Owing To The Expanding Threat Of COVID 19 Series Was Called Off:
New Zealand’s Bangladesh tour, originally scheduled for August-September 2020, was adjourned indefinitely. It is the latest in a series of installations of the World Test Championship affected by the Coronavirus pandemic even as the sport crawls back into practice in some other parts of the world.
“The hosting of a full cricket series in August 2020 will be a challenge in the current COVID-19 pandemic scenario in terms of preparations and we cannot take chances with players’ safety and health, support staff and related stakeholders,” BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said.
At the end of August and early September, Kane Williamson ‘s side was to play two Tests. Yet where New Zealand has controlled the spread of the virus successfully, Bangladesh struggles to deal with it, with the country’s death toll recently reaching 1500. Although the country resumed international flights earlier this week, it still remains a while away from restarting professional sport.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board, which has insisted on ensuring adequate safety for its players as well as sufficient practice times, will not yet be rushed into greenlighting top-flight cricket with former captain Mashrafe Mortaza testing COVID-19 positive recently.With the Sri Lanka tour in a cloud under the circumstances, the next assignment to Bangladesh may very well be the Asia Cup or the T20 World Cup, two tournaments whose futures remain uncertain too. Meanwhile, BCB and New Zealand Cricket will work on identifying an appropriate time for the series to be rescheduled.
“The BCB and NZC felt that the best way forward would be to defer the series under these circumstances.We realize this will be tremendously disappointing for both team players and officials, not to mention the two nations fans, but I must thank NZC for their understanding and for recognizing the rationale behind such a decision, “said Chowdhury.
