Lots of people showed up early in the morning to watch a fitness test at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Shahriar Nafees, the cricket operations manager, was surprised to see so many fans there.
Thirty-five cricketers came to the Bangabandhu National Stadium before 6:00 am. They had to run a 1600m race on the new running tracks for a fitness test.
This was the first time in a long while that cricket-related activities happened at this stadium. It used to be a cricket stadium but has been used for football since 2006.
The Bangabandhu National Stadium has a rich history in cricket. Even before Bangladesh became a country, it hosted cricket matches, including the first Test match between Pakistan and India in 1955.
For many players, it was their first time playing at this historic venue. Only Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim had some experience here from playing in the past.
Nafees Iqbal and Shahriar Nafees, who manage the team, remembered their playing days at the stadium. Nafees scored his first Test century here in 2004.
The cricket team returned to the stadium for a fitness test organized by the new strength and conditioning coach, Nathan Kiely. The coach wanted to check the players’ fitness levels by making them run on the tracks.
The cricketers ran in two groups. Pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Nahid Rana won in their respective groups. The players cheered each other on, even the older ones like Mahmudullah.
The fitness test was important because the team has a busy schedule ahead, with 29 matches in the next seven months across different formats.
Some players couldn’t attend the session due to being in the USA or participating in the Indian Premier League, while others were absent due to injuries.