Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh national cricket team will begin their Asia Cup preparations with the official training camp expected to start in the second week of August.
According to sources, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is expected to name a squad of 21-22 members that will head out to Sri Lanka for the Asian challenge.
The Tigers will take on Sri Lanka in their opening fixture in Kandy on August 31, before making the trip to Pakistan to face off against Afghanistan in their final group-stage encounter on September 3.
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha is expected to return to the country by the first week of August by which he will have his coaching staff to kick-start proceedings.
A fitness camp, where the BCB is likely to have as many as 30 players from the existing pool, is scheduled to begin on July 31 before the official training camp.
The selectors will name the official squad for the Asia Cup by August 6.
The squad is likely to include an additional opener due to ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal’s fitness concerns. Rony Talukdar and Mohammad Naim have featured in recent ODIs and either of the two might get the nod.
Another area of concern for the Tigers has been the number seven spot in the eleven.
On most occasions, the team management has leaned towards using Afif Hossain to finish off the innings. However, it has been learned that Soumya Sarkar, who had scores of 40s and scalped six wickets in the recent Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, is a strong contender for making it back to the national team as a fast-bowling all-rounder.
If the team management opts to go for experience, however, veteran Mahmudullah Riyad, who played his last ODI against England in March, might be handed a wild card entry.
