New Zealand cricket tour to Bangladesh postponed

DHAKA: Bangladesh and New Zealand have announced to postpone the Test series which was due to be played between the two sides in August and September this year.

The two-match series, which will form part of the ICC World Test Championship, will now be rescheduled for a later date, which is yet to be determined.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Chief Executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said the postponement was a precaution as they did not wish to risk the health of any players, staff or any other personnel involved in the games.

“In the present COVID-19 pandemic scenario, hosting a full cricket series in August 2020 will be a challenge in terms of preparations and we cannot take chances with the safety and health of players, support staff and related stakeholders,” Chowdhury said in a press statement.

“Under these circumstances, the BCB and NZC have felt that the best way forward would be to defer the series. We realise that this will be hugely disappointing for the players and officials of both teams, not to mention the fans of the two nations but I must thank NZC for its understanding and for recognising the rationale behind such a decision.”

Last week, three Bangladesh cricketers including former ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazm-ul-Islam and Nafees Iqbal tested positive for the deadly contagion. The South Asian country has reported over 100,000 cases.

Bangladesh had already postponed tours of Ireland and England tour in May. Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, originally scheduled for June, has also been deferred due to the pandemic.

The tour to Sri Lanka, scheduled for July-August, is also shrouded in uncertainty. New Zealand has also postponed their tour of Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland and West Indies.