Bangladesh cricket has emerged from a period of enforced hibernation following the recent mass upsurge. The Bangladesh A team’s departure for Pakistan was scheduled for August 6 and the tour due to commence from Wednesday but was thrown into disarray by the escalating violence.
Now, they are likely to leave for Pakistan tomorrow morning. The series is scheduled to start on August 10, but it is no clear on whether that will happen or not.
However, with hopes of the tour eventually going ahead, albeit with a revised itinerary, the A squad reconvened at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today for their first training session since the troubles began.
Before getting down to business under the watchful eye of coach Mizanur Rahman, the players observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives during the past month. A host of Test stars, including Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Mehdi Hasan Miraj, and Khaled Ahmed, were among those present.
The original departure date for the Pakistan tour was set for August 6, with a schedule encompassing two four-day matches and three one-dayers. But the deteriorating security situation forced the BCB to postpone the trip. Mushfiqur Rahim is now pencilled in to leave for the subcontinent on August 9.
Inevitably, the upheaval has necessitated a reshuffle of the fixture list. The first four-day contest had been scheduled for August 10, with the second following on August 18. The ODI series was due to get underway on August 23.
Meanwhile, team manager Shariful Islam confirmed that the squad are currently awaiting travel arrangements. “We’re waiting for tickets,” he said. The final match schedule will be confirmed once those have been secured on Friday.
