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National cricket team to leave for Kenya |
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September 23, 2000
Dhaka, Sept 22 (UNB)- After graduating to the elite club of test-playing nations, Bangladesh is going for its first encounter at ICC Knockout Tournament in Kenya as well as South Africa tour amid great expectation of cricket-crazy fans at home. The national team leaves Sunday evening for Nairobi by Emirates flight for the eleven-nation tourney, dubbed mini-world cup cricket, beginning in the Kenyan capital October 3. National team captain Naimur Rahman Durjoy, who is taking the prestigious, but challenging, job for the first time, thinks that the tour will be tough one for the newborn test nation. Talking to UNB today (Friday), the 26-year-old all-rounder expressed the hope they would play against England for good results and players are now confident about winning the match. Durjoy said he is proud of becoming the first man to lead Bangladesh in the test-era and is concerned about transforming Bangladesh to a good test nation. Bangladesh will play their first match of the ICC Knockout Tournament against England on October 5. Prior to their clash with the Britons, they will play two practice matches against host Kenya and Sri Lanka on September 28 and October 1 respectively. The tenth member of the global club of test-playing nations, Bangladesh, who will play their maiden test against India November 10-14 in Dhaka, will open their South African tour on October 12 with a four-day match against Grqualand West at Kimberly. They will also play three limited-over matches against South African A team on October 18, 21 and 22 at Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg and Durban respectively. In absence of the glittering opening batsmen Mehrab Hossain Opee and Shahriar Hossain Bidyut due to their injury, the national team only has one experienced opener, Javed Omar Belim, in the squad for the outing. Bidyut was recently replaced by Ehsanul Haq Seezan, who for the first time found a seat in the national side. Coach Sarwar Imran said this is bad luck for them that they will miss two best openers' service. "This would make a chance for Al Shahriar Rokon to play as an opener". Captain Durjoy also echoed his coach's sentiments that they lost their two main opening batsmen. He, however, thinks it would have "no adverse impact on our team because we have a strong batting lineup". The helmsman takes this tour in a new context as a big opportunity for the new talented batsmen like him and others to show their potentialities in the battle of willows with the sporting aristocrats. Coach Imran Sarwar said the South Africa trip would not be easy one for them because the South African A team, who are now playing brilliant cricket in West Indies, is a very strong side with some talented cricketers who could be called in their national squad anytime. The coach and the captain both think they have lacking in pace attack and Durjoy said: " I am confident about our batting but bowling is main concern. But I think they are improving". Durjoy observed the fitness is now good but they failed to get adequate field practice in recent concluded month-long camp in BKSP. However, the national team for the first time made a weeklong conditioning camp on the sands in the resort town Cox's Bazar. Durjoy and Imran expressed their optimism that the tour would help the national side play good cricket against India in the country's maiden test match November 10-14. The team is carrying two left-arm spinners-Mohammed Rafique and Enamul Haq Moni-as the selectors think it would help the squad a lot to play in a bouncy wicket during the South African tour. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) general secretary Syed Ashraful Haq is accompanying the team as a manager while BCB joint secretary Mahmudul Haq Manu as coordinator. Team: Javed Omar Belim, Ehsanul Haq, Habibul Bashar, Akram Khan, Aminul Islam, Al Shahriar, Naimur Rahman (captain), Khaled Masud (vice-captain), Enamul Haq Moni, Hasibul Hossain, Monjurul Islam, Mohammed Rafique, Mushfiqur Rahman and Bikash Ranjan Das. |