Bangladesh Tigers, a recently approved scheme by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, will primarily focus on nurturing a second rung of talent and hone the skills of talented cricketers who have potential to make it to the national side.

The promising cricketers drafted into the program would be those who have graduated from the BCB High Performance or other age-level teams, according to a Dhaka Tribune report.

The Bangladesh Tigers program would meet the requirements of cricketers who are out-of-favor from the national fold and complain of not having enough facilities to work on their skills and get ready for a call back.

There are also occasions when the national selection panel struggles to find ready players as back-up of national team, said BCB director Kazi Inam Ahmed, who is heading the program along with another BCB director Khaled Mahmud.

“We have a national team which is under the cricket operations. We also have a budding team of young talents which has an age ceiling of 23. We also have U-19 team and other teams.

“So, like these teams have their own programs, Bangladesh Tigers will have its own set of programs to continuously nurture the cricketers who get dropped from the national team. The program will also engage local coaching staff and management,” Inam told the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

“Our real expectation in this is to also involve the three national team captains who we have for the three formats – Mominul Haque, Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah. We have already spoken to them. They are fully aware of this program, and are happy, and putting in suggestions and also informed us of the backup the national team need,” he added.

Inam emphasized that the program will also create opportunities for the upcoming local coaching staff and support team.

“We want to employ our local coaching staff like retired national players who are currently working at different national teams. This platform will encourage them to grow. For the players who get injured in the national team, it is very important to look after them and have a very strong medical team. This program will ensure that too,” said Inam.

(SAM)