Tigers back training together
The Bangladesh national team trained as a group at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday after 198 days as members of the preliminary squad for the tour of Sri Lanka converged upon the home of cricket.
Following the group training, the cricketers checked in to a city hotel and will remain in a bio-secure bubble and undergo group training till September 26.
Meanwhile, according to a BCB press release, two cricketers among the 27-member squad who were tested on September 18 and 19 have been identified as "borderline negative" with one of them showing classical Covid-19-like symptoms.
According to the Covid-19 management guidelines and to maintain the bio-secure environment standards, these cricketers along with all the players who have been in close contact with the symptomatic cricketer recently, have been isolated until the next test on September 22.
Earlier, BCB's chief physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury explained the bio-secure plan which is along the lines of the England and Wales Cricket Board and the ICC health guidelines, with frequent testing being a feature.
He also added that hotel, transportation, restaurant, training facilities and medical facilities of the players and staff will all be kept inside a bubble for the week-long residential camp.
The cricketers had been training individually since August, and started their skills training as a group yesterday under head coach Russell Domingo.
The experienced Mahmudullah Riyad -- who will be looking to make a comeback in the Test side – was excited to be back to the field as a unit yesterday.
"We started individual sessions around four or five weeks ago, so got a lot time to work on personal things. I spoke to the batting coach [back then] and worked as per his guidelines. Now we are working as a team. The team is excited to be back; as at the end of the day it is a team game and it is useful when you got to enjoy the work with the colleagues," Mahmudullah told the media following practice.
"The time during lockdown was tough because we were away from the team and the field. We had to stay busy with running and gym but not skills practice. We had individual sessions for a few weeks and are now training as a team."
Meanwhile, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury on Saturday said they are expecting to hear from SLC in the next couple of days about the fate of the three-match Test series, which is part of the ICC Test Championship.
Although SLC is yet to provide the revised health protocols, according to BCB officials their Sri Lankan counterparts are on track and are hopeful of getting the green signal and continuing preparations for the tour.
If the tour finally gets the green light, Bangladesh are expected to travel to Colombo on September 27, one month before the series begins with the first Test on October 24.
The first two Tests are likely to be played in Kandy while the third and the final Test of the series is expected to held in Colombo.