BD, Zim teams now in Khulna to play second Test

KHULNA, Oct 31 (UNB): Players, officials and support staff of both Bangladesh and Zimbabwe cricket teams are now in the city to play the second Test of the three-match Bashundhara Cement Test series at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium from Monday.

The entire city got a facelift ahead of the Test match, second one to be hosted by the stadium after 2012. Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium hosted the first Test match from November 21, 2012.

Development works have been carried out on city roads while different intersections beautified.

A replica of Unesco world heritage site Shat Gambuj Masjid (Sixty-dome Mosque) was set up at Moylapota intersection in a bid to manifest the cultural glory of the south-west region.

Three hotels where the players, officials and the support staff will stay during the match have also been illuminated.

The stadium is completely ready to host the Test match, venue manager Abdus Sattar Kochi said, adding that some 2,500 seats have been reinstalled to increase the capacity of the stadium.

Apart from dog squad and bomb search team of Rapid Action Battalion-6, some 731 policemen and two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh will remain deployed round the clock in the city to ensure the security of the players, said security monitoring team's head Abdul Mannan, deputy commissioner (South) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP).

By virtue of the best bowling figure of 8/39 in the history of Bangladesh cricket by spinner Taijul Islam, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 3 wickets in the first Test which concluded on the third day (October 27) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

With that win, Bangladesh tasted the 3rd Test victory against Zimbabwe, and the first one in 2014.