Bangladesh rules out playing England in neutral venue

England is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals. But its limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan is concerned after last Saturday's attack by terrorists in Dhaka.

Published : Jul 10, 2016 21:21 IST , Dhaka

Bangladesh might not host England as the latter considers pulling out of the tour due to security concerns.
Bangladesh might not host England as the latter considers pulling out of the tour due to security concerns.
lightbox-info

Bangladesh might not host England as the latter considers pulling out of the tour due to security concerns.

Bangladesh has ruled out playing England's cricket team in a third country in September, an idea floated after a deadly terror attack in the capital killed 18 foreigners last week.

England is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals.

England's limited-overs captain Eion Morgan voiced a "big concern" after last Saturday's attack by terrorists at an upmarket restaurant, saying a neutral venue could be an option for the series.

An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman hinted at a possible cancellation of the Bangladesh tour saying that "if the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps".

However, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka Sunday that Bangladesh wanted the matches to go ahead on home turf.

"We always believe suspending cricket in a particular country will not bring any solution," Chowdhury said.

"Our all-out effort will be fulfilling our commitment of hosting the series here," he added.

He also noted that a security delegation from England would be coming to inspect the security measures in place ahead of the games.

Australia pulled out of a tour of Bangladesh last year due to security concerns. The West Indies' Under-19 side also aborted a tour in 2013 after an explosion near their hotel in the southern city of Chittagong.

Chowdhury said the International Cricket Council is working on updated security protocol to deal with the problem globally.

"It's not just a problem of Bangladesh. Many developed countries in the world, who have strong security barriers, face some incidents too.

"Still, whenever we host an international series, we take special security measures. We have hosted many major ICC events, despite many challenges," he said.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment