Nabid Yeasin

France’s Kylian Mbappe is set to meet his good friend Achraf Hakimi once again at this World Cup. But this rendezvous is definitely going to be very different than their first meet-up which was at the team hotel of Morocco in downtown Doha where the France forward paid his Paris Saint-Germain teammate a visit just about a week ago.

When Cristiano Ronaldo walked down the tunnel in tears at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday, it must have felt surreal for millions of his and Portugal fans around the globe.

This World Cup was promised to be the ‘best-ever’ by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and that sentiment was echoed by different quarters, with the chief reason behind the assumption being all the innovation that this edition of the showpiece event in Qatar was set to offer.

For over 15 years, the footballing world has been split in two. It had become almost impossible to not compare the genius of two players christened by each’s fanbase as the greatest of all time, fondly abbreviated to ‘GOATS’: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Bangladesh team management is probably experiencing a very rare phase as of late. There is no doubting its claim that the Tigers have enjoyed their ‘best-ever T20 World Cup campaign’ in Australia this year.

Unpredictable -- it is the one word that could historically define Pakistan when it comes to cricket.

Bangladesh went to the UAE for the Asia Cup following a lot of chaos and drama and with a number of unresolved issues.

“They won everything except the Cup! Beware world, Bangladesh is the new terror!” The great Brian Lara had thusly cautioned the world through Facebook after Bangladesh’s agonising two-run defeat against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup final.

Despite abysmal recent form, turmoil in the leadership and the fact that Bangladesh need to 'start taking baby steps in T20s' as skipper Shakib Al Hasan admitted, the Tigers are still one of the contenders going into the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE.

When it comes purely to cricket, the star all-rounder has dominated almost every side he has played against over the years. But off the field, Shakib's favourite opposition to have a go at is apparently the very organisation that signs his paycheck, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Cristiano Ronaldo is a name that is synonymous with goals, success, records and trophies. For a player that has had such magnitude of success during a footballing career spanning almost two decades largely due to sheer determination, it is difficult to find his ultimate goals out of focus.

Bangladesh succumbing to their 100th Test defeat with a 10-wicket loss against West Indies on Monday was the piece of news that apparently garnered the most attention of the fans, mostly because it provided an opportunity to indulge in jibes over social media at the expense of Bangladesh cricket.

Technological advancement has aided all forms of sports worldwide. While the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) has seen the rate of errors made in matches drop down significantly and also provided a clarity to players and viewers alike, its effectiveness still depends highly on the refined decision-making from the cricketers out on the field.

The horrific memories of the 2021 T20 World Cup must still be fresh in the Bangladesh cricketers’ minds. In that edition, the Tigers’ tongues wagged more than their willows bashed.

Bangladesh lost yet another Test series at home. The 10-wicket mauling by a fairly inexperienced Sri Lankan side on the final day of the second Test in Mirpur yesterday meant that the Tigers have now lost all the five Test series played against Sri Lanka at home, including the 1-0 series defeat in the latest one. 

How will things turn out in Paris tonight? The culmination of arguably the most captivating Champions League season in recent memory is set to be staged at the Stade de France with two of the most decorated clubs in history -- Real Madrid and Liverpool -- fighting for the ultimate glory.

If anything is constant in this modern era, it is the need for continuous adjustments to fit the ever-changing landscape of the sport. Of late, a discernible urge for change in the cricketing world could be sensed with the 50-over format of the game set to take the brunt of the transformation.

It can’t just be luck. But logic doesn’t explain it either. What had transpired at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night was something so improbable that it almost seems scripted.

The scoreline had read 4-3 in Manchester City’s favour with the away-goal factor no longer in play. And yet, as the players made their way to the dugout at the Etihad Stadium eight days back, the feeling was that Real Madrid have had the last laugh after a roller-coaster 90 minutes of one of the most enthralling first-leg Champions League knockout games in recent memory.

A sort of contradictory scenario currently prevails in Bangladesh cricket. Interested cricketers, once considered as potential mainstays of a format, are being ignored from their preferred format while the ones who are reluctant to play are given the opposite treatment.