The Bangladesh team's training session on Saturday was delayed by more than an hour after the players were called into a meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan. The team face South Africa in the second ODI on Sunday and were reportedly told by Hassan that one spot in tomorrow's playing XI is yet to be decided. Bangladesh are trailing the three-match series 0-1 after losing the first ODI by eight wickets.
Hassan claimed that the playing XI for Sunday's match is almost finalised except for one spot which everyone concerned has disagreed on. It wasn't clear which player would be dropped, though he indicated that either Rubel Hossain or Arafat Sunny will be included in the playing XI.
"Ten of the playing XI is set. Out of the three remaining players, one will play," Hassan said. "It will be decided by tomorrow. Captain and coach decide the XI. Nobody has any problem with ten players but there are differences of opinion about one place.
"The coach wants it one way, the captain wants it the other way. We heard everyone's version. It could be Rubel or they could pick a spinner."
The meeting also delayed Bangladesh's practice session on Saturday by 75 minutes. The original schedule for the day had the press briefing at 2.30pm, followed by Bangladesh's training session at 3.00pm. At 2.45pm, Nasir Hossain was on his way to the press conference with media manager Rabeed Imam when he was called back into the dressing-room for a team meeting. At around 3.30pm, the Bangladesh players, coaching and management staff were seen walking towards the BCB's conference room where they had a meeting with Hassan. He was supposed to meet the team at the hotel but the team management were informed on Saturday morning that the meeting will be held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Forty minutes later, the players walked out of the meeting and started warming up. There were no official explanations for the delay but ESPNcricinfo has learned that the team management were aware of the change in the venue .
Before he met the players, Hassan spoke to four members of the BCB's six-man technical committee. Former Bangladesh players Shafiqul Haque, Mainul Haque, Ishtiaq Ahmed and Athar Ali Khan discussed selection matters as well as some technical issues, like Mashrafe Mortaza's decision to bat in the first ODI and the type of pitches on which the current series is being played.
"We asked the technical committee their opinion and we largely agreed with each other," Hassan said. "They gave us a proposal. Two options have come up. I have informed the coach, captain and manager. We will decide either tonight or tomorrow [Sunday] morning."
Hassan said that the meeting with the players was to encourage the team and discuss technical and selection issues with the team management. When asked why there was a need for such a meeting in the middle of a series, Hassan said the players needed reminders about their discipline and body language.
"There are areas which require my caution," Hassan said. "I have warned them. There are some discipline issues, some body language and concentration issues as well. I have particularly talked to them about these things. They also needed a bit of motivation and I told them that there are no reasons to worry."
Hassan also had advice for Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar. "We just told them that there's nothing to fear, that they are a good team but it isn't happening for them now. I told Mushfiqur that you could have played that shot later. You have a lot of responsibility. I told Soumya Sarkar that a batsman has a lot more responsibility after getting set," said Hassan.
Nasir later came to the press conference and said that it was an informal meeting where the BCB president encouraged them to be more serious about their game.
"Mr. President always gives us courage. It was not a formal meeting," Nasir said. "He always speaks positively to us. He is always with us. When we do badly people will talk, it is quite normal. He didn't really warn us. He told us to be serious about our game. Nothing more.
"I think the last game was just a bad day for us. We have to make a comeback now. Nothing much has changed. Everything is fine with the team. Everyone is confident. Everything will be fixed with one win."