MIRPUR, Bangladesh: After failing to reach this month’s Asia Cup final, Bangladesh is hungry to gain a much-needed boost ahead of the 50-over World Cup by beating New Zealand in the three-match ODI series that starts on Thursday.
Bangladesh rested a host of key players for the Asia Cup, captain Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Najmul Hossain and Towhid Hridoy among them, in order to keep them fresh and injury-free, although it has still not named its squad for next month’s World Cup.
New Zealand has sent only five World Cup-bound players to Bangladesh, stand-in skipper Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi and Will Young.
Tamim Iqbal, who stepped down as ODI captain last month, is back for Bangladesh after recovering from a back problem. Mahmudullah, axed after the England series in March following poor form, also returns.
Liton Das, who leads the side in Shakib’s absence, said: “There are many things to achieve from the series. The first thing is to win, that will be a big achievement ahead of the World Cup.
“We won’t play to show just individual brilliance. A five-wicket haul or a century doesn’t matter if the team doesn’t win.”
Ferguson, yet to play on Bangladesh soil, believes conditions will test his New Zealand team to the limit.
“Bangladesh is very good in home conditions and is a huge challenge here,” he said. “It’s important for us just to focus on what’s coming up tomorrow and try to adapt as quickly as possible to the conditions. Some of us haven’t played here so we’ll have to adapt quicker.”
New Zealand hasn’t won an ODI match in the country since 2008 and Ferguson said the input of former Bangladesh bowling coach Shane Jurgensen would be invaluable.
“We’re leaning on the knowledge of the guys who have been here previously and leaning on Jurgensen about how to play the game, construct our innings with the bat and try to defend it with the ball, or vice versa,” he said.
Bangladesh cricketers hungry to gain pre-World Cup boost in ODI series vs New Zealand
https://arab.news/yq997
Bangladesh cricketers hungry to gain pre-World Cup boost in ODI series vs New Zealand
- New Zealand has sent only five World Cup-bound players to Bangladesh
- Tamim Iqbal, who stepped down as ODI captain last month, is back for Bangladesh after recovering from a back problem
Kane helps Bayern past Leipzig into German Cup semis
- Bayern join defending champions Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the last four of this season’s competition
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored a penalty and Luis Diaz struck again as Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup semifinals for the first time since 2020.
Already on the wrong side of two Bayern thumpings this season, Leipzig were much improved but the hosts grabbed hold of the match with two goals in four second-half minutes.
Bayern join defending champions Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the last four of this season’s competition.
Kane’s penalty was his 39th goal in all competitions for Bayern this season, while Diaz’s goal was his fifth in his past three matches.
Winners of this competition a record 20 times, 14 more than any other club, Bayern had failed to make it past the quarter-finals since 2020, when they beat Leverkusen in the final.
Leipzig had won two of the past four German Cups but Bayern had form over the visitors this season, winning their two Bundesliga clashes by a combined score of 11-1.
Leipzig pressured the hosts early and were celebrating a goal after just four minutes, but an acrobatic Christoph Baumgartner strike was disallowed for a narrow offside.
Bayern immediately made the most of the let-off, Kane forcing a last-ditch clearance from Ridle Baku with the Leipzig goalkeeper laying on the turf.
The home side gradually wrestled control of the match and were unlucky not to take the lead with 57 minutes gone when Leipzig ‘keeper Maarten Vandevoordt denied Serge Gnabry with a stunning save.
Bayern were in front just five minutes later, Kane converting from the spot after Vandevoordt felled an advancing Josip Stanisic in the box.
Kane’s spot-kick, his fifth goal versus Leipzig this season, was his 12th penalty in all competitions this campaign.
Bayern’s goals this season have come in bursts and the Bavarians scored again just four minutes later, when Michael Olize found Diaz on the counter to help book a spot in the final four.
The German Cup final will be held at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on May 23.
