The practice session of the Bangladesh National Cricket team for the ensuing Asia Cup began at the National Cricket Academy in Mirpur on Monday, reports UNB.
The six-nation Asia Cup, a biennial cricket tournament, will begin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 15.
Bangladesh, which were placed in Group B with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, will play Sri Lanka in the opening match in Dubai on September 15 and face Afghanistan on September 20 in Abu Dhabi.
All the cricketers of initially selected 31-member Bangladesh team except Test and T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad joined the opening day's training session.
Shakib Al Hasan is now in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj while Mahmudullah is playing in the Caribbean Premier League.
In the first five days, the national cricketers will make fitness testing and screening at the gymnasium of the National Cricket Academy and later they will join the fielding session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
After a two-day break on Friday and Saturday, the national cricketers will start their skill, batting, bowling and fielding training under head coach Steve Rhodes which will continue till September 6.
The Tigers are due to leave for the UAE on September 9 to participate in the Asia Cup.
Earlier on August 14, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 31-member preliminary ODI squad for the next month's Asia Cup, calling three new faces.
Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Fazle Rabbi Mahmud got an initial call in the national team for their brilliant performances while playing for Bangladesh A team.
Members of the preliminary squad are: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Liton Kumar Das, Abu Hider Rony, Nazmul Islam Apu, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mominul Haque, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rubel Hossain, Ariful Haque, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Kamrul Hasan Rabbi, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Zakir Hasan, Sunzamul Islam, Mohammad Mithun and Fazle Rabbi Mahmud.
