KARACHI, Dec 12: Bangladesh have sent their leading Test and international players to Pakistan to prepare for next month’s tour of Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The players including Rajin Saleh, Hannan Sarkar, Muhammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahman, Alamgir Kabir, Anwar Hossain and Ehsanul Haq will take part in Pakistan’s premier domestic Patrons Trophy tournament.

“We have a demanding tour of Namibia and Zimbabwe coming up next month and the selectors have decided the players can gain valuable practice by playing in Pakistan’s main domestic tournament,” Athar Ali Khan, Bangladesh manager and a national selector, said on Friday.

Bangladesh will play one-day games in Namibia in January before touring Zimbabwe in February-March for two tests and five one-dayers.

Bangladesh have lost 25 of their 26 Test matches and have not won a one-day International since they beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup.—Reuters