BSC Cricket Academy, one of the premier sports academies located in Azaiba, launched the newly designed jerseys for their Under-16 and Under-19 team at the Star of Cochin Banquet Hall in CBD, Ruwi on Thursday evening.
The young cricketers heartily rejoiced on getting the newly designed Jersey from their club Bosher Sports Centre (BSC) for the forthcoming Oman Cricket League 2024-25, to be held in Oman Cricket in Amerat.
BSC Cricket Academy, one of the premier sports academies located in Azaiba, launched the newly designed jerseys for their Under-16 and Under-19 team at the Star of Cochin Banquet Hall in CBD, Ruwi on Thursday evening.
The BSC Cricket Academy will field teams in the U16 category, competing in 30-over and 20-over formats, while another team will contest under the U19 category, playing 50-over and 20-over formats. The tournament will span six months, with matches held at Oman Cricket’s facilities in Amerat. The U16 league will kick off on Saturday, and the U19 matches will begin after the conclusion of the Men’s Asia Cup, starting on October 18.
The main sponsor “Braveheart” owned by Santhosh Valappil, expressed his pride, saying, “as an alumnus of Indian School Muscat, it’s a proud moment to support children in sports. It’s heartening to see kids come from afar to train and participate in these matches. We offer our full support to them. This highlights the growing opportunities for young athletes in Oman and the increasing recognition of sports as a vital career path.”
Some of the other sponsors are Dr Anup Ayyappan Group CEO JBC EXPRESS, The Trust Oilfield LLC, Al Maya International LLC.
The regulations will be reviewed within two years…reports Asian Lite News
The International Cricket Council on Tuesday decided not to allow participation in international women’s cricket by transgender players and those who have undergone gender reassignment treatment from male to female.
The decision to not allow anyone who has attained any form of male puberty came into effect after the ICC Board approved the new gender eligibility regulations for the international game.
Decided after a 9-month consultation process with the sport’s stakeholders, the new policy is based on the following principles (in order of priority), protection of the integrity of the women’s game, safety, fairness and inclusion.
“This means any Male to Female participants who have been through any form of male puberty will not be eligible to participate in the international women’s game regardless of any surgery or gender reassignment treatment they may have undertaken,” the ICC said in a release on Tuesday.
The review, which was led by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Peter Harcourt, relates solely to gender eligibility for international women’s cricket, whilst gender eligibility at the domestic level is a matter for each individual Member Board, which may be impacted by local legislation.
The regulations will be reviewed within two years, the ICC release said on Tuesday.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “The changes to the gender eligibility regulations resulted from an extensive consultation process and are founded in science and aligned with the core principles developed during the review. Inclusivity is incredibly important to us as a sport, but our priority was to protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players.”
Pay-parity for match officials
The Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) endorsed a plan to accelerate the development of female match officials which includes equalising match day pay for ICC umpires across men’s and women’s cricket and ensuring there is one neutral umpire in every ICC Women’s Championship series from January 2024.
Sky Media announces Remitly and Simba as co-sponsors of Channel 5’ ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup coverage. Channel 5 is broadcasting daily highlights of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time. Remitly’s sponsorship marks its first ever TV partnership with a mainstream channel
Sky Media, the advertising arm of Sky, has announced Remitly, a leading digital financial services provider for immigrants and their families, and sleep specialists Simba, as co-sponsors of Channel 5’s coverage of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This is the first time that Channel 5 will be showing the championships through daily evening highlights. The 10” sponsorship creatives will be running alongside the highlights shown across Channel 5, My5 and Sky On Demand. The sponsorships will launch at 7pm (BST) on the 5th October and run until the 19th November. Held in India the opening match will see current holders England take on New Zealand.
Remitly’s partnership was established through its long-standing relationship with multicultural marketing agency, Here and Now 365; and Sky Media. Cricket plays an important role in the lives of many of Remitly’s South Asian customers, including keeping communities connected across the globe. Similarly, Remitly’s mission is focused on keeping customers connected to their loved ones through its international money transfer services, making this sponsorship opportunity a natural fit.
Simba will also be part of the coverage as an expansion of their already successful Channel 5 partnership which was renewed in January, which sees them sponsor Evenings on Channel 5, Drama on Channel 5 and My5.
“Remitly is pleased to partner with Sky Media and Channel 5 on this TV sponsorship for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup,” said Pankaj Sharma, EVP, Global Remittance Business Management at Remitly. “We are always energized by opportunities to share in the activities and traditions that are meaningful to our customers, and we know that cricket is an incredible cultural passion for many of our customers from the South Asia region. Through this partnership, we look forward to participating in this exciting experience with our customers.”
Jon Moore, ecommerce and marketing director, Simba Sleep said: “Working with our long-term marketing partner Wake The Bear, we’ve really seen the huge impact a strategically relevant and well executed sponsorship can do for our brand as well as our bottom line. We’re excited to expand our partnership activities with Sky Media as ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup coverage is a great fit for Simba’s audience and brand profile.”
“The Men’s Cricket World Cup marks an exciting moment in this year’s sporting calendar and Channel 5 will be the number one, free-to-air channel for cricket fans up and down the country to enjoy all the highlights from India,” said Pete Dale, VP, UK adsales and commercial development, Paramount. “We’re looking forward to seeing our partnership with Simba and Remitly come to life throughout what promises to be a thrilling competition.”
Debarshi Pandit, Head of Multicultural Business, Sky Media has said: “Cricket as a sport elicits a totally different unprecedented level of passion and fan-following, especially within the South Asian communities that form a significant base of Remitly’s clientele. And casting the net further in terms of reach, through a free to air linear platform like C5 making the Remitly brand visible and relevant through this unique partnership for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is a no-brainer!”
The highlights coverage is part of a new partnership with Sky to bring daily highlights to free-to-air audiences. Every match will be exclusively live on Sky Sports.
2023 ICC Cricket World Cup tournament could be the final time that these four legends play an ICC Cricket World Cup or matter of fact, any major ICC tournament together…reports Asian Lite News
The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India is less than a month away and will feature some of the cricket’s very best players and teams. This tournament is set to hold a lot of significance in larger cricket history, as the modern day ‘Fab Four’, consisting of batting greats – Virat Kohli (India), Steve Smith (Australia), Joe Root (England) and Kane Williamson (New Zealand) will have their ‘One Last Dance’ together.
This tournament could be the final time that these four legends play an ICC Cricket World Cup or matter of fact, any major ICC tournament together. Ever since the New Zealand legend Martin Crowe coined the term ‘Fab Four’ to put all these stars in a group, they have accomplished a lot in the sport. All of these players have a large volume of runs and multiple records to their name.
But with Virat about to turn 35 in November, Steve aged 34, Root about to turn 33 in December and Williamson currently aged 33, they are not getting any younger. By the time the next 50-over World Cup comes in 2027, they will be in their late 30s. There is a big chance that they would not be around in the white-ball set-up during that time together at once.
Ahead of the WC, let us have explore these legends, in numbers:
Virat Kohli
Virat is undoubtedly the best all-format batter of all four. In 279 ODIs, he has scored 13,027 runs at an average of 57.38. He has scored 47 centuries and 65 half-centuries in the format, with the best score of 183. He is the second-highest run-scorer for India in ODIs next to Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs) and in fifth position.
The dashing Indian top-order batter has represented India in 26 World Cup matches since 2011, having scored 1,030 runs at an average of 46.81. He has smashed two centuries and six fifties in 26 matches, with the best score of 107. He is India’s second-highest run-scorer in WC history, next to Sachin Tendulkar (2,278 runs) and overall at 17th spot. He lifted the 2011 WC with India.
During this World Cup, he would be extremely keen to improve his record in the knockout stages after poor outings in the 2015 and 2019 semifinals, in which he registered single-digit scores.
The 2019 World Cup was the best for Virat statistically. In nine matches, he scored 443 runs at an average of 55.38, with five half-centuries to his name and a best score of 82. Virat was the 10th-highest run-scorer in the tournament and the second-highest scorer for India.
This year, Virat has been in solid form across all formats. In 14 ODIs and 12 innings this year, Virat has smashed 556 runs at an average of 55.60, with three centuries and one fifty and a best score of 166*.
Steve Smith
Next up is Steve Smith. Often hailed as the greatest Test batter of Australia since the days of Don Bradman, Smith has also played 142 ODIs for Australia. In these, he has scored 4,939 runs at an average of 44.49. He has scored 12 centuries and 29 fifties in 126 innings, with the best score of 164.
Smith has played 24 World Cup matches since his debut in 2011. In these, he has scored 834 runs at an average of 46.33, with one century and eight fifties in 20 innings, with the best score of 105. He is the eighth-highest run-scorer for Australia in WC history.
The 2015 CWC was the highest point of Smith’s ODI career. In the eight matches he played, he scored 402 runs at an average of 67.00, with one century and four half-centuries and best score of 105. This included a match-winning century against India in the semis and a match-winning half-century against New Zealand in the finals. He was the sixth-highest run-scorer in the tournament and Australia’s leading run-scorer.
This year, however, Smith has not had much ODI match practice. He has played only two innings in three matches, scoring 22 runs at an average of 11.00, with the best score of 22. He will be looking forward to improving and adding to these stats in India.
Joe Root
Joe Root is up next. In 161 ODIs, he has scored 6,217 runs at an average of 48.95. He has scored 16 centuries and 36 fifties in 150 innings, with the best score of 133*. He is England’s second-highest ODI run-scorer, next to Eoin Morgan (6,957 runs).
Since his WC debut in 2015, he has represented England in 17 WC matches, scoring 758 runs at an average of 54.14 in 16 innings, with three centuries and three fifties. His best score in WC is 121. Behind the legendary Graham Gooch (897 runs in 21 innings), he is England’s second-highest run-scorer in WC history.
Root’s finest moment of his ODI career came in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, when his team lifted their maiden title. In 11 matches, he scored 556 runs in 11 innings at an average of 61.77, with two centuries and three fifties. He had the best score of 107. Root ended as the fifth-highest run-scorer in the tournament and as England’s leading batter too.
This year, Root has played only three ODIs, scoring only 10 runs. This tournament will be his opportunity to roar out loud in his side’s title defence.
Kane Williamson
Lastly, let us look at Kane Williamson. In 161 ODI matches, he has scored 6,554 runs at an average of 47.83. He scored 13 centuries and 42 fifties in 153 innings, with the best score of 148. He is the fifth-highest ODI run-scorer for New Zealand.
Ever since his World Cup debut in 2011, he has scored 911 runs in 23 matches and 22 innings at an average of 56.93, with two centuries and three fifties. His best score is 148. He is NZ’s fourth-highest run-scorer in WC history, behind Martin Guptill (995 runs), Ross Taylor (1002 runs) and Stephen Fleming (1,075 runs).
The 2019 World Cup is Williamson’s high point in ODIs. In 10 matches, he scored 578 runs at an average of 82.57. He scored two centuries and two fifties, with the best score of 148. He was the fourth-highest run-maker in the tournament and NZ’s best batter. This earned him the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award, but he could not win the World Cup since a tie in regular time at finals and then in Super Over led to his side losing the match on the basis of boundary count “by the barest of margins”.
In three matches this year, he has scored 164 runs at an average of 54.66, with two fifties and best score of 85. Williamson, who has gained full fitness after suffering an injury during IPL 2023, will be keen to be at his best during the marquee event in India. (ANI)
Not only will women’s international players earn the same match fees as their male counterparts, but the women’s domestic leagues will also be professional…reports Asian Lite News
South Africa have become the latest country to provide equal pay across genders, after they announced their male and female cricketers would receive the same match fees for international matches.
The Proteas join New Zealand and India as countries to have previously revealed pay parity across the genders and comes on the back of the landmark announcement from the ICC earlier this year that saw equal prize money for men’s and women’s teams at ICC events.
Leading figures from cricket across the country gathered in Tshwane on Tuesday to announce an updated structure to their domestic women’s competition and equal pay for both male and female players at international level.
The changes to match fees for South Africa’s women’s cricketers will commence next month when they travel to Pakistan for a six-match white-ball tour against the Asian side.
The latest development from South Africa comes on the back of a highly successful 18 months for the national women’s team, which saw them reach the semifinals of the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 and then make it all the way through to the final when hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup at the start of this year.
Not only will women’s international players earn the same match fees as their male counterparts, but the women’s domestic leagues will also be professional.
The new domestic structure takes its framework from the existing 16-team, two-tier set-up, which is divided into a top six and a bottom ten, with the latter being split into two groups of five each with a promotion-relegation system in place.
Top six teams will now be allowed to contract up to 11 players – five more than the previous six that were allowed – and will also be able to add more full-time coaches and support staff to their set-up.
The top six teams will compete in a 50-over and a 20-over competition, with the shortest-format matches likely to be played on the same days as the men’s competition to increase visibility.
“The professionalisation of the women’s domestic structure aims to elevate the women’s cricketing landscape by providing a platform for local talent to shine, fostering a culture of sporting excellence, while inspiring the next generation of players,” Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki said.
“With the success of South African cricket on the global stage, we believe that this will be a stepping stone for local talent, creating an environment that fosters growth, resilience, and a deep love for the sport.
“Professionalising the women’s domestic structure has been met with enthusiasm from fans, players, and sponsors alike. We call on brands to continue showing their support for women’s cricket, recognising the league’s potential to redefine the narrative around women in sports in the country,” he added.
Making its debut on January 13 (2023), the inaugural DP World ILT20 promises to be a high-octane competition with some of the greatest cricketing superstars on the planet set to make their way to the UAE to kick-off the league. The league will be played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
The UAE is gearing up to host the next mega sporting event in the Middle East. The inaugural season of the DP World International League T20 will be held across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in January-February 2023.
The Dubai Capitals will be in action in the opening match of the tournament against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium following the opening ceremony on 13 January 2023.
Making its debut on January 13 (2023), the inaugural DP World ILT20 promises to be a high-octane competition with some of the greatest cricketing superstars on the planet set to make their way to the UAE to kick-off the league. The league will be played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
The cricketers around the world and especially the UAE players are eager to showcase their talent in the historic event. Top-order batter Chirag Suri, who has scored 817 runs in 31 T20s for the UAE, feels his place in the Dubai Capitals’ squad was meant to be, “When I was picked up by the Dubai Capitals, I thought this was a match made in heaven, because I was born in Delhi and now the Capitals, who have a franchise in Delhi (IPL) are in Dubai. So it was just meant to be for me.”
Suri, who was a part of the Gujarat Lions squad in IPL 2017, further added, “I used to play on the streets and playgrounds of Delhi with family and friends and I continued to play cricket in Dubai when I moved here around 20 years ago. We love the cricket culture in Dubai. The game is growing here and we are getting better. I am super excited that the DP World ILT20 is happening. It’s a great platform for all the cricketers around the world.”
Dubai Capitals’ Jash Giyanani
Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Jash Giyanani, who played in the ICC U19 World Cup earlier this year, shared his excitement about playing for the Dubai Capitals in the DP World ILT20, “It took a little time to sink in when I got to know that I was picked by the Dubai Capitals. I was really happy when I got the news. I am thankful and grateful for the opportunity.”
Franchise teams, comprising over 100 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Knight Riders Group), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).
Cricket fans across the world can catch the LIVE telecast of this exciting cricket league on ZEE’s linear channels, digital platform, Zee5 as well as Zee Cinema SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema, &Pictures HD, &Flix SD, &Flix HD, Zee Zest SD, Zee Zest HD, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Thirai, and on CricLife across the UAE and MENA regions.
This was their sixth defeat in eight matches and they remained in 9th place. Punjab Kings were placed sixth with eight points from eight matches…reports Asian Lite News
A clinical bowling performance after a fighting unbeaten 88 by seasoned opener Shikhar Dhawan helped Punjab Kings subdue Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs in Match 38 of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
Dhawan carried his bat as he scored an unbeaten 88 off 59 deliveries, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes and shared a 110-run partnership with Bhanuka Rajapaksa to guide Punjab Kings to a competitive 187/4 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
Kagiso Rabada (2/23), Rishi Dhawan (2/39) and Arshdeep Singh (1/23) bowled superbly as they denied Chennai Super Kings many chances in the last four overs.
Chennai Super Kings had reached a good position thanks to Ambati Rayudu, who blazed to 78 of 39 balls and had taken Chennai from 40/3 to a stage when they needed 47 off 24 deliveries. But Rabada cleaned up Rayudu with a superb yorker and Arshdeep bowled a superb 19th over, leaving Chennai Super Kings needing 27 off the final six deliveries.
Despite the presence of MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, Chennai Super Kings fell short by 11 runs, ending up with 176/6 off their 20 overs.
This was their sixth defeat in eight matches and they remained in 9th place. Punjab Kings were placed sixth with eight points from eight matches.
Chasing a target of 188 set by Punjab Kings largely boosted by a brilliant 88 not out by Shikhar Dhawan, Chennai were in trouble soon
Rayudu came in to bat with Chennai struggling at 40/3 and took them to safety with a blazing 78 off 39 balls, hitting seven fours and 6 sixes to raise hopes for a CSK victory. He raised 64 runs off 32 deliveries for the fifth wicket partnership.
But in the end, Jadeja (21 off 16 balls) could not guide his team to victory as from needing 47 off 24 balls, they reached a stage where they needed 27 off the last six deliveries with Jadeja and M.S Dhoni at the crease.
Dhoni struck Rishi Dhawan for a six off the first ball but was out off the third legal delivery and Jadeja could manage only a six and a single off the final two deliveries as CSK slumped to their sixth defeat in eight matches — ending with 176/6 in 20 overs.
Chennai got off to a poor start and lost opener Robin Uthappa with 10 runs on the board, top-edging a length ball by Sandeep Sharma to Shikhar Dhawan. It soon became 40/3 as Mitchell Santner (9) and Shivam Dube (8) got out cheaply.
But just when it looked like they will suffer a collapse, Rayudu got together with the other opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad to pull them out of the woods. Both Rayudu and Gaikwad started cautiously but struck some fine boundaries on the right occasions to keep Chennai’s hope alive.
They added 49 runs for the fourth wicket and just when it was looking like they will raise the tempo, Gaikwad, who despatched Rabada to the boundaries off successive deliveries in the first over, was out, caught by Mayank Agarwal while trying to hit Rabada for a second successive four in the 13th over.
Rayudu however, kept up the good work. He struck Sandeep Sharma for fours off successive deliveries as the bowler strayed on legs and blasted Rahul Charar for a four and a six in the 15th over before hammering Sandeep Sharma for 23 runs in the 16th over, blasting three sixes and a four.
He and skipper Ravindra Jadeja raised 64 runs for the fifth wicket in 32 balls, Rayudu doing the bulk of the scoring. He got out just when it looked he was good for a century, cleaned up by Rabada with a superb yorker backing away from the leg side but missing the ball completely to see his leg stump re-arranged. Rayudu’s brilliant 78 off 39 balls left CSK needing 47 off 24 balls.
Shikhar Dhawan carried his bat through as he scored an unbeaten 88 off 59 deliveries, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes as he helped Punjab Kings to 187/4 after they were asked to bat first by Chennai Super Kings skipper Ravindra Jadeja.
After he lost his opening partner and skipper Mayank Agarwal (18) with the score reading 37, Dhawan found a willing partner in Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa as they raised 110 runs for the second wicket partnership off 71 deliveries, setting the platform for PBKS’s late assault.
The former India opener despatched Mukesh Choudhary for two superb boundaries off successive deliveries and repeated the act a ball later, shuffling across the stumps and chipping away a delivery sent down the leg side as he completed his half-century in 37 deliveries, hitting five fours and one six.
He also struck Dwayne Bravo for two successive fours the first off a free-hit after the West Indian bowler landed the first delivery of his over outside the return crease outside off attempting to bowl a wide yorker. In the 19th over, the Delhi opener struck Pretorius for a neat four over short fine leg and also planted Bravo into the stands over the short leg-side boundary for a six, helping Punjab Kings to a good total.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 187/4 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 88 not out, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 42; Dwayne Bravo 2/42) beat Chennai Super Kings 176/6 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 30, Ambati Rayudu 78, Ravindra Jadeja 21 not out; Kagiso Rabada 2/23, Rishi Dhawan 2/39) by 11 runs.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has previously called for Ponting to get the job. He told the Daily Mail, “For me, there is no finer brain in cricket at the moment than Ricky Ponting, who reads the game so well…reports Asian Lite News
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is reportedly being targeted to coach England’s Test team.
The Australian legend Ponting is currently working as head coach with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals.
Rob Key, the former Kent and England batter who subsequently forged a successful career in broadcasting, has been appointed by the ECB as its new managing director of England men’s cricket.
According to a report published by The Times, Ponting is ‘high on Key’s list of targets for Test coach’ along with former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten. The report also states that Sri Lanka legend Mahela Jayawardene, who has extensive coaching experience on the franchise circuit with the likes of Mumbai Indians in the IPL and Southern Brave in The Hundred, is ‘likely to be approached to coach the white-ball team’, reports mirror.co.uk.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has previously called for Ponting to get the job. He told the Daily Mail, “For me, there is no finer brain in cricket at the moment than Ricky Ponting, who reads the game so well.
“The new coach has to be someone the players’ respect; the dressing room has been a bit too nice in recent years. And, my goodness, if the batters in that England team aren’t going to listen to what Ponting has to say about technique, then why are they playing the game?
“Not all greats of the game become good coaches because they’re not sure how to get their message across. Ponting doesn’t have that problem,” Hussain had said.
“But because I can’t see him wanting to commit to a year-round gig — if he wants to commit at all — then we have to split the role. And there’s no reason why Paul Collingwood can’t be in charge of the white-ball team.”
Bravo and Malinga are followed by Amit Mishra (166), Piyush Chawla (157) and Harbhajan Singh (150) in IPL’s all-time leading wicket-takers’ list in top five…reports Asian Lite News
Adding another feather to his cap, Chennai Super Kings’ all-rounder Dwayne Bravo on Thursday became the all-time highest wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League.
The 38-year-old achieved the historic feat during the IPL 2022 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Bravo, who was tied with Malinga at the top spot with 170 wickets, dismissed Deepak Hooda in the 18th over of Lucknow’s chase to break the former Mumbai Indians’ bowler’s record.
The West Indian cricketer now has 171 wickets to his name in 153 IPL matches. On the other hand, Malinga had taken 170 wickets in 122 matches. Earlier, he picked up 3 for 20 off his 4 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener to draw level with Malinga.
Bravo and Malinga are followed by Amit Mishra (166), Piyush Chawla (157) and Harbhajan Singh (150) in IPL’s all-time leading wicket-takers’ list in top five.
Notably, Bravo also leads the charts for most wickets in all T20 cricket. In 524 matches from 2006, Bravo has taken 575 wickets at an average of 24.08.
Before this tour, South Africa had never lost to Bangladesh at home in 20 years…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh registered their maiden ODI series win in South Africa, after sealing it 2-1 when they beat the host by nine wickets in the third and final match, here on Wednesday.
Taskin Ahmed’s first five-wicket haul (5/35) in eight years helped Bangladesh bowl out South Africa for 154. Janneman Malan (39 off 56) and Keshav Maharaj (28 off 39) were the top-scorers for the Proteas.
In reply, skipper Tamim Iqbal (c) smashed a fine unbeaten fifty (87 off 82) as Bangladesh chased down the target in only 26.3 overs. Apart from Tamim, Liton Das (48 off 57) and Shakib Al Hasan (18 not out off 20) also played valuable knocks while Keshav Maharaj (1/36 picked the only wicket for South Africa.
Before this tour, South Africa had never lost to Bangladesh at home in 20 years.
The 2-1 series loss also dents South Africa’s progress towards automatic qualification to the 2023 World Cup, given they are down in ninth place on the ODI Super League points table.
Brief scores: South Africa 154 in 37 overs (Janneman Malan 39, Keshav Maharaj 28; Taskin Ahmed 5-35) lost to Bangladesh 156/1 in 26.3 overs (Tamim Iqbal 87 not out, Liton Das 48) by 9 wickets.
