Bangladesh batter Mahmudullah Riyad scored a 39-ball 26 in a practice match between Bangladesh Tigers and a team comprising of players from the Asian Games squad at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday. 

The reality exposed in the ongoing Asia Cup for Bangladesh has certainly compelled Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the team management to only hope that their best players will be available for the upcoming World Cup in October.

Bangladesh team management has already shifted their focus to the upcoming home series against New Zealand as the Tigers' hopes of making it to the Asia Cup final are all but over following defeat against Sri Lanka in their second Super Four match in Colombo on Saturday.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha lamented the decision to allocate a reserved day for the India-Pakistan match only, the 54-year-old expressed while speaking at the pre-match press conference of the Asia Cup Super Four encounter between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Saturday in Colombo.

When it works, it works like a charm. Otherwise, it appears to be a poorly put together batting plan. At the heart of it, however, is the failure to bat according to the match scenario which unfolded yet again for Bangladesh in their Asia Cup's Super Four fixture against Pakistan at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium yesterday.

"The Asia Cup squad has a few injury concerns and the team management felt the need for an additional player going into the Super Four," chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said.

With Bangladesh getting twin centuries, from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehedi Hasan Miraz, only for the fifth time in ODIs, the crucial role that the Tigers' bowling unit played to beat Afghanistan by 89 runs went under the radar in Lahore on Sunday.

Bangladesh opener and ODI vice-captain Liton Das departed for Pakistan yesterday but it remains unclear whether Liton would be part of the playing eleven against Pakistan in Lahore on Wednesday in the first Super Four game of the ongoing Asia Cup.

Bangladesh are expected to face a stiffer challenge in their do-or-die Asia Cup match against Afghanistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today.

If the hum of anxiety in and around the team can be muted out, the Tigers' strength can come to the forefront of the performances.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha acknowledged the arduous challenge of facing the Afghanistan bowling attack but pointed out that the familiarity of facing the Afghans in recent encounters will help the Tigers' cause.

A big call was made yesterday when Anamul Haque Bijoy was included in Bangladesh's Asia Cup squad as a replacement for Liton Das, who was suffering from a fever that saw him miss the Sri Lanka-bound flight on August 27 with the rest of the Tigers' contingent.

Bangladesh have made the Asia Cup final three times but are still searching for their first trophy. Can Shakib Al Hasan’s side put an end to their trophy hunt? The wait continues but before that let’s take a look at Bangladesh’s strengths, weaknesses, and chances of winning. The Tigers begin their Asia Cup mission with an encounter against Sri Lanka. Can the Tigers trump the Lankans in their opening fixture? To discuss all of this and much more, The Daily Star brings you Star Non-Striker’s End.

Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hossain left for the United Kingdom yesterday to consult a doctor after the pacer was ruled out of the Tigers’ Asia Cup squad due to a knee injury.

Three Bangladeshi cricketers enlisted their names on the 13th edition of the Big Bash T20 League players draft, with the league scheduled to begin on December 7.

Young pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib boarded the flight for Colombo on 1 pm today to join the Bangladesh team for the Asia Cup campaign.

Bangladesh cricketers were geared up to play a very important practice game yesterday as part of their Asia Cup preparations.

A backup is never just a backup. The training of the nine cricketers at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, who have been kept as backup options with the upcoming World Cup in mind, is well-integrated to the needs of the national team, as per head coach Chandika Hathurusingha's instructions.

Bangladesh will play two official warm-up games in Guwahati before starting their ICC World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on October 7.

Having once captained Bangladesh in the biggest cricket event in 2011, the 36-year-old finds himself at the helm of the ODI side again just ahead of the World Cup after Tamim Iqbal stepped down from captaincy.