Tests now a priority on Pakistan tour?
While uncertainty still looms over Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB’s) outlook may be changing after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) communicated that they were keen to host Bangladesh for the Test series first with the T20Is rescheduled for a later date.
BCB President Nazmul Hassan informed reporters yesterday about PCB’s stance of prioritising the Test series.
“A full series was scheduled and we previously let them know that the team wants to play the T20 series and we were discussing the possibility of whether the Test series could be rescheduled for a later time.
“They [PCB] are more interested in the Tests since it’s the [World] Test Championship of the ICC. They have informed that Tests are more important and it would not be difficult to reschedule the T20 series for a later date,” Hassan said.
Bangladesh were originally scheduled to play three T20Is and two Tests in Pakistan in January-February 2020 but the BCB had communicated that they did not want to play both series on one tour and wanted to play only the T20Is.
The BCB president had later thrown the tour into doubt when he said that they were only going to go to Pakistan if they could form a side of considerable strength, adding that many of the players and management personnel did not want to tour Pakistan for a longer period and preferred a short tour.
A T20 series would take a week to complete but a two-match Test series would have to be spread over two weeks. After PCB’s latest communication of intent, the ball is in BCB’s court and Hassan said that a decision will be given today.
The president once again met with a few senior players yesterday in order to update them on the scenario. A number of players have reportedly already consented for the tour.
“We have gotten the reports from [government] agencies concerned and some discussions are left but my understanding is that we will be able to reach a decision tomorrow.
“Mushfiqur did not show any interest to go from the very first moment. The other players wanted a short tour,” he said.
“We haven’t taken a decision yet and we let all the players know today [Wednesday] and we are hoping that we will be able to make a decision tomorrow [Thursday],” he said, before adding that a one-off Test series works in BCB’s favour since the duration of the tour will not become an issue.
The ongoing World Test Championship – for which series of two Tests is a minimum -- was still a concern since not playing the series could mean losing points.
“We have to see what will happen if we go or if we don’t. Our concern right now is what will happen in case we don’t go. We’re not clear since the Test Championship is ICC’s.”