Anveer Cricket Stadium Earns Praise During West Indies’ Warm-Up Match

Anveer Cricket Stadium at ABG Sports City is moving forward in its ambition to establish itself as an international cricket venue in Bangladesh. The stadium welcomed players from the West Indies for the first time, drawing attention to its playing conditions, wicket quality and sporting facilities ahead of the visitors’ Test series against Bangladesh.

Batting dominated the opening day of the two-day warm-up match between the West Indies and the BCB XI, with the home side reaching 371 for seven in 90 overs. Kalam Siddiqui struck an impressive century, while Zishan Alam and Chowdhury Mohammad Rizwan contributed half-centuries. Kalam scored 135, Zishan made 86 and Rizwan added 59. The West Indies began the day with the ball, while the Caribbean players also experienced the stadium’s playing environment.

Former Bangladesh national team captain and former chief selector Habibul Bashar attended the match and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the wicket. In his assessment, the surface at Anveer Cricket Stadium was of good quality and suitable for international cricket.

Kalam Siddiqui Olin registered the first century of his career with a fluent innings against the West Indies bowlers. He scored 135 off 184 deliveries, hitting 20 fours and one six. Praising the surface, Kalam said it was good for batting. He added that the wicket offered assistance to spinners while also providing opportunities for fast bowlers.

This is the first time a Test-playing nation has played cricket at Anveer Cricket Stadium. In August, Malaysia, an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), played three one-day matches at the venue. The stadium has also hosted several matches in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, one of Bangladesh’s leading domestic competitions.

Work is progressing to develop the stadium into a fully equipped international cricket venue. Imrul Hasan, director of ABG Sports City, said floodlights had already been installed and construction of the galleries had been completed.

Beyond cricket, ABG Sports City is developing facilities for football and several other sports. The complex offers facilities for basketball, squash, padel tennis, futsal and swimming. It has also hosted international tournaments in Zulkarnain boxing and squash.

According to Imrul Hasan, the long-term vision is to transform ABG Sports City into a comprehensive sporting hub. He said the initiative aims to engage young people in sports and create an international-standard sports centre where athletes can develop their abilities and represent Bangladesh at national and international levels.

The complex is also considering hosting shooting events in the future. Through infrastructure development and the organisation of international competitions, ABG Sports City aims to become an important centre for sports in Bangladesh.