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Several Bangladesh Cricketers Struggle in New Fitness Test as Nahid Rana Shines
New Fitness Benchmark Introduced Ahead of T20I Series and Asia Cup
The Bangladesh cricket team’s preparation for the upcoming three-match T20I series against the Netherlands and the Asia Cup 2025 in the United Arab Emirates has entered a crucial stage with a revamped fitness assessment.
On Sunday, at the National Stadium, players were tested in the 1600-meter run and 40-meter sprint — a shift from the traditional Yo-Yo and beep tests that had been the norm in previous years.
The change in approach follows the arrival of Nathan Keily, the team’s newly appointed strength and conditioning coach, who believes these endurance and speed-based evaluations provide a more accurate reflection of match readiness.
Nahid Rana Sets the Standard
Outstanding 1600-Meter Performance
Among the 22 players who participated, young pacer Nahid Rana was the undisputed star. He completed the 1600-meter run in just 5 minutes and 31 seconds, the fastest time of the day.
“Rana was just outstanding,” a member of the team management told Cricbuzz. “While a few others also showed promise, there were some players who failed to meet our expectations.”
Mehedi Hasan Miraz finished second in the first batch with a time of 6 minutes and 1 second, while veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, who has retired from ODIs and T20Is, clocked 6 minutes and 10 seconds to secure third place.
Concerns Over Senior Players’ Fitness
However, the test results also exposed areas of concern for Bangladesh cricket. Notably, senior pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed, along with Tanvir Islam and Shamim Patowary, took nearly eight minutes to complete the 1600 meters — significantly slower than the benchmark expected for international-level fitness.
In the second group of 15 players, Tanzim Hasan Sakib impressed with a time of 5 minutes and 53 seconds, followed by Shahadat Hossain Dipu at 6 minutes flat and Parvez Hossain Emon at 6 minutes and 13 seconds.
Absent Players from the Fitness Drill
Six players from the 25-member preliminary squad did not participate in the test. This includes T20I captain Liton Kumar Das and in-form batter Towhid Hridoy. Additionally, four players currently with the Bangladesh ‘A’ team on their tour of Australia — Nurul Hasan Sohan, Saif Hasan, Afif Hossain, and Mahidul Islam Ankon — were also absent.
For more details on Bangladesh cricket’s training and performance updates, you can read our Bangladesh Cricket News section.
Fitness Camp and Skill Preparation Ahead
The ongoing fitness camp is a critical phase in the team’s preparation. Following the completion of this phase, the squad will travel to Sylhet on August 20 to begin a skill training camp that will focus on tactical readiness and match simulations ahead of the competitive fixtures.
Bangladesh’s move to a more rigorous fitness assessment comes as part of an overall push to improve endurance and agility across formats, ensuring players are physically ready for the demands of modern cricket. The results from Sunday’s test are likely to influence selection and training intensity in the days ahead.
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