Bangladesh national cricket team’s preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan received a huge blow as their training session was disrupted due to the ongoing national crisis on Sunday.to the ongoing national crisis on Sunday.
Bangladesh cancelled their scheduled practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium while the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials insisted that they are not sure when they can announce the date of next practice session ahead of the Pakistan tour.
The two-match series is a part of ICC Test Championship, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
Tigers are scheduled to fly to Pakistan on 17 August while the first Test of the series is slated to take place from 21-25 August in Rawalpindi.
Karachi will host the second Test from 30 August-3 September.
“We are not sure when we can hold the practice because there is a curfew for an indefinite period. Our administration is looking after the matter and we can get a better understanding of the situation after they brief us about the present condition,” a BCB official told the Daily Sun hours after the government announced a nationwide curfew for an indefinite period to be enforced from Sunday evening amid the worsening situation following the student movement.
A home ministry statement said on Sunday that curfew will be enforced until further notice.
“The curfew will be enforced from 6am on Sunday and will continue for an indifferent period. A curfew has been enforced in all divisional cities, city corporations, municipalities, industrial areas, district headquarters, and upazila headquarters, including Dhaka metropolitan, until further notice,” said the home ministry statement.
Following the announcement of the curfew the government has announced three days of public holidays from Monday to ensure public safety amid the evolving situation following the student movement across the country.
Bangladesh were scheduled to start their skill training session at SBNS from Sunday under the guidance of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who arrived in Dhaka on 1 August to take the helm of the dressing room.
Other coach staff members that includes Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling), Andre Adams (pace bowling), David Hemp (batting), Nick Pothas (assistant coach) and Nathan Kelly are currently in Dhaka for preparing their charges ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, a BCB official insisted that their ‘A’ team’s Pakistan tour, scheduled on 6 August, is still on as per schedule but added that they cannot guarantee anything as it is dependent on a lot of permutation and combination.
The ‘A’ team’s tour is on till now, but at the same time you cannot say anything with certainty with the present political situation but we are hopeful that they will be flying on a scheduled date,” said the BCB official.
BCB included former Test skippers Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque for one of the four-day matches against Pakistan Shaheens in preparation for the two-match Test series against their senior men’s side.
Bangladesh will play two four-day games and three one-day matches against Pakistan Shaheens between 10-27 August in Islamabad.
The first four-day match is scheduled from 10-13 August whereas the opening Test between the two senior men’s sides kicks off on August 21 in Rawalpindi.
Seven Test cricketers from the last series against Sri Lanka have been picked for the four-day match, among those being Shahadat Hossain, Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Nayeem Hasan and Hasan Mahmud.
Young middle-order batsman Shahadat Hossain, who played the last four Tests at home against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, is unlikely to make the cut in the Test squad and as a result would remain with the Bangladesh A team to play the second four-day game against Pakistan Shaheens.
