With the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh is barely a month away, Australia are yet to confirm their participation in the tournament, officials said on Thursday.
The tournament is scheduled from January 27 to February 14 in four cities of Bangladesh, but the officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board said they are still waiting for the confirmation of Cricket Australia.
BCB’s chief security consultant major (retired) Hossain Imam admitted that there is an uncertainty over Australia’s
participation in the tournament.
‘Usually we communicate with the ICC over the schedule of the teams. We are yet to hear anything about Australia from them,’ he said.
Teams are scheduled to arrive from January 18 before pre-tournament activities start on January 20.
The uncertainty of Australia Under-19 team came to the fore after the country’s foreign department on Tuesday issued a fresh travel alert about visiting Bangladesh.
Australia senior cricket team earlier postponed their planned Test tour in October following similar alert. Australia
football team however visited Bangladesh in November for a World Cup qualifying match amid tight security.
The ICC earlier refused to move the tournament away from Bangladesh on security ground and asked hosts Bangladesh to ‘develop an appropriate security plan that addresses all security risks.’
Australia are in Group D along with India, New Zealand and Nepal and set to start their campaign against India on January 28 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
They are scheduled to play Nepal and New Zealand respectively on January 30 and February 2 at Fatullah.
-With New Age input
