Published: Dec 21, 2015, 03:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 21, 2015, 03:53 PM (IST)
Dhaka: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to defer the Test series against Zimbabwe to prepare for next year’s Asia Cup and World Twenty20. Zimbabwe were scheduled to visit Bangladesh in January for a two-Test series, reports bdnews24.com. The BCB had earlier curtailed the series, originally planned as a three-Test tour in September, for the same reason. “We have two important T20 tournaments ahead of us — the Asia Cup and the World Cup. Preparing for them is more important,” BCB president Nazmul Hassan said on Monday. ALSO READ: Ireland beat Bangladesh in ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier 2015 final; both teams qualify
“Many Test players are not in the T20 team. So playing Tests during that time won’t help them.” Bangladesh have no match scheduled for a while after the World T20. The board will try to organise the bilateral series sometime then, said the BCB chief. Bangladesh have been placed with Ireland, the Netherlands and debutants Oman in Group A of the first round in the World T20 that will be played in India. The winners of the two groups will join the top eight teams in the Super 10 stage.
Bangladesh will be grouped with India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand if they progress beyond the first round.
Earlier, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur said that the Asia Cup T20 tournament will be held in February, next year, before the ICC World T20 but the venue is yet to be finalised. “The Asia Cup will be held in mid-February, next year. However we have not decided the venue of the tournament. It could be Bangladesh or it could be India also. It will be decided in some time,” Thakur said on the sidelines of the selection committee meeting. Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were in the race to be the host nations for the tournament. ALSO READ: Bangladesh cricketer Anamul Haque accused of stabbing his neighbour
Bangladesh have already hosted the tournament on the last two occasions and they look to get the honour of hosting the prestigious tournament for the third time in a row.
