Dhaka: The Bangladesh national cricket team began their official training for the upcoming Champions Trophy, just a day after the conclusion of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Almost all players gathered at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium and practiced under the supervision of head coach Phil Simmons.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, some players started their practice under the guidance of the assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin even before the official training started. The players whose teams were not part of the BPL playoffs began training beforehand. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was amongst these players. Although Shanto’s franchise, Fortune Barishal, played the final and became champions, the Bangladesh skipper didn’t get a chance in the squad due to the team combination, as stated by Barishal captain Tamim Iqbal.
“It is very unfortunate. We haven’t been able to give him as many opportunities as he deserves. Our team combination has made it difficult to fit him in,” Tamim said. “Even in the early matches, we struggled to find the right balance. I have tried to give him chances, but his exclusion is not due to performance.”
Almost all players who are in the Champions Trophy squad performed well in this BPL, which gives Bangladesh hope to do well in the tournament. The last time the Champions Trophy was held in 2017 in England, Bangladesh advanced to the semifinals, marking their best result in an ICC tournament till date.
Bangladesh is drawn in Group A along with India, Pakistan, and New Zealand and may leave the country on February 13. They will begin the tournament by taking on India in Dubai on February 20. Subsequently, the Tigers will face New Zealand and hosts Pakistan on February 24 and 27, with both matches scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi.