The Bangladesh Cricket Board stands at a balance over taking a decision on the national team’s scheduled tour of Sri Lanka.
Though both international and domestic cricket are slowly getting back to action in some parts of the world, Bangladesh is dealing with a different situation coping with the coronavirus pandemic.
Bangladesh were scheduled to travel to Colombo this month for a three-match Test series, which is part of the World Test Championship.
BCB has been thinking about starting practice session of the national cricketers under special arrangement.
The request for the arrangement had initially come from the cricketers, particularly from wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim.
However, with increasing numbers of deaths and cases of Covid-19 each day in the country, BCB is not confident to start training and put the players at risk of contracting the virus.
There is also the fact that the senior players of the national dressing room have expressed reservations to BCB with regards to travelling to Sri Lanka at this point.
As per media reports the board had exchanged opinions with the senior members of Bangladesh team where the players unanimously agreed to not tour in that time frame.
Apart from the risk of contracting the virus, there is also the fact that cricketers have been at home since mid-March this year and it will not be wise to push them into an international series straightaway.
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo and other members of the national coaching staffs have mentioned many times that the cricketers should be given enough time to settle once cricket gets back to the field, and that international series should be played only after proper preparation.
All forms of sports, including cricket, in Bangladesh were suspended by the government in March this year, and since then, cricketers have only been following fitness regime at home.
BCB cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan admitted to the opinions shared by the players of not agreeing to travel to Sri Lanka.
“Yes, we had spoken with some of the players and they did not show any interest [to tour during that point of time]. I think chances are very slim about the Sri Lanka tour commencing on scheduled time frame,” said Akram to the media Tuesday.
Meanwhile, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury is determined to not put the cricketers under any risk and that a decision on the tour will be reached only after discussing with the players.
“There will be no compromise with health issues. In this regard, players are our main stakeholders. Without their consent, we will not take any decision. So there is no point being paranoid about the upcoming tour,” said Nizamuddin.
Apart from the concern over preparation, there is also the protocol that is to be followed by cricket teams, set by the International Cricket Council.
The governing body of world cricket has put guidelines, based on the coronavirus pandemic, for the teams to follow.
One of the guidelines mentions the need of self-isolation for the travelling team, or quarantine of the players upon entering another country and after returning home.
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque was reached for a comment on the issue.
The left-handed batsman refrained from commenting on their interaction with the board where the team leaders opposed the tour at this point and put forward the ultimate decision at the hands of the BCB.
“We [players] have been in regular communication with the board. As it is a Test series, they have been communicating with me and other senior players continuously. At the end of the day it is the board who will observe everything and make a decision. And whatever the board decides, we will comply with it,” said Mominul.
BCB’s decision on the tour will also likely to be based on the outputs from the ICC meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
The meeting will discuss on the future of the World T20I 2020 in Australia, and other vital agendas.
