Coach Chandika Hathurusingha has returned to the country. Practice for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan was supposed to start yesterday. The players were scheduled to undergo a fitness test early in the morning at Bangabandhu Stadium.
However, continuous rain forced the cancellation of the test. Eventually, the players’ strength was tested in Mirpur. Although the running test could not be conducted at Bangabandhu Stadium due to the rain, it will be rescheduled as per the weather conditions, according to physio Bayejidul Islam. Primarily, the cricketers selected for the two-match Test series against Pakistan participated in the fitness tests.
Regarding this, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) physio Bayejidul said, “Practice will start from today (yesterday). The skill camp will begin tomorrow. The running test will depend on the weather and the players’ availability. Many players will join the ‘A’ team and the national team’s programs. If we can find the time, we will plan again.”
However, there are questions about whether practice will take place at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Field today due to the current weather conditions. As of the writing of this report, no statement has been received from the BCB regarding the practice.
The national team’s cricketers underwent a fitness test before the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. This time, the focus is on the Test mission in Pakistan. Not all members of the T20 team are here; some new players will join the Test team.
However, BCB wants to reassess everyone’s condition once more. National team physio Bayejidul Islam said, “Before going to the World Cup, we did a fitness test. Today was the follow-up test. We had a running test, but due to the weather, we couldn’t do it. We did the strength test together. All the players who were here took the test; there were 14 players in total.”
The national team’s Test practice is scheduled to start in Mirpur today. The Tigers are set to go to Pakistan for the Test matches on August 17th.
How Taskin Can Return to Test Cricket
On the other hand, BCB Cricket Operations Committee Chairman Jalal Yunus has hinted at the return of pacer Taskin to the Test team.
However, there are concerns about the injury-prone pacer’s return to the longer format. National team physio Bayejidul Islam Khan has outlined the way for Taskin Ahmed to return to five-day cricket. Taskin last played a Test match in June last year against Afghanistan.
After the fitness test ‘Physical Performance Assessment’ at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium today, Bayejidul shared his insights with journalists.
He said, “Regarding Taskin’s post-injury condition, Taskin has been playing the T20 format for a while. He hasn’t bowled long spells during this period. He had a shoulder issue, even during the World Cup. We had his shoulder checked, and the problem remains the same. It hasn’t changed. But he can play with this issue. This means if he works out, he can play. From this perspective, Taskin is available for Tests.”
However, Bayejidul also mentioned the need for Taskin to rebuild his habit of bowling long spells due to his long absence from longer-format cricket, “To play Test cricket, you need to handle a significant bowling workload and bowl long spells. Gradually building up to this is necessary before playing Tests. Since he has been playing T20s for a long time, he will try to see how he feels. If he feels good, he can, Inshallah, play Tests again.”
Since that Test at home, Taskin has not played long-format cricket due to injuries. In February, he announced a temporary break from Test cricket.
