The Bangladesh Cricket Board did not give up their hope to revive the home series against Australia despite Cricket Australia asked its cricketers on Wednesday to leave the camp to join their state teams.
The BCB was expecting the CA to give a decision today when it sits in a meeting with outcome of a visit of its security chief, Sean Carroll, and two other officials to Bangladesh.The Australia team was scheduled to depart on Monday for a two-Test series but it was told to stay back after the Australian government warned about a potential security risk from militants.
The killing of an Italian citizen in top-security zone in Dhaka coupled with security warning from UK, US and Canada only made the tour increasingly uncertain as Australia ponders its move.
However, the BCB officials are not ready to call it an end before an official announcement comes.
‘It still stands where it was,’ BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters on Wednesday.
‘It is right that they have sent their players for state teams but that does not imply the tour is cancelled.’
Nizamuddin said they are yet to think about compensation in case the series is cancelled as Bangladesh has historical cricketing relationship with Australia.
‘It’s too early to think negatively. They have been our friends for years and all of a sudden we just cannot say everything has changed,’ he said.
‘So there is no reason to think beyond the series.’
The BCB has offered a higher level of security for Australian players and Nizamuddin said this is what they could do best.
‘To be honest this kind of security is not provided to any teams in the world,’ said Nizamuddin.
‘We have hosted the World Twenty20 where 24 teams were involved. We did that successfully, so there is no reason why we cannot give the security to just one team,’ he said.
The BCB chief executive however admitted they already started thinking alternative plans if Australia ultimately cancel the tour.
‘At the moment, our plan is to release the players for National Cricket League,’ he said, referring to the second round of first-class competition, which gets underway on October 3.
-With New Age input
