Political Crisis Disrupts Bangladesh's Cricket Preparations

Bangladesh's preparations for their upcoming two-match series against Pakistan have been hampered by the ongoing political crisis in the country, which has led to the disruption of scheduled training sessions. BCB officials informed Cricbuzz on Sunday (August 3) that they are uncertain about when they can resume practice sessions due to the government's announcement of an indefinite nationwide curfew.

The Bangladesh cricket team is set to travel to Pakistan on August 17 for the two-Test series, which is part of the ICC Test Championship. The first Test is scheduled to be held from August 21-25 in Rawalpindi, followed by the second Test in Karachi from August 30 to September 3.

A BCB official expressed their uncertainty, stating, "We are not sure when we can hold the practice because there is a curfew for an indefinite period. Our administration is handling the matter, and we will have a clearer understanding once they brief us on the current situation."

The home ministry of Bangladesh issued a statement indicating that the curfew would remain in effect until further notice. The statement read, "The curfew will be enforced from 6 am on Sunday (August 4) and will continue for an indefinite period. It applies to all divisional cities, city corporations, municipalities, industrial areas, district headquarters, and upazila headquarters, including Dhaka metropolitan."

The Bangladesh team was scheduled to commence their skill training session at SBNS from Sunday under the guidance of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who arrived in Dhaka on August 1. The coaching staff, including Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach), Andre Adams (pace bowling coach), David Hemp (batting coach), Nick Pothas (assistant coach), and Nathan Kelly, are also in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, a BCB official mentioned that the Bangladesh A team's tour of Pakistan is proceeding as planned but acknowledged the uncertainty due to the current situation. Former Test captains Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque, along with Shahadat Hossain, Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Nayeem Hasan, and Hasan Mahmud, are part of the Bangladesh A team for the first four-day match against Pakistan Shaheens. This match aims to prepare them for the two-Test series, after which they will return home. The Bangladesh A team is scheduled to depart on August 6 and will play two four-day games and three one-dayers against Shaheens from August 10-27 in Islamabad.

"The A team's tour is still on schedule, but given the current political situation, nothing can be said with certainty. However, we remain hopeful that they will be able to fly on the scheduled date," the official added.