Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana stole the show in Sunday’s fitness test at the National Stadium, clocking an impressive 5 minutes 31 seconds in the 1600-meter run — the fastest time among the 22 cricketers who took part.
The test marked a shift in approach for the team’s strength and conditioning program. Under new fitness coach Nathan Keily, the traditional Yo-Yo and beep tests have been replaced with the 1600-meter run and a 40-meter sprint to assess player readiness.
While Rana excelled, not everyone met the team’s expectations. According to a member of the management, “Rana was just outstanding. A few others did well, but there were also a couple of players who couldn’t meet our standards.”
Among the first batch, Mehedi Hasan Miraz finished second with 6 minutes 1 second, followed by veteran Mushfiqur Rahim — who has retired from ODIs and T20Is — clocking 6 minutes 10 seconds.
In the second group, Tanzim Hasan Sakib led the way with 5 minutes 53 seconds, with Shahadat Hossain Dipu (6:00) and Parvez Hossain Emon (6:13) close behind.
Some notable names were missing from the session. T20I captain Liton Kumar Das and Towhid Hridoy skipped the test, while four others — Nurul Hasan Sohan, Saif Hasan, Afif Hossain, and Mahidul Islam Ankon — are currently with the Bangladesh ‘A’ team in Australia.
The ongoing fitness camp is part of preparations for the upcoming three-match T20I series against the Netherlands at home, followed by the Asia Cup in the UAE. After wrapping up in Dhaka, the squad will move to Sylhet on August 20 for skill training.
