BCB arranges two-week conditioning camp for Test squad in South Africa under Gary Kirsten's supervision

Bangladesh cricket team will travel to South Africa in March to play three ODIs and two Tests. The members of the Test and ODI squad will fly together. After serving the mandatory quarantine, the ODI team will train ahead of the three-match series. On the other hand, the Test team will head to Cape Town to attend a two-week camp, supervised by World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten. Ryan Cook will look after the fielding unit.

The news has been confirmed to The Business Standard (TBS) by Jalal Yunus, chairman of the cricket operations department of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The ODI and Test squads will go to Johannesburg together. The ODI contingent will stay in a hotel in a place between Johannesburg and Pretoria. The ODI series will be held in these two cities. The Test squad will attend a specialised conditioning camp in Cape Town at Gary Kirsten's cricket academy.

Bangladesh will fly to South Africa on 12 March. The Test series is scheduled to begin on 31 March. Since there is a long gap, the BCB decided to arrange a camp. The board wanted Kirsten to supervise the camp for the whole duration but the South African will have to fly to India after three days for the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he will be playing the role of head coach of Gujarat Titans. After Kirsten's departure, Jamie Siddons will supervise the camp. 

Two of the coaches of Kirsten's academy will also be part of the camp. One of them is Ryan Cook, who was Bangladesh's fielding coach for three and a half years. 

"We have arranged this camp for better adjustment of the Test players with the conditions. They will get the opportunity to practice at the centre wicket there. Kirsten will be there as well but not for the whole duration. He will fly to India for the IPL and before that he will be there for a few days," Jalal Yunus told TBS.