Ashfaq-Ul-Alam

A course correction forgotten?

The 2021 ICC T20 World Cup was a disaster for Bangladesh. The campaign began with a defeat to Scotland in the preliminary round and ended with five losses and zero wins in the main phase.

3d ago

The auction returns. Will chaos follow?

Auctions in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and the number 12, seem to have some sort of numeric connection.

1w ago

Journey to a milestone: A path carved through reverence

What does it take to play a 100 Tests? After sifting through the statements of the 83 players who have achieved this feat till now, a few common qualities stand out: hard work, grit, discipline, and a bit of luck.

3w ago

Tales from a Test like no other

What’s the craziest thing you have done to watch a game of cricket at a stadium? Bunked classes? Stood in a line for hours? Paid quadruple the price of the ticket? Picked your parents pockets? Travelled to a different continent? -- whatever the answer may be, and however crazy it may seem, it will fall short of what a group of cricket fanatics did to watch Bangladesh’s inaugural Test against India in Dhaka almost exactly 25 years ago.

4w ago

A tournament that will redefine women’s cricket?

Flurry of runs, defiant comebacks, constant rain interruptions -- what will the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 be remembered for down the line?

1m ago

Plenty changed, little gained

It took two new batters, a reshuffling of the batting line-up, a career-best T20I score from Tanzid Tamim, and Taskin Ahmed hitting a six without walking into his stumps for Bangladesh to finally cross the 150-run mark against the West Indies in their third attempt in the three-match T20I series in Chattogram on Friday.

1m ago

El Diego: The making of Maradona

A God, a cheat and everything in between -- Diego Armando Maradona was called it all. He was a flawed rebel, who spoke as he wished, made mistakes, owned up to some, deflected most, took everything personally, and always carried his heart on his sleeve.

1m ago

Overcooked turners, undercooked faith

While walking off the ground after the post-match presentation for the third ODI between Bangladesh and the West Indies on Thursday, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul jokingly told the media personnel present there, "You can't call it a paddy field today."

1m ago
December 6, 2025
December 6, 2025

A course correction forgotten?

The 2021 ICC T20 World Cup was a disaster for Bangladesh. The campaign began with a defeat to Scotland in the preliminary round and ended with five losses and zero wins in the main phase.

November 30, 2025
November 30, 2025

The auction returns. Will chaos follow?

Auctions in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and the number 12, seem to have some sort of numeric connection.

November 18, 2025
November 18, 2025

Journey to a milestone: A path carved through reverence

What does it take to play a 100 Tests? After sifting through the statements of the 83 players who have achieved this feat till now, a few common qualities stand out: hard work, grit, discipline, and a bit of luck.

November 10, 2025
November 10, 2025

Tales from a Test like no other

What’s the craziest thing you have done to watch a game of cricket at a stadium? Bunked classes? Stood in a line for hours? Paid quadruple the price of the ticket? Picked your parents pockets? Travelled to a different continent? -- whatever the answer may be, and however crazy it may seem, it will fall short of what a group of cricket fanatics did to watch Bangladesh’s inaugural Test against India in Dhaka almost exactly 25 years ago.

November 3, 2025
November 3, 2025

A tournament that will redefine women’s cricket?

Flurry of runs, defiant comebacks, constant rain interruptions -- what will the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 be remembered for down the line?

November 1, 2025
November 1, 2025

Plenty changed, little gained

It took two new batters, a reshuffling of the batting line-up, a career-best T20I score from Tanzid Tamim, and Taskin Ahmed hitting a six without walking into his stumps for Bangladesh to finally cross the 150-run mark against the West Indies in their third attempt in the three-match T20I series in Chattogram on Friday.

October 30, 2025
October 30, 2025

El Diego: The making of Maradona

A God, a cheat and everything in between -- Diego Armando Maradona was called it all. He was a flawed rebel, who spoke as he wished, made mistakes, owned up to some, deflected most, took everything personally, and always carried his heart on his sleeve.

October 25, 2025
October 25, 2025

Overcooked turners, undercooked faith

While walking off the ground after the post-match presentation for the third ODI between Bangladesh and the West Indies on Thursday, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul jokingly told the media personnel present there, "You can't call it a paddy field today."

October 24, 2025
October 24, 2025

Time to let Soumya be Soumya

You’ve probably seen that image: an elephant, a fish, and a monkey all told to climb a tree. It’s often used to show how the education system unfairly judges everyone by the same test, leaving some to shine and others to feel inadequate. The image makes its point perfectly. But its lesson shouldn’t stop at the classroom door.

October 23, 2025
October 23, 2025

Tractors, only pace from WI and other ideas to guarantee win for Tigers

A pitch darker than my future, and offering sharper turn than an Agatha Christie thriller, greeted the West Indies at Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium for yet another all-important bilateral three-match ODI series.