Ace spinner Rashid Khan was named on Sunday in Afghanistan's 16-member squad for the one-day international series against Pakistan.

The Afghanistan Football Federation today, on its verified Facebook page, published a schedule for their friendly plans for the upcoming September FIFA Window, earmarking Sylhet as the venue for the friendly against Bangladesh on September 7. 

Afghan international cricketer Sediqullah Atal smashed an astonishing 48 runs off one over Saturday in a Kabul Premier League Twenty20 match.

Bangladesh national football team are likely to play two FIFA friendly matches against Afghanistan at home in September even though two more teams – Myanmar and Nepal – are also in Bangladesh Football Federation’s consideration.

Inclement weather in Sylhet poses a bit of a concern among the fans as the first of the two-match T20I series between Bangladesh and Afghanistan is scheduled to begin at 6:00pm today.

Azmatullah Omarzai scored a battling half-century, yet Afghanistan were bowled out for 126 runs in 45.2 overs in the third ODI in Chattogram on Tuesday.

The visitors, who opted to rest marquee spinner Rashid Khan for the dead rubber, were 14 for three after six overs. 

The visitors, though, had the luxury to rest premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan alongside young quick Mohammad Saleem. m. Abdul Rahman and Zia-ur-Rehman replace them in the XI.

Bangladesh fell to their first ODI series defeat against Afghanistan after losing the first two ODIs at Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury. Ahead of the third ODI, the biggest question was how the Bangladesh batters would turn it around against Afghanistan spinners.

Liton entertained a few questions at the press conference regarding the Tamim issue and the opener’s shock retirement, but at one point lost his cool over the subtext of the press event.

The BCB's medical department's ploy with the captain has been to allow him time to recuperate when he feels back pain. It appears that the same idea would be in action as Tamim wants to see how he fares after the first ODI tomorrow. 

The Afghan selectors announced an 18-member squad, led by skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi where the likes of Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman also feature.

When Tests come as sporadically as they do for Bangladesh and when you are a one-format player passionate about Tests, getting into a groove can be difficult.

Mominul and Shanto have some similarities when it comes to dealing with criticism and overcoming tough periods in their career.

Mominul went more than two years without getting a Test century, having scored 11 hundreds in the first eight years of his Test career.

Mominul Haque, the batter who joined Shanto in the middle after Zakir’s dismissal, had the feat of scoring two centuries in the same Test. Mominul had scored 175 and 106 in the same Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram back in 2018.

Najmul Hossain Shanto got dismissed for 124 runs as Bangladesh took their lead past 500 runs in the second innings of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mirpur on Friday.

“No, I am happy with whatever I have done,” a nonchalant Najmul Hossain Shanto said at yesterday’s press conference when asked if he was feeling the pangs of missing out on what could very well have been an even bigger innings.

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott rued the wayward bowling effort from his side, which allowed Bangladesh to be at the drivers’ seat at the end of the first day of the one-off Test in Mirpur on Wednesday.

These two teams have met once before in this format, with Afghanistan claiming victory in that memorable encounter in Chattogram back in 2019.