Sport
Samarawickrama helps Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in Asia Cup
Sadeera Samarawickrama smashed 93 to set up a 21-run win for Sri Lanka in their opening Super Four clash of the Asia Cup against Bangladesh on Saturday.
Samarawickrama’s knock steered Sri Lanka to 257-9, a total their bowlers defended to put Bangladesh on the brink of elimination in the 50-over tournament, a precursor to the upcoming World Cup in India, AFP reported.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 236 in 48.1 overs despite a valiant 82 by Towhid Hridoy and suffered their second loss in the Super Four stage.
With one match to go, Bangladesh need a mathematical miracle for a place in the final on September 17.
Dasun Shanaka, who turned 32 on Saturday, played a captain’s role with his 24 and three wickets from his medium-pace bowling.
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana and fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana also took three wickets each.
“When there’s no frontline bowlers someone needs to chip in and today was my day,” Shanaka said on the absence of injured bowlers including Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga.
“Maheesh bowled and in the end the result matters. Our players, specially Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama played really well, read the wicket very well.”
Sri Lanka, who co-host the tournament with Pakistan, faltered after being invited to bat first with Bangladesh fast bowlers getting regular breakthroughs.
However, Kusal Mendis (50) and then Samarawickrama, who was named man of the match, made sure they reach a competitive and eventually a winning total on an inconsistent pitch.
Samarawickrama reached his 50 in 45 balls and accelerated in a 60-run partnership with Shanaka to rouse the home fans at a largely empty ground.
Turned the tide
Sri Lanka slipped after a brisk start before Pathum Nissanka and Mendis put on 74 runs with some sensible batting, forcing Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan to rotate his bowlers.
Shoriful Islam was brought into the attack and he delivered with the wicket of Nissanka, trapped lbw for 40.
Mendis reached his fifty with a boundary off Shoriful in the next over but the fast bowler had his revenge four balls later to have him caught out.
The bowlers kept up the charge, but Samarawickrama turned the tide with a string of boundaries and finished off well as he surpassed his previous ODI best of 82. He was dismissed on the final ball.
Bangladesh started strongly with Mehidy Hasan Miraz hitting a few boundaries to take on the Sri Lankan attack alongside fellow opener Mohammed Naim.
Shanaka hit back with his medium-pace bowling to send back Miraz for 28.
Pathirana got the big wicket of Shakib, caught behind for three and with Liton Das’ departure Bangladesh slipped to 83-4.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Towhid attempted to raise hopes of a fightback in a stand of 72 before Dunith Wellalage broke through with the wicket of Mushfiqur, who made 29.
“He batted really well. He played LPL (Lanka Premier League) here so he brought that confidence,” Shakib said of Towhid.
“If he could have batted a little longer, but then there are always a lot of ifs and buts. But Sri Lanka played better which is why they won.”
The rest of the batting fell apart in trying to match the rising run-rate and Hridoy’s lbw off Theekshana spelt the end.
Sport
ACB holds high-level meeting with new national team head coach
Officials exchanged views on preparation structures, player management, and coordination between departments ahead of future international assignments.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has held a comprehensive introductory meeting with newly appointed national team head coach Richard Pybus, bringing together senior officials and key technical departments to discuss the future direction of Afghan cricket.
The meeting was led by ACB Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan and included heads of domestic cricket, international cricket, the selection committee, and the high-performance centre. National team captains Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ibrahim Zadran also took part in the discussions.
According to the board, the first part of the session focused on outlining the long-term strategic vision for Afghanistan cricket, including performance goals and development pathways for the national team.
The head coach then led detailed technical discussions with department heads, seeking input on planning and execution for the upcoming national team training camp in Kabul. Officials exchanged views on preparation structures, player management, and coordination between departments ahead of future international assignments.
The ACB described the meeting as productive, noting that it reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen communication between coaching staff and technical units as the team prepares for a busy international schedule.
Afghanistan’s under-17 national football team concluded their 2026 CAFA U-17 Championship campaign with a 3–2 defeat against Tajikistan in their final match.
The team had previously registered two losses and one draw in their earlier three fixtures of the tournament.
The Central Asian competition, featuring five countries including Afghanistan, is being hosted by Uzbekistan and is scheduled to conclude on April 13.
The championship serves as a development platform for youth football in the region, offering players valuable international exposure while allowing national federations to evaluate emerging talent.
Fans across Afghanistan can follow the matches live on Ariana Television.
Richard Pybus, newly appointed head coach of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, has arrived in Kabul to oversee the team’s upcoming skill development and training camp, the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced on Saturday.
He was welcomed by Naseeb Khan, Chief Executive Officer of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, who outlined the board’s strategic priorities and expressed high expectations for the team under the new coaching leadership.
During his first visit to the Afghan capital, Pybus held a series of meetings with officials from the Selection Committee, International and Domestic Cricket departments, and the High-Performance Center. He was joined by national team captains Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ibrahim Zadran, with discussions focusing on upcoming fixtures under the Future Tours Programme (FTP), team strategies, and preparations for the training camp.
According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board, a month-long camp involving nearly 40 players will be conducted under the supervision of the High-Performance Center and the head coach. The camp is scheduled to begin on April 12 and will run until May 16.
The training program is aimed at preparing the national side for its upcoming Test match and a three-match One Day International (ODI) series against India National Cricket Team.
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