Bangladesh cricket team started their preparation for the Asian Games with nearly a three-hour long practice session at the Songdo LNG Baseball Stadium on Sunday.
Arriving the day before, Tigers did not waste the chance of getting themselves acclimatised with the condition prior to their opener on October 1 in the quarter-final match.
Bangladesh’s practice venue was situated on the outskirts of Incheon city near a golf course, as they were not permitted to train at the main cricket venue for the Games.
Authority denied gold medallist Bangladesh from using the main stadium due to the delicate condition of the field because of the heavy rainfall during Friday’s women’s cricket final.
Despite everything the players and the officials seemed to be in a jovial mood as they looked forward to taking the best out of the games village where they are placed in a 30-storied building with the other members from Bangladeshi contingent.
Asian Games seemed to have provided most of the players with the opportunity of taking some fresh air with other athletes of the world, which they are enjoying the most, unlike what they are usually dished out in a full-fledged series or tournaments.
Five players- Nasir Hossain, Subhagata Hom, Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahman and Shamsur Rahman were part of the Bangladesh team that won the gold medal at Guangzhou four years back.
Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe believes that this atmosphere will definitely have a positive impact on his charges as they are going through a low with no wins against any Test playing nations so far in 2014.
‘I think it’s a good opportunity for the boys to learn few things from the Asian Games,’ Hathurusinghe told reporters after the practice session.
‘Staying in the village and surrounded by so many athletes will certainly help them to learn how to prepare for the coming days,’ said Hathurusinghe.
‘They can also take some lesson on the food habits as well as they will see a lot of world class athlete dining with them,’ he said.
‘To be honest it always helps you to broaden your mind,’ he said, recalling some of his old days during his stint as a player with the Sri Lankan side at the Commonwealth Games of 1998.
While Hathurusinghe remained nostalgic with some of his old memories, opener Anamul Haque seemed to be in cloud nine after arriving at the village as he had the chance to meet some of his old friends from the hockey and shooting team.
The whole atmosphere was new to the right-hander and he said that he was looking to return with some good memories.
‘There are lots of athletes from different countries and being with them is certainly a new experience,’ said Anamul. ‘We are staying and eating altogether and this is something totally new,’
‘I have some friends of BKSP’s 2006 batch in other disciplines and meeting and talking with them helped me in passing the time well,’ he said.
‘We can talk of different things like who is leading in the world sports and this kind of conversation helps you to grow as a sportsman,’ he added.
The right-hander believes that inclusion of Sakib al Hasan will bolster the strength of the team and they are all set to start a new era leaving behind their days of misery.
‘Sakib Bhai’s presence will certainly make us stronger,’ said Anamul. ‘I feel that we can start afresh from here,’ he added.
Haturusinghe also echoed the same sentiments.
‘It is Twenty20 format. I am looking forward because it will suit us and anything can happen in that short span of time,’ he said.
-With New Age input
