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Articles by Shabab Chowdhury
Faruque, Bulbul pressured, Tamim spared: Cricketers' BPL double standards?
Expect the unexpected. This has become something of an unofficial motto of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). From U-turns and limping logic to claims of “following a process” that contradicts the process itself, little can surprise us anymore. Take the case of Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), an association supposedly formed to protect players’ interests but which has now found itself in the spotlight.
The 'khep' question Bangladesh football needs to address
Several national footballers have come under fire for taking part in ‘khep’ outings earlier this week. Much of the public discourse has centred on how playing in these local matches undermines the reputation of established national players who represent Bangladesh on the international stage. But under the weight of that scrutiny, another question has emerged, that is do these footballers actually have any contractual or legal obligation barring them from doing so?
Why Glasner chose the Marinakis gamble
It was a surprise when Oliver Glasner was revealed as the new Nottingham Forest manager last month. After a successful spell at Crystal Palace, the 51-year-old Austrian seemed to have set his sights on Europe. Very few would have expected him to end up at Forest, considering the tumultuous nature of the job and the presence of Evangelos Marinakis, a notoriously combustible owner who had gone through four managers at the club in less than 12 months. And yet, here Glasner is.
Why Arsenal were so keen to sign Guimaraes
After weeks of speculation, Arsenal have finally landed one of the standout signings of the summer, swooping in for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes for a reported £75 million fee. It is a statement signing in every sense. Fresh from ending their 22-year wait for the Premier League title, Mikel Arteta had made one thing crystal clear, that is Arsenal could not afford to stand still.
Danny Welbeck: Chelsea’s fox in the box fix
Danny Welbeck to Chelsea is a transfer that needs to be talked about. The 35-year-old striker completed a reported £5 million move from Brighton on Sunday, signing a two-year deal at Stamford Bridge. On the surface, it appears to be a somewhat surprising move for a player in his mid 30s. Scratch beneath that surface, however, and it begins to make more sense.
Vini to Arsenal? : Dream deal, distant reality
How close is Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior to becoming an Arsenal player? When renowned journalist David Ornstein first revealed that Arsenal were exploring the possibility of signing the Brazilian a few days ago, it immediately sent shockwaves through the football world.
Beyond the clean sheets: How Golden Glove winner Simon became Spain's silent hero
After Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón collected the Golden Glove following La Roja's 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in Monday's World Cup final in New York, there was little debate over whether he deserved to be recognised as the tournament's best goalkeeper. What followed instead was a debate over what exactly the award had recognised.
The myth surrounding Argentina’s victimhood
Which team suffered the most at this World Cup? Ask that question and you'll quickly find yourself drowning in conspiracy theories. On one side stand the 2022 World Cup champions and three-time winners Argentina, proudly holding up pamphlets bearing the slogan "Us against the world" in bold red. On the other stand, well, the representatives of the other 47 teams at the tournament.
A supporting cast of defining moments
For much of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina's journey has appeared to rest on the timeless brilliance of Lionel Messi. Yet, as the defending champions stand one game away from retaining their crown, it has become increasingly clear that Lionel Scaloni's side have found heroes beyond their captain. The Albiceleste's 2-1 comeback win over England in yesterday's semifinal was another reminder that while Messi remains the orchestra's conductor, others are now playing the defining notes.
Now or never in Atlanta
It is now or never. If a World Cup semifinal is not reason enough to hit top gear, very few things are. That is the level both teams will hope to reach when defending champions Argentina face England in Atlanta tonight (1:00 am Bangladesh time). The two most battle-hardened sides of this edition meet in a contest carrying layers of history -- the 1982 Falklands War, Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” in 1986, and heated World Cup battles in 1998 and 2002.
Playing with fire as Red Devils chase Spain upset
What do you need to turn fortunes around in a tournament? World-class talent and a great coach, among many things. But sometimes all you need is a little chaos to reignite the fire within. Sometimes all you need is to play with a chip on your shoulder. That, perhaps, is what Belgium have found. A serious attitude adjustment has brought their game up to speed and turned their campaign around.
The night Ser Dan the Tall answered the call
What is a World Cup if not a collection of stories to remember? The making of fairy tales, the emergence of the unlikeliest heroes, and the crushing weight of the harshest realities, all mixed into one cauldron, brewing stories to be remembered for a lifetime. And some of the most memorable stories come out of the most gruelling battles.
Quiet Haaland might be Brazil's loudest warning
There were long spells in Dallas yesterday when Erling Haaland appeared to be little more than a spectator in Norway’s 2-1 Round of 32 win over Ivory Coast. He drifted between Ivory Coast's centre-backs, made run after run and repeatedly watched the ball go elsewhere. For much of the match, the world's most feared striker was reduced to a peripheral figure. Yet that is precisely what makes Haaland so dangerous. Football has learned that Haaland does not need to dominate a match to decide it.
England get the job done but puzzles remain unsolved
England got the job done, but they will not earn extra points for style after a grafting 2-0 victory over Panama in their final Group L match at the FIFA World Cup in New Jersey yesterday. Jude Bellingham starred with a goal and an assist for Harry Kane, whose strike took him past Gary Lineker's 11 goals to become England's all-time leading World Cup scorer. England finished top of the group and will face DR Congo in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.
'Hey Jude', England will be fine
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad; take a sad song and make it better." Paul McCartney's iconic Hey Jude remains one of the great anthems of comfort and encouragement. At its heart lies a simple message. Move forward, overcome disappointment, and turn a negative into a positive. That is exactly the song England need after their frustrating goalless draw against Ghana in Group L of the FIFA World Cup in Boston yesterday. Yes, it was disappointing. Yes, it was frustrating.
The shackles are off for England
Yes, England fans had to endure a few nervy moments during their Group L opener at the FIFA World Cup in Arlington yesterday, but by the end of the night they left fully satisfied as Thomas Tuchel's men put four past Croatia in an emphatic 4-2 victory. Amid a host of positives and a few reminders of lingering defensive frailties, the biggest takeaway was simple. This England side was fun, proactive and, among the tournament's traditional heavyweights, one of the most entertaining so far.
Cape Verde withstand Spanish inquisition
It was as if the Spanish Armada had descended upon Atlanta Stadium on Monday, where reigning European champions Spain took on World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener widely billed as one of the biggest mismatches of the tournament.
Bouaddi announces himself
When the announcement of the player of the match came, a few eyebrows were raised. Many felt the award should have gone to Morocco's 18-year-old midfield sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi instead of Brazil's Vinicius Junior after a pulsating 1-1 draw in New Jersey on Sunday.
Immigration, border policy testing USA's credentials as World Cup host
As the curtain rises on the 2026 FIFA World Cup tonight, the United States appears to be competing for an altogether different title -- one of the most inhospitable hosts in the tournament's history. Its hardline immigration and border-control policies stand in direct contradiction to FIFA's long-promoted ideals of inclusivity, anti-discrimination and "football for all".
Thriving in purgatory: The state of football’s most romanticised formation
Two banks of flat fours with two centre-forwards leading the line. What is there to not get? Simple, isn’t it? Most may agree with that verdict about football’s most romanticised formula -- the 4-4-2 formation -- which brought upon tidal shifts and was the way to play for the best part of four decades, offering some of the most iconic sides in world football.
'Your vote has already been cast': A Dhaka-13 voter's shock at the polls
Like every eager young voter, there I was in my relaxed baggy fit, standing in line to cast my ballot in the 13th national election in my constituency -- Dhaka-13 -- this afternoon. Amid what appeared to be a healthy voter turnout, I was told the dreaded words no voter should ever hear: “Your vote has already been cast.” A polling agent informed me after I confidently provided my voting serial number -- obtained through the Smart Election BD app.
Challenging times for Pakistan’s heavyweights in Big Bash
This season of the Big Bash League has been a sobering exercise for three of Pakistan’s marquee cricketers. Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi arrived in Australia armed with heavyweight reputations and vast T20 expertise but what followed instead has been a humbling experience. Rizwan and Shaheen endured their blushes earlier in the tournament. On Friday, it was Babar’s turn to join the club.
Senior-treatment compromises auction integrity
Twelve years -- that's how long the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) went without an auction. And with unexpected surprises, unprecedented requests, and an overall underwhelming foreign-player pool, Sunday's return to the auction table was, in many ways, reflective of the BPL's fragile reputation.
Very upset with Shamim’s batting: Litton
Litton Das did something uncharacteristic of a Bangladesh captain after his side's 16-run defeat in the first T20I of the three-match series against the West Indies in Chattogram on Monday. He spoke his mind. At the post-match presentation, the skipper did not hide behind the usual diplomatic lines. Instead, he voiced frustration at Shamim Hossain's reckless batting. "On the batting side, I think we lost too many wickets in the Powerplay. I was very upset regarding Shamim Hossain's batting.
Cabrera at a crossroads
Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera finds himself at a defining crossroads, blessed with a momentous opportunity to shape the very future of the country's football. The Spaniard has been entrusted with the golden chance to manage the national team at a juncture standing on the rebirth of Bangladesh football, fuelled by the arrival of Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, and several other high-quality expats.
‘You get what you deserve’: Hong Kong coach reflects on Dhaka ‘rollercoaster’
For a few fleeting minutes on Thursday night at the National Stadium, it felt like Bangladesh might just pull off something special. But football, as ever, can be cruel. Star midfielder Hamza Choudhury sank to his knees at full-time, looking skyward in disbelief, perhaps wondering how a performance so full of courage and effort still ended in heartbreak.
Seven-goal thriller ends in heartbreak for Bangladesh
Star man Hamza Choudhury found the net and Canada-based midfielder Shamit Shome struck in extra time, but Bangladesh failed to get the better of Hong Kong, China, losing 4-3 in an entertaining AFC Asian Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium today. Raphael Merkies made a hat-trick with a last-minute strike to silence the home crowd. The defeat leaves Bangladesh's hopes of progressing in disarray, with two defeats and a draw meaning they have just one point so far.
Saif the improved one
Bangladesh batter Saif Hassan has done what many of his peers could not. He stepped away from the national fold, returned stronger, and finally proved himself ready for the demands of international cricket. After registering binary digits in his first two T20Is against Pakistan in 2021, just months after an underwhelming Test debut, it seemed the international arena was too daunting for the then 21-year-old.
Can Chelsea's Brazilian core shape Ancelotti era?
The samba beat may be Brazilian, but its rhythm this season is pulsing prominently from West London. So, Brazil fans hop in. There is a lot to get excited about this season. And for that, the Selecao loyalists would have to tune in to Chelsea games. Plus it wouldn't be surprising to even see Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti in the stands at Stamford Bridge, gauging his player pool.
DSP Siraj issues series-deciding speeding ticket to England's Bazball
Mohammad Siraj wears his heart on his sleeve. Charging in with purpose, draped in India's whites, he doesn't just bowl -- he barrels in, undeterred by conditions, expectations, or reputations. Bazball? That turbocharged English ideology of fearless batting barely registered on his radar and was the least of his worries, it seemed. If anything, it was a challenge he relished.
Target over 150 the biggest fear for Tigers
If problems in Bangladesh cricket was turned into a book, it definitely would have separate chapters for sluggish strike-rates, batting collapses, finishing abilities, and predictable modus operandi. Joining the index on that list of chapters would also be the discernible inability to chase 150 or more in the shortest format of the game. Chasing down big scores and the Bangladesh cricket team are like oil and water –- they do not mix. The Tigers suffer from megalophobia –- they fear large targets.
Chelsea's blueprint silences the noise
People riding the Paris-Saint Germain wave were far from prepared for what transpired on Sunday night. It was uncomfortable, and even perhaps upsetting, for all who have been entranced by Luis Enrique's revived PSG project centred around youth, as Chelsea rocked the world and put an end to the Parisians' incredible run this season -- a marauding campaign that saw them win every competition they have been in up until the just-concluded inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.
Want to play high-risk, high-reward football? Better have Rupna ‘The Eagle’ Chakma
She stands at just a little over five feet, but when the Bangladesh No. 1 spreads her wings, the entire box feels covered. While much of the spotlight in Bangladesh's historic AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers run has fallen on Peter Butler's high-octane system, the flurry of goals, and the back-to-back wins over higher-ranked Bahrain and Myanmar, the player keeping it all glued together has flown under the radar: Rupna Chakma.
Bulbul's Advisory Committee clouded in questions
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul's three-member Advisory Committee has attracted a lot of criticism as the nomination of its members has not been in line with the board's constitution. It was the president's preference in appointing advisors for unconventional and even unprecedented roles that raised questions.
Living in orthodoxy: Rishad needs to rethink his MO
Wed Jun 4, 2025 01:54 AM Last update on: Wed Jun 4, 2025 02:29 AM Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain needs to go back to the drawing board and rethink how he wants to win games for the Tigers. Because what he has been dishing out in Bangladesh’s consecutive T20I tours of the UAE and Pakistan has been nothing short of ordinary. In the UAE tour in which he played two matches, he picked up three wickets at an economy of 7.50.
Living in orthodoxy: Rishad needs to rethink his MO
Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain needs to go back to the training ground and rethink how he wants to win games for the Tigers. Because what he has been dishing out in Bangladesh's consecutive T20I tours of the UAE and Pakistan has been nothing short of ordinary. In the UAE tour in which he played two matches, he picked up three wickets at an economy of 7.50.
How will team management justify Shanto's inclusion?
The UAE series beginning Saturday will provide an answer as to how Bangladesh actually see themselves in the shortest format -- a side that goes with a progressive mindset or a side that quivers and goes back to the shell of insecurity. Much of that conversation centres around Najmul Hossain Shanto, who recently stepped down from captaincy, handing the reins to Liton Das.
Experience used as an excuse: BCB reverting to status quo?
Reporters present during the Bangladesh squad announcement in Mirpur yesterday, ahead of the upcoming T20I series against the UAE and Pakistan, may have felt a strong sense of deja vu. The proceedings bore a striking resemblance to the methods of the previous selection panel, led by Minhajul Abedin Nannu.
Does Shanto warrant a place in Bangladesh’s T20 side?
Did captaincy shield Najmul Hossain Shanto's descent into anonymity in the T20 format? Shanto was appointed Bangladesh's all-format captain in February 2024, and eight months later, he notified the board that he wanted to relinquish his duties as the Tigers' T20I skipper. Bangladesh are slated to play 16 T20Is against the UAE, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup. An additional six matches against the West Indies and Ireland will follow.
Tamim labels Taijul as ‘world’s most underrated bowler’: Is it true?
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal labelled Taijul Islam as "the most underrated bowler in the world at the moment" after the left-arm spinner claimed his 16th five-wicket haul on Day 1 of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Chattogram on Monday. Taijul's five-for helped reduce Zimbabwe to 227-9 at stumps after they opted to bat first. "Look at the stats of the other current bowlers and you will understand my opinion.
Muzarabani wins battle of pacers
Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani stood tall and won the battle against the much-hyped pace unit of Bangladesh in the first Test in Sylhet. Much of the talk from the Bangladesh camp was about their pace sensation Nahid Rana, and how he could dismantle batters with sheer pace.
Broadcast difficulties, abysmal on-field display: Is BCB picking up on the warning signs?
Exasperated sighs, brooding stares, and hands on hips were perhaps the common responses as people tuned into the state-run BTV channel late afternoon on Sunday. Bangladesh put on a display of how not to start Day 1 of a Test match, against low-ranked Zimbabwe at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Once again, the Tigers dished out an unpromising brand of cricket, which, albeit, is nothing far from the usual.
Payments, boundary size, suspicions headline BPL's Chattogram phase
"No more cricketing questions? Surely boys, there's like 17 of you in here," Durbar Rajshahi all-rounder Ryan Burl quipped at a post-match press conference in Chattogram yesterday after navigating through a barrage of questions about player payments. Burl played a match-winning hand with the ball, with figures of 4-22, as Rajshahi managed to put a stop to Rangpur Riders' juggernaut-like run with a 24-run win at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Is this it for Shakib?
"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry," is a line penned by Scottish poet Robert Burns around 250 years ago. It was the poet's personal take on how even the most meticulously planned scenarios get overturned by the cruel hand of fate.
Arne slots right in as Liverpool soar
The Flying Dutchman – the infamous supernatural ghost ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean -- daunting if one looks at its reputation, yet relentless in its endeavors in wreaking havoc across the seas. Such has been the impact of Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot across competitions.
Time to step out of stalwarts’ shadows
There is little room for Bangladesh's young players to hide behind the curtains, with the majority of their stalwarts out of action for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting today in St Kitts (7:30pm, BST).
Farooqi threat looms over Tigers’ left-handed top-order
If you are a left-handed top-order Bangladesh batter, you would not like the sight of Afghanistan's left-handed pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi steaming in at you with the new ball. Just ask former ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal – Bangladesh's highest run-getter in the format – who was tormented and humbled down to the ground by Farooqi in a three-match series in Chattogram in 2022.
Has Faruque let ego take over in Hathurusingha’s sacking?
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed has made a meal manoeuvring the removal of national team head coach Chandika Hathursingha. Faruque announced at a press conference in Mirpur on Tuesday the suspension of Hathurusingha on disciplinary grounds, mentioning two reasons -- the first being misconduct centering around the alleged assault on a player during the 2023 ODI World Cup, while the second is his exceeding of the allotted period of leave.
Hectic schedule pushing players to breaking point
A tipping point has seemingly been reached in world football's increasingly hectic schedule, as evidenced by the several high-profile injuries in recent weeks leading up to the latest FIFA window. In a cruel twist of fate, Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who cautioned the players about going on strike due to intense workloads in mid-September, was sidelined for the rest of the 2024-25 season following an ACL injury a week later.
Veteran or liability? Mahmudullah’s inclusion does not add up
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain" is an iconic dialogue from The Dark Knight, a popular film from the Batman series. In essence, it resonates enormously with what veteran Mahmudullah Riyad has become for Bangladesh cricket in the 20-over format. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his inclusion, the 38-year-old was named in the 15-member squad announced for the upcoming three-match T20I series against India, starting in Gwalior on October 6.
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