BCB prepares all major venues for practice

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday said they have prepared all major cricketing venues of the country to ensure practising facilities of the cricketers, reports UNB.

They also said more than a hundred groundsmen have been working hard to prepare these venues for the players.

Due to coronavirus, all cricketing activities are on hold in Bangladesh since 16 March this year.

All cricketers have been passing time at home doing nothing.

Top players have fitness training facilities at their home.

But most cricketers depend on the practising facilities of the board.

"As part of the BCB's continuing efforts at facilitating its exit strategy following the disruption to programmes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, major international and first-class venues such as the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Dhaka, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) in Sylhet, Khan Shahaeb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOAS) in Fatullah, Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium (SKICS) in Cox's Bazar, Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium (SANS) in Khulna, Shahid Chandu Stadium (SCS) in Bogra and Shahid Kamaruzzaman Stadium (SKS) in Rajshahi have been undergoing constant maintenance," a recent BCB media release reads.

The groundsmen are following hygiene and safety standards as per the COVID-19 guideline of the board.

BCB said, despite the challenges of ensuring adequate workforce during coronavirus, a sufficient number of cleaners have been assigned at the BCB facilities.

"Over 100 groundsmen and venue personnel have remained active with pitch, outfield and facilities maintenance at the stadiums which is an ongoing process. Regular work includes watering, trimming and cutting of the grass, administering fertilisers and insecticides, top dressing, planting of Bermuda grass, removal of weed, rolling and sand filling. In addition, checking and servicing of ground equipment and machinery is mandatory at all stadiums. Technicians for power supply and water substations are also on duty," BCB release also reads.

Nizam Uddin Chowdury, the BCB CEO, said the board is eagerly waiting to see the cricket is backed to the field, and to ensure that, they are have been working hard.

"We are very mindful of the fact that we have to get our cricketers back on the field sooner rather than later. The process of resumption should start with training and for that, we have kept our grounds and practice facilities fully prepared and functional," he said in the media release.

While BCB is trying to secure players' return to the field, international cricket is also around the corner to resume as Pakistan will take on the Netherlands in the maiden ODI of the tri-nation series, that also includes England, on 4 July at Amstelveen.