First phase of the fitness test of the cricketers ahead of the forthcoming five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe started on Saturday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS).
The team management of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) before finalising the squad for the series against Zimbabwe, called the cricketers to appear in the fitness test. In absence of six big names, 35 players of the preliminary squad participated in the first phase of fitness test took place at the BNS on Saturday morning at 6 am.
Among the 35 cricketers, along with the captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto, veteran Mahmudullah Riyad, Litton Das participated in the physical performance assessment.
Meanwhile, Tamim Iqbal, who is yet to decide whether he would return to international circuit or not, did not take part in the physical performance assessment.
Mustafizur Rahman, who is now in India for his IPL duty for Chennai Super Kings, could not participate in the first phase fitness test when Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam and Soumaya Sarker were also absent in the first day’s fitness test.
Sakib Al Hasan is now in USA, Taskin Ahmed did not take risk, as he played number of matches in a row in the Dhaka Premier League cricket when Soumaya Sarker could not take part due to injury.
But the cricketers, who could not attend the first day’s fitness test at the BNS, will have the opportunity to take part in the fitness test later on, as Ifterkher Islam, deputy of the BCB trainer Nathan Kiely informed.
All 35 cricketers, who attended in the first phase test, participated in the 20 and 40 metres sprints and finally in 1600 meters race on the track of the BNS while the next phase of the fitness training will take place at the Indoor of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
However, the BCB trainer Nathan Kiely wanted to watch the cricketers’ fitness through the competitions of sprints and he choose the BNS, as there have the facilities of international standard tracks.
Ifterkher Islam, who was talking to the reporters after their running, explained the reason of choosing the BNS for the first phase fitness test. Iftekhar said, “Actually, there is a factor of timing, and athletic tracks are very much idol for that, because we can get the proper timing. If we follow the international technique there are some methods.”
“Anyway, today we took the trial with 1600 metres race, it is new to our players but it’s good. The experiences of first day are well, everybody have enjoyed that.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe team is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 28 when the five-match T20 series will start from May 3.
