T20s, concert deferred due to coronavirus

"Let's see, we will be discussing that [visiting Pakistan]. We will go step by step and we will be sitting down for that issue as well" 

Nazmul Hassan 

BCB president 

The two T20 matches between Asia XI and World XI along with the concert to commemorate the birth centenary of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been deferred due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan confirmed yesterday. 

The BCB had scheduled the concert, featuring Indian musician AR Rahman, for March 18. It would be followed by the two T20s on March 21 and 22 respectively.

Five Bangladeshi players -- Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman and Liton Das -- were set to play for Asia XI while the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Chris Gayle and Jonny Bairstow were also expected to participate in the games.

"We have postponed those two matches for the time being. We are having a problem hosting the matches, so we have deferred it. There is no guarantee that everyone can come and play here so we have decided that both the concert and the two matches will be deferred. A lot of restrictions are coming in from different quarters. We will host it after few months when the time is appropriate," Hassan told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

However, the BCB president informed that they were still planning to organise the events on a large scale.

"We had two options. We could have organised the concert on March 18 on a small scale. But we have decided to do it properly on a large scale and that's why it has been deferred. When things improve, we will schedule it again in a big way," he added.

The coronavirus crisis had already led to the BCB taking measures to keep the crowd to a minimum during the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe. There have already been three reported cases of coronavirus in Bangladesh and BCB had previously informed that it was following government directives in order to mitigate the threat of the virus spreading.

There are also concerns over the third phase of Bangladesh's tour to Pakistan. Bangladesh are scheduled to play a one-off ODI on April 1 and the second Test from April 5.

According to Hassan, the board will discuss the issue again.

"Let's see, we will be discussing that [visiting Pakistan]. We will go step by step and we will be sitting down for that issue as well," he said.

With 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus, Karchi -- the venue for the third ODI and second Test – is the worst-affected city in Pakistan.