The Bangladesh 'A' team are currently playing a series against New Zealand 'A', and the squad bears a strong resemblance to the national side, with many regular names featuring in the lineup.

Although the 'A' team is typically used to create a feeder system for the national team, many of the players involved have already been playing international cricket for a while and have been included for upcoming assignments, such as the T20Is against the UAE and Pakistan.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been trying to implement a system where players struggling at the international level can get valuable game time and work on their deficiencies. However, inclusion of the likes of Anamul Haque Bijoy, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mosaddek Hossain, or Nayeem Hasan may raise eyebrows -- with some arguing these players should already be established national team players.

Bijoy and Mosaddek debuted in international cricket in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Whether they still merit places in the 'A' team is debatable, but their consistent performances in domestic cricket have kept them in the system.

In recent years, the 'A' team and High Performance (HP) unit assignments, along with their integration into the Bangladesh Tigers programme, have gained importance. Last year's tour of Pakistan also saw many national team players feature in the 'A' team to prepare for the Rawalpindi Tests.

BCB officials have confirmed that the 'A' team and HP unit will play at least two series each year -- one at home and one away -- with plans finalised for the next three years. As the 'A' team is currently playing at home, the next assignment this year is scheduled to be a tour of Australia.

"There is an 'A' team tour of Australia in August, with two teams going there for four-day matches and T20s in Darwin. The series is arranged to better prepare for the national team's tour of Australia in 2026. The plan is for the 'A' team to supply players directly to the national team," a BCB official said.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Tigers programme will conduct training camps with selected players from the 'A' team and HP throughout the year.

'A' team head coach Mizanur Rahman Babul spoke yesterday in Sylhet about the importance of 'A' team matches in replenishing the pipeline.

"If you don't have matches for the 'A' team, who will fill those places [vacancies in the national team]? Every 'A' team player needs to be ready so that when a batter or bowler underperforms in the national team, those players will know there are others behind them ready to step up. The more 'A' team matches there are, the better it will help replenish the pipeline," Babul said.

It remains to be seen how much the 'A' team, or even the HP unit, can support the national team's cause, especially with many veterans having stepped away. However, it is high time to develop this current batch for international cricket as the BCB continues to seek consistency.