Javier Siverio and Aakash Sangwan highlight the persistent issues in Indian football following the team’s recent loss to Bangladesh
Once again, Indian football is under fire after a disastrous defeat against Bangladesh in the Asian Cup qualifier, which was only of academic interest as both teams have already crashed out of the qualification for the main round. Social media is being filled with severe criticisms from football lovers, as their focus is on the players’ lackluster performance in the match held on Tuesday in Dhaka. Many supporters expressed their wrath, pointing out individual failure, questioning effort, desire, and commitment. Frustration flooded social media. However, the players decided to address the situation honestly. Their responses were not defensive. Instead, they highlighted why Indian football continues to sink into these cycles of disappointment. Even, Spanish footballer of FC Goa, Javier Siverio, opened up on the Indian players’ miserable performance. He stated, “Players aren’t the reason the system is falling apart”. Aakash Sangwan also emphasized the depth of the structural cracks. Instead of directly defending the team, he pointed to the long list of issues that define a typical season for most professionals now. He highlighted how the top division itself hangs in uncertainty, with no clear investment, no confirmed bidders, and barely any communication from those in charge. Players, he suggested, often find themselves signing contracts only to be told days later that there is nothing to train for. He implied that casual comments about technique or effort only scratch the surface. The real damage, Sangwan hinted, lies in the broken framework surrounding the sport, a framework that leaves players guessing about their futures and battling far more than what happens over ninety minutes on the pitch.
Marufa Akter: From Ploughing paddy fields to the country’s best promising speedster
Bangladesh women’s cricket has found a ‘new kid on the block’. Her name is Marufa Aktar. Marufa has already stolen the limelight. The speedster’s brilliant bowling, especially the controlled swing and correctness in length, helped Bangladesh to earn a convincing victory against Pakistan in their opener at Premdasa Stadium in the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup. A fan of Australian great Mitchell Starc, Marufa has chosen a fitting role model. Adding to her team’s momentum, her in-swinger to right-handers left Pakistan gasping when she removed Omaima Sohail and the in-form Sidra Amin off successive deliveries, reducing them to ruins in the very first over. The effort drew praise from several leading voices in world cricket, including Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, who posted a clip of her twin strikes with the words: “Pure skill, excellent control. So far, she had the best delivery in this tournament.” This remarkable moment was a far cry from her humble beginnings. But initially, life was not easy for Marufa. The dream to establish her as a cricketer was distant. One of her mentors in Bangladesh cricket, Arifa Jahan Bithi, a cricketer-turned-coach, posted videos showing that wearing a yellow puffer jacket, Marufa and her father are seen ploughing their paddy field. By then, she had already been scouted, but the pandemic halted training and funding, threatening to end her career before it began. Though Arifa never formally trained her, she has remained a constant supporter and sounding board. Marufa was a wiry teenager who roared at every wicket and hurled herself at the ball in the field. The passion remains, but the foundation has strengthened—built on structured fitness, power training, and technical refinement. That shift came under the guidance of Bangladesh’s former strength and conditioning coach Ian Durrant. Her newfound discipline and growing strength soon started to show results. “Earlier, I used to bench press 25–30kg. Now I do around 42–44kg, and squats with 30–35kg have now gone up to 60kg,” an excited Marufa said in a video shared by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. This increase in strength contributed to her growing impact on the field. The young pacer made a strong early impression, finishing as Bangladesh’s top wicket-taker at the 2023 U-19 T-20 World Cup and putting in notable performances at the 2022 Asian Games. While speaking to Sportstar, Arifa Jahan exclaimed, “Marufa has a background of working very hard in the fields since childhood. She is a good athlete, a natural athlete, and that amount of hard work is normal for people like her, and has held her in good standing. Watching her remove those two batters in the first over gave me goosebumps. That kind of pace bowling I have not seen from a player from this nation.”
Ishfaq awaits India’s hat-trick in SAFF Under-17; Proud to have been in part of scouting the boys
Sudeep Pakrashi: Ishfaq Ahmed, the former India international and national coach is waiting for the result of today’s SAFF Under-17 football championship final between India and Bangladesh. There is a reason behind. Ishfaq was the man who scouted the footballers who will be vying for the title for the third consecutive time in the SAFF Under-17 championship. While speaking over phone from Srinagar on Saturday morning, Ishfaq explained, “Bangladesh is undoubtedly tough opposition. Bangladesh have an advantage that they have been to retain most of their boys who participated in the championship last year when I was coach of India Under-17. But Considering India’s performance in the last match, I believe now we have been stronger than them.” India’s one of the key strikers, Rahan Ahmed who is playing as number.9 in this championship, is being talked about. Ishfaq also applauded saying, “His key strength is that he is a good finisher. He is technically strong also. He is potential although he has long way to go.” Rahan has been in excellent form in the tournament, could not make a goal-scoring contribution in the semi-final against Nepal, but his attacking threat will keep Bangladesh on their toes in the final. He has played an instrumental role in carrying India to the knockouts with his clutch performances against Bhutan and Pakistan. Had it not been for his late winners, India might not have stayed in contention for defending their title. Bibiano will expect his ‘Super Sub’ to replicate his group stage brilliance again in the final. However, India and Bangladesh have been locked in some fierce contests in the past at all levels of international football. The group A toppers have been in fine form. They were sublime in the group stage, hammering both Nepal and Sri Lanka with a 4-0 score line. The semi-final against Pakistan also saw Bangladesh making the opposition helpless.
Bangladesh, South Africa cricketers get embroiled in physical altercation!
An unsightly incident happened on the cricket field in an Emerging Teams’ four-day match between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka. With Bangladesh batting and South Africa bowling, players of both teams got involved in a heated altercation, leading to a brawl in the middle of the pitch. The incident was triggered after an exchange between 22-year-old Bangladesh batter Ripon Mondol and 29-year-old Proteas pacer Tshepo Ntuli. The fight was soon joined by other players of the team. No immediate action has been taken yet, but the umpires are set to file an official report before sanctions are imposed. As per a report by ESPNcricinfo, Ripon had initially smashed a straight six off Ntuli’s bowling, leading to an exchange of glares between the bowler and the batter. However, after that, as Ripon moved towards his batting partner, Ntuli charged towards the Bangladesh batter. The two players were at first involved in a shove, which quickly turned into a bigger brawl. Ntuli pulled Ripon’s helmet on multiple occasions, despite the attempted interference of umpire Kamruzzaman. Some of the on-looking South African players also appeared to enter the fight. It is unclear whether there had been any verbal exchange between the two prior which may have preceded the heated altercation. Three balls after the incident, Ntuli threw the ball back at Ripon after bowling it, which the Bangladesh batter fended off. “This is extreme, this is unacceptable. Normally we see verbal altercations in a cricket field but we don’t often see a fight. Ntuli struck Ripon’s helmet at one point,” Nabil Kaiser, one of the on-air commentators, said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. As per the report, the match referee will submit reports of the incident to both the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), before official action is taken.
BCB wants Mustafizur to prioritize national commitment above IPL
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wants Mustafizur Rahman to put national commitment above IPL 2025 duties. The pacer was signed as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk by Delhi Capitals for the remainder of IPL 2025. However, Rahman boarded a flight to the UAE for the upcoming T20I series on the same day he signed with DC. As per Cricbuzz, a BCB director claimed that while the board has no problem in allowing Rahman to play for DC in IPL 2025, it wants him to prioritize national duties. “We are not saying that we won’t let Mustafizur play in the IPL for the Delhi Capitals, but at the same time, there is a thing called national commitment, and he needs to fulfill that,” a BCB director said. The official said that it would be unfair for Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain, who were a part of PSL but are traveling to the UAE for the T20I series, if Rahman was given a NOC. The BCB director claimed that in that case, the other two would also have to be released from the squad. “Along with that, if we had released him in that case, what would we have done with the two cricketers who took part in PSL, as they could have asked why we were not releasing them?” he added. For the uninformed, the Bangladesh cricket team are set to play a 2-match T20I series against the UAE from May 17 to 19. Understanding that foreign players may not return, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to allow teams to use temporary replacements. And so, the Capitals paid Mustafizur Rs 6 crore to join them. The move made sense since Mitchell Starc might not return either. And having a like-for-like replacement for him seems like a sound decision.
