Nine Bangladesh cricketers to resume individual training

Nine Bangladesh players, including former captain Mushfiqur Rahim, will resume individual training across four venues from Sunday, the country’s cricket board announced.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has prepared four venues - Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet and Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna - for the first phase of practice session by following all the necessary safety protocols, according to a BCB statement.

“Players will take part in running and gym sessions at the academy, batting at Indoor centre. Other three venues will be available for Running and GYM only,” the statement read.

Mushfiqur, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Shafiul Islam will train in Dhaka while Syed Khaled Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed will practice in Sylhet. Mehedi Hasan and Nurul Hasan will avail training facilities in Khulna while Nayeem Hasan will be the only one practicing in Chattogram.

Earlier this month, the BCB had announced that all major international and first-class venues along with training facilities - eight in total - were being readied for an imminent return of cricket in the country. The BCB had earlier postponed its Test tour of Pakistan in April apart from the Ireland and UK tour in May.

Last month, Bangladesh’s former ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza along with former players Nazmul Islam and Nafees Iqbal also tested positive for Covid-19. Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka was postponed while New Zealand, who were slated to play a two-Test in South Asian country in August-September as part of the ICC World Test Championship, also put off the series to a later date due to the health threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, originally scheduled for June, has also been deferred, owing to the pandemic.