New Fortress for Tigers

Anvir Cricket Stadium is gearing up to enter the international arena, with a warm-up match against the touring West Indies offering a crucial test of its readiness to host top-level cricket. With Bangladesh set to co-host the 2031 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the venue could help ease Dhaka’s chronic shortage of international-standard cricket grounds.

Talks are already under way between ABG Sports City and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) about staging international fixtures at the venue in the future, ABG Sports City director Imrul Hassan has confirmed.

The West Indies squad is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on 18 October, with the warm-up match at Anvir Cricket Stadium set for 22-24 October ahead of the two-Test series. The first Test begins in Dhaka on 28 October, followed by the second in Sylhet on 5 November.

“The BCB has only one cricket ground in Dhaka, so they face a shortage of venues and will seize any opportunity to utilise a facility of this calibre,” Imrul said.

“We are also constructing a second ground at ABG Sports City, which we expect to complete by 2027. Alongside this upcoming fixture, we are in active discussions with the BCB to stage more international matches here in the future.”

A six-member BCB inspection team visited Anvir Cricket Stadium on Monday, accompanied by Imrul and ABG Sports City senior general manager (administration) Lt Col Shoeb Shafiq. The delegation inspected the pitches, outfield, dressing rooms, medical facilities, media tribunes and broadcast arrangements.

BCB national manager of grounds Syed Abdul Baten gave the venue a positive assessment, describing its facilities as impressive.

“We are absolutely satisfied. This is the first time in the history of the BCB that we are holding this type of warm-up match at an alternative venue belonging entirely to another organisation,” Baten said.

He described the West Indies fixture as a test case for the stadium’s potential to host international cricket, adding that the facilities required by touring teams and ground staff were largely in place.

The venue has already hosted Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League fixtures and international age-group matches, reflecting an ongoing working relationship between the BCB and Bashundhara.

“We already have a collaboration with Bashundhara, and we hope the assistance they are providing will continue,” Baten said.

For ABG Sports City, hosting the West Indies represents an opportunity to showcase Anvir Cricket Stadium to an international audience. Imrul said the venue’s management was working under the BCB’s guidance to ensure the match runs smoothly.

“We are eagerly waiting to host the West Indies cricket team. Through this match, the name of Anvir Cricket Stadium will spread across the globe, which is a major achievement for us,” he said.

Anvir’s emergence comes at a crucial time for Dhaka, where the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur remains the principal international venue. The shortage of suitable alternatives has limited the capital’s capacity to accommodate major international assignments.

Fatullah’s Shaheed Ria Gope Cricket Stadium, formerly known as Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, was once a prominent venue for international cricket. However, persistent drainage problems, waterlogging and deteriorating ground conditions have kept it out of the international calendar.

The stadium last hosted an international match on 21 February, 2016, when Hong Kong faced the United Arab Emirates in a T20 International during the Asia Cup Qualifier. Its decline has also limited its use for domestic cricket, with the ground’s last recorded domestic fixture coming in the 2023-24 Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.

The proposed National Cricket Ground in Sector 1 of Purbachal New Town is another major project intended to strengthen Bangladesh’s cricket infrastructure. Envisioned as a major cricket hub and the BCB’s headquarters, the stadium has yet to become an operational venue for international cricket or major domestic competitions.

With Fatullah awaiting a revival and Purbachal still to fulfil its promise, Anvir Cricket Stadium could offer a timely alternative for Dhaka. A successful West Indies warm-up match would strengthen its credentials as the BCB looks to expand its hosting capacity ahead of the 2031 World Cup.