Bangladesh kicks off their preparations for the upcoming five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe with a running session at the athletics turf in Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday.
Bangladesh’s cricketing journey began at this historic venue before all cricket activities were relocated to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in 2006.
The Bangabandhu Stadium was subsequently handed over to the Bangladesh Football Federation, leading to a cessation of cricketing events.
Among the 35 cricketers participating in the fitness session, only Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have had the privilege of playing on this ground.
The presence of cricketers at the Bangabandhu National Stadium became a topic of conversation among residents of old Dhaka, where the stadium is located.
They gathered in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the national stars.
Shahriar Nafees, former national opener and current deputy manager of BCB Cricket Operations, reminisced about his cricketing beginnings upon returning to the venue.
“I first visited this venue in 1994.
Many iconic cricketers played here, and we used to come to watch them.
Every corner of the Bangabandhu Stadium holds history.
Not only cricketers from our generation but also other athletes will attest to the significance of this venue,” Nafees told reporters after the fitness session on Saturday.
“While newer players may not have had the opportunity to play here, they have certainly heard stories about this stadium.
Many of them were born around 2000 and may not have played here, but they have surely heard tales about this venue,” he added.
“It’s evident that so many people wouldn’t typically come to watch a fitness session at six in the morning, but because it’s Bangabandhu Stadium, they’ve come, and everyone had a great experience,” he concluded.
Nathan Kiely, the newly appointed strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, observed the fitness training session to assess the physical condition of the players.
The session involved 35 cricketers and included a 1600-meter running session followed by a 40-meter sprint.
Three cricketers were absent: Soumya Sarkar and Taijul Islam due to knee injuries, while Shakib Al Hasan is currently in the USA with his family.
BCB trainer Iftekharul Islam stated that the overall results were satisfactory and that they would formulate plans for the next course of action based on the results.
“The athletics track is not always available, so we conducted the test in the field.
It was different, and we haven’t conducted this kind of test in a long time, so it was new to them, and they will need some time to adapt.
We chose the athletics track because timing is involved.
If we want to adhere to international standards, certain testing methods are required, and today we conducted a 1600-meter time trial.
Conducting it on an athletics track ensures proper timing.
It was new to them, but it was beneficial,” said Iftekharul.
“There’s no pass or fail.
We want to assess their current fitness levels because we’ve had some series and domestic tournaments like BPL and DPL.
After assessing their current state, we will plan individual fitness training programs and implement them,” he added.
“We conducted the 1600-meter run to assess their cardiovascular system and overall fitness capacity.
The sprint was conducted to assess their speed because we need to know how fast they are in the first 20 meters of a 40-meter sprint.
Those who are slower in the first 20 meters need improvement because we often fall short by a couple of inches in a run-out or fail to save a boundary by just one or two feet,” he concluded.
Nahid Rana and Tanjim Shakib jointly secured the top position in the 1600-meter run.
The cricketers are expected to return to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in the evening for another fitness training session at the gymnasium.
The series against Zimbabwe is scheduled from May 3-12.
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