|| CF Correspondent ||

Former national captain Mohammad Ashraful along with some seasoned domestic campaigners failed in the beep test conducted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board ahead of the upcoming National Cricket League, country’s traditional first-class tournament at the BCB indoor on Monday.

BCB made beep test mandatory for all the players eyeing to take part in the NCL while in order to enhance the physical fitness board have raised the benchmark for the beep test.

Last year BCB introduced the fitness test in the NCL and it was decided that players getting nine points will be considered for the traditional first-class tournament but this year it had increased to 11 points and it had raised quite a few eyebrows as large numbers of cricketers complained that they have not got enough time to prepare them for the beep test as they were informed only couple of days back about this development.

Bangladesh national selector Habibul Bashar said tyhayt player can give the beep test for four to five times but have to pass it to make him eligible for selection in NCL.‘’If necessary we will provide opportunity of  beep test for five times and we did in the last time as well,’’ said Habibul.

‘’Last year some four to five cricketers failed to make the cut and we decided not to include them. We asked them that whenever they will pass the test they will be eligible to get into the squad. And there were some three to four cricketers who got into the squad after passing the beep test afterward,’’ he said adding there is no point making such a hue and cry about the system introduced by BCB regarding the fitness issue.

‘’The required score for the beep test was higher than the last time and every cricketer knew about it and there was nothing new in it. Perhaps there is more discussion about it as the level had been increased. Whoever says what everyone took it very positively and I am happy because they have realized the importance of it. 96 percent passed in Dhaka while I am yet to receive the result of other divisions. We are trying to set a new standard and I hope everyone realize it,’’ he said.

Mohammed Ashraful was one of the superstars of Bangladesh cricket but his involvement in the match-fixing saga has left him out of cricket for long time.
Since returning back after completing his sanction in 2017 he is playing regularly in domestic cricket while he also played in the UK in the Kent League and as a result it was expected that he would pass the beep test but his failure to overcome the required number and earning just 9.7 was nothing short of a surprise.
There were other notable failures among the senior cricketers in the beep test like Abdur Razzak, Arafat Sunny and Elias Sunny,

“Very good overall and they have done well beyond our expectation. Even though some didn’t fare well but this is normal. Everyone can’t run in same speed because they are born with different bone muscle,” Tushar Kanti said here on Tuesday.

“The highest was 12.7 while the lowest was around 9.6 or below,” he said, summing up the result of the beep test on Tuesday.

Tushar reiterated BCB’s vision of not allowing the players to play NCL until he gets 11 in beep test.

“Until unless they strike the minimum requirement, they won’t be able to play the NCL. It’s open for all and the players can take time to attend the beep test,’’ he said adding that there is  no need for Mushfiqur and Mehedi Hasan to give beep test as they have shown their fitness level in the beep test earlier.

;;Recently, national team players, HP, under-19 back-ups – they have given the test. The players who has 11.6 they do not need to give the test again. Mushfiq did not have to give the test, Farhad Reza, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Hasan Shanto- they did not had to give the fitness test. Players who marked down 11.6 they will have to give the beep test,’’ he said.
 
Mohammad Ashraful said that he is ready to make a comeback in  the next beep test.“If it is 10.4 or 10.5, it would have been good for me but I got only 9.7,” Ashraful said here on Tuesday.