Every morning, before sunrise, a group of young men wearing heavy jumpers and fleece jackets gather at the frost-covered ground between the Archery range and the Changlimithang sports stadium.

They begin their fitness training, which includes jogging for 20-30 minutes for stamina, sprint for agility, 30-40 sit-up for rock hard abs and leisurely runs to regain composure.

They are the country’s national cricket squad practicing for the Asian cricket council (ACC) elite cup commencing this April in Kuwait.

The team meets twice a day for about three hours at 6am and at 4pm.

In absence of a required space to practice bowling, batting and fielding on a ground one-third the size of the stadium, the 22 men are vouching on their fitness and stamina to win against international teams at the ACC cup.

“The team substitutes field practices with gym regime,” said team captain and coach Damber S Gurung. In the gym they do mostly strength exercises.

The team refrains practicing matches on the slippery field for fear of possible injuries. Besides, not all 22 team members can make it to practice, because seven players are working in offices.

“I usually can’t make it to the weekday trainings because I have to be at my office from nine to five,” Manoj Adikhari, a corporate employee said. To compensate for the weekday losses I make it a point to attend the weekend practices.”

During weekends, however, they play for about four hours following the usual exercises. They practice in the net.

So far 14 of the 22 team members have already been selected and they have all represented Bhutan in international games.

The final team members were selected on their past performances along with their technical skills. Seven of the 14 members formed the first national team in 2003.

“They were the members of the squad when the national team came second at the ACC Challenge Trophy 2009 in Chengmai, Thailand,” said Damber S Gurung.

The most valuable contribution of such a training regime, the members admit, was their ability to build a healthy and understanding relationship within themselves.

“Team spirit is a very important aspect of any game and the squad has been able to grow and bond like a family,” Damber S Gurung said.

The main focus during the games in Kuwait, the team said was to maintain their position at the Asian cricket council (ACC) elite cup. “If we rank in the bottom two positions we will have to return to challenge group,” Damber S Gurung said. “But if we can secure the top four positions at the end of the tournament, Bhutan will get a place in the world cricket league.”

In a week’s time, the team will be undergoing a physical fitness test.

Currently Bhutan ranks 43 out of 102 cricketing nations. The upcoming tournament will determine whether Bhutan will climb or fall from that position. Source: Kuenselonline