Akram confident of Australia arrival

Bangladesh will start their conditioning camp in Chittagong from Friday by playing practice games, ahead of the Australia Test matches at home. “National team is performing well in the camp in Dhaka. They are doing batting and bowling in the nets there. Bangladesh will start their conditioning camp in Chittagong by playing practice game. We have a scheduled Test in Chittagong against Australia. So our main target will be to cope with the wicket and condition soon,” Akram Khan, chairman of the BCB cricket operations committee, told the media in Cox’s Bazar on Friday. Akram is currently in Cox’s Bazar for the Masters Cricket Masters Carnival with his team Ispahani Chittagong Masters.

---

Also read: Australia cricket manager hopeful of Bangladesh visit

---

Australia's tour of Bangladesh is still hanging in the balance as the ongoing dispute between Cricket Australia and its players has not resolved yet. Akram however, expressed hope that the series will take place as scheduled.

“It’s an internal problem of CA. But we are taking preparation for the series as per schedule. We are thinking positively about the series. This series is very important for us as we have the South Africa tour after that,” he said.

BCB has not renewed the contract of batting coach Thilan Samaraweera after the 2017 Champions Trophy. So the Tigers will be in need of a batting coach soon. Akram informed that an appointment will be made soon in that regard. “We are negotiating with a batting coach. Probably he will arrive within a few days. He will work particularity with lower-order batsmen. We are hiring him for short term. If he fits with us well, then he can be with us for a long time. I can't tell the name as per the code of conduct but can say he is an Australian,” concluded Akram. Regarding the series' against Zimbabwe A and Afghanistan, Akram said, "Zimbabwe A will come here to play matches but as for Afghanistan, discussions are still ongoing."