Bangladesh begin Sri Lanka Test preparation, Taskin hopeful of a comeback

Members of the Bangladesh Test team started their training camp as per the latest news developments on Wednesday, May 28, in preparation for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The Tigers are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka in June and July for a bilateral series across all three formats.

However, the Asian side's main area of concern has been their performance in the red-ball format in recent times. A lack of preparation appears to be a major factor contributing to the turmoil. During Sri Lanka's last tour of Bangladesh in 2023, players such as Mominul Haque blamed the lack of sufficient preparation, highlighting that domestic competitions alone were not enough.

The Test series in Sri Lanka will also mark Bangladesh's first assignment in the 2025–27 ICC Test Championship cycle, making in-depth preparation all the more significant. Head coach Sohel Islam, fast bowling coach Nazmul Hossain, and strength and conditioning coach Nathan Kelly are overseeing the camp. In contrast, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) coach Mizanur Rahman is expected to link up in the coming days.

"We have camp from May 28 till June 3 for red-ball practice, which is also the preparation plan for the Sri Lanka series. The camp has begun with overall 22 cricketers with national team and A team players," BCB cricket operations in-charge Shahriar Nafees informed The Daily Star.

Before leaving for Sri Lanka, the Tigers will resume the preparation camp after the Eid holidays, on either June 12 or 13. The first Test takes place in Galle, starting on June 17. This will be followed by the second Test in Colombo, commencing on June 25.

Taskin aims for Test return as rehabilitation continues

Meanwhile, veteran pacer Taskin Ahmed, who recently returned to training following an ankle injury that sidelined him for the last two months, remains in rehabilitation. However, he is hopeful that he will be fit in time for the Test series in the Island Nation.

"I am still under rehab. I am going by a system where I have treatment one day and then training the next day. My training begins at 7:30 am and I didn't train today but will do again on Thursday. I am looking forward to be a part of the series. My injury situation is improving but with some injuries, fast bowlers take time to recover so we are experimenting with workload to see how I feel better," Taskin said.