Bangladesh managed some reprieve as they picked up three quick wickets after a hammering in the initial stages by Afghanistan in the second ODI against Afghanistan at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan provided the Tigers with their first breakthrough by dismissing Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the second of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.

Afghanistan openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz recorded the the highest-ever ODI stand for the country as they put on 223 runs after the completion of the 34th over in the second of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.   

Gurbaz cruised to his fourth ODI ton in 20 outings, hitting eight boundaries and six maximums along the way.

In the first 10 overs, the home side conceded as many as 16 extras – contributing to around a quarter of the total runs.  

The Tigers must win to keep the series alive after a dominating all-round display from the visitors saw them win the rain-interrupted first ODI by 17 runs via DLS on Wednesday.

Soon after arriving for their practice session in the morning, the Bangladesh team appeared to be in good spirits as they warmed up with a football session. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was seen telling one of the other players to move, perhaps to initiate better link-up play and the kind of vibrancy that game was played with clearly showed they were enjoying themselves.

The Tamim Iqbal retirement and return saga, which unfolded over the past 48 hours or so, may have been the centre of attention in the country, but may provide an opportunity for Afghanistan to seal the three-match series against a rather distracted hosts in the second ODI at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today.

England captain Ben Stokes's dynamic 80, his latest dashing innings kept the hosts' Ashes hopes alive before Moeen Ali struck twice in quick succession in the third Test against Australia at Headingley on Friday.

It was under extraordinary circumstances that ODI captain Tamim Iqbal had announced his shock retirement on Thursday and, just as surprisingly, he withdrew his decision to retire from international cricket the following day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention.

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza revealed that it was upon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s wishes that Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal withdrew his retirement on Friday.

In a shocking turn of events, Tamim Iqbal withdrew his decision to retire from international cricket after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina just a day after announcing that he would call it quits. The following is a summary of how it all unfolded.

Sri Lanka maintained their unbeaten record at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier as Pathum Nissanka's hundred helped secure an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies on Friday.

Bangladesh batter Tamim Iqbal decided to withdraw his retirement after meeting the Prime Minister on Friday afternoon, BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon told the media after the meeting.

Tamim, who announced his retirement from international cricket yesterday, was supposed to meet the PM at her office at 2:30pm, the sources confirmed to The Daily Star.

Liton entertained a few questions at the press conference regarding the Tamim issue and the opener’s shock retirement, but at one point lost his cool over the subtext of the press event.

Tamim might have broken down in tears a few times during the press conference, but he made sure he maintained his decency and did not throw mud to anyone; instead he thanked everyone for the support he got over the years.

The all-rounder, who will likely lead the ODI team in the long run in Tamim's absence, wrote that it would be strange to be there out in the middle without the left-handed opener.

Mitchell Marsh's run-a-ball 118 was the cornerstone of Australia's 263 on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday after the tourists collapsed either side of his blistering century.

It was the 2007 World Cup and if one expected a 17-year Bangladesh batsman to be overcome with the nerves of playing against one of the best side in the world in India, they had another think coming. For Tamim Iqbal, just five games deep into his ODI career, showed the meaning of class and domination against a fine India attack.