Skipper Shakib Al Hasan led from the front and remained unbeaten on a match-winning 70 as Bangladesh finally managed to break the Afghanistan hoodoo, registering a four-wicket win in the tri-nation T20I series in Chattogram yesterday.

The ongoing T20I tri-series featuring hosts Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, has now moved to Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, where all three second-leg matches will be played starting with the Bangladesh-Zimbabwe encounter tomorrow.

We all know about the witty, wise and philosophical Mullah Nasruddin, a Persian character who appears in thousands of humorous stories. A well-known tale relates how judge Nasruddin was listening to a case and, after hearing the plaintiff’s deposition, remarked,

There was much that was discouraging about Bangladesh’s 224-run loss to Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Chattogram yesterday. It has already been mentioned ad nauseum, but bears repeating one more time. Afghanistan were playing their third Test match just

Everything was working fine for Bangladesh on the fifth day of their one-off Test against Afghanistan until the rain that had marred most of the day’s play, seeming to answer most Bangladesh players’ and fans’ prayers, stopped and play resumed at 4:20 pm with 18.3 overs more to be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday.

17-year-old Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran was agonisingly close to smashing a maiden Test hundred on debut before being dismissed for a well-made 87 that helped his side take a commanding position against Bangladesh after the third day of the one-off Test in Chattogram yesterday.

The media were made to wait quite some time for a Bangladeshi cricketer to show up to the mandatory post-day press conference following yet another disappointing showing on the third day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan yesterday.

Bangladesh fell into their own trap of undoing the opposition with spin as Afghanistan, playing just their third Test, moved into the driver’s seat on the second day of the one-off Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday.

It was probably not the kind of start Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan had hoped for as Afghanistan batsman Rahmat Shah struck a magnificent century to thwart any plans of domination the Tigers may have had the opening day of the one-off Test in Chattogram

Bangladesh cricket has not been in the best of states both on and off the field since a disappointing exit from the ICC World Cup in England, which was followed by a humiliating one-day series defeat in Sri Lanka. The Tigers will however try to put all those forlorn

The match took place at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, but the pitch and the crowd were such that Bangladesh’s method during yesterday’s 62-run win against Afghanistan was straight from the Mirpur playbook.

Just under five months ago, Sabbir Rahman was rushed back early into the Bangladesh squad through board-level tinkering with the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s own six-month disciplinary ban.

With the pitch at Southampton being a slow one, on which Afghanistan’s spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi had bullied the famed Indian batting lineup on Saturday, there was fear of how Bangladesh would fare against the same trio on the same wicket.

He had become the first Bangladesh batsman to reach the landmark of 1000 runs in World Cups during Bangladesh’s innings against Afghanistan. More was in store for Shakib as he picked up wickets with the ball after scoring 51 during Bangladesh’s innings.

Bangladesh have defeated Afghanistan by 62 runs as Mohammad Saifuddin picked up the last wicket, bowling out Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Shakib Al Hasan was the hero for the Tigers, picking up five wickets for 29 runs.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan are the two teams among 10 in the World Cup that not many would have given much chance of going deep into the tournament when it began.

Sri Lanka’s upset win over England on Friday has breathed some life into a World Cup that was heading into predictable territory and Bangladesh may be one of the teams to benefit in the race to the semifinals, if they play their cards right. And that starts with winning tomorrow’s match against Afghanistan in Southampton’s Rose Bowl.

Changes may be in the offing for Bangladesh when they take on Pakistan on Wednesday in what will be a virtual Asia Cup semifinal at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. They won their last match against Afghanistan in thrilling fashion Sunday when Mustafizur Rahman conceded just four runs when Afghanistan needed eight to win in the last over.

Before yesterday, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan had played four ODIs and three T20s against Bangladesh. Handling the world-class leg-spinner has always been a bothersome prospect for the Tigers. In each of the four previous ODIs that Rashid played against Bangladesh, he had managed more than one wicket and did not give away over 40 runs in any of those games.

Fizz’s fantastic final over yesterday, saw Bangladesh successfully defend eight runs in the last over in a tight match where Afghans looked like they were in the driving seat with wickets in hand.