With the Bangabandhu T20 Cup knocking at the door, the participating teams began training at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium and its adjacent premises Saturday.
Meanwhile, Gemcon Khulna, already touted as one of the title favourites after roping in Bangladesh T20I captain Mahmudullah and all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, unveiled their team jersey and also agreed a title sponsorship deal with Petronas for the tournament.
Mahmudullah, Gemcon Sports managing director Kazi Inam Ahmed, and cricketers Anamul Haque, Al Amin Hossain, Shafiul Islam and Imrul Kayes were present among others during the jersey unveiling.
Gemcon Khulna players were among the teams who trained at the home of cricket in Mirpur Saturday as Mahmudullah and Shakib sweated it out in tandem.
All the players of Gemcon Khulna, along with Beximco Dhaka, Minister Group Rajshahi and Fortune Barishal tested Covid-19 negative Friday, while only Mahmudul Hasan from Gazi Group Chattogram tested positive.
Gazi Group can either wait for Mahmudul’s test to be negative or recruit someone from the list of unsold players in the players draft, which took place last week at a city hotel.
Gemcon Khulna MD Kazi Inam Ahmed (2R) and United Lube Oil Limited officials, including CEO Amir H Khan and director Wayez Mahmud, pose for photographs after Petronas, distributed solely in Bangladesh by United Lube Oil Ltd, agreed a deal to be the title sponsor of Gemcon Khulna in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup Dhaka Tribune/Md Manik
A total of 80 players were picked by five teams in the draft, and they will all be part of the bio-secure bubble.
The players and some 170 members including management staffs of the five teams, match officials, general staffs, broadcast team, commentators, groundsmen and security personnel will be allowed inside the bio-bubble.
Five members of the coaching staff, manager and three supporting staffs will be permitted to accompany the teams at all times.
The teams will only go to the field for their matches and training and reside at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital during the duration of the tournament, and will not be allowed anywhere else due to the bubble.
Before and during the competition, those players who test Covid-19 positive will be in isolation at the Krira Polli and National Swimming Pool Hostel, both in Mirpur.
The captains of the other four teams have been named with wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim in charge of Dhaka, Tamim Iqbal at the helm of Barishal, Mohammad Mithun in charge of Chattogram and young Nazmul Hossain Shanto at the helm of Rajshahi.
