Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
Bangladesh could tour Sri Lanka in October 2020, soon after the three-match Test series was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, with the T20 World Cup now postponed by a year, a window has opened for this series to potentially go ahead. Both boards are reportedly keen to make it happen. Also, the BCB are reportedly attempting to send its squad to train in Sri Lanka, given that only individual players can train at Mirpur’s high-performance centre, located in a COVID-19 hotspot.
BCB CEO said that the postponement of the T20 World Cup allows Bangladesh to work on their international calendar. He also mentioned that Bangladesh would be keen on matches away from home, given the situation at home at the moment.
“The ICC’s announcement of the three major tournaments has provided what window we can work with, as now that we know that the tournament dates are fixed, we can work around with our schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo.
“Both boards are positive about the Test series going ahead later this year. We are in talks with SLC. Sri Lanka is in a better condition [in terms of Covid-19 caseload] than any of the other sub-continent countries at the moment, and since the situation is not favourable here, we are more keen on the away matches.”
However, the BCB is hopeful of soon discussing visits by Australia and New Zealand to Bangladesh, which were both due this year. But, both were postponed due to the pandemic, and the BCB will need to wait for the situation in Bangladesh, currently dire, to improve.
“We will be in talks with Cricket Ireland as well, though the weather in Ireland is going to be a factor. We will also discuss in due time, when Australia and New Zealand can tour Bangladesh,” said the BCB CEO.
Discussions are ongoing between SLC and BCB for the Test series in June. If the series goes ahead, it will be Bangladesh’s first three-match Test series since hosting Zimbabwe in 2014. Shakib Al Hasan entered the record books in that series, becoming the third cricketer to score a century and take a 10-wicket haul in the same Test.
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