Chelmsford offers sweet memories

The city of Chelmsford in England, the stage for Bangladesh's three-match ODI series against Ireland, holds special significance for the Tigers as it was the venue for the nation's first-ever ICC ODI World Cup match in 1999.

Chelmsford, only a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the bustling city of London, still mesmerises the only member of Bangladesh's maiden World Cup squad that is accompanying the squad on the current tour -- chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu.

Although Bangladesh that maiden World Cup match against New Zealand by 116 runs and Nannu was not even part of the playing eleven, the former captain felt the serenity and calm on offer in the city were much the same.

The Bangladesh team are staying at the scenic Down Hall Hotel and Spa this time around, in stark contrast to their stay inside an old fort in 1999.

"I can still remember Biddut (Shahriar Hossain) used to come over to my room as he was scared of ghosts during our stay in 1999. Chelmsford was our base camp for the World Cup and this city still looks the same. It is different from the London. You can feel the calmness of a village. We had a practice game against the Essex County cricket team before the opening game and I am eagerly waiting to see the ground again," Nannu told The Daily Star.

The cricketers are yet to practice at the County Cricket ground in Chelmsford, the venue for the ODI series against Ireland, as the visitors have been training at The Leys School ground in Cambridge since their arrival.

Tamim Iqbal and his troops missed out on the only opportunity for a practice game as a scheduled match against Ireland Wolves was abandoned due to rain on Friday. Yesterday, the players spent their day off taking in the sights.

"I think it was disappointing to miss the practice game because it would have helped us adapt and adjust to the conditions here. However, we still have two more days before the series and I am hopeful we will be able to cope," Nannu added.

The likes of Tamim, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were part of the Tigers last visit to Chelmsford, when Bangladesh played a three-day practice match against the county club Essex ahead of a Test series.

The challenge might be different this time around since they will be up against a relatively weaker opponent, but those who have travelled to the scenic city of Chelmsford for the first time in the Bangladesh team will surely hope to make this trip memorable with a positive result.