The fate of Bangladesh’s three-match Test series tour in Sri Lanka is looking bleak. Two country’s cricket boards remain adamant about their stance regarding Tigers quarantine period.
Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) want a 14-day quarantine for Tigers whereas Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will not accept a quarantine period more than seven days. The situation is now in deadlock ahead of Tigers scheduled departure to the island nation on Saturday.
No solution is coming as the two sides are adamant in their respective positions. On top of that, the Lankans are still not communicating with BCB, which was revealed by BCB CEO himself on Wednesday afternoon.
All in all, the tour itself is swaying in the swing of uncertainty. BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury Sujan said another thing on Wednesday. Which has a lot of underlying significance.
He said that given the current situation, even if the Sri Lankans make a positive offer soon, even if all the black clouds of uncertainty about the tour are cleared, it will be very difficult for the Tigers to visit Sri Lanka as per the pre-arranged schedule.
The final squad for the tour has still not been announced, the practice is going on with a preliminary team of 27 people. But sources say, that the chances of going to Sri Lanka are very low.
It is difficult to go to Sri Lanka in the next 48 hours of preparation. That is why the BCB CEO said on Wednesday, “In the current context, going to Sri Lanka on September 26 is very challenging and difficult.”
The Lankan board, meanwhile, has not only finalized the quarantine issue, but also the tour schedule. They also did not send any proposed tour schedule to the BCB. The schedule for when and where the three-match Test will be played is yet to be finalized.
So far, it has been heard that the first test will start on October 24. The first two Tests are to be held in Kandy. And the last Test in Colombo.
But according to a reliable source, even if the tour happens in the end, the schedule may change. Even the number of Test matches could be reduced.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Test series may also be delayed. This means that what was supposed to start in the third week of October may now be delayed by a month. Such things are also being heard. There is a possibility that such a proposal will come from the Lankan board. So, it will not be a surprise if the Tigers' tour of Sri Lanka is postponed.
