Tigers begin Asian Games camp, hope to get ‘adequate’ preparation

Bangladesh began their Asian Games preparation camp on Sunday, returning to T20 cricket for the first time since their full series in Zimbabwe in July. With concerns over the facilities in Japan, adequate preparation is the priority as the Tigers prepare to depart for the tournament on September 24, ahead of their opening match in the quarterfinals on September 28.

At least half of the squad, including skipper Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mustafizur Rahman, were present as the Tigers began their preparations. The team are still awaiting the arrival of players who recently featured in the ‘A’ team’s tour of South Africa. National team head coach Phil Simmons attended the session, while Mohammad Salahuddin, head coach for the Asian Games tournament, conducted the preparations.

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“We may not have access to adequate facilities in Japan, so we have to make the most of what is available here and complete as much of our preparation as possible before leaving. We are structuring our practice sessions accordingly,” a member of the team management informed.

The Tigers will also play two practice games in Mirpur on September 21 and 23.

Bangladesh clinched the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and the feat remains their only gold medal at the Asian Games to date. The last time they appeared in the event, the Tigers won bronze by beating Pakistan by six wickets. This time, they are once again aiming for gold, having named a strong outfit featuring several senior national team players.

“The goal is to definitely go for gold medal. Given that we have not played T20 cricket for quite some time, the goal in terms of preparation is to get into T20 rhythm,” a member of the coaching staff said.

It is understood that a drop-in wicket is likely to be used during the tournament. The Tigers’ main concern will be regaining their batting rhythm after a lengthy break from the format, and batting will be given priority as the tournament approaches. Mustafizur was the only bowler to bowl at the two centre wickets during the batting session.

“We practiced on the [two] centre wickets and slabs were also used. Everyone got a chance to bat on the two centre wickets,” the coaching staff said as preparations kicked into gear for another gold-medal bid.