The Bangladesh Cricket Board acknowledged on Thursday that the next Asia Cup will be impacted by excessive traveling. The tournament is being played in a hybrid model, and Bangladesh, who are positioned in Group B, will play their group phase matches in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively, according to the schedule. They will go to Pakistan to take on Afghanistan in their second group encounter on September 3 after playing their opening group B match against Sri Lanka on August 31. If they succeed in qualifying, they will play their first Super Four game before returning to Sri Lanka to play the other two Super Four games and, if successful, the final.
“Yes, we must travel to Lahore to play the opening game. Two games are scheduled for the first round, one in Pakistan and the other in Sri Lanka. We must leave since there is nothing we can do. The following match after August 31 is on September 3. The Asia Cup authorities [ACC] have opted to fly the teams in chartered flights to make the trip more comfortable. We will fly on private aircraft. The Asian Cricket Council is in charge of this. The chairman of the BCB cricket organization, Jalal Yunus, told reporters that “of course, we would like to travel by quality airline, whether that is a national airline or a chartered plane, definitely that would be good for everyone.”
“If you travel, there will undoubtedly be an effect, which I can sense because flying requires you to arrive two hours early and carry your luggage, and getting ready for all of this is psychologically taxing. Sri Lanka is far away from Pakistan. Since the ACC made the decision, nothing can be done, and everyone is acting accordingly. We must accept that as well, he continued, noting that they would decide if Tamim Iqbal would be available when he returned from vacation. Tamim, who recently announced his retirement but later reversed course at Sheikh Hasina’s urging, is now taking a one-and-a-half-month vacation.
The left-handed opener, who is experiencing back problems, is anticipated to visit doctors in England before coming home, and it is understood he will meet with the board before deciding on his next step.
Tamim will travel to London on June 26. A choice will be made based on his condition following his treatment. He intends to enter the nation by December 31. The decision to proceed will depend on his physical state, Jalal said.
“The medical staff will make the decision on which cricketers will remain on the team and which players will be benched. Naturally, a squad plays when it is fully fit,” he continued.
A 28 to 30-member preliminary squad, whose training camp is set to begin on July 31 in preparation for the upcoming Asia Cup, is what BCB is anticipated to reveal.
