ESPNCricinfo
The BCB has introduced a new programme, called Bangladesh Tigers, primarily aimed at providing round-the-year training facilities for cricketers in the national scheme of things but not in the national team. Board directors Khaled Mahmud and Kazi Inam Ahmed will be in charge, which will include players who cannot be part of the Under-19 or high-performance (Under-23) set-ups.
Ahmed, at a press conference on Wednesday, outlined his plans for the programme for the "shadow" Bangladesh team. He said that the programme was expected to start immediately after the Dhaka Premier League T20s, with an initial intake of 16 to 20 cricketers who, will work with local coaching staff.
"The 'A' team operates on a tour-by-tour basis and it is not always easy to get tours, be it at home or away," Ahmed said. "It is a real challenge, especially in the current scenario because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"This is a comprehensive programme for players like Imrul (Kayes), Sabbir (Rahman), Nasir (Hossain), (AnamulHaque) Bijoy or Shafiul (Islam), who have played for the national team and may play again, but they can't play for teams like Under-19s or high-performance."
But Akram Khan, former Bangladesh captain and the BCB's cricket operations chairman, admitted to being "confused about the new programme", as there is already the 'A' team, which comes under his department.
The other aim of the Bangladesh Tigers programme would be to ensure top-drawer facilities for players in the domestic circuit. "We are looking at players outside the high-performance set-up, and the ones who are doing well regularly in domestic cricket," Ahmed said. "We want to develop them because they don't get to use the main facilities.