Robi joins BCB's search for Tiger's next bowling stars

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is reviving its nationwide talent hunt with a broader brief and a new commercial partner, as Robi Axiata PLC joins the search for the country's next generation of bowling talent.

Dubbed the 'Robi Bowler Hunt', the initiative will seek promising pace and spin bowlers from across Bangladesh, with women cricketers also eligible to take part. The nationwide selection process is scheduled to begin on 27 September.

The programme will be conducted across eight venues, including two in Dhaka. Trials will be held on different dates rather than simultaneously, allowing the search to extend beyond the traditional cricketing centres and into the country's less-heralded talent pools.

Robi's involvement gives the initiative a distinct identity and places the telecommunications company alongside the BCB in a long-term effort to strengthen Bangladesh's bowling resources. The partnership echoes earlier talent-hunt programmes supported by corporate sponsors, which helped bring several notable fast bowlers into the national cricketing fold.

Coaches associated with the national-team set-up are expected to oversee the selection process. National selectors will also be present during the assessment of women bowlers. The focus will be on identifying players with pace, variation, control and the raw attributes that can be developed through structured coaching.

The BCB's plan does not end at discovery. Selected bowlers are expected to receive modern training and sustained development, with the broader objective of preparing them for the national team and its feeder pathways.

Previous hunts helped Bangladesh unearth players such as Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam and Ebadot Hossain. Now, with Robi on board, the BCB hopes to strike gold again, and ensure that promising arms from the country's farthest corners do not remain hidden from the national radar.