Tigers enjoy rest day as wait for Liton continues

Newly appointed skipper Shakib Al Hasan hurried to the official photoshoot for the Asia Cup in Kandy, Sri Lanka, yesterday, arriving at the event after the other team members.

It was a rest day for the Tigers, with no official training session scheduled. The players had gym sessions amidst the official photoshoot responsibilities while Mushfiqur Rahim was seen enjoying the scenic view of the city, revealed by a picture he shared on his social media page.

The Bangladesh team reached Kandy yesterday and the team management is still waiting on opener Liton Das. The opener was suffering from a fever and could not leave with the team.

Although Liton's fever has subsided, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) opted to wait till the player feels well enough to travel. According to sources, he remains "unlikely" for the Tigers' Asia Cup opener against Sri Lanka on August 31 as the opener would need time to be match-ready even after recuperating from fever.

While talking to the media yesterday afternoon, the team manager Nafees Iqbal also stated that Liton would fly once he recovers.

Meanwhile, Tanzim Sakib, the new inclusion who replaced the injured Ebadot Hossain, departed for Sri Lanka yesterday and was expected to join the team by yesterday evening.

The Tigers will partake in their first practice session on Tuesday since moving to Sri Lanka.

"We had a team meeting in the morning and since we had a long journey yesterday [Sunday], we planned to have gym or recovery sessions with [BCB head of physical performance] Nick Lee for those who needed it. We have training tomorrow [Tuesday]," team manager Nafees told reporters in Sri Lanka yesterday.

According to Nafees, the players remain positive about their chances as the conditions in the island nation are similar to home.

"Asia Cup is a big tournament with lots of competitive teams. We also see ourselves as a competent team and have a good record. The conditions, as per the weather and the pitches, are similar to Bangladesh," Nafees said.

The opening slot would be a headache for the Tigers with Liton's participation in the first game still somewhat in doubt. Mohammad Naim, who is with the Tigers, may likely get the nod along with Tanzid Tamim in case Liton fails to make the cut in the opening game.

The team, however, looked in good disposition during their photo session, where Shakib in particular charmed the cameras with some boxing moves.

While the team had no training session yesterday, the team management is satisfied with the preparation the team had before leaving for Sri Lanka. There were a few closed-door sessions along with a closed-door practice match and the players' efforts had seen head coach Chandika Hathurusingha say in a press conference that the "players competed till the last ball until I asked them to come off."

Team manager Nafees also remained confident regarding the Tigers' preparations.

"That [mood in the camp] shows that our preparation was good and everyone is very happy and in a good state. We are a very good side in this format. As a team, we want to go match by match, and from there we would look to gain momentum. If we can get that momentum and play good cricket, we know that Bangladesh are a dangerous team," Nafees said.