BCB fitness camp begins today

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set to host a camp with 32 cricketers starting today (Monday).

Initially, the camp will provide an opportunity for the cricketers to improve their fitness. On 3 August the players will undergo a Yo-Yo test. Those who pass the fitness test will be eligible for a spot in the Asia Cup squad for the Asia Cup, reports news agency UNB.

Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of BCB, said that the squad for the Asia Cup will be announced in the first week of August.

“We want to assess the fitness level of the cricketers,” Minhazul told the reporters on Sunday in Mirpur. “We’ve initially selected 32 players for the camp. Following the Yo-Yo Test, we will narrow it down to 21 cricketers. By the end of the first week of August, we’ll announce the final squad for the Asia Cup.”

ODI captain Tamim Iqbal is going to miss the start of the camp as he is set to arrive in Dhaka today after taking two injections for his back pain. It’s unclear whether he will join the camp.

Bangladesh’s last assignment was the home series against Afghanistan. Since then, most of the cricketers have had an extended break from cricket, with a few of them participating in foreign leagues.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Taskin Ahmed took part in the recently concluded Zim Afro T10 League in Zimbabwe, while Litton Das and Afif Hossain are busy playing in Canada. Shoriful Islam, Towhid Hridoy and Shakib Al Hasan are in Sri Lanka to play in the new season of the Lankan Premier League. All of them will miss the start of the camp.

Apart from them, most of the cricketers are currently not engaged in any cricketing activities. For them, proving their fitness is a prerequisite to earning a spot in the squad, said the chief selector.

“It’s been weeks since the conclusion of the Dhaka Premier League and National League. So, we would like to assess the fitness levels of the cricketers,” Minhajul said.