In the first innings of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram, South Africa set a new milestone, breaking a record that had stood for over 14 years. The team hit an impressive 17 sixes, finishing their innings at 575/6 declared. This achievement surpassed their previous best of 15 sixes in a single innings, which they had recorded against the West Indies in 2010.

This tally of 17 sixes now ranks as the third-highest number of sixes ever hit in one innings in men’s Test cricket. The all-time record is held by New Zealand, who smashed 22 sixes in an innings against Pakistan in 2014.

Tony de Zorzi, David Bedingham, and Wiaan Mulder each smashed four sixes in South Africa’s commanding innings, with Tristan Stubbs adding three and Senuran Muthusamy clearing the boundary twice. This aggressive batting display contributed to a powerful total of 575/6 declared in the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram.

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This remarkable innings comes after the Proteas set another record just last year, hitting an impressive 99 sixes during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India — the most by any team in a single World Cup edition.

South Africa’s big total has put them firmly in control of the Test match, with newly crowned No. 1 Test bowler Kagiso Rabada claiming two crucial wickets before the end of day two, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 38/4 in reply.

If South Africa completes a series sweep over Bangladesh, it would greatly enhance their chances of reaching their first ICC World Test Championship Final next year. The Proteas have upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and currently sit in fifth place in the standings. With strong results in these remaining fixtures, they could secure a top-two finish and earn a place in the Championship Final.

Bangladesh’s star player, Shakib Al Hasan, made history by becoming the first cricketer to take 50 wickets in the T20 World Cup. This happened during a tough match against India, where Bangladesh struggled in all areas of the game.

Shakib wasn’t at his best, giving away 37 runs in his three overs with an economy rate of 12.30. However, he did manage to take the important wicket of Indian captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit tried to hit a big shot but edged the ball, which was caught by Jaker Ali, making Rohit Shakib’s 50th wicket in the tournament. Shakib achieved this in his 42nd World Cup match.

The next closest player to Shakib Al Hasan’s record is former Pakistan player Shahid Afridi, who took 39 wickets in the T20 World Cup.

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In third place is Sri Lanka’s fast bowler Lasith Malinga with 38 wickets. Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga is also close to Malinga’s record but couldn’t pass it as his team was eliminated early in this edition of the tournament.

Pakistan’s spinner Saeed Ajmal holds the fifth spot with 36 wickets in 23 matches.

Despite Shakib’s achievement, Bangladesh lost to India. After winning the toss, Bangladesh chose to bowl first. India scored 196/5 thanks to a strong innings by Hardik Pandya (50* off 27 balls), along with contributions from Virat Kohli (37), Shivam Dube (34), and Rishabh Pant (36).

In response, only Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto put up a fight with 40 runs, but the rest of the team couldn’t perform well. Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav played key roles in India’s comfortable 50-run victory.

Mushfiqur Rahim, who was named “Man of the Match” for his 191 runs against Pakistan in the first Test at Rawalpindi, decided to donate his prize money to help the flood victims in Bangladesh.

“I want to announce that I’m donating my prize money because of the floods happening back in Bangladesh,” Rahim said after Bangladesh’s 10-wicket win over Pakistan, their first victory against Pakistan in Test cricket.

Bangladesh started the match strong, reducing Pakistan to 16 for 3 on the first day. But Pakistan fought back, with Saud Shakeel scoring 141 and Mohammad Rizwan making 171. Pakistan declared their innings at 448 for 6.

Bangladesh, fielding an all-pace attack for the first time in 28 years, replied with 565 runs, taking a 117-run lead. Mushfiqur Rahim’s impressive 191, along with fifties from Shadman Islam (93) and Mehidy Hasan (77), put Bangladesh in control.

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On the final day, Pakistan collapsed from 23 for 1 to 104 for 5, with spinners Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan taking seven wickets to bowl them out for just 146.

Bangladesh’s openers quickly chased down the remaining 30 runs to win.

This was Bangladesh’s first win over Pakistan in 14 Test matches. Previously, they had lost 12 and drawn one since their first match in 2001. Bangladesh has now beaten 9 out of the 11 Test-playing nations, with only India and South Africa left to beat.

The case was filed by Rafiqul Islam, whose son, Rubel, was killed on August 7 during protests in Bangladesh. Shakib is the 28th person accused in the case, which also includes former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina among the 154 people.

Shakib Al Hasan is currently in Rawalpindi, playing in a Test match against Pakistan. However, Rafiqul’s lawyers have asked for Shakib to be removed from the series and banned from cricket. A legal notice was reportedly sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

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BCB president Faruque Ahmed said they haven’t received the notice yet but will review the situation after the ongoing Test match.

He explained that the board will make a decision once they have more information. They plan to address the issue during the break between the first and second Tests, which starts on August 30.

The complaint was filed by Rubel’s father, Rafiqul Islam, who said that hundreds of people, including Shakib Al Hasan and Ahmed, were involved in the crime.

Both Shakib Al Hasan and Ahmed were previously members of parliament from the Awami League party (ALP), which was led by Sheikh Hasina, who recently stepped down as prime minister after student protests.

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The case also names former ministers and members of parliament, including Hasina, Obaidul Quader, and 156 others. About 400 unidentified people were listed as well. The complaint claims that Rubel was shot during a protest on August 5 and later died in the hospital on August 7.

It’s reported that Hasan was not in Bangladesh during the protest, as he was in Canada playing cricket.

Faruque Ahmed made history as the first BCB president who has actually played competitive cricket. He represented Bangladesh in seven ODIs between 1988 and 1999 and also captained the team in the 1994 ICC Trophy.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Faruque Ahmed was appointed as a director on the BCB board by the National Sports Council (NSC), alongside Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.

The NSC also replaced two previous directors, Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, with Faruque and Fahim.

Earlier in the week, Jalal Yunus resigned from his role as BCB director and chairman of the cricket operations committee. The NSC had requested Yunus to step down. Yunus explained that he wanted to ensure that cricket in Bangladesh could continue to progress and did not want to stand in the way.

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“I resigned for the good of cricket. I believe in making sure the sport is run properly. I support their decision to replace me, according to the rules. I don’t want to be a roadblock to cricket’s development,” Yunus told ESPNcricinfo.

Yunus was a former Bangladesh fast bowler and has been involved in sports management since the late 1990s. He held important positions in the BCB from 2009 and became the head of cricket operations in 2021. Although Yunus stepped down, Ahmed Sajjadul Alam chose not to resign and is leaving the decision up to the NSC.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is preparing to face Pakistan in a two-match Test series starting on August 21, with the second match scheduled from August 30 to September 3. Both matches will be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Amid the chaos and violence in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country, protesters reportedly set fire to the house of former cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza , now a Member of Parliament for Narail-2 in the Khulna division, won his seat for the second time as a candidate for the Awami League in the general elections earlier this year.

Local news reported that the vandals targeted Mortaza’s house after Hasina’s departure, which occurred during significant student protests.

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Mashrafe Bin Mortaza led Bangladesh in 117 matches across all formats—the most for his country—and took 390 international wickets while scoring 2,955 runs in 36 Tests, 220 ODIs, and 54 T20Is during his long career. After retiring, he joined the Awami League in 2018 and was elected as a Member of Parliament for Narail-2.

According to the “Dhaka Tribune,” protesters also set fire to the District Awami League office and vandalized the house of its President, Subash Chandra Bose.

Meanwhile, Hasina arrived at Hindon Air Base near Delhi on Monday evening on a Bangladesh Air Force plane, while thousands of protesters stormed and damaged the Prime Minister’s official residence in Dhaka. Reports suggest she will soon be heading to London.

Corey Anderson, a left-handed all-rounder, scored an unbeaten 34 runs off 25 balls, including two sixes, helping the U.S. secure a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Texas. This win gives the U.S. a 1-0 lead in their three-match series.

Anderson teamed up with Harmeet Singh, who scored 33 not out off 13 balls, to add 68 runs from 28 balls in an unbeaten partnership for the sixth wicket. They chased down Bangladesh’s total of 153-6 with three balls to spare.

Corey Anderson also bowled two economical overs, giving away only 10 runs.

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This win marks the United States’ second T20 victory against a full member of the ICC, following their win over Ireland in 2021.

Anderson, 33, started playing for the Black Caps in 2012 and played his last T20 for New Zealand in 2018. He has since played in various T20 leagues around the world and now resides in the U.S. He made his debut for the U.S. national team last month in two T20s against Canada.

In 2014, Anderson hit the fastest ODI century, reaching 100 runs in just 36 balls against the West Indies in Queenstown. This record was surpassed by South African star AB de Villiers, who scored a century in 31 balls in 2015 against the West Indies.

The T20 World Cup begins on June 2, with Anderson’s United States team playing Canada in the opening match in Texas.

Sri Lanka dominated the first match, winning by 328 runs, while Bangladesh struggled to perform well, failing to reach 200 runs in either innings. Shakib, who has been absent for over a year due to his duties in the Bangladeshi parliament, is set to rejoin the squad for the upcoming match.

“We’re lucky to have Shakib Al Hasan back in the team. His presence brings a lot of positivity and energy,” Pothas told reporters. “He has a wealth of experience that our younger players can learn from, and he’s always willing to share his knowledge. Having Shakib around is really beneficial for us.”

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Pothas also defended Bangladesh’s young batsmen, explaining that the team is currently undergoing a transition phase with a new generation of players. “We have a young and inexperienced team now, compared to the past elite group. It will take time for them to develop and adapt to international cricket,” he said. “We ask for patience from the fans and supporters.”

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, expressed confidence in his team’s top-order batsmen ahead of the second Test in Chittagong. Despite some early dismissals in the first Test, De Silva believed his batsmen would perform better in the upcoming match.

In the previous Test, Sri Lanka’s middle-order batsmen, De Silva and Kamindu Mendis, stood out with centuries in both innings, becoming only the third pair from the same country to achieve this feat in a Test match. The other pairs were Greg and Ian Chappell of Australia and Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali.

Janith Liyanage’s century saved them from trouble, but it wasn’t enough. Rishad Hossain’s quick 48 runs from 18 balls secured the win for Bangladesh.

It was a tough day for Bangladesh with players facing injuries. Sarkar hurt his neck while trying to save a run, Mustafizur Rahman had severe cramps, and Jaker Ali hurt his neck too. Sri Lanka struggled too, losing early wickets but Liyanage’s century gave them hope. However, Bangladesh bowlers didn’t allow any big partnerships.

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Sri Lanka managed to score 235 runs, but Bangladesh chased it down comfortably with 58 balls remaining.

Bangladesh had a solid start with Anamul and Tanzid scoring 50 runs. Though they stumbled, Tanzid and Towhid Hridoy built another good partnership. Lahiru Kumara took important wickets for Sri Lanka but couldn’t stop Tanzid. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim tried to stabilize Bangladesh’s innings but Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed Mehidy. Rishad Hossain then took charge, hitting boundaries and sixes to finish the match in just 41 overs.

In summary, Bangladesh’s Tanzid Hasan and Rishad Hossain played crucial roles in securing victory against Sri Lanka in Chattogram.