Bangladesh has received a boost ahead of their Test series against Australia, with pacer Shoriful Islam successfully passing a fitness test. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials confirmed the update on Tuesday, August 11. Although Shoriful will miss the opening Test at the Marrara Cricket Ground—which begins this Thursday, August 13—due to a hamstring injury sustained during the July tour of Zimbabwe, he is now cleared to travel and will be in contention for the second Test.
Shahriar Nafees, the BCB’s cricket-operation in-charge, confirmed the news, stating that the bowler has recovered from his injury and is now fit for selection. While Shoriful prepares to join the squad, the team management is also closely monitoring the fitness of 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Litton Kumar Das, whose availability remains a critical factor for the two-match series.
During Tuesday’s training session, Litton did not participate in batting practice but was active in football drills and fielding exercises. Fielding coach Ashiqur Rahman expressed satisfaction with the player’s progress, noting that Litton’s movement during slip-catching and wicketkeeping drills was very encouraging. “You saw Litton taking slip catches and keeping wickets, and his movement was very good. Alhamdulillah,” Ashiqur told reporters.
Addressing the team’s overall preparation, Ashiqur emphasized the importance of maintaining focus during the longer format of the game. He explained that the coaching staff is prioritizing concentration drills to ensure players remain alert for infrequent but crucial opportunities in the field. “The biggest thing is to maintain concentration. In longer-version cricket, the ball does not come for a long time, but when one comes, you have to take that one,” he said.
Ashiqur added that the primary goal is for players to convert half-chances into breakthroughs, noting that the squad is actively working on mental sharpness. Despite the injury concerns, the fielding coach remains confident in the group’s mindset, asserting that the players are mentally prepared to compete in the upcoming Test matches against Australia.
We are working on this, on how concentration can be increased,” he said.
