U-19s seek to be match-hardened

The Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team will have a busy schedule ahead as the youngsters, who just have gone for a break after a four-week training camp, will report to head coach Naveed Nawaz on August 29 in Chittagong.

Bangladesh will host the upcoming Asia Cup slated from September 29 in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar and the cricketers are preparing for the regional tournament, which also involves India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Assistant coach Mahbub Ali Zaki said that the team management has started mapping out the oppositions' strengths and weaknesses.

"We are collecting video footage of the opponents. So far we have only gotten footage of the Sri Lankan team, but we are trying to get the footage of all our opponents and are making plans accordingly," said Mahbub.

He also informed that it is a big challenge to work with a totally new set of cricketers and that the team management will focus on match-based preparations to enhance performance ahead of the upcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in 2020.

"The difference between this under-19 group and the previous one is that these players are going to play a lot of matches compared to the last batch. We are going to work a lot on match-oriented things and are planning to go forward phase by phase. We are not only working on skills but are also focusing on match performance -- so it is challenging," he said.

Mahbub said that there are quite a few talented cricketers in the 27-member squad in the likes of pacer Shoriful Islam, who is now in Ireland with the A team, and leg-spinner Rishad Ahmed.

"As you already know we have pacer Shoriful and Rishad in the under-19 squad, and we will get to know some more after we play matches in the future as this is totally a new set of players and we need to observe them. I am sure as time progresses there will be a quite a few more cricketers from this group who will announce themselves for the World Cup," Mahbub added.

Bangladesh's third-place finish in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup under Mehedi Hasan Miraz at home is the best performance so far by the youths.

After the Asia Cup, the management is eyeing a tour of Sri Lanka to play two four-dayers and five one-dayers and will later also host England in January next year. The young Tigers will then take part in a tri-nation series with New Zealand as the second team.