The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has revamped its High Performance (HP) programme with a renewed focus on preparing cricketers for the demands of international cricket.
The programme would address longstanding concerns over consistency, injury management and the transition from age-group to senior-level cricket.
Traditionally, the HP programme has served as a key component of Bangladesh's cricket development pathway by identifying and nurturing promising talents for the national team.
However, an extensive review of the programme has prompted the board to rethink its approach in a bid to help players maintain consistent performances and regain form after setbacks.
One of the major concerns identified by the HP management is the difficulty players face in sustaining their performance at the international level. Cricketers who fall out of the national setup because of poor form, injuries or other reasons often struggle to regain the rhythm required to compete at the highest level.
The revamped programme will seek to address these challenges by providing elite-level players with a structured environment in which they can continue developing their skills, work on weaknesses and prepare for a return to international cricket.
The initiative will primarily target elite cricketers who are knocking at the door of national team or have previously represented Bangladesh. Current national players will also be part of the programme when they are not engaged in international commitments.
They will return to the HP setup after completing their national duties to continue refining their skills.
"The main objective is to keep them in cricket all the year round so that they make them ready for international-level cricket always," BCB assistant general manager Rabeed Imam told BSS.
"After playing a series, the analyst, coaches and other staff analyse the performance of the players and identify what they did well and what they did wrong. The HP programme will give them an opportunity to work on their problems after a particular series," he added.
The BCB is planning to bolster the programme's coaching structure in phases, appointing specialists and support staff to meet the needs of its elite players.
National team senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has already been appointed head coach, while Sohel Islam serves as senior HP coach. Former Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has also joined the coaching staff, with Corey Collymore appointed as pace-bowling coach.
Bangladesh introduced the HP programme in 2004 under the BCB's Game Development Committee, then headed by Arafat Rahman Koko. Richard McInnes was appointed head coach and played a significant role in identifying and developing talents such as Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad, who went on to serve Bangladesh cricket for nearly two decades.
Since its inception, the HP programme has helped produce several cricketers who have contributed to the growth of the national team. However, recurring concerns about consistency and the challenges of moving from potential to sustained international performance have prompted the board to reassess its development model.
Under the revised structure, the BCB also intends to address one of Bangladesh cricket's longstanding challenges: bridging the gap between age-group cricket and the senior national team.
More often it was seen the players had played well in age level but lost the way when he was introduced into the national team.
At the same time, despite doing well in domestic circuit, the player often finds it tough to thrive in International cricket.
Rabeed said, under the revamped HP programme, there will be plan to address those issues.
"The HP programme will also focus on to keep the players in track, so that they don't find International cricket tougher one."
The programme's activities in 2026 have included a multi-format series against Zimbabwe A, an overseas tour by the Bangladesh Emerging Team to South Africa and participation in the Top End T20 tournament in Australia.
These assignments are intended to provide emerging players with valuable competitive experience against unfamiliar opposition and in different playing conditions.
The BCB has also moved to establish a dedicated Women's HP unit, signalling an expansion of its high-performance development pathway.
The BCB is also exploring opportunities to arrange more bilateral series for its HP players.
"At this moment, we have been in discussion with several countries to arrange bilateral series for HP. We'll sort it out very soon and prepare a calendar for HP," Rabeed said.
The programme is expected to evolve gradually beyond its existing framework into a comprehensive cricket academy, offering players a more integrated development environment.
Injury management and rehabilitation will receive particular attention under the new structure, with fast bowlers identified as a group requiring more effective support because of the physical demands of their role.
Injuries have frequently interrupted the development of Bangladesh's fast bowlers, limiting their availability for domestic and international cricket.
"A stronger rehabilitation framework could help reduce these disruptions by integrating medical assessments, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, workload monitoring and carefully managed returns to bowling," Rabeed added.