There was sunshine for the last few days except yesterday morning. Heavy shower early in the morning forced the Tigers to change their practice venue from Premadasa Stadium to indoor facilities some 15 kilometers away from Colombo.

Bangladesh team however did not mind with the shifting as they were excited with the facilities at the Fingara International Cricket Academy (FICA), which was established by some individuals with commercial purpose but had an objective to provide talented Sri Lankan cricketers with the world-class training facilities.

There are a number of grounds all over Colombo but it also has practice facilities like FICA where there are bio mechanics, four bowling machines, video library, five indoor nets, cricket shop and a fitness centre.

"It's really fantastic. This might be the one reason why Sri Lanka cricket is improving fast," was how former Bangladesh skipper and now selector Akram Khan saw FICA.

The students of FICA were fortunate to have the services of foreign coaches with the calibre of John Dyson and Trevor Chappell while Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara will guide and assist the students of the academy from now on.

The question is when will someone or any organization comes forward in Bangladesh to establish something like that because the FICA authority had only spent a million rupees to provide the service for cricket as well as earn money.

LET SHAHADAT GRUNT

Bangladesh paceman Shahadat Hossain was in dilemma with his grunting when he delivers the ball. He hardly had any problem with the other countries but the Sri Lankans, especially skipper Mahela Jayawardene, never takes it easily.

"It's really a big problem for me. You know there was even a chance for me to get five wickets in the first Test if he didn't object," said the lanky fast bowler yesterday referring to Jayawardene's protest after he took two wickets.

"It is hard to continue my natural aggressive bowling if I am not able to make the sound because my pace depends on it," he said with frustration.

" is my only desire that they will allow me to do that. I can't understand why they felt bad when other teams never complain about it," said Shahadat who claimed four wickets at the P Sara Stadium in the 2005 tour.

NAFEES MEETS NAYEEM
The Taj Samudra hotel seemed to be a home for Bangladesh cricket after the national under-19 squad arrived in the capital yesterday.

The young Bangladeshi cricketers, who came here to play a series against their Sri Lankan counterparts and then a triangular series with India later this month, has also been accommodated in the hotel.

National opener Shahriar Nafees was the most excited with the arrival of the youth team as his younger brother, Iftekhar Nayeem, is in the side.

"It's really thrilling as we hardly have any scope to meet each other as both of us have different schedules. I feel very good that my younger brother is here with me," said a visibly excited Nafees.

Unlike his brother, Nayeem is a right-handed batsman.

The Bangladesh under-19 team however got a bitter travel experience as they had an arduous 16-hour stopover at the Kuala Lumpur airport and a further three hours at the Maldives capital Male before landing at Colombo via a Malaysian Airlines.