Mushfiqur, Mominul and Shanto Train Under the Close Watch of New Assistant Coach Maketa Ahead of West Indies Tests
Mominul Haque kept facing one throwdown after another. But the balls were not being thrown by an ordinary thrower — they were being thrown by Malibongwe Maketa himself, the Bangladesh team's new assistant coach. In another net, Mushfiqur Rahim batted for a long stretch against pacer Ebadat Hossain's bowling. That was the scene at the Mirpur academy ground on Saturday as the Bangladesh team went about its work.
With the Test series against the West Indies ahead, the Tigers have thrown themselves into preparation soon after returning to Dhaka. The full squad has not yet joined training, but Maketa is closely observing the preparation of those who have arrived.
Bangladesh now face the challenge of putting their recent failure in the United Arab Emirates behind them. After a disappointing performance in limited-overs cricket, the players are preparing to prove their ability in red-ball cricket.
The home series against the West Indies is important for another reason as well. The series is part of the World Test Championship, so the result of every match carries extra significance for Bangladesh.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto also batted for a long time in the nets on Saturday. Alongside settling himself into the tempo of Test cricket, he worked on various aspects of his batting. Experienced batter Mushfiqur Rahim trained in the same way.
Maketa, however, kept a special eye on Mominul Haque's batting. Under the new coach's supervision, the cricketers tried to organise themselves at every step of their preparation.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) recently appointed South Africa's Maketa as the national team's new assistant coach. He will work with the Bangladesh team until November 2028.
Since taking charge, Maketa has been playing an active role in the team's training. From observing the batters' preparation to keeping an eye on different aspects of practice, he is involved throughout.
Pacer Ebadat Hossain spent a busy time bowling. Bowling off a long run-up, he tried to regain his rhythm and control. He may have an important role to play in the pace attack in the Test series against the West Indies.
Alongside Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam, Ebadat too will have to be ready to challenge the Caribbean batters. The success of the pace attack in home conditions could have a big influence on the outcome of the series.
The Bangladesh team's official training is scheduled to begin on Sunday. But several cricketers have taken to the field before that. They do not want to leave any gap in their preparation before the series.
The disappointment of failing to meet expectations in the tri-series against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan is now to be put behind them. Ahead lies a different format and a separate challenge — the Test series against the West Indies.
The first of the two-match Test series will begin on October 28 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The second and final Test will be held in Sylhet on November 5. To fulfil the long-term dream of playing the World Test Championship final, Bangladesh have no alternative to good results in every series.
