Samsul Arefin Khan

A jam-packed gallery is a common sight whenever India and Bangladesh square off in any global tournament.

The pre-match hype around Bangladesh’s speedster Nahid Rana proved to be for nought as the pacer did not get picked for their opening Group A match of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy against India in Dubai today, a decision that raised quite a few eyebrows.

His absence had little to do with form or age. Off-field turmoil pulled him away. When the Awami League government fell on August 5, the political landscape shifted. Shakib, associated with the ruling party, was caught in the storm. The writing was on the wall.

In an interview with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan, opening batter Mohammad Naim discussed his frustrations over missed opportunities and approach to overcoming setbacks, among other issues.

Mahidul Islam Ankon was the surprise package of the just-concluded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The wicketkeeper-batter, who is better known for his steadfast run-making, plundered 316 runs in 12 innings for Khulna Tigers as a finisher with an astonishing strike-rate of 174.58 – the highest among all batters with at least 300 runs in BPL 11.

A dramatic last-ball boundary shattered Khulna Tigers' Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) campaign to a heartbreaking end on Thursday. Yet, head coach Talha Jubair deserves credit for guiding a team lacking star power to the penultimate hurdle, marking another chapter in the former national pacer's coaching journey. The 39-year-old spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan about why he prefers being a bowling coach, the evolution of Bangladesh’s pace bowling and more. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Fortune Barishal were left with a daunting task yesterday at the end of Chittagong Kings’ innings in the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in Mirpur, but they ended up creating history with a three-wicket victory to clinch back-to-back BPL titles.

A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official yesterday said that the board has decided to form an independent inquiry body to support the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigations regarding the alleged match and spot-fixing issues in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The Daily Star identified at least two cricketers outside of the official team lists in the players' dugout

With shorter boundaries, flatter wickets and weaker bowling attacks, there have been plenty of runs on offer for the batters in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and many local batters have cashed in, evidenced by the fact that eight of the top 10 run-getters so far are Bangladeshis.

The controversy-ridden ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) reached a new low yesterday after Durbar Rajshahi failed to field any foreign players – an unforeseen occurrence in the tournament history – for their match against Rangpur Riders in Mirpur.

The players’ non-payment issue in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is refusing to die down as on Friday Chittagong Kings admitted that they are yet to pay anything to Bangladesh cricketer Parvez Hossain Emon due to “personal reasons”.

Recent tensions between Dhaka-based cricket clubs and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over proposed constitutional amendments have thrown the future of the league and the livelihoods of many players into uncertainty.

The Sri Lankan on Tuesday spoke to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan over phone, sharing his experience regarding with the franchise and some other issues as well.

The batters made merry on the field, the question automatically arose: should they take all the credit for that, or are there other factors -- apart from good wickets, which also had an outside impact on their sudden rise -- given that they have hardly showcased similar performances in both international and domestic matches?

Former New Zealand pacer Danny Morrison, mostly known for his over-the-top commentary, is back in Bangladesh after six years for the ongoing edition of the Bangladesh Premier League T20. The 58-year-old, on Monday, spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan regarding his views on the omission of Liton Das and Shakib Al Hasan from the Champions Trophy squad, Bangladesh's pace unit revolution and much more.

Opener Liton Das produced a batting masterclass on his way to a maiden T20 hundred and built an epic 241-run opening stand with another centurion Tanzid Tamim to end Dhaka Capitals’ six-match winless streak as they thrashed Durbar Rajshahi by 149 runs in the Bangladesh Premier League in Sylhet on Sunday.

Sylhet Strikers had a woeful start in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as they lost their opening three matches and two of them were in front of their crazy home fans at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

With Tamim Iqbal announcing his retirement on Friday, another chapter in the legacy of Chattogram’s renowned ‘Khan Family’ in Bangladesh cricket has closed. Akram Khan, Tamim’s uncle, was the family’s first representative in the national team, playing for the Tigers from 1988 to 2003. He was followed by Nafees Iqbal, Tamim’s elder brother, who represented Bangladesh from 2003 to 2006. Tamim, the longest-serving family member in the national side and one of the country’s greatest batters, debuted in 2007 and called it quits after an illustrious career filled with highs and lows. On Saturday, Akram, a former captain and current Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director, shared his reflections with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan. He spoke about the family’s emotions following Tamim’s decision, his mixed feelings about Tamim’s career, and thoughts on his nephew’s future plans. The excerpts from the interview are as follows:

Before leaving Bangladesh, the 2019 World Cup winner talked to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan regarding his short stint in BPL, his observations on the evolution of the tournament and his plans with international and franchise cricket.