Dehradun considered as venue for Afghan-BD series

DHAKA: Bangladesh are looking to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in India’s Dehradun in June, BCB chief executive Nizamuddin said on Wednesday.

As per plans, the board have agreed in principle to play Afghanistan in India, although the time frame on when the series could be played is still under discussion.“We have decided in principle to play Afghanistan in India’s Dehradun for a three-match ODI series after they proposed it in recent past,” Nizamuddin told Cricbuzz. “We are still in discussion about the iterinary but most probably it will be played in the first week of June,” he said.

Afghanistan, who earned Test status recently, will make their maiden appearance in the long format against India from June 14 and BCB officials are looking at dates just before that historic match for the this three-match series.

According to BCB, Afghanistan had initially planned to host Bangladesh in UAE but once they failed to do so, Afghan Cricket Board considered the option of India, where they have played before. In fact, BCCI had permitted the use of Shahid Vijay SIngh Pathik Sports complex in Noida as the home ground of Afghanistan in 2015-16. Bangladesh and Afghanistan have played only one bilateral series so far when the latter toured Bangladesh in 2016. Bangladesh won that three-match ODI series.

Kostner outshines Zagitova to lead skating worlds

Ag AFP

MILAN: Italian veteran Carolina Kostner outshone newly-crowned Olympic champion Alina Zagitova to grab the lead after the women’s short programme at the world figure skating championships in Milan on Wednesday.

Zagitova, 15, bidding to top a golden debut to her first senior season in which she has won every competition, including gold in Pyeongchang four weeks ago, trails the 31-year-old Italian by a slim 1.24 points.

Kostner — competing in her 14th world championships — skated faultlessly to Celine Dion’s ‘Ne me quitte pas’, hitting all her elements to score a new personal best 80.27 points to the delight of the home crowd.

Zagitova produced an elegant and solid performance to ‘Black Swan’ but looked shocked as she saw her score of 79.51 points appear — well below the world record 82.92 she achieved in South Korea.

“There was no pressure, I just continued to work calmly after the Olympics,” said Kostner, who finished fifth in Pyeongchang.

Kostner has six world medals -- including the gold in 2012 — going back to her first bronze in 2005. Japan’s Satoko Miyahara, a former world silver medallist, is sitting third with 74.36 going into Friday’s free skate.