With warm-up match cancelled, New Zealand practice in Mirpur’s center wicket

Before the start of a series, there is usually no opportunity to practice on the venue's center wicket. Visiting teams are not usually given this opportunity. The home team gets this opportunity but it depends on the situation. But a different incident was seen in Mirpur on Monday.

The five-match T20 series between Bangladesh and New Zealand is going to start on September 1. The Black Caps, on Monday, practiced batting and bowling at the center wicket of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

The New Zealand cricket team started training at the Mirpur Stadium at 10 am on Monday. After warming up, they practiced at the center wicket for a while. 

According to the tour schedule, New Zealand were scheduled to play a warm-up match at BKSP which was later cancelled. The visitors were supposed to play a practice match at the Mirpur Stadium on Sunday. They did not play the match and requested the BCB to let them practice at the center wicket on Monday. 

Akram Khan, chairman of the BCB's cricket operations department, told The Business Standard, "The Bangladesh team practiced on the center wicket last night. New Zealand were scheduled to play a warm-up match at the Mirpur Stadium yesterday. They wanted to play an intra-squad match. Since they did not play that match yesterday, they requested the BCB to let them practice at the center wicket today."

Earlier this month, Australia visited Bangladesh. They were not allowed to practice at the center wicket in Mirpur. Akram Khan said they would have been allowed if they wanted. "Australia had no such desire. They did not make any such request to us. We give teams the permission to play a match if they want. That's why the New Zealand players have been allowed," he said.