Former captains Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to Pakistan's Twenty20 squad for the three-match home series against Australia starting on Thursday, their final bilateral fixtures before next month's 20-over World Cup.

Chattogram Royals won the toss and opted to bat against Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally communicated with the International Cricket Council (ICC), reiterating its position on relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India and requesting that the matter be referred to the ICC’s independent Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).

India hopes next month's T20 World Cup will bolster its credentials as a global sports host -- and the country's Olympic ambitions -- but preparations have been rocked by a diplomatic row with Bangladesh and accusations of political interference.

Milne suffered the injury while bowling in the SA20 competition at the weekend.

The 12th edition of the tournament prepares to crown a new champion

With Bangladesh now on the brink of facing an exit from the T20 World Cup due to stalled negotiations with the ICC, Syed Ashraful Huq spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan over the phone from Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, sharing his concerns and insights. Excerpts from the interview are as follows:

Sri Lanka's spinners turned the screws to script a hard-fought 19-run victory over England in the opening one-day international at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul yesterday said there was no scope to send the national team to India for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup stressing that the decision was taken solely by the government on security grounds.

Injuries have forced two changes in South Africa’s squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.

New Zealand batter Kane Williamson remains unique in his attention to tradition in the modern era of T20 cricket. The legendary batter arrived to play for Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ahead of their qualifier match on Wednesday and spoke about his experiences in the ICC Test Championship, his batting in the modern era, and the Black Caps’ chances in the upcoming T20 World Cup during a media interaction on Thursday. The excerpts of it are as follows:

Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful said politics should never be mixed with cricket and expressed hope that cricketing ties between Bangladesh and India would improve following next month’s national elections.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul said the board “will keep on fighting” to ensure Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7 and co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. He reiterated that Bangladesh are ready to take part in the tournament if their matches are held in Sri Lanka.

This was Bangladesh’s third consecutive win, following earlier victories over the United States by 21 runs and Papua New Guinea by 30 runs.

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul today said as the security situation in India has not changed, there is no scope for the Bangladesh team to travel there to compete in the ICC T20 World Cup.

As Chattogram Royals carried out their final preparations on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final against Rajshahi Warriors, attention also turned to Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup when Chattogram skipper Mahedi Hasan addressed the media.

Bangladesh cricket, already unsettled by developments surrounding the World Cup, received another jolt on Wednesday night as Sylhet Titans adviser Fahim Al Chowdhury brought an explosive allegation of match-fixing during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

What began as Mustafizur Rahman’s sudden omission from the Indian Premier League (IPL) quickly spiralled into a broader diplomatic and cricketing standoff, ultimately casting uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Chattogram Royals will play the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur tomorrow.

The second match is on Friday in Raipur.