Sport
Bangladesh sweep test series in Pakistan in healing touch for troubled nation
Bangladesh arrived last month having failed to beat Pakistan in a test match in their previous 13 attempts and then went on to win two in a row.
Bangladesh cruised to a six-wicket victory in the second test against Pakistan on Tuesday to complete a 2-0 series sweep and provide a healing touch to a nation recovering from a political upheaval.
Chasing 185 for victory, Bangladesh rode a string of cameos to seal their third test series victory away from home with more than one session left at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Opener Zakir Hasan (40), skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (38) and Mominul Haq (34) chipped in with useful cameos.
Veterans Mushfiqur Rahim (22) and Shakib Al Hasan (21) combined to guide the visitors to a memorable victory.
“It means a lot, I can’t express it in words,” an emotional Shanto said at the presentation ceremony.
“We were looking to win here and I’m very happy with the way everyone has done their job.”
All-rounder Mehedy Hasan Miraz dedicated his player-of-the-series award to a victim of the recent anti-government protests in Bangladesh, which culminated with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing to India last month.
The country’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus called Shanto to congratulate the team on their series victory.
Bangladesh arrived last month having failed to beat Pakistan in a test match in their previous 13 attempts and then went on to win two in a row.
They won the series opener by 10 wickets , their first ever test victory against Pakistan, after the home side had declared their first innings on 448-6.
Bangladesh showed similar resilience in the second test when they slumped to 26-6 in the first innings before player-of-the-match Litton Das smashed 138 to rescue them.
For the first time, Bangladesh seamers claimed all 10 wickets as they skittled out Pakistan for 172 in the second innings to lay the foundation of their victory.
“Extremely disappointed, especially at the start of the home season,” rued Pakistan captain Shan Masood.
“We had two opportunities to bowl them out, especially here when they were 26-6, but we let them back in the game.”
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
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