Samsul Arefin Khan

The former England all-rounder spoke about Bangladesh cricket’s development gaps, the BPL’s reputation issues, the politics shaping the modern game, and more.

UAE opener Muhammad Waseem carried his ILT20 form into the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), hitting a blistering half-century on his return to the tournament to help Rajshahi Warriors beat Noakhali Express by four wickets at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Beyond infrastructure and staffing, the initiative aims to bring structural alignment to year-round cricket activities at the grassroots.

Afghanistan’s dashing opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz shares a special bond with Bangladesh, having made his international and franchise debuts here in 2019.

Bangladesh U-19 team left for Zimbabwe early Monday to take part in the 16th ICC U-19 World Cup, scheduled from January 15 to February 6 in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Captain Azizul Hakim Tamim spoke to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan about preparation, expectations and challenges ahead of departure.

Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB's) plea to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate its ICC Men's T20 World Cup matches from India has sparked widespread speculation among officials, players, stakeholders and fans, with all pondering what will happen next.

Newcomers Noakhali Express continued their miserable run in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on Monday, going down by six wickets to Sylhet Titans in Sylhet.

Amid lingering uncertainty over Bangladesh's participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the global tournament, scheduled from February 7 to March 8, with no major surprises.

Middle-order batter Sobhana Mostary finally proved her worth at the international level in last year's ICC Women's World Cup. The 23-year-old recently finished the Women's Bangladesh Cricket League (WBCL) T20 as the highest run-getter, scoring 259 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 126.34, and led North Zone to the title. As the women's team begin their final phase of preparation, starting Saturday in Mirpur, for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Nepal from January 18, Mostary spoke to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan about her recent evolution and plans for the qualifiers

The year 2025 will be remembered less for what Bangladesh cricket achieved on the field and more for the turbulence that engulfed it off it..

Despite widespread concerns over organisational issues ahead of the opening day, the tournament began smoothly, offering several positives for organisers and fans alike.

As the tournament gets underway at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday, controversies continue to surface despite repeated assurances of a smoothly run event.

Bangladesh face a tough Group A alongside five-time champions India, New Zealand and the USA in the ICC Under-19 World Cup, running from January 15 to February 8.

At the trophy ceremony, participating players expressed relief but also lamented the absence of colleagues.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is again relying on domestic tournaments and a short preparation camp instead of international fixtures to prepare the women's team for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers – repeating the approach taken before this year's Women's World Cup in India, which it later admitted was a mistake.

Known primarily for his bowling, Mymensingh Division’s Abu Hider Rony produced a sensational batting display in this year’s National Cricket League (NCL), amassing 421 runs in just seven innings at an average of 105.25. The 29-year-old smashed 32 sixes, struck two centuries, and maintained a staggering strike rate of 116.94 alongside taking 12 wickets.

An injury during the NCL T20 nearly ended Mukidul Islam Mugdho's entire domestic season. But the pacer not only fought his way back to the field, but also played a pivotal role in Rangpur Division's title win in the red-ball NCL, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 29 scalps in just four matches and was adjudged the player-of-the-tournament.

After a first-class career spanning nearly two decades, domestic stalwart Shamsur Rahman Shuvo has retired from red-ball cricket following the recently concluded 27th National Cricket League (NCL). Interestingly, he had not planned to step away this season, but a particular dismissal during the tournament offered unexpected clarity. Finishing with 9,602 first-class runs, Shamsur reflected on his journey, satisfaction, disappointments, his views on Bangladesh’s domestic system, and his future plans in an interview with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan. The excerpts are as follows:

The 27-year-old, who bypassed traditional age-level pathways, recently gained attention with a strong showing at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Qatar.

The players' auction returned to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after 12 years yesterday and its comeback was not without surprises as top-order batter Mohammad Naim fetched the highest price among all local players and some young up-and-comers earned bigger bucks than the veterans.