Tigers enjoying the calm before the storm

After a high-intensity, yet fun-filled, day of training on Monday, the Bangladesh team were in full rest mode yesterday at the Hilton Leicester, the hotels the Tigers are calling home during their six-day stay in England's East Midlands region.

The good mood that has permeated the 13 members of Bangladesh's 15-member World Cup squad -- skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal were granted a rest -- since they won their first multi-team event in Ireland last Friday, has persisted. There were 12 members of the squad in Leicester till Monday, and the 13th -- pacer Abu Jayed -- arrived yesterday at around noon from London, where he was granted a break to be with extended family.

Jayed, who took a five-wicket haul in only his second ODI in Ireland, was greeted warmly at the hotel lobby by Mahmudullah Riyad.

Mosaddek Hossain, Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun and team performance analyst Srinivasan Chandrasekaran were trying to break the tedium of a rest day at the hotel. The quartet were seen standing in front of the main gate waiting for a taxi to Leicester city centre, the liveliest destination of an otherwise sleepy city.

The Tigers may as well enjoy the downtime because, after a full training session today, they will depart tomorrow for Cardiff, where World Cup preparations will begin in earnest.