Conditioning camp for Bangladesh second-rung players

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has called up 21 players for a conditioning camp starting Wednesday at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. Most of the country's first-choice cricketers are on a break after a packed season, and the camp is mainly for players hoping to either break into the national team or looking to cement their place in it.

With Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons on vacation, his deputy Khaled Mahmud, the former national captain, will oversee the camp. "Basically the board arranged the camp for the players who were out of the national team and as well as players like Mohammad Ashraful who didn't play enough matches in the last few tours," Mahmud said.

Mashrafe Mortaza, the captain, had said last month that he was 'concerned' by the performance of the bowlers after the side slid to embarrassing defeats against Associate nations Ireland and Netherlands. Mahmud said the camp would lay emphasis on bowling skills. "We will mainly focus on the fitness but work on the skill as well, especially with the bowlers. Our bowling has been struggling in the last couple of series and I believe this was because of the inexperience."

A preparatory camp for the World Cup will be organised for the national team players later this month, most likely starting from August 20.