Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin concurred that the green surface got the pacers “focus on pace a bit too much” instead of “bowling in the right areas”.

Manchester City kept their slender Premier League title hopes alive as Jeremy Doku inspired a 3-0 win against Brentford on Saturday.

Rashid Khan took four wickets for 33 runs as Gujarat Titans bowled out Rajasthan Royals for a 77-run win in the IPL on Saturday.

Rejwan Uz Zaman of Channel 24 was re-elected as president, while Sudipta Ahmed Ananda of Agamir Somoy was elected general secretary at the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPIA) biennial general meeting 2025 and election for the 2026-27 term.

Opener Imam-ul-Haq on Saturday said he does not want Pakistan to get complacent after their strong fightback on Day 2 of their first of two Tests against hosts Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

“Sometimes poor bowling makes batting very easy. Today, we bowled a bit erratically, which allowed the runs to come quickly,” Salahuddin told reporters after the day’s play.

With each nation allowed up to 26 players, the tournament could feature as many as 1,248 footballers — the largest player pool in World Cup history.

Liverpool remained fourth in the table with 59 points from 36 games, a step closer to Champions League qualification, while Chelsea are in ninth with 49 points from the same number of matches.

Shayak Dost struck twice as Brothers Union eased their relegation concerns with a crucial 3-1 victory over Rahmatganj MFS in their Bangladesh Football League match at the Muktijuddho Smriti Stadium on Saturday.

He helped Inter win the Serie A title this season, proving a super sub for the Italian club with five league goals.

Iran's football federation said on Saturday that the men's national team will take part in the 2026 World Cup this summer, but demanded that joint hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada agree to its conditions amid the Middle East war.

The 39‑year‑old retired from international football in September 2024 as Uruguay’s all‑time leading scorer with 69 goals in 143 appearances.

Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the decision to end the school year 40 days early was made in part due to a heat wave impacting several states.

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto produced a superb knock yesterday, scoring his ninth Test century during the opening Test against Pakistan in Mirpur on Friday.

That night in Rome, the moon was out, but there was no light. Beneath the vast galleries of Stadio Olimpico, the night slowly sank into a gloom as if the world itself already knew that a king would soon fall. Just as the air grows heavy before every tragedy, it felt that way that night. The smell of fatigue lingered on the grass, mingling with the crowd’s screams of fear, and there stood Diego Maradona in the midfield, looking utterly alone.

Neymar has received the backing of former teammates Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho to play for Brazil in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, set to begin on June 11 across the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

Novak Djokovic slumped to an early elimination from the Italian Open on Friday, crumbling to a second-round defeat at the hands of qualifier Dino Prizmic which leaves question marks about his physical condition ahead of Roland Garros.

Earlier, resuming on their overnight score of 301 for four, Bangladesh could add only 102 runs before being bowled out for 413.

The 2026 World Cup will feature a trilogy of opening ceremonies, with each of the host countries -- Mexico, the United States and Canada -- getting its turn at a star-studded celebration.

Lionel Messi says Argentina fans are right to dream of a second straight World Cup crown, but warns other contenders, including France and Spain, "are in better shape".