The yearlong programme of the Academy will have more focus on specific training drills so that the players' development in their specialised skills -- batting or bowling -- gets more attention, said former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud who is the manager and assistant coach of the Academy team.

Chief selector Faruque Ahmed announced the squad in a press conference at a local hotel where BCB general secretary Mahbub Anam, vice-president Aziz Al Kaiser and GrameenPhone media manager Moeen Tariq were present among others.

It was also announced that the leading mobile phone operators GrameenPhone will sponsor the side and provide 150,000 US dollars each year, for the next five years.

According to the former allrounder, due to the emphasis being more on specific training, the squad has been kept with almost all players, excepting stylish left-hander Nasiruddin Faruque (who is 24), under the age of 23.

Mahbub said, "The Academy stint for a player will be the time between his graduation from being an under-19 player to the time the player becomes a national team regular."

He also informed that the team will play in the Crocodile Cup and the Institution Challenge Cup in Darwin, Australia this August and the South Africa Cricket Academy will be touring Bangladesh next April. He mentioned that apart from the tri-nation involving academies from Sri Lanka and Pakistan this year, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would host the Academy next summer.

"Contracted players from both national and the A team will be training at the Academy if they are not touring or involved with their teams. As the Academy is for fine-tuning the players, these players would be asked to join the Academy whenever there is a specific training going on," said the long-serving general secretary.

According to the chief selector Faruque, the squad was trimmed from 26 (as it was last year) to 20 so that complacency doesn't creep into the players.

"So that none of the players take it easy, we have decided on a quarterly evaluation which would allow us to change the make-up of this team," added the former national captain.

Among the serious points highlighted by the High Performance Fitness Advisor Shane McDermott, emphasis would also be put on speaking in English.

The team, made up of players who at some point or the other have played for the national under-19 side, is definitely youthful but the focus was more on performances, be it domestic or A team.

The likes of openers Jahirul Islam, Imrul Kayes, Junayed Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Gazi Salahuddin and Nazimuddin are just a step away from the international scene, so the onus is on these talented batsmen to raise their game.

Mahmudullah Riyad, who will be in Sri Lanka soon as the one-day specialist, is the only player who turns his wrist clockwise to release the ball!

But it was remarkable to see Naeem Islam and Marshall Ayub making it to the national setup. Their recall was completely due to scoring runs in the Corporate and Dhaka Premier and National Cricket League.

There was an old face among the fast bowlers as Talha Jubair, the lanky pace bowler who turned heads at the 2003 World Cup, convinced the selectors with his impressive run in the Premier League last season with champions Abahani.

Wicketkeepers Sahagir Hossain and Dhiman Ghosh are, as predicted, in the squad.

SQUAD
Jahurul Islam, Imrul Kayes, Junayed Siddique, Rokibul Hasan, Marshall Ayub, Nadif Chowdhury, Nazimuddin, Gazi Salahuddin, Dollar Mahmud, Ziaur Rahman, Mahbubul Alam, Mahmudullah Riyad, Talha Jubair, Suharwardi Shuvo, Naeem Islam, Nasiruddin Faruque, Mosharraf Hossain, Nabil Samad, Sahagir Hossain and Dhiman Ghosh.