle said that the incident had happened at a charity match where Bolt had bowled a “damn good bouncer” at him, following which he told himself to not hold back at the “fun game.”
“After the bouncer I said to myself, it’s a fun game. What am I doing? So, I start smashing him. Hit him for one or two sixes and probably for a few fours. Then, eventually, I get an inside edge onto the stumps,” said Gayle.
Gayle and Bolt are both ambassadors for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA from June 1-29.
DJ Bravo reiterates call for love, togetherness in T&T; to host peace walk on May 18
Former West Indies cricket captain Dwayne Bravo is again hoping to use his status and influence to shape a safer Trinidad and Tobago, as he is set to host a peace walk to raise awareness about crime in the twin island republic.
The event, Unity Walk 2024 – A Mother’s Cry, is scheduled to start at Memorial Park in Port of Spain, on May 18, at 10:00 am.
“Come out and let’s re-inject love, peace, unity and togetherness in our beautiful twin island,” Bravo said in a short video.
“Don’t miss out, get your crew, come out in your numbers. Walk for unity, walk for peace,” he added.
The walk is being held to raise awareness of domestic violence, drug abuse, gang warfare and murder.
This is another attempt by Bravo to not only encourage the youth of Trinidad and Tobago, in particular, to follow their dreams, but more importantly, to stay away from a life of crime.
Last year, Bravo, known for his electrifying all-round performances for West Indies and in franchise cricket, took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the crime situation.
"To the youths out there, please find your passion and follow your dreams! Drugs and guns (are) not the way forward,” he said then.
The two-time T20 World Cup winner made the plea under an excerpt of his song "Sad Place".
While the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) reported a five percent decrease in homicides — 577 in 2023 as compared to 605 in 2022 — citizens remain concerned about a high level of violent crime in and around the city centre of Port of Spain.
IPL: Capitals sneak past Titans after Pant heroics in free-scoring clash
Rishabh Pant stole the show with an unbeaten 88 as Delhi Capitals leapfrogged Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League table with Wednesday's nervous four-run victory.
Delhi looked in some trouble after Sandeep Warrier dismissed openers Prithvi Shaw for 11 and Jake Fraser-McGurk on 23 but Pant blitzed a remarkable 43-ball knock that contained eight maximums to help the Capitals to 224-4.
That onslaught from the India wicketkeeper came after Axar Patel – promoted up the order to number three – blasted 66 off 43 balls, though Wriddhiman Saha (39) and Sai Sudharsan (69) led the Gujarat fightback.
David Miller's quickfire 55 offered further hope yet impact player Rasikh Salam's 3-44 stunted that response.
With the Titans needing 19 from the final over, Mukesh Kumar (1-41) held on in a showdown with Rashid Khan (21 not out) to edge the Capitals over the finish line.
Data Debrief: Sharma sets unwanted IPL record
Though much of the credit went to Pant for his late-innings destruction, questions may be asked of Mohit Sharma, whose 0-73 from four overs marked the most expensive figures for a bowler in IPL history.
Mohit cannot shoulder too much blame, though, as this entertaining IPL clash saw only two bowlers concede less than eight runs an over – Warrier's 3-15 in the first innings before Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Saha and Rahul Tewatia (4) in his 2-29 Delhi spell.
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