Bangladesh cancelled its tour of Sri Lanka last October due to strict quarantine restrictions set by the Sri Lankan Cricket board. However, the coronavirus situation in Sri Lanka has improved and the rules now have been relaxed. In the upcoming Test series on the island nation in April, Bangladesh will get the same benefits as the recently visited England team.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told this to the media on Saturday.
Bangladesh will travel to Sri Lanka in mid-April as part of the World Test Championship. There will be a two-match Test series. Nizamuddin said the Sri Lankan Cricket Board would send the final schedule soon. But there is no doubt about the tour, “The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has already finalized the schedule of the two Tests, which are part of the ICC Test Championship,” said BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury.
“Both the two Test matches will be held in the same venue. Hopefully we’ll leave the country around sometime in between April 12-15,” he added.
Bangladesh was scheduled to play a three-match Test series in Sri Lanka in July last year. It then got cancelled because of coronavirus. The series was rescheduled for October. But then the Sri Lankan government gave Bangladesh strict quarantine rules.
As a result, the BCB cancelled the tour due to the mental health of the cricketers. The England team visited Lanka last January. They enjoyed relaxed quarantine rules in the country. "Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 situation is much improved now. Recently England has visited the country and the Sri Lanka Cricket told us that the health rules will be same for us, that was in case of England," he added.
Meanwhile, Nizam Uddin Chowdhury also said, BCB will consider if pacer Mustafizur Rahman wants to choose Indian Premier League (IPL) over the national team.
Mustafizur was sold to Rajasthan Royals for his base price INR 1 crore during the auction of IPL in Chennai on Wednesday. He, however is yet to apply for a leave, the BCB CEO said.
“Board will decide whether it will give Mustafizur the NOC to play IPL. But if he applies, I am sure, the board will consider it,” the CEO said.
Mustafizur however said he would take decision about his leave from the national team after talking to his family members.
“I am yet to take any decision regarding this,” he told the reporters. “However, the New Zealand series is my priority at this moment. At the same time I will talk to my family because in April when the IPL will start, we will have a Test series against Sri Lanka. I will take decision very soon regarding this.”
