Bangladesh Academy made a winning start in the Institute Challenege Tournament

BD Academy Vs Western Australia
BD Academy 219/5 Over -40; Rokibul 59 (59), Nasiruddin 47 (97), Mehrab 34* (23), Imrul 31 (44)
Western Australia 209/8 Over -40; Scott 39, Mick 60, Wes 42, Tim 24; Nazmul1/34, Talha 1/37, Mosharraf 2/17, Dollar 1/23, Naim 1/39
Grameenphone-BCB National Cricket Academy won by 10 runs (Date-27/08-2007; Toss-BD Academy)

Kenya confirm itinerary of four nation Twenty20 tournament

Bangladesh are going to experience some vital Twenty20 match practices in Kenyan capital Nairobi in the four nation Twenty20 tournament to boost their morale ahead of Twenty20 world cup to be held in South Africa in September.

The Kenyan Cricket Association have confirmed the itinerary of the preparatory tournament which kicks off at Kenyan capital Nairobi on September 1. In the highly anticipated match of the tournament, Bangladesh are going face their sub-continent rivals Pakistan on September 2.

Kenya and Uganda are other two teams in the tournament, but attractions will centre over the participation of the two Test playing nations from the sub-continent who are famous for their explosive nature of batting.

Bangladesh will start their campaign on 1 September with the match against arch rival Kenya in the tournament opener and will face Uganda on September 4 before flying to Johannesburg to participate in the first ever Twenty20 World Cup on September 6.

Itinerary

September 1 : Match 1 - Bangladesh Vs Kenya, Match 2 – Pakistan Vs Uganda

September 2 : Match 3 – Kenya Vs Uganda, Match 4 - Bangladesh Vs Pakistan

September 4 : Match 5 – Bangladesh Vs Uganda, Match 6 – Pakistan Vs Kenya

Training camp of Tigers starts on Monday

After the exhilarating boot camp experience, Bangladesh are starting their official preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in South Africa in next month from Monday.

Interim coach Shaun Williams, who returned from USA yesterday, will conduct the week long training camp which features six

Shaun Williams and Mohammad Ashraful, time to redeem Bangladesh Cricket © Cricinfo

practice matches against various oppositions.

The national team will play two Twenty20 matches against Australia bound Academy team on Tuesday and Wednesday, opponents of other practice matches are yet to be announced.

Tigers are due to leave for Nairobi on 29th August to participate in the 4 nation Twenty20 tournament as past of their preparation for the Twenty20 world cup. Pakistan, Kenya and Uganda are the other teams in the six day competition.

Bangladesh management are a bit concerned with the minor niggling injuries of Mushfiqur Rahim, Abdur Razzak, Tamim Iqbal and Alok Kapali, sustained during the week long commando training, although none of them are threatening enough to keep themselves out of action for long.

Bangladesh are placed along with host South Africa and West Indies in group A and will face West Indies in their first match on September 13.

"Boot camp experience will help us in International cricket" – Ashraful

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful expressed his satisfaction over the week long commando style boot camp and believes the experience will help the young Tigers to adjust with the pressures of international cricket.

The camp, organized at Bangladesh Army's School of Infantry and Tactics in Sylhet, ended yesterday and was an important part of the team's preparation for next month's ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Tigers enjoyed the first ever boot camp; Syed Rasel in action © Cricinfo

Despite suffering some minor injuries, most of the players enjoyed the action packed training program and are willing to undergo similar programs in future.

In the post-camp briefing Bangladesh captain was high vocal about the positives of the commando effort. "Each and every player in the camp firmly believes that this hard training will make them tough both mentally and physically.

"Honestly speaking, initially we were a bit shaky with a kind of training we had never attended before but ultimately we started to enjoy everything about the new adventure. "Definitely we would have missed something if we had not taken part in this kind of training."

The players were thoroughly overwhelmed by the self-counseling part of the program in which they had to discuss each others strengths and weaknesses.

"It's really an amazing experience the way we talked openly in this session. Everybody sometimes admitted their faults or defended their position.

"We criticized each other. I must say it is the best part of this training. We have had discussion in our team meetings but never spoke as openly as we did in this session," Ashraful added.

This was the first ever boot camp for Bangladeshi cricketers and only members of South Africa bound Twenty20 squad participated in the program, but Bangladesh Cricket Board want to arrange similar program for A team, Academy team and age group teams in near future.

Bangladesh name three uncapped players in the Twenty20 Squad

Bangladesh selectors have named a youthful 15 member squad for the upcoming Twenty20 world cup to be held in South Africa in September 2007.

The squad led by Mohammad Ashraful includes three uncapped players Junaed Siddique Imroz, Nazim Uddin and Ziaur Rahman, the first two are known for their big hitting abilities while the

Rafique Alok Kapali recalled for Twenty20 World Cup © Cricinfo

last one is a fresh face in the pace bowling department.

Lanky paceman Shahadat Hossain is the only notable omission from the 30 man provisional squad and left arm spinner Mohammad Rafiq opted out due to a minor fracture in his left rib.

Alok Kapali, who was out of contention for the last two years has been handed another opportunity to prove his worth largely due to his outstanding form in last domestic season.

Bangladesh Squad

Mohammad Ashraful (Captain), Masrafe Bin Mortaza (Vice-Captain), Alok Kapali, Abdur Razzak, Aftab Ahmed Chowdhury, Syed Rasel, Forhad Reza, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicketkeeper), Tamim Iqbal Khan, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Junaed Siddique Imroz, Nazim Uddin, Nadif Chowdhury, Ziaur Rahman.

Boot camp for Tigers ahead of Twenty20 World Cup

Bangladeshi cricketers will go through an "Australian style boot camp" next week in the north-eastern Sylhet division under a special military unit as part of their warm up campaign for the Twenty20 World Cup.

The boot camp will last for six days and will be supervised by the "Special warfare unit" of the Bangladesh army. The camp will start on 11 August and will only include players selected for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in South Africa in September 2007. National selectors will announce the 15 member squad from the provisional squad of thirty on 9 August.

Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, former Bangladesh captain and now chairman of the cricket operations committee of BCB's new ad hoc committee is hoping to bring out the best inn the players through intensive training programmes.

"This training is for gaining fitness and getting harder as quickly as possible as they will go through a strenuous routine during the camp. An Army unit will be in charge of the players," he said.

Pace spearhead Masharfe Mortaza is spared from the camp due to a minor ankle injury and to attend his ailing wife.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, who went through a similar camp under Gordon Greenidge, believes the camp will help in building mental toughness of the players:

"We once did it in Cox's Bazar with Gordon Greenidge. I don't remember much but I still recall that doing our regular workouts on sand was tougher. We need this type of exercises because it will naturally make us stronger mentally and physically, "said Ashraful.

Shaun Williams to remain in charge of Bangladesh for twenty20 World Cup.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), still struggling to find out the successor of Dave Whatmore, have appointed Shaun Williams, BCB game development manager, as interim Bangladesh coach for the up-coming twenty20 World Cup to be held in South Africa.

Williams acted as the interim coach in the recently concluded Sri Lanka tour in which Bangladesh were whitewashed in both Test and ODI series. Sarwar Imarn, who acted as the deputy of Williams for the Sri Lanka tour will also remain in charge.

The decision was taken in the first meeting of the newly formed committee at Navana Tower office of BCB on Wednesday afternoon. Ahmed Sazzadul Alam, member of the BCB executive committee, made the decision public in a news conference after the meeting.

Bangladesh are placed in group A along with host South Africa and West Indies, and will start their campaign against West Indies on 13 September in Johannesburg.