National cricketers receive second dose of Covid vaccine

The Bangladesh cricket team will travel to Sri Lanka on April 12 to play their last two matches in the ICC Test Championship. Before the tour, the cricketers of the national team received the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In addition to the 21 cricketers who were called up for the preliminary tour of Sri Lanka, a few others were vaccinated against coronavirus at Kurmitola General Hospital in the capital on Saturday.

Some of the 29 cricketers have taken the first vaccine, while others have taken the second vaccine.

BCB doctor Manzur Hossain Chowdhury confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

"A total of 29 cricketers have been vaccinated today," he said.

"Some of them have taken the first vaccine, some have taken the second one."

Earlier, in mid-February, the cricketers took the first vaccine in a few instalments.

Bangladesh cricketers have been practising at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur for the past few days ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka. The entire team will practice in Mirpur on Sunday before leaving for Sri Lanka.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday announced a 21-member preliminary squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka. 

The host country, Sri Lanka, has said it will not field a team for the warm-up match due to the health concerns of its cricketers. They won't even give any net bowler.

After a three-day quarantine in Sri Lanka, the BCB will select the final team after playing a two-day warm-up match.

The two matches between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

The first test will start on April 21. The second Test will begin on April 29. 

Bangladesh is going to play Test in Sri Lanka after 2017. Bangladesh had a great achievement in that tour four years ago when they beat the hosts in their 100th Test under the captaincy of Mushfiqur Rahim.