Messi starts on bench in Tokyo after Hong Kong controversy

Not a single organization shown interest in him this season either. However, Rangpur eventually accepted his services, ensuring that he wouldn’t be ignored in the BPL for the next two seasons.

The franchise’s lack of enthusiasm in hiring him for the nation’s premier T20 event can be attributed primarily to his Test specialist status.

Mominul is still the 16th best run scorer in the BPL despite not being a regular; in 82 matches, he has scored 1364 runs in 71 innings. Although his strike rate of 107.48 is low by T20 standards, it appears very good when compared to other Bangladeshi batters’ strike rates.

Tickets for the Japan leg of the US Major League Soccer (MLS) club’s globe-trotting pre-season tour cost between 10,000 yen ($68) and 200,000 yen ($1,346) with “special experience” packages priced even higher.

On Sunday in Hong Kong, a crowd of nearly 40,000 who paid for similarly expensive tickets were involved in angry scenes after Messi stayed rooted to the bench during his side’s 4-1 win against a local XI.

The Hong Kong government demanded an explanation from the match’s organisers, who had sought public funding for the event. The organisers said they had withdrawn the government grant request after Messi’s no-show.

Miami’s win in Hong Kong was their first in five pre-season matches.

They drew 0-0 in El Salvador, lost to fellow MLS side FC Dallas and then twice to club sides in Saudi Arabia.

Messi came on as a substitute six minutes from the end of the game in Saudi Arabia last Thursday.

They have one more friendly, at home to Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys next week, before the new MLS season starts on February 21.

This article has been posted by a News Hour Correspondent. For queries, please contact through [email protected]
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