BCB refutes reports

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday reaffirmed their decision to play only a T20I series in Pakistan, rejecting media reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused the BCB’s proposal to also hold two Tests, one in Pakistan and the other in Dhaka.

“We don’t know who provides what news but in either case, we stand firm on earlier decision. We cannot give importance to such reports but rather, we have to stick to our own plans [playing a three-match T20I series in Pakistan],’ said BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury yesterday.

According to the Press Trust India, the PCB received a proposal from their Bangladesh counterpart to organise one Test in Pakistan, provided that the ICC World Test Championship match be held in Dhaka. The PCB then rejected the proposal, making it clear that the two Tests were a part of Pakistan’s home series and both must be played there.

The Bangladesh team is scheduled to tour Pakistan from January 18 to play two Tests and three T20Is, however, the tour remains uncertain seeing as BCB higher-ups said that they will just play the T20I series and not the Tests.

Bangladesh apparently first want to participate in the T20I series before taking a decision on the Test series following a security assessment since the stakeholders of the series do not want them to play the longer-version of cricket in Pakistan.