It was a hot and sunny Tuesday morning at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, where most of the cricketers named in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad for the Asia Cup took part in a demanding fitness session led by strength and conditioning coach Nathan Kiely.
The day began at 8 AM with a warm-up in the gym, before players such as Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed moved onto the field by 8:45 AM. The hour and 15-minute session tested the players’ physical endurance to the fullest.
Set in front of the Shaheed Jewel Stand, the players lined up for sprint drills using colour-coded cones placed at different distances. At Kiely’s command, they raced to and from the cones within set time limits. The closest cone had a five-second return time. As the drills progressed, the distance and return time increased, with the farthest cone allowing an additional 20 seconds.
The final ten minutes proved the most demanding. Players had to touch every cone and return to the start five times within five minutes. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the only player to finish the challenge in under 5 minutes and 30 seconds, earning the loudest applause of the session. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who had topped his group in the 1600-metre run earlier, completed the drill in just over six minutes and was also praised by Kiely.
Pacer Taskin Ahmed, however, struggled throughout. He fell behind in the 1600-metre run and needed more than eight minutes to finish the final drill. Visibly drained, he could barely jog his final lap. Zakir Ali Anik, who had started the day brightly, faded as the heat intensified, while spinner Nasum Ahmed also found the going tough.
Former captain Najmul Hossain Shanto played a crucial leadership role throughout, motivating his teammates and translating Kiely’s instructions into Bangla when needed. Pacer Ebadot Hossain assisted by handing out water bottles, echoing Kiely’s team-first message: “First bottle of water always goes to your teammate.”
The session ended with applause from the coach, as players collected empty bottles and left the field. After a short break, Kiely addressed the media. Speaking about the day’s work, the Australian said, “Whenever there’s a gap in the schedule, we try to do fitness work. In Bangladesh, cricket keeps players busy all year round. In Western countries, there’s an off-season, but not here.”
He noted standout performances from Parvez Hossain Emon and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while acknowledging that Taskin Ahmed, Zakir Ali and Nasum Ahmed had found it difficult. However, Kiely made it clear that these were not pass-fail tests.
“The goal is to assess everyone’s current fitness, to identify strengths and weaknesses. These tests help me understand who may need individual attention,” he said.
Though players sometimes joke about the intensity of Kiely’s drills, the coach was full of praise for their approach.
“Honestly, I don’t hear any complaints from the players. Everyone is trying their best. I see great enthusiasm and energy in all of them – it’s fantastic.”
The fitness camp will continue for one more day, followed by a break. A skill camp begins on 15 August, with the team shifting to Sylhet on 20 August for full training. The Netherlands will arrive in Bangladesh on 26 August for a three-match T20I series. While preparations are currently focused on that series, the Asia Cup remains the ultimate target.