The bulk of the domestic stalwarts and campaigners yet another failed to chalk up the required marks of fitness in the second beep test, a method to determine players’ fitness level, held at the Mirpur Indoor of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur yesterday.
But still they are all set to play the National Cricket League (NCL), slated to begin from October 10.
Under the coordination of the High Performance (HP) Fitness Coach Tushar Kanti Hawlader, the second beep test held where a total of 42 players from seven different divisions took part in the fitness test for the second time as it is learnt from the Tournament Committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board .
Of them, the players from Khulna Division participated in the beep test more than the other divisions. A total of 16 players including domestic campaigner Tushar Imran and Abdur Razzak were there. Both Tushar and Razzak missed to put up the required marks of the minimum 11, the benchmark set by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for this year’s NCL.
Seven players took part from Rangpur, six from Dhaka Division, five from Dhaka Metro, while three from Barishal Division and Rajshahi Division along with two from Chattogram Division in the second turn of the fitness test.
Mohammad Ashraful from Dhaka Metro, Nasir Hossain from Rangpur Division frustrated all not to meet the required scores of eleven in beep test.
In the first beep test, Nasir Hossain put up 9.3, Abdur Razzak 9.6, Mohammad Ashraful 9.6 and Tushar Imran 8.9 that are far from the minimum score.
To see the scoring of the domestic stalwarts, Tushar Kanti Hawlader said it is not possible for them to meet up the required marks because it is totally related to age and other matters.
“The scores they put up in the first test it’s possible to increase a bit but it is never possible to enlarge it much,” said Tushar Kanti.
Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful echoed the same sentiment and said he had desires to play for a different division out of the Dhaka Metro.
“To be honest, I had wishes to play for an outside team. Thanks to Barishal Division to give me that opportunity. I will try to play better cricket for them,” said Mohammad Ashraful.
Dhaka Premier League (DPL) will be held after National Cricket League (NCL). Therefore, Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL). Ashraful is determined to fare well in the NCL prior to the hectic domestic cricket league.
“Our cricket calendar always starts with NCL and then DPL, BPL and BCL is held one after another. So, starting is very important here,” Ashraful told media after his second beep test.
BSS adds: Selection panel member Habibul Bashar Sumon said the players would take part in the league but all of them would have to obtain 11 in beep test at some point of the NCL and they won’t compromise with it. “As I told before that we have set 11 point as the minimum requirement but in some cases we will consider age, form and fitness. We won’t give any benchmark and it will vary from person to person,” national selector Habibul Bashar Sumon said here yesterday.
“As for example, Razzak, a performer and he won’t get the result in the beep test like others and we need to consider these three things– form- fitness-age– for some of the cricketers,” he added.
“They could not reach 11 point today and now Nannu bhai [chief selector] and me will decide how we will consider them and in which criteria but Ashraful, Razzak and Tushar Imran have all the probability to play in the NCL,” he said, adding that they need to touch the benchmark in future.
“But they have to pass the benchmark in future. They have to increase the fitness in the game. [They] have to give time sometimes in between the games of NCL,” he said.
“It won’t be possible to play BCL [without achieving the required fitness
mark]. I mean, we won’t consider anyone in further tournaments after NCL who are unable to get the stipulated points in beep test,” he concluded.