Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal has hinted at a potential postponement of India’s cricket tour to Bangladesh, sparking uncertainty over the September series as both boards engage in ongoing discussions.
Key Points
- India’s cricket tour to Bangladesh, set for September, faces potential postponement, as hinted by BCB president Tamim Iqbal.
- The BCB and BCCI are actively discussing the schedule, with Tamim suggesting dates might be shifted.
- A domestic age-group tournament in Dhaka, scheduled during the proposed tour dates, raises questions about venue availability.
- Relations between the boards, strained by past incidents like Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL withdrawal, have recently improved after Tamim’s visit to India.
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal has hinted that India’s scheduled tour of Bangladesh is set to be postponed again, saying the BCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India are currently in discussions over the series, said a report in Cricinfo.
India were originally scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August last year, but the series was later deferred to September 2026.
The BCB announced in January that India would play three ODIs and three T20Is in Dhaka and Chattogram.
However, the BCCI is yet to make any official announcement regarding the tour.
With the first ODI scheduled for September 3, just two weeks away, uncertainty continues over whether the series will go ahead as planned, the report added.
Scheduling Conflicts And Ongoing Discussions
At a press conference in Dhaka, Tamim announced the Game Development Trophy, an age-group tournament, and the BCB released its schedule, with all matches set to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from August 28 to September 9.
When asked whether the tournament schedule indicated that India would not be touring Bangladesh, Tamim said there could be a “slight change” in the schedule, hinting at a possible change to India’s tour dates.
“Both boards remain in discussion about the India series,” he said.
“The dates may be shifted here or there. This tournament is being held in Mirpur but it can be shifted to the Basundhara ground in two minutes. If the India series is locked and fixed, we will schedule it accordingly.”
Improving Board Relations After Past Tensions
Following the BCB’s announcement of the tour in January, relations between the two cricket boards deteriorated further after Kolkata Knight Riders withdrew Bangladesh all-rounder Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL following instructions from BCCI.
Subsequently, the Aminul Islam-led BCB decided against sending its team to the T20 World Cup, which was co-hosted by India.
However, ties between the two boards began to improve after Tamim, who recently took charge as BCB president, visited India earlier this month.
He reportedly toured the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru during his visit.
Source: www.bing.com
