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“This is not an election, and this doesn’t suit cricket in any way”

Mohammad Isam01-Oct-2025Tamim Iqbal is one of 16 candidates to withdraw from participating in the BCB elections. The board’s election commission announced on Wednesday that following the withdrawals, there will be 27 candidates who will contest for the 17 remaining director posts.The BCB elections is for the board of directors, 23 of whom are chosen by vote while two will be government representatives. These 25 directors elect a board president. With Tamim out of the race, the path for Aminul Islam, the incumbent BCB president, is clear to continue in the role after October 6.Already, six directors have automatically become board directors due to no contest in their sub-categories. These include Barishal (Shakhawat Hossain), Sylhet (Rahat Shams), Chattogram (Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury and Asif Akbar) and Khulna (Abdur Razzak and Julfikar Ali Khan).Three contestants each remain in the Dhaka, Rangpur and Rajshahi regions, to determine who becomes board directors. There will also be a contest for the third category, which includes educational institutes and former cricketers, among others. One director between former captain Khaled Mashud and Debabrata Paul, representing Jahangirnagar University, will be elected. Mashud is one of ten former cricketers who were selected by the BCB to vote in this category.Tamim is the representative of Old DOHS which is among the 76 clubs who participate in the Category 2 elections. After submitting his withdrawal papers on Wednesday, Tamim repeated his accusations from the September 21 press conference, with allegations of interference in the way the election is being conducted.”At least 14 or 15 of us have withdrawn our nominations today,” Tamim said on Wednesday. “The reason for this withdrawal is very clear. From the very beginning, I have been saying one thing, and you are all clear about it now–about which direction this election is going or how it is being conducted. Whatever seems right at any moment, whatever they want to do, is being done. This is not really an election. This is not an election, and this doesn’t suit cricket in any way.”A lot has been said at different times, but at the end of the day, I feel that we cannot be a part of this. I always say one thing: cricket, Bangladesh cricket does not deserve this, and the cricket fans of Bangladesh do not deserve this either.”Tamim was left frustrated after the deadlines for the submission of nomination papers were extended a number of times, with BCB president Aminul Islam himself signing one of the extension letters, although it is the norm for the BCB’s chief executive officer to send such letters to the board’s election commission.”(Match) fixing is often talked about quite loudly, but it is the election fixing that needs to be stopped first. I think it is crystal clear to everyone who was involved, at what time, what kind of involvement they had, what kind of interference occurred, and how the rules were changed at will for convenience. I will end my speech by saying that this election has become a black mark for the Bangladesh Cricket Board.”

The forecast for the Test is for it to get hotter, closer to 30 degrees, but it is not likely to break up the surface

Sidharth Monga17-Jun-202514:58

Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu? Shardul or Nitish? What combination do India go with?

It’s not often that Headingley gets the first Test of the series in England. Headingley usually hosts a Test much later in the summer, usually the third of the series. Add to it that there has hardly been any rain in Leeds since February. So Richard Robinson, Yorkshire’s head of grounds, has had to carry out a “different kind” of preparation for the Test.Don’t be alarmed by the green look – indistinguishable from the square really – the pitch wears three days out. It will get a nice trim and a roll. Right now, though, as through the whole preparation, retaining enough moisture is the goal for Robinson and his team, which includes Jasmine Nicholls, former England race-walker and the first woman to make an international pitch when she led the team for the England vs Pakistan women’s T20I.Robinson has a deep connect with Headingley. The first Test he came here for as a boy was during Botham’s Ashes. He went on to play as a contemporary of Michael Vaughan and umpire Richard Kettleborough. Now he gets to prepare the canvas for more epics. He is satisfied with the hardness of the surface, which should make for good true bounce. That is also what England have wanted under Brendon McCullum as the coach. “They just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball,” Robinson said. “That’s really what they’re looking for.”Related

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• England the next stop in Jaiswal's audacious journey

The grass will come down to 8mm by the morning of the Test, which is fairly standard for a Test at Headingley. Robinson feels a final assessment of the pitch should only be made on that morning. He expects it to “do a little bit” on the first day and to flatten out quite quickly because of the heat expected.The pitch remained covered during the afternoon on Tuesday to not let it dry too much even as Ben Stokes and England trained on the practice pitches. Stokes ended the session by bowling at a single stump. It seemed a perfect day for cricket with the sun out and the temperature around 22 degrees celsius. It was quite breezy too, which can dry the surface out quickly.Richard Robinson, Yorkshire’s head of grounds, has had to carry out a “different kind” of preparation for the Test•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe forecast for the Test is for it to get hotter, closer to 30 degrees, but it is not likely to break up the surface. So if the pitch is going to flatten out quickly and not break up deep into the Test, it might pay to bowl first and exploit the conditions on day one. This has certainly been the trend in England when McCullum has been the coach: teams have chosen to field in 16 out of 22 Tests, winning nine of those and losing six. When teams have chosen to bat first on the six occasions, they have lost each of those Tests.England have won both the Headingley Tests in this period, chasing down 296 against New Zealand and 251 against Australia. That Ashes Test was also Robinson’s debut as Headingley’s head groundsperson. The eight innings in these Tests ranged from a highest of 360 to a lowest of 224. Neither diabolical nor high-scoring. Robinson hopes for more of the same, but there might be a few more runs in it this weekend.India, on the other hand, have not played a lot at Headingley in recent years. Before their innings defeat in 2021, they had last played at the ground in 2002, famously winning by an innings and 46 runs.

Barcelona have been handed both relief and pain ahead of their crucial Champions League tie against Chelsea. On one hand, they have Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford back in the squad, but they will yet again miss the services of their talismanic midfielder Pedri, who has been sidelined since late October.

• Rashford's presence is important against Chelsea

  Rashford, after a decent outing with England in the November international break, missed Barcelona's 4-0 win against Athletic Club at Camp Nou due to illness. However, he has now recovered from the flu and has been included in Barca's squad that will travel to London to face Enzo Maresca's Chelsea. Rashford, who enjoyed a dismal last few days at United, is currently a menace to Barca's opponents. Ever since his loan move in the summer, he has secured six goals and nine assists across La Liga and the Champions League. In the latter, he has been in ecstatic form, nailing four goals and two assists in the four outings. His involvement against Chelsea will be crucial, and Flick will be dependent on him for goals, as he has already scored six times against the Stamford Bridge-based side. Adding to that, his five assists against the Blues will be a great statistic to keep Maresca's men on their toes.

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  Pedri remains a concern for Flick

  Pedri, who is not only admired by the Barca faithful but also by opposition managers, will be sidelined for this fixture too. He sustained a tear in the distal femoral biceps of his left leg in late October, and the Clasico was the last time he featured. He is a vital cog in Flick's machinery, as he has hardly missed games under the German coach. The femoral biceps are part of the hamstring group at the back portion of the thigh, and this is not the first time he has succumbed to such an injury. Previously, in September 2021, he suffered a hamstring injury, which kept him out for three months. However, he is said to be recovering well and, as per , has entered the final stage of his recovery.

• Maresca hails Pedri and Flick before continental tie

  Maresca, a Spaniard himself, has been an admirer of Pedri, who is often treated as one of the finest midfielders of his generation. The Chelsea boss, before the Barca game, spoke highly about Pedri and also of Flick's Barca. 

  "It’s not only a loss for Barcelona, it’s a loss for football because he has incredible quality," he said. "Flick’s Barca looks spectacular to me. Whenever I watch them, you can always learn something. Last year, they won La Liga and reached the Champions League semifinals. They do many things well, and they are a team that always wants to take the initiative. We will try to do the same."

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  Two other crucial members reintegrated into the squad

  Club captain Frenkie de Jong, who has been one of Flick's most trusted personnel, served his suspension against Athletic Club and is set to make a return for the Chelsea game. Full-back Alejandro Balde, who received a blow to his head last week and was taken off at the lemon break, has travelled with the team to London.

The Dodgers lineup could look different in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

With roughly half of the Los Angeles batting order mired in a Fall Classic slump, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is considering changes to the club's lineup.

"I think so," Roberts said when asked if it was time to act on some lineup changes after the Dodgers' 6-2 Game 4 loss. "I'm going to think long and hard and it might look different tomorrow."

Which Dodgers are struggling the most in the World Series?

Outfielders Kiké Hernández, Andy Pages and infielder Tommy Edman have combined to hit 7-for-50, which equates to a .140 batting average, in the World Series thus far. Effectively, the Dodgers have received very little from the 7-8-9 spots in their batting order. And while there have been flashes of greatness from largely Shohei Ohtani and a select few other Dodgers stars—Teoscar Hernández, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman—the entire lineup's consistency has not been up to Roberts's standard.

"We haven't found our rhythm," Roberts said. "We haven't. It sort of draws dead at certain parts of the lineup and in different parts, different innings, different games. Guys are competing certainly in the postseason. You're seeing everyone's best…"

The Dodgers' offensive struggles leave Roberts with a decision to make heading into Game 5 against Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage.

What changes could Roberts make with Dodgers lineup?

"I've got to make a decision, essentially," Roberts said. "Am I going to play Andy [Pages]? AmI going to play Call [Alex Call]? Or am I going to play Miggy Ro [Miguel Rojas]? So just kind of trying to think through all that stuff and net it out and see what gives us the best chance tomorrow."

It seems like Roberts is considering making one change, though the decision hinges on which member of the Dodgers' struggling 7-8-9 hitters won't be in Wednesday's lineup. It will be interesting to see what decision he ultimately makes.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has confirmed that winger Oliver Antman is expected to be out of action for around eight weeks after he suffered a muscle injury in recent days.

The Finland international, signed from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer, started on the right wing against Falkirk on Sunday, and is now set to be out until 2026.

Antman is not the only Rangers player who will be unavailable during the festive period, though, as a couple of players are set to go to the African Cup of Nations with their respective countries.

Rohl is expecting Nasser Djiga and Mohamed Diomande to be unavailable whilst they play in the tournament, which means that there will be several positions that will need to be filled in the coming games.

With these absences, on top of the likes of Mikey Moore, Derek Cornelius, and John Souttar being out with injuries, some of the lesser-seen members of the squad may need to step up.

As unpopular as it may be, Kieran Dowell is one of the players who could step up and benefit from the lack of options available to the manager before the January window opens.

Why Danny Rohl should give Kieran Dowell a chance

After being subbed on in a 1-1 draw with Dundee under Russell Martin, a section of the Gers support, but not all of them, booed the English attacking midfielder’s introduction to the game.

Commenting on the incident, Martin said: “That surprised me. I’m not on any social media or anything like that, so I don’t really know what the narrative is around Kieran. I don’t think it helps him, I don’t think it helps the rest of the guys. That’s how I feel about it really.”

Dowell has not played a league match since that draw with Dundee in August, due to injury, but he recently played for the club’s U19s alongside Dujon Sterling and Clinton Nsiala as he looks to return to full fitness.

Given the reaction to his last league outing for Rangers, playing the left-footed midfielder may not go down as a popular decision with some fans, but the Gers look set to be in a position where it could be needs-must with the players due to be unavailable.

It is also worth remembering that Dowell, as shown in the table above, shone out on loan at Birmingham City in League One in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he is capable of being productive in the right environment.

Unfortunately, as evidenced by a return of two goals and three assists in 38 appearances for the club, the Englishman has not found that environment at Ibrox yet.

Since joining on a free transfer from Norwich City in 2023, the 28-year-old flop has not established himself as a key player for the Light Blues, but the injury and international call-up situation could provide him with an opportunity to finally do so under Rohl.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

One of the other reasons why Dowell could end up with a chance to revive his Gers career is that Thelo Aasgaard currently looks like an even worse signing for the Scottish giants.

Why Aasgaard makes Dowell look good for Rangers

The Gers did not have to pay a transfer fee to bring the former Everton and Norwich star to Ibrox in 2023, as his contract at Carrow Road expired, but that was not the case with Aasgaard.

Rangers reportedly splashed out a fee of £3.5m to sign the Norway international from Luton Town in the recent summer transfer window, which shows that the club had to spend significantly more money to bring him in than they did with Dowell.

Unfortunately, the Liverpool-born playmaker has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he was worth paying £3.5m for, as he has made Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

Aasgaard has as many red cards (one) as goals (one) for Rangers in all competitions so far this season, per Transfermarkt, with one goal and one assist in 21 appearances for Rangers.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar recently posted that he “would gladly never see him again”, referring to Aasgaard, and described him as a “passenger” at the end of November.

It is, unfortunately, hard to argue with the harsh criticism of the Norwegian attacking midfielder, because his performances at Scottish Premiership level make him look even less effective than Dowell.

As you can see in the table above, Aasgaard has already started as many games in the Premiership as the former Norwich man, yet has created 11 fewer chances and has yet to create a single ‘big chance’.

Dowell’s Rangers career has not been good enough to this point, as evidenced by his aforementioned goal contributions, but he also arrived on a free transfer and his creative output looks good in comparison to the club’s £3.5m signing.

That is not to say that the left-footed star should be considered a good signing or that he is the answer to Rohl’s current problems at the top end of the pitch, but it does suggest that those who jeered his introduction against Dundee earlier this season were too harsh on him.

As well as highlighting that maybe Dowell was not as bad a signing as has been made out, this also highlights how underwhelming Aasgaard has been for a player who was signed for £3.5m.

Rohl can unearth his own Igamane by unleashing Rangers star in new position

Danny Rohl could unearth his own Hamza Igamane by playing this Rangers star in a new role this season.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 2, 2025

The caveat, of course, is that the Norway international only joined in the summer and still has plenty of time left ahead of him to turn things around and prove people wrong, but the signs so far have not been encouraging.

Old-school knock steers tricky chase and makes it goodnight, Bangladesh

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-20253:25

Knight to the fore as England overcome spirited Bangladesh

Heather Knight was drenched in sweat. Two days in a row. Once under lights, once under the hot, baking afternoon sun.In each of the two training sessions England had before their Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh, Knight batted long and worked particularly hard on getting her sweep shots right. She faced a mix of throwdowns and net bowlers bowling left-arm spin, offspin and legspin. All that effort culminated in her Player-of-the-Match effort of 79 not out off 111 balls on Tuesday, which headlined England’s jailbreak.On match eve, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana had called upon her team to “show our capabilities so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us”. It was only the second time Bangladesh were playing England in an ODI. Her team-mates responded by reducing England to 78 for 5 and 103 for 6 in defence of 178. Marufa Akter once again set the tone with a fiery new-ball spell, accounting for both the English openers. She had Knight twice but the DRS came to the former captain’s aid on both occasions. Then the spinners, led by leggie Fahima Khatun, applied the squeeze.Related

• Heather Knight: Hamstrung no longer after slow road to recovery

• 'At first look, I thought it was out' – Knight on the catching reprieve

• Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

The track at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati wasn’t the most batting-friendly. It had a darkish look to it, played a little slow and aided spinners without really turning square. In Knight’s words, it was the “inconsistency of the turn” that made life tough for the batters. The wickets were proof, in that none of the England batters actually fell for spin.Nat Sciver-Brunt shunted a full toss straight to midwicket. Sophia Dunkley played down the wrong line, was beaten on the inside and out lbw. Emma Lamb was done in by the dip and miscued one to mid-on. Alice Capsey missed her shot across the line with an angled bat and was trapped leg before.Only Knight was able to apply what she thoroughly practised. This was Knight’s first international innings after returning from a hamstring injury and first in ODIs since January. She was in at the start of the second over and, understandably, a bit slow to start off. The hallmark of her innings was that she was willing to bide her time. She was willing to go old-school since the conditions demanded. For a large part of her innings, her strike rate hovered under the 50 mark; she did not score on 24 of her first 26 balls and on 65 of her 111.Heather Knight uses the sweep against spin•Getty Images”[I] didn’t find it my most fluent [knock], particularly at the start,” Knight said. “It was just a case of trying to get through. The conditions were tricky; obviously. Marufa got a huge amount of swing at the start. She was really tricky and [I] just tried to find a method just to get through the period.”I knew that if we had a set batter that was able to bat through, I probably had to be a little bit more attritional than I would have liked. I started to find my feet and my rhythm in that middle period, which was really nice. The hardest thing sometimes coming back from injury is that the rhythm of batting in the middle can take a little bit of time to get back. Delighted that I was able to spend a little bit of time out there, get through that pressure.”Since they played Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, England had not played an ODI in the subcontinent up until this World Cup. It was down to Knight’s experience and muscle memory: it was her 28th ODI in this part of the world. She used the sweep to telling effect to score 14 off five balls using the traditional sweep, and a four with the one reverse sweep when England were in sight of their target. A couple of fours she hit against legspinner Shorna Akter stood out – when she rolled her wrists to get the ball behind square and then when she used her reach to nail the shot in front of square. When the sweep was out of question, she charged down the track to launch the bowler in the ‘V’.”It was really hard to pierce the off-side ring,” Knight said. “[It] felt like I had to take a few risks and get the feet going. The sweep shot is obviously one that’s really strong for me and when the bowling is a little bit slower, not a huge amount of pace on the ball, it can be one that I go to. Picking what works for which bowler [matters], so some of the left-armers it felt a lot easier to go down the ground. Being really clear on what I was going to sweep, what I was going to hit down the ground and when I had to soak up pressure and trust my defence as well [was important].”England had an inkling of what to expect after flexing their spin mettle in the afternoon. Their spinners, led by Sophie Ecclestone, had picked up nine of the ten Bangladesh wickets and Knight knew it was “going to be hard work”. Yet, it came down to a good Knight knock for England to have a good night in Guwahati.

Ruben Amorim has challenged Matheus Cunha to raise his game after a slow start to his Manchester United career and to avoid being too affected by social media criticism over his lack of goals and assists. Cunha has scored only one goal for the Red Devils following his £62.5m move from Wolves in the summer but will have the chance to increase his account against West Ham on Thursday.

• Cunha set to return against West Ham

  Cunha missed United's last two games against Crystal Palace and Everton due to a knock to the head he sustained in training but was seen back with his team-mates at Carrington on Wednesday preparing for the next game against the Irons. It is the second spell Cunha has had on the sidelines following his big-money move from Wolves and Amorim admitted that the Brazilian forward has a lot more to give.

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  Cunha 'thinking too much about numbers'

  Amorim told a press conference: "I think he has more levels to go. He's in the different club, different pressure, but I think he copes with that really well. He was struggling because he was not scoring and because of social media views, he was thinking too much about the numbers, but the influence that he has in the team is so important for us. But I think I think Cunha has so much to grow defensively and offensively."

• Amorim addresses Yoro 'frustration'

  Amorim also addressed Leny Yoro, who was visibly distraught on the sidelines at Selhurst Park on Sunday after being hooked at half-time against Crystal Palace, having given away the penalty from which the Eagles took the lead in United's eventual 2-1 victory. Amorim welcomed Mason Mount giving support to Yoro but he also hinted that the defender is too sensitive. 

  The coach explained: "It's really important [the support from Mount]. Of course, I also spoke with him because he thinks too much. He makes some mistakes in the game, and then he struggles because he's too young and he wants to do everything so well. He’s growing, with games and with setbacks, it’s not easy for him as a young guy. 

  "He cannot give that to the people the way he came to the bench, he understands that but he was really frustrated. On the good side it shows that he cares, he knows it wasn’t his best game but he did some things well and I showed him that also. He’s fit and ready for the next challenge."

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  Cunha has opportunity to boost numbers in coming weeks

  Cunha's only Premier League goal for United came in the 4-2 win over Brighton in October but the Red Devils have a relatively kind set of fixtures coming up in which he can boost his numbers. On Thursday they host a West Ham side who are 17th in the Premier League table and have only one away match all season. Next Monday Cunha faces an emotional return to former club Wolves, who have fallen on hard times since he departed for Old Trafford.

  Wolves have taken just two points all season and are still without a victory. If they continue on their current rate of results they will break Derby County's unwanted record of taking the fewest points in Premier League history.