Afghanistan beat Bangladesh to reach T20 WC semis, Australia knocked out
Afghanistan’s hopes seemed slim when they were restricted to 115-5, but Rashid Khan took 4-23 and Naveen-ul-Haq 4-26 in a strong bowling performance that secured the win.
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Afghanistan advanced to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup with an eight-run victory over Bangladesh under the Duckworth Lewis System in St Vincent on Monday.
This win secured their place in the semi-finals alongside India from Group 1, and eliminated Australia from the tournament.
Bangladesh had the opportunity to progress or help Australia advance with a victory, but Afghanistan dismissed them for 105, securing the win needed to set up a semi-final match against South Africa in Trinidad on Wednesday.
India, who defeated Australia by 24 runs earlier in St Lucia, will face title holders England in the second semi-final in Guyana on Thursday.
Afghanistan's hopes seemed slim when they were restricted to 115-5, but skipper Rashid Khan took 4-23 and Naveen-ul-Haq 4-26 in a strong bowling performance that secured the win.
The last few overs were intense, with Bangladesh needing roughly a run per ball and the DLS calculations changing with every wicket and boundary. Naveen sealed the victory in the penultimate over by bowling Taskin Ahmed and trapping Mustafizur Rahman in front with consecutive balls, leading to emotional celebrations from his teammates.
"It's unbelievable, I don't have any words to describe my feelings," said Rashid. "Definitely back home. Everyone is so, so happy for this big achievement for us being in the semi-final. We have to push ourselves for the people back home, for their happiness, to make the country proud. So that was the discussion we had and everyone did a wonderful job."
In the 12th over, Gulbadin Naib collapsed just after his coach Jonathan Trott had indicated to his players to slow down and wait for a rain shower to intensify and stop play. Rashid later explained that Gulbadin had been suffering from cramp. Gulbadin returned to claim the eighth Bangladesh wicket, dismissing Tanzim Hasan Sakib with a top edge to cover.
Despite their hopes diminishing after the rain interruption in the 12th over, which reduced the match by one over and their target to 114, Bangladesh remained in contention while Litton Das was at the crease. Das scored 54 not out off 49 balls with five fours and a six but ultimately ran out of partners.
"I think we bowled really well as a bowling unit, we did a lot of good things," said Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. "But as a batting group, we made a lot of poor decisions, especially in the middle overs, so that cost us today."
Rashid revived Afghan hopes by dismantling the middle order after Bangladesh reached the end of the powerplay at 46-3. He also boosted Afghanistan's batting, hitting three sixes in a 10-ball 19. Rashid showed his frustration when he hurled his bat down the wicket at Karim Janat for refusing a second run in the final over.
Rashid had won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (43) and Ibrahim Zadran (18) laid a strong foundation with a fourth half-century partnership of the tournament. However, the innings collapsed from 84-1 to 93-5 in 11 balls before Rashid's late boost.
Leg spinner Rishad Hossain (3-26) did the most damage, with Bangladeshi bowlers delivering 66 dot balls over the innings.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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