Bangladesh Tigers Development Program will start from Friday in Bogra’s Shaheed Chandu Cricket Stadium as the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the 23-man squad for the camp which will run till March 7.
Players who have performed well in the Bangladesh Cricket League, Bangladesh Premier League and National Cricket League were called up for the program, and this selection is for the next camp only.
BCB director and Bangladesh Tigers Development Program chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed, CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, board and national team director Khaled Mahmud and director Obeid Nizam were present among others in the press briefing at BCB premises Saturday.
“If we have any ongoing series, and a player doesn't play a particular format, he can be a part of our program. We have a series against Afghanistan coming up. During this whole time many players from the Test team will be available. The program can help them with good preparation. At the same time, those who have been dropped from the national side, either due to loss of form or injury, can join this squad when they are fit,” Bangladesh Tigers chairman Inam explained to the media.
“Those who do well in the Dhaka Premier League, National Cricket League, Bangladesh Cricket League or Bangladesh Premier League might get called up to the national side, before that happens we can keep them in this squad. These criteria were given to the selectors. From that they have selected a 23-member squad for the upcoming camp.”
The development program will also be a platform for local coaches to improve themselves to the next level.
Local coaches like Aftab Ahmed, Nazmul Hossain and Talha Jubaer have been included in the program.
Along with the local coaches, two foreign coaches will work with the Bangladesh Tigers - a fielding coach and bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake.
“A nine-member coaching panel has also been set up in that regard. Majority would be local coaches. Mizanur Rahman Babul will be the head coach of this program. Aftab, Nazmul are here. It is also important to focus our attention on local coaches. The objective of the program is to make the local coaches and players ready for the national team. A specialist fielding coach from England, Umakant Patel, would be there. HP bowling coach Champaka will also be in the program,” said Inam.
Bogra's Shaheed Chandu Stadium will be under the spotlight after years as the last time an international match was played here was way back in 2006.
“This venue was referred by the Test captain Mominul Haque. He is the one who told Sujon bhai that the wicket is fast there. Simultaneously we would be able to avail an old international venue of ours. That is why we chose Bogra. This would run throughout the year. It's a program. This is just the beginning, I hope this program will go well,” Inam informed.
“Mainly the South Africa-bound cricketers are here, but many others too have been selected, those we want to develop alongside the national players. We want to make the national team pool bigger, the pipeline more vast. So that a player will always be ready,” said former Bangladesh captain Mahmud.
Meanwhile, Nizamuddin said the Bangladesh Tigers development program may expand overseas as well in future.
“At the moment we do not have plans to hold a camp abroad. But we do have the intention to organize training camp abroad. India, Sri Lanka, England or Australia, if we can send them there for 20-30 days, it would be great. This is what we want. The camp can be held at different places and conditions. Different conditions and wickets would help us as well," said the BCB CEO.
Bangladesh Tigers squad
Mominul Haque, Fazle Rabbi, Saif Hasan, Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Pinak Ghosh, Anamul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Saykat Ali, Zakir Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Islam Apu, Nahidul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Abu Jayed, Khaled Ahmed, Abu Haider Rony, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mehedi Hasan Rana, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury.
Coaching and management staff
Mizanur Rahman Babul - Head coach/batting coach
Sohel Islam - Spin coach
Champaka Ramanayake - Bowling coach
Aftab Ahmed - Batting coach
Talha Jubaer - Fast bowling coach
Nazmul Hossain - Fast bowling coach
Ashique Mojumder - Batting coach
Umakant Patel - Fielding coach
Faisal Hossain Dickens - Fielding coach
Nasir Ahmed Nasu - Analyst/wicket-keeping coach
Yeakub Chowdhury - Trainer
Muzadded Alpha Sunny - Physiotherapist
Sajal Ahmed Chowdhury - Logistics manager
