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Bangladesh will take on Essex County Cricket Club in their first official warm-up match at Chelmsford in Essex today. This is the ground where Bangladesh will make their maiden World Cup appearance against New Zealand on May 17. Prior to that they will play two more warm-up matches against Middlesex and Northamptonshire on May 10 and 12.

Bangladesh, the ICC champions, have been drafted in group B for the first round of the 12-team World Cup, the last this millennium

Former World Champions West Indies, Australia and Pakistan, and Scotland, who emerged third in the 1997 ICC Trophy, are the other four teams pencilled in group B.

The other group comprises of hosts England, holders Sri Lanka, South Africa, former World champions India, Zimbabwe and ICC runners-up Kenya.

Although the official tour of the 15-member Bangladesh team, led by Aminul Islam, started from May 3, the team along with The Management reached London on April 14 to get accustomed with the chilly English weather.

During their stay in England before their official tour began, Bangladesh had intense training under coach Gordon Greenidge and his two assistant coaches for bowling --Mushtaq Mohammad of Pakistan and former England fast bowler Allan Ward. They also played three 'unofficial' practice matches against three minor local teams and won all three quite comprehensively.

The squad: Aminul Islam (captain), Mehrab Hossain, Shahriar Hossain, Faruque Ahmed, Minhazul Abedin, Akram Khan, Khaled Mahmud, Khaled Mashud, Hasibul Hossain, Shafiuddin Ahmed, Enamul Hoque, Manjurul Islam, Neeyamur Rashid, Mohammad Rafique and Naimur Rahman.