Abdullah Al Mehdi

Argentina and Lionel Messi face Murat Yakin's Switzerland in what promises to be a sterner test for the defending champions than any they have encountered so far in the tournament.

For Argentina, it is becoming inevitable. Messi happened when the World Cup dream was on the brink of ending for the defending champions.

It was a blockbuster drama that may have been headlined by the icons, but was ultimately decided by an ensemble of supporting cast.

If they are still defined by pragmatism, that pragmatism comes from this France team’s togetherness, wrought in liquid gold.

Lionel Messi looked down, a grin widening into a grimace. One wonders whether there was even a smirk after the miss. Nowhere close to what could be termed a good penalty, he wore the look of a man who knew he was overthinking.

One pass to find him. One drop of the shoulder to leave them grasping at straws. And one touch to burst into space and bend the game to his will. It was all Argentina needed.

Rana is a sensation unlike any before in Bangladesh cricket.

The first thing that stands out about Lamine Yamal is not flair, nor is it raw skill or a penchant for trying the unobvious. It is the calm -- an eerie, composed serenity that completely belies his age.

Mosaddek Hossain, averaging 77.5 and scoring at a strike rate of 129 in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, has been rewarded with an ODI call-up after almost four years. Ahead of his selection for Bangladesh's first two ODIs of the upcoming three-match series against Australia, the all-rounder talked about the difficulties of batting in the lower middle order and struggles during an interview with The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi. The excerpts are as follows: 

Unlike the preceding election during Aminul Islam Bulbul’s tenure, there was no strict requirement this time to nominate councillors from ad hoc committees.

Pace is power in Test cricket, and Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto is beginning to reap its rewards. With Bangladesh’s 104-run win over Pakistan in the first Test in Mirpur, Shanto equalled Mushfiqur Rahim as the captain with the most Test wins for the Tigers, with seven victories.

Rana getting the old ball to talk had even surprised his captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das.

Aggression is one thing, but controlled aggression is a different kind of menace. Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto’s century against Pakistan on Friday in Mirpur on Day 1 of the first of two Tests, part of the World Test Championship, was a perfect example of the latter.

Ball by ball, step by step, Rana was pure bliss to watch at the Mirpur practice nets on Tuesday.

The fuller delivery, like the short ones, created surprise, with some deliveries striking the bat rather than the bat meeting it.

Shanto spoke about navigating that lean phase, whether stepping away from captaincy influenced his batting and more, in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi.

Will Young was among the more experienced players in an otherwise inexperienced New Zealand ODI squad that suffered a 2-1 defeat in the recently concluded three-match series against hosts Bangladesh. Arriving in Bangladesh after a successful tour of India, Young and his side encountered tougher batting conditions and a hostile pace attack. The New Zealand number three spoke about the conditions, Bangladesh’s bowling threats, and more in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi. The excerpts are as follows:

“There are no warm-up balls -- he's always on the money from ball one.” That was how New Zealand’s standout batter on the day, Nick Kelly, summed up Nahid Rana’s performance in Mirpur yesterday.

Bangladesh batter Soumya Sarkar looked in sublime touch during yesterday afternoon’s practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, timing the ball sweetly in the nets alongside Afif Hossain and Saif Hassan.

While it appeared that the club crisis was at an end after Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) held a meeting with councillors from the revolting clubs on Thursday, even setting a tentative date for the start of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), it now seems like there are a few loose ends that need to be tied up.