Bangladesh tour to Pakistan expected to be finalised soon

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that it was expecting to sign an agreement with its Bangladeshi counterpart in a few days regarding the latter's tour — scheduled later this month.

According to the proposed schedule, the PCB intended to host three T20 matches and two Test matches, which would be part of the ICC World Test Championship. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have not been too keen about the idea and, instead, proposed that the team take part in a shorter format and play Test series on neutral ground.

The BCB also did not provide any formal reason for their suggestion.

On the other hand, sources said Bangladesh, like Sri Lanka, wish to spend as little time as possible in Pakistan.

Read more: If they go, I go: Bangladesh head coach on touring Pakistan

Sources close to the PCB have said the board maintained its original stance to prioritise Test cricket over a T20 series as it was need of the hour for Pakistan.

The dates Bangladesh proposed for a Test series were not suitable as they would fall in the month of Ramadan, the sources said. Another suggestion was for to schedule one Test match and while the number of T20s be increased to three, they added.

'If team is given clearance, then I'll go'

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo had said he had no issues touring Pakistan, provided the BCB agreed to send their national team.

"If the team is given clearance to go, then I will go. If the team isn’t given clearance, then I definitely won’t go," Domingo had said in an interview with New Age.

Bangladesh were scheduled to play three T20Is and two Tests later in January; however, doubts over the tour surfaced when BCB President Nazmul Hassan said certain members of the fraternity were uncertain of the tour.