2024-04-20 14:52:25
Daylight had not yet dawned. Queue of cars at VIP gate number one of Bangabandhu Stadium. Bangladesh national team pool cricketers appeared one by one at the historic stadium. After cricket moved out of the Bangabandhu Stadium, the ground hosted the opening ceremony of two World Cups in 2011 and 2016.
Outside this, when the CCDM office was there, only the cricketers used to come to the Bangabandhu Stadium gate to change teams. Apart from this, after 2004, the cricketers were not seen to hit much. But when they came to Bangabandhu Stadium on Saturday morning, they saw a different scene, ‘How do people sleep here?’
Bangabandhu National Stadium and Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium stand side by side in Gulistan of the capital. The traffic of homeless people increases as the night progresses in front of the stadium shop. Some spread the mat, or some find a place to sleep on the pavement. Some have mosquitoes on their heads, some don’t. Some have pillows and some don’t. Their satisfaction is to have a place to sleep for free at night. They started going to their respective workplaces in the morning. Shant, Miraz, Mushfiq, Mahmudullah stepped into the stadium early this morning and faced such a heartbreaking scene.
The reason behind their appearance at Bangabandhu Stadium today is fitness training. The cricketers ran the 40m and 1600m races on the newly laid athletics turf. If desired, this test could have been conducted at their own Mirpur Stadium. But the athletics turf test is perfect. Also good for running. That is why BCB’s new trainer Nathan Keeley wanted this training to be held on the athletics turf.
In the beginning, after breaking the inertia of the body with light jogging and exercise, Nathan Kiely explained to the 35 cricketers what to do. The number would increase. Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Soumya Sarkar could not attend this training. Soumya is still not fully recovered. Taijul and Taskin have mild niggles. But they will not pass. If they are fully fit they will also have to undergo this training.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken its cricketers to the army camp for the T20 World Cup. There they have three days of rigorous training. BCB Kajak’s plan is much like that. But on this day, not only training, their fitness was also checked. Where everyone’s performance is average.
The early history of cricket is involved in Bangabandhu Stadium. The dream journey of cricket started in a small room. There was no flash of light around that dream. There was no electricity connection. All night work was done by lighting candles. This cricket stadium has made a place in people’s hearts by hosting all historical matches before and after independence. Bangladesh’s journey to dignity and glory in Test cricket began at 22 yards of this stadium. After 2004 there was no cricket event here. The office of the Cricket Board also moved to Navana Tower in Gulshan.
After a long time, this stadium became full of cricketers. Among the current cricketers, only Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad got the chance to play in this field. Besides, Manager Nafis Iqbal and Assistant Manager Shahriar Nafis of Cricket Management Department have got the opportunity to play in this field. Nafis’ only career century came against Zimbabwe at this venue. Bangladesh won the first Test with his bat in the next match.
Some time after 6 am the training of cricketers started. Stopped shortly before eight o’clock. Before and after they run on the athletics track. At the beginning, their weight is measured and vests are tied on them. Which had GPS. Trainers can track every moment of the cricketers perfectly.
The depth of the benefits of this sweaty fitness training can be understood in the long run. Busy schedule ahead for a few months. Those concerned will get instructions on how to manage a cricketer, how to take care of them. Match fitness and physical fitness are different things. Match fitness is acquired differently by each player. Some are few. Some take longer. But this fitness training will play a big role in changing the physical structure of the cricketers.
38-year-old Mahmudullah and 36-year-old Mushfiqur Rahim have attracted attention in this fitness training. In the 1600m running, Mahmudullah came last but got applause for the effort he gave with the nineteen-twenty-year-old Tanjid-Shakib and the 25-28-year-old Miraj-Shant. Besides, everyone who was there showed their dedication. The thrill of running on the athletics turf for the first time was palpable. They are also immersed in the thrill of cricket’s old address. Nafis narrated various stories of cricketers in Smriti Romanthan. From generation to generation where togetherness has been singular.