While Bangladesh’s Test side is holding steady in Sri Lanka, the white-ball squad is gearing up back home.
On a rainy day, Shamim Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, and others set out for Chattogram. They’ll play two day-night warm-up matches before the official ODI and T20I series kicks off.
All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin is also in the frame. He’s been out of the national side for 13 months. A string of injuries kept him off the field. Now he’s back, after a solid run in the Dhaka Premier League.
“I’ve played 14 matches this Ramadan, in this heat,” Saifuddin said. “You can’t do that unless you’re fit.”
His bowling stats in the DPL speak for themselves. He took 24 wickets in 14 matches, ranking third among bowlers.
“My focus is on ODIs and T20s,” he said. “I just need the opportunity.”
The players remaining in Bangladesh have been going through a demanding training camp. Team staff say it’s been one of the most demanding camps they’ve ever managed.
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Training runs from 8:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon. It covers everything—fielding, running, gym, batting, and bowling.
Players with performance gaps were given extra attention. “We’ve worked on lagging areas. Some needed help with bowling, others with batting,” said a team insider.
Still, they admit that during matches, there’s not much time to sharpen skills. That’s why the focus is split between performance and fitness.
The team hopes to turn around recent disappointments in T20 series against Dubai and Pakistan.
But the return of experienced pacers like Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman could make a difference. Coach Nazmul Hossain thinks so.
“They’ve played through tough situations before,” he said. “I believe the way they’re training shows they’re ready again. There’s still about a week left in the ODI camp, and they’re pushing hard.”
The squad has been split into two sides. They’ll face off on Sunday and Tuesday in Chattogram, under lights.
What happens in these games could shape the final lineup for the tour of Sri Lanka.
