Shakib Al Hasan confident of his team’s chances against Zimbabwe

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh captain, thinks his team is slightly ahead of Zimbabwe as they prepare for their first Test match in more than 14 months. The 15-member squad left Dhaka on July 27 to play a one-off Test and five one-dayers in what will be Zimbabwe’s return to the game’s premier format after six years. While the hosts have played a number of games against the second-string sides of South Africa and Australia, Bangladesh have only gone through a long fitness camp and some two-day games against the Academy side before the tour. Still, Shakib believes that they go into the series as favourites.

“I think we are, but I won’t say that we are too far ahead of them since we’re playing in their weather and conditions and playing after a good gap. But still, I think we’re the favourites,” Shakib said during the pre-tour press conference in Mirpur on Monday. “I am not thinking about it as a problem and as Stuart [Law] said, everyone should be excited and I’m sure they’re interested to do well in the Test.

“They [Zimbabwe] are getting good practice against South Africa A and Australia A. They will be prepared so we’ll have to play our best cricket.” said Shakib.

Bangladesh Football Team’s dream shattered

Bangladesh’s dream of reaching the Asian group stage of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers was dealt a huge blow when they went down 4-0 against Lebanon in their round 2 pre-qualifying match at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium.
Bangladesh have never reached the proper group stage of the qualifiers since it was introduced in 2003, but this time they were looking to create history, boosted by their impressive win over Pakistan in the earlier round and with the knowledge that the opponents Lebanon are ranked below them in the FIFA ranking.
The falling standard of Bangladesh football was once again exposed in the 4-0 drubbing.. Lebanon, out of international football for a couple of years scored two each in the either half of the match revealing Bangladesh’s tactical and technical weaknesses.

Interestingly all of the South Asian countries played away matches this week and Bangladesh was playing against the lowest ranked opponents in that list. Iran ranked 48th in the Fifa ranking won 4-0 against Maldives in Tehran, 82nd ranked Jordan thrashed Nepal 9-0 at Amman, Oman beat Myanmar 2-0 at Muscat, and UAE routed India 3-0 at Al Ain. While most of these results look more or less logical, Bangladesh’s 4-0 loss is sure to raise eyebrows.

The sudden omission of the regular skipper and experienced custodian Biplob by head coach Nikola Ilievski was  talk of the football arena. Playing two matches against Pakistan and two Super Cup matches in front of the head coach Biplob was never in the Ilievski’s unwanted list. Bangladesh earlier defeated Pakistan 3-0 at Dhaka and drew goalless at Lahore to move to the second round and to playLebanon.

3rd Asian Zurkhaneh Sports & Koshti Pehlavani Championship held at Dhaka

A total of 300 wrestlers from 26 Asian countries took part in the 3rd Asian Zurkhaneh Sports & Koshti Pehlavani Championship held at the Wooden Floor Gymnasium in Dhaka.It would be the biggest sports event in Bangladesh as far as the numbers of the participating country are concerned. The 26 participating countries are Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Taiwan, Philistine, Chine, Japan, South Korea, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Bhutan, Mongolia, Singapore and hosts Bangladesh.
Along side the tournament, Bangladesh will hold the fourth World Congress on July 30.
Koshti Pahlavani (Heroic wrestling) will be held on four categories: 60-70 Kg, 70-80 Kg, 80-90 Kg, +90 Kg.
The Zurkhaneh Sports individual skills would be held in following disciplines:
Sang Giri (Shield Lifting), Charkh-e-Teez (Whirling), Kabbadeh (Chain & Bow), Meel Bazy(Juggling Club), Meel Gerefin (Heavy Metal Turning) & Shelang Takhteh (Wood Stick and Blade).
The expenditures for the tournament is estimated Tk 22m. Asian Zurkhaneh Federation will bear air fair of all participating athletes, juries and dignitaries as well as all the local transport costs.

Nikola Ilievski new national football coach

The Bangladesh football coach saga came to an end as former Macedonia coach Nikola Ilievski took over as the new head coach of the national team. Facing the media the new national coach spoke first, “I come from Macedonia, a small country, where I have coached league 1 teams and won the title 7-8 years ago.”
Ilievski is the 16th foreign coach of Bangladesh national team. Asked whether he thinks he could cope with the new team, new condition, and the new place, he replied in his laboured English, “No problem here in Bangladesh.”
In reply to what motivated his decision to take over the Bangladesh national side the Macedonian said, “The name does not mean much to me. It can be China, Argentina or any other international side. For me the main thing is being the coach of an international side.”
The 56-year-old was a former player of the Yugoslavian national team and played in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He added, 35 years ago, he was part of the Yugoslavia team that played in Brazil.
Ilievski follows no famous coach like Mourinho or Sir Alex Ferguson. He said that he has his own philosophy and own strategy. But he admired the coaching style of Portugal’s Scholari and England’s Ericsson.
Before taking over the Bangladesh job he was coaching the Albanian club KS Bylis Ballsh.

Imagine Lionel Messi pulling off magic tricks and all in the city of Dhaka. Well that can come true as said by Kazi Salahuddin, the president of Bangladesh Football Federation. He is hopeful of successfully bringing the Argentine football team and so to say the magical Messi in the city.

“I am still working on it, yes, I admit it deals a big bag of money, but I believe it is possible. At this time all I can say is nothing has been confirmed yet” said the BFF president.

Asked about the motivation which prompted undertaking of such a big project requiring almost Tk. 25 crore, the BFF president answered that it has multiple effects. “Firstly, it will enhance Bangladesh’s image in the international circuit, secondly we can show our commitments and passion for football in the international stage which can help us open new horizons, and lastly we want to lift the spirit of the game in our country” said Salahuddin.

“I am hopeful of a positive outcome and hope it could be chalked out within a few days” added the BFF president.

Jamie Siddons bid farewell

Jamie Siddons, the Australian coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team bid farewell to Bangladesh after Bangladesh Cricket Board decided not to renew the contract.

In his three-and-a-half-year stint at the helm, Siddons guided Bangladesh to 31 one-day international victories from 81 games but only won two Test matches out of 19.

The Australian replaced compatriot Dav Whatmore to take charge of the Tigers in October 2007, but a poor World Cup on home soil led to his exit. Despite beating England and associate members Ireland and Netherlands, Bangladesh lost to West Indies, South Africa and India in the first round and failed to reach the quarterfinals. 58 and 78 run allouts against West Indies and South Africa will remain as the career low for him. Siddons definitely worked hard to uplift the level and was handed an extension on November 24, 2009 when Bangladesh Cricket Board extended the contract till June 30, 2011, keeping him in charge of the 2011 World Cup campaign. However, the World Cup campaign arrived as a nightmare for him though result-wise it looked ok. He succeeded in grooming in a bunch of new players. In his tenure Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal rose to the highest level.

After Mudassar Nazar, Mohinder Amarnath, Gordon Greenidge, Trevor Chappell, Eddie Barlow, Mohsin Kamal, Dav Whatmore the name of Jamie Siddons obviously looks the blazing one. May be it was just the time that prompted BCB to explore a new horizon. And it was evident in the statement.

“It has been agreed that national team head coach Jamie Siddons’ contract, which expires on June 30, 2011, will not be extended. We are appreciative of Jamie’s contribution over the last four years. However, we feel the time is right to ring in changes in the team management and support staff,” said the board statement.

Superb Siddikur flying high

Bangladesh’s golfing sensation Siddikur Rahman pulled off a stunning finish to place himself in the eighth position at the Maybank Malaysian Open leader board at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

Siddikur was the top Asian Tour finisher after he signed off with a 69 to finish seven shots behind the winner Italy’s Matteo Manassero, making a cut of $62,500 (almost 44,37,500 taka) into the $2.5 million showpiece. While Siddikur, the premier Bangladesh golfer produced a grandstand finish with a birdie on the last which was received by a rapturous applause by the spectators.

“The crowd was very supportive and they cheered me on. It felt like I won the tournament after my birdie (18th hole). I had many supporters following me today. I’m happy to finish in the top-10 and show the world that a player from Bangladesh can perform in such a big event,” said Siddikur, the 2010 Brunei Open champion.

Siddikur is now placed second in the Asian Tours in terms of total prize money earned with $117,607.69 right after India’s SSP Chowrasia.

Bangladesh getting ready to host 2014 T20 World Cup

The ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 has projected Bangladesh as a cricket crazy nation with people clogging the streets in green and red waving the national flag to celebrate cricket. The 2014 T20 World Cup, which Bangladesh is going to host, will see the game to a new height.
“This World Cup was a learning experience. We will host the 2014 T20 World Cup and through that we plan to project Bangladesh as one of the most sought after tourist destinations of the world” said a high official of the  National Sports Council.

Meanwhile  ICC President Sharad Pawar has praised Bangladesh for its hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

“The manner in which the whole country has embraced the World Cup has been a joy to behold. The passion that the people of Bangladesh have for cricket is wonderful.”

“I have also been very impressed with the facilities here in Dhaka. The Sher-e-Bangla Stadium is a world-class venue that all of Bangladesh should be proud of.”

“All eight matches in Bangladesh were well-attended and even those that did not feature the home team were played out in front of big crowds. The people came in and appreciated the good performances and enjoyed the game.”

“I am sure cricket in Bangladesh has a positive and prosperous future and we look forward to returning to the country for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier later this year and the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014.”

Probably the hopes are too high, the hype and the expectations are created by the media and the real level of the Bangladesh cricket was not properly adjudged. The occasional successes are highlighted too much and the capacity of the cricketers was not rightly measured. They often were overwhelmed by the occasion and the pressure created by the opponents.

The players of the Bangladesh cricket team appeared as the new chokers with an erratic frame of mind. Sometimes over-confident and sometimes fragile from lack of confidence were the other weak points. The temperament was questionable.  Though playing a lot of international cricket the players broke down under the pressure. The lack of application, lack of self belief and an damn care approach due to the lack of back up players and a granted slot in the national team has taken the cricketers to a stage that they never hardly felt the sense of responsibility.
The commitment and the devotion were also questioned when the skipper Shakib al Hasan never felt sorry for the awful performances rather said he felt sorry for the fans whose expectations were shattered.
However Bangladesh’s successes should be counted. Even they were wrapped up for 205 runs against Ireland. Bangladesh could have been lost that match as well but a reverse-swing burst from Shafiul Islam and a massive roar from the stadium held off the Irish.  An inspired bowling performance by Shafiul Islam cataputled Bangladesh to a 27-run victory over Ireland. Ireland were set a victory target of 206 after dismissing Bangladesh for 205.Andre Botha captured 3/32 and George Dockrell, left-arm spinner of Ireland, finished with 2/23 from ten overs to frustrate the Bangladesh batsmen on a slow pitch.
But Islam enabled the hosts to successfully defend a meagre score of 205 as he and Shakib al Hasan, supported by the off-spinner Mohammad Ashraful, limited Ireland to 178 runs. It was sweet revenge for the hosts, who lost a 2007 World Cup encounter against the Irish by 74 runs.

A sheer confidence and bravery from Shafiul Islam and Mahmudullah Ryad in the late moment helped Bangladesh to win against England in Chittagong. With Bangladesh struggling on 169 for eight the frustrated spectators started to leave stands. Routing of Bangladesh seemed to be matter of time. But the were left repenting to miss the greatest show of the Bangladesh cricket when Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam proved all the anticipations wrong. The six and the four hit by Shafiul off Graeme Swann in the 42nd over and the piercing boundary through the covers hit by Mahmudullah that notched up the victory will remain ever green in the mind of the people who witnessed them.
Bangladesh crushed The Netherlands in a clinical performance. Dismissing the Dutch for a paltry 160 and passing the target with six wickets to spare.
Imrul Kayes top scored, hitting 73 not out as Bangladesh maintained its challenge for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The innocuous Dutch bowling attack presented few challenges on a flat Chittagong wicket and Bangladesh passed the total in the 42nd over.
Only Ryan ten Doeschate, with 53 not out, managed a decent innings as the Dutch fell victim to four run-outs, a stumping and slow spin. Netherlands earlier won the toss and decided to bat.
Abdur Razzak took 3-25 as Bangladesh sought a victory that will take the co-hosts closer to a quarterfinal berth. Shafiul Islam was the pick of Bangladesh’s bowlers even though he didn’t take a wicket. He finished with figures of 0-15 from 9.2 overs, starving the Dutch of run-making deliveries.
Bangladesh now focus upon the three match ODI series against Australia billed to take place in April 9th, 11th and 13th at Dhaka.

]]> http://www.youthwavebd.com/cricket-fever-grips-the-world/feed/ 0 http://www.youthwavebd.com/iran-u-19-women-footballers-steal-the-show/ http://www.youthwavebd.com/iran-u-19-women-footballers-steal-the-show/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 06:02:49 +0000 Youth Wave http://www.youthwavebd.com/?p=914 Raihan Mahmood

Iran fought back from two goals down to beat Jordan 3-2 and make it to the second round of the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers.
Iran, who defeated India 4-2 and hosts Bangladesh 6-0 in the earlier games, will play the winner of Group A and teams ranked 6-8 from the previous competition in the second round.Jordan stunned Iran with two early goals but Iran showed tremendous fighting spirit to impose their authority and scored two goals in the last five minutes registering a superb victory.
The Iran-Jordan match, clearly the showcase match of the group was witnessed by a capacity 15,000 spectators at the Kamalapur stadium.
Zahra Ghanbari was involved in every move of the team and she turned a defender when Jordan cornered Iran with their onslaughts. Midfielder Maryam Rahimi, winger Syedeh Tanin and forward Farhadikah Parvin’s run and control were also a delight to watch.
Shahnaz Yaseen gave Jordan a 2-0 lead by the 25th minute. She pounced on a long ball from a counter-attack and took it past two defenders to slot home in the 16th minute and nine minutes later she found the net past the advancing Iran custodian.
Zahra Sarbali reduced the deficit for Iran in the 37th minute and substitute Ghasieh Samaneh restored the parity four minutes before time. Adeleh Karimi scored their winner in the 89th minute.
Iran women footballers want to surge ahead and make their mark in world football playing wearing headscarves and trousers. Coach Amirshaghaghi Mahnaz said they will move ahead obeying the rules of their country.
Iran played in 4-3-3 formation with Maryam Rahimi and skipper Zahra Ghanbari, the two tall players, dominating the midfield. But the day belonged to attacking midfielder Farhadikhah Parvin whose fizzing runs through the opposition defence showed her class.
Maryam Rahimi displayed excellent skill and ball control, left-winger Syedeh Tanin was involved in almost all the attacks and initiated the moves that produced three goals. The Iranian women with their all-round performances showed they come from a country which had played three World Cups and won the Asian Championship several times.
Playing with their headscarves on and with trousers did not affect their game. ‘We are accustomed to playing in this style and we don’t think it affects our performance, we look forward to moving ahead and establishing the Iranian style,’ said Mahnaz.
The Iranian women officially entered into the international football arena in 2005 and have been trying to establish themselves. They did not qualify in the last edition of AFC U-19 but in recent times have shown improvement. Their U-15 team reached the semi-finals of Youth Olympic Games and eventually finished fourth.
‘Football in Iran is hugely popular and the women are confident of matching the men’s team, the scenario was different a few years back, now it has changed, the government and the federation are encouraging women’s football but we must obey the rules of the country, no problem, we will go ahead with our style and play in the World Cup,’ said Mahnaz.
The coach said her girls did not feel shy to play in front of male spectators. ‘It does mot matter, when the girls are on the field they only concentrate on their game,’ concluded Mahnaz.

New Zealand to play five ODI’s in Bangladesh
All-rounder Scott Styris will miss New Zealand’s tour of Bangladesh on October because of a partial stress fracture in his lower back.
Styris will remain in New Zealand to undertake a progressive strengthening program for six to eight weeks before beginning to bowl again in mid-October, Styris said he hoped to be available for New Zealand’s series against India later this year.
New Zealand will play one warm-up match before meeting Bangladesh in five one-day internationals in early October.
The New Zealand squad named Sunday, which will be captained by Daniel Vettori, includes uncapped fast bowler Hamish Bennett.
“Bennett has been included in the squad on the back of a solid (New Zealand-A) tour and multiple successful domestic seasons,” coach and selector Mark Greatbatch said. “He is an exciting fast bowler and we are sure he will make the most of this opportunity.”
Top-order batsman Martin Guptill has been omitted from the squad
Squad New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Hamish Bennett, Grant Elliott, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay, Kyle Mills, Jesse Ryder, Aaron Redmond, Tim Southee, Shanan Stewart, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Bangladesh eyes Commonwealth Games medal in shooting archery
A 56-member Bangladesh contingent will participate in the 19th Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi on October 3-14 next, keeping their eyes on shooting and archery gold.
President of Bangladesh Handball Federation Nurul Fazal Bulbul was named as chef-de-mission of Bangladesh contingent comprising 35 athletics and 21 officials.
Leading athletes and sportsmen of the 71 Commonwealth nations will compete in the 17 disciplines of sports-Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Field Hockey. Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the multi-sports mega games will be held in the renovated 75,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

Out of 17 of sports, Bangladesh will compete in six disciplines of sports-Aquatics (Swimming 2+2), Archery (6), Athletics (2+2), Boxing (3), Shooting (6+6) and Weightlifting (3+3).

New Delhi is going to host the Commonwealth Games for the first time India after successful holding of the prestigious Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. It will be the 2nd Commonwealth Games in Asia after Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Golf in Bangladesh is a game totally for the privileged quarter but stardom of Siddikur Rahman, the first professional golfer of Bangladesh to win the Asian Tour, can only be termed as a fairy tale. Proving him as is not just a one-match wonder, Siddiqur recieved received a purse $48,600 as prize money, almost certainly the biggest as an individual in Bangladesh sports history.   
Coming off a very poor background, Siddikur started working as ball boy in 1994 at the Kurmitola Golf Club when he was in primary school to help his father Shafiqur Rahman, an auto-rickshaw driver, support his family that lived in a slum at Manikdi. Four years later, the club allowed him to use the facilities to play the game with other employees, and he finished high school while still working as a ball boy.
Siddiqur was the only golfer who won all the amateur circuit in the region as an amateur golfer and he also won four major tournaments in the India circuit in 2008 but his performance in the qualifying phase of the last year’s Asian tour was ordinary.
He became a professional golfer in April 2008 after playing the qualifying phase in India in February of the same year.
“It is very exciting. I’m the first Bangladeshi to play on the Asian Tour and in the two years that I’m on Tour, I have finally won a tournament,” said the new champion after winning the Open.
It can indeed be termed as a fairytale that a boy from Madaripur, despite all the adversity, took up the challenge to make his mark in the golfing map Siddikur’s achievement also opened the door for the next generation of golfers, who will surely be inspired by his achievement.

Bangladesh to host World Cup Cricket warm ups
Bangladesh is warming up to host the World Cup Cricket 2011 with a lot of actions going around. Meanwhile The ICC’s declaration of the warm up matches at Bangladesh boosted the cricket arena further.  Pakistan meets Bangladesh and England in Dhaka. it means Bangladesh will taste the top rivalry even before the World Cup statrs.
The WC warm up matches in Bangladesh
12 February – Bangladesh v Canada, Chittagong
15 February – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Dhaka
16 February – England v Canada, Dhaka
18 February – England v Pakistan, Dhaka

Julien Fountain takes Tiger’s fielding responsibilities
The newly-appointed fielding coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team Julien Fountain urged the cricketers to put the maximum efforts in order to elevate their performances.
‘I will give you blood, sweat and tears and in return you give performance,’ said Fountain who got himself introduced to the members of the preliminary squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand during a meeting at the Cricket Academy Building at Mirpur on Saturday. he new fielding coach doesn’t have enough knowledge of the young Bangladesh side.
“I watched a few matches in TV and read about them but I don’t have in-depth knowledge about the team. I’m looking forward to joining the team and working with them,” confessed Fountain, who has previously worked as a fielding coach for the West Indies, Pakistan and England.
Replying to a question, he said that he has yet to set any specific plan for the Tigers ahead of the World Cup.
“One has to have the agility, athleticism and speed to become a good fielder. This is a young side and I hope it will be a great experience for me to work with them. However I didn’t set any specific plan or target,” he said.

Tamim in top Bracket
Cracking Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal’s aspiration of winning an ICC Award took a step ahead after he was nominated among sixteen top international cricketers for the Test Player of the Year category in the top cricketing awards.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the different nominations for the annual honour for the best players and performances in the world for the past year. The awards ceremony will be held in Bangalore on October 6.
“I always dreamt of winning an ICC Award,” said Tamim, he first expressed his aspiration after making  a scintillating 85 in the first session of the Dhaka Test, narrowly missing a century in the first session against England..
“Now I have got my first nomination and even if I don’t win this time, I will try to win it next time hoped  the attacking left-hander.
Tamim has had a splendid year, between August 24, 2009 and August 10 this year, scoring 837 runs at an average that is touching 60 (59.78), with three centuries. His favourite opposition has been England during this period, scoring two of his hundreds against them including a breathtaking effort at Lord’s in June.

FULL LIST OF TEAMS AT 2010 WORLD CUP
HOSTS: South Africa
AFRICA QUALIFYING: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria
ASIA QUALIFYING: Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea
EUROPE QUALIFYING: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland
SOUTH AMERICA QUALIFYING: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA AND QUALIFYING: Honduras, Mexico, United States
ASIA/OCEANIA PLAY-OFF New Zealand

Bangladesh’s falter but prevail in Asian Games Hockey qualifiers
Hosts Bangladesh displayed their brilliance late beating newly crowned champions Oman by 4-1 goals in the last league match of Asian Games Qualifying.
Despite the day’s first defeat Oman smartly reached the final round of the Asian Games Hockey as the champions of qualifying round securing 11 points from all the six matches.

Singapore finished runners-up in the seven-nation qualifying meet to reach the final round of Asian Games Hockey.
Bangladesh, which earlier eyed the top slot in the 7-nation meet, finished 5th with eight points – their ever-worst result in Asian qualifying hockey. But, with a sigh of relief, Bangladesh got a chance to play in the final round as per the latest decision of Asian Hockey Federation.
The Asian Hockey Federation recently decided that 12 teams instead of eight – with six teams from qualifying round – will play in the final round of Asian Games Hockey to be held in China in November this year.
Pre-tournament favorite Bangladesh made a good start in the qualifying meet beating lowly Thailand 8-1 and also completed their qualifying round engagements with a comfortable 4-1 victory over
formidable Oman.
The outcome of Bangladesh’s other four matches were nothing but a sorry tale of sorrow and frustration.
Bangladesh conceded a frustrating 5-7 goals defeat against Chinese Taipei in the 2nd match, split points with Hong Kong in a 2-2 draw in the 3rd match, played to a 3-3 draw against Sri Lanka in the 4th match and shattered their hope losing to Singapore 0-1 in the 5th match.

Abahani out of the AFC Presidents Cup
Two-time champions Dordoi Biskek of Kyrgyzstan moved into the semi-finals of the AFC Presidents Cup after playing out a goalless draw with hosts Dhaka Abahani at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday.
In the other match of the day, New Road Team of Nepal beat Hasus NTCPE 4-3.
Abahani needed a victory in the game while their Kyrgyz counterparts needed a draw to win Group A.
They did it with a professional approach never taking any risk.
Although Abahani earned five points they failed to make the final four as the best runners-up as they fell behind Group C runners-up ITTU of Turkmenistan on goal difference. Abahani’s draw against NTCPE was not counted as per bye-laws of the tournament. The sky-blue outfit had missed out on the semi-final spot of the last edition after playing a goalless draw with Ashgabat of Tajikistan.
Bangladesh cricket team is in England
The first Test match between England and Bangladesh will be played at the Lord’s in London from the 27th of May. England will go into the Tests with supreme confidence given their performances leading up to the games. They have just won the T20 World Cup, and to add to that, they have also beaten Bangladesh in every game on their tour of Bangladesh.
Coach Jamie Siddons is under no illusions as to the task confronting his Bangladesh side in their Test series against England after watching them struggle on day two against Essex. “We face a massive job but at least our preparations are going quite well,” Siddons said. Shahadat Hossain can be a frustrating bowler and sometimes struggles to get two successive deliveries in the right place,” he admitted.
“He is the fastest bowler we have and we certainly need him to be more consistent because when he gets it right he can be a handful.
“The most encouraging feature has been the way Robiul Islam has been performing. He’s been swinging the ball and that always gives us a little bit of hope.
“But I’m the first to admit there is still plenty of room for improvement. All the bowlers have been guilty of sending down too many loose deliveries, particularly down the leg side, and that is something that desperately needs to be addressed.”
On the previous tour of Bangladesh, England had played two Tests and three ODIs, and won all five games rather comfortably, which means that the side has had a better of the Bangladeshis even in conditions that have been very alien to them. How does the Bangladeshi side adjust to the English conditions will be an interesting point to ponder and with the Lord’s ground making things difficult for most touring sides, it cannot get worse for an under-confident Bangladesh side.

Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones.

Go to sleep. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one night with a good book — and turning the light out an hour later — can do more for your mood and outlook on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.

Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness — the same parts activated by food. It’s also relaxing. But be careful about closing it.

Declutter. It’s nearly impossible to meditate, breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven’t balanced your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning tasks — such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing — can be meditative in and of itself if you focus on what you’re doing.

Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren’t necessary and that you don’t enjoy. If there are enough people already to handle the bazaar and you’re feeling stressed by the thought of running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone else handle things.

Make a list. There’s nothing like writing down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.

Do one thing at a time. Experts found that people who multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation. This is similar to the concept of mindfulness.

Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but the sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not days.

Tune out the news. For one week go without reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines online. Instead, take a vacation from the misery we’re exposed to every day via the media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your journal.

Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship provide islands of peace and calm in today’s frantic world. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret getaway.

Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into perspective and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness.

Spend time alone. Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect. Take yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading, browsing in a bookstore, or antiquing.

Give priority to close relationships. Who had a lot of supportive friends are much more likely to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar metabolism, and stress hormone levels than those with two or fewer close friends. Women, and to a lesser extent men, also seemed to benefit from good relationships with their parents and spouses. Studies also find that people who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to five times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have feelings of love, connection, and community.

Take care of the soul. Actively religious people are happier and cope better with crises.  For many people faith provides a support community, a sense of life’s meaning, feelings of ultimate acceptance, a reason to focus beyond yourself, and a timeless perspective on life’s woes.

Count your blessings. People who pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of their lives (their health, friends, family, freedom, education, etc.) experience a heightened sense of well-being.

Bangladesh skipper Shakib al Hasan and coach Jamie Siddons expressed their hopes of beating defending champions Pakistan in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup at the official press conference. ‘We are targeting Pakistan in the ICC Twenty 20 World Cup,’ Siddons told the press conference.
‘We have played a lot of  T20 cricket in the last few days and every player got the opportunity of having match practice and that would help them perform well at the World Cup,’ said Siddons.

Skipper Shakib al Hasan was also upbeat about winning the first match against Pakistan. ‘I think the preparation is quite satisfactory,’ said the skipper.The skipper said Pakistan are not going through a good time and we just want to capitalise on it.

The 3rd edition of the ICC World Twenty20 will begin on April 30.
Bangladesh, placed in group A with strong Pakistan and Australia, will play their opening group match against Pakistan on May 1 at the Beausejour stadium in St Lucia before facing Australia in the second game on May 5 at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. The Tigers will also play two warm-up matches before their World Cup fixtures with game against Barbados on April 27 and the second against England on April 28, both at the Kensington Oval.

RAJSHAHI RANGERS LIFT NCLT20 TITLE
Suvagoto Hom and Kaiser Abbas shared a record partnership to help Rajshahi Rangers to lift the National Cricket League Twenty20 title outclassing Kings of Khulna by six wickets in the final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Hom and Abbas both struck half centuries as Rangers chased down Kings’ impressive 161 for six, reaching 163-4 with four balls to spare. Hom was out on 62 off 49 runs with seven runs away but Abbas went on to finish the game remaining unbeaten on 61 off 44 balls.
Hom and Abbas fetched 109 runs in their fourth wicket partnership, which was the highest for any wicket in the competition. Coming together on the fifth over after left-arm spinners Sakib al Hasan and Abdur Razzak had left Rangers tottering at 46–3, they calmly took the game away from Kings’ grip.
BKSP student Hom, who first hogged the headlines with a 30-ball 91 against England in a warm-up match in March, led the way racing to his 50 in only 38 balls before Elias Sunny had him caught and bowled in the last but one over. His innings included two fours and as many sixes.
Pakistani cricketer Abbas, who earlier took two wickets and was adjudged man of the match, faced 44 balls for his innings clubbing nine fours and a six

INTER MILAN THUMP BARCELONA
Barcelona’s attempt to becoming European soccer’s first repeat champion in two decades was jeopardized with a 3-1 loss to Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.

Barcelona appeared fatigued as the game went on, perhaps from a 450-mile bus trip the team was forced to take. Flights were grounded across Europe following the volcanic eruption in Iceland, and Inter may have to take a similar trip for the second leg of the in Barcelona

Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito scored for Inter, seeking to become Europe’s champion for the first time since consecutive titles in 1964 and 1965. Inter frustrated FIFA player of the year Lionel Messi, whose four goals in the second leg of the quarterfinals eliminated Arsenal.

Pedro Rodriguez scored on a low shot in the 19th minute for Barcelona, but Sneijder tied the score off a pass from Milito in the 30th minute and Maicon put Inter ahead in the 48th on an overlapping run,l again from a Milito pass.

Milito scored the final goal on a header in the 61st after Samuel Eto’o broke down a wing and crossed to Sneijder, who nodded the ball back.

AC Milan was the last repeat champion, winning when the competition was known as the Champions Cup in 1989 and 1990.

BAYERN BEAT LYON
Arjen Robben scored a second-half winner as Bayern Munich beat Lyon 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday, in which both sides finished with 10 men.

Robben found the net in the 69th minute with a shot that took a slight deflection off teammate Thomas Mueller.

Bayern winger Franck Ribery was sent off in the 37th minute for a challenge on Lisandro Lopez, and Lyon defender Jeremy Toulalan went off with his second yellow card in the 54th.