Bangladesh set Abu Dhabi as base for Asia Cup group fixtures

Bangladesh will set up base in Abu Dhabi for their Group B matches of the Asia Cup T20, starting September 9, aiming to avoid the long commutes that have plagued previous tournaments.

The Tigers will face Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on September 11, 13 and 16, respectively, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

In previous ICC and ACC events, the team had travelled from Dubai to Abu Dhabi for matches, which often meant spending nearly an hour and a half on the road each way.

"There were instances when it took nearly one and a half hours to reach Abu Dhabi from Dubai, but returning from the venue, we often got stuck in traffic for longer," a BCB official told The Daily Star.

If Bangladesh qualify for the Super 4s, they will then move to Dubai for the remaining matches.

The team will travel to the UAE on September 7 in two groups, with one departing in the morning and the other in the evening.

Specialised batting coach Julian Wood will not travel with the team, as his short-term contract ends on September 3.

"If needed in the future, we might bring him or someone like him again," BCB cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim said.

"We have specialist batting coaches now, like Salahuddin. Another may come if necessary, but we don't need a power-hitting coach throughout the year at this moment."