Domingo appalled by fitness levels: Hassan

According to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan, Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo is not impressed by the fitness levels of the national players.

"Now the main problem that we have noticed in the national team is that of players' fitness. The fitness of the players are very poor. The coach asked 'what sort of fitness is this? I have never seen such [poor] fitness of players at the international level and also back in South Africa'." Hassan told reporters yesterday.

The BCB has recently taken a decision that the players need to score at least 11 in the beep test in order to be considered for the upcoming National Cricket League, scheduled to start from next month. Nazmul said that this decision was taken for the betterment of the fitness levels of players in the national side.

"We cannot suddenly increase the fitness level requirements. We cannot reach the mark of 13 points [in the beep test] or even go above that. So there has been a decision regarding this that if we keep the fitness acceptance levels so low in the domestic or lower tier competitions from where the players get into the national side, then naturally the players in the national side will only score nine or 10 in the beep test. Now let's see. We have taken the decision after considering everything. I think we have to improve the fitness."