The Bangladesh national cricket team will arrive in Lahore on August 13th, four days ahead of their scheduled arrival, for a two-Test series against Pakistan. The team will undergo three days of training at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium before the first Test in Rawalpindi on August 21st.
The team’s preparations have been disrupted by ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh. The overseas coaching staff was unable to join the players at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka last week due to security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is currently working with the coaches’ respective embassies to obtain security clearances.
The early departure was arranged after an invitation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to ensure the visiting players have adequate training opportunities before the Tests. “Sports is not only about winning and losing, it’s also about camaraderie,” said Salman Naseer, PCB chief operating officer. “I am confident that the extra training sessions in Lahore will allow the players to showcase their best skills and talent on the global stage.”
The Bangladesh players have been training individually at the Shere Bangla under coach Shohel Islam for the past three days. “We thank the PCB for giving the Bangladesh cricket team the opportunity to have additional training in Pakistan,” said BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury. “This will certainly help the players to acclimatize to the conditions and prepare better for the ICC World Test Championship series.”
Bangladesh’s Test cricketers had a training camp in Chattogram that was disrupted by anti-government protests across the country last month. Political rallies have also been held inside the Shere Bangla premises.
The BCB has managed to send the high-performance team to Australia and the Bangladesh A team to Pakistan. The latter’s departure was delayed by a few days, and the team arrived in Islamabad on Saturday. Bangladesh A will play two four-day matches and three one-day matches in Pakistan, which will run alongside the senior team’s Test matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The Bangladesh squad for the Tests is expected to be announced on Sunday.
