New Delhi: Cricket Australia have postponed the tour of Bangladesh due to security concerns. Cricket Australia released a statement on Thursday stating that due to concern about the safety and security of the Australian Test team, it has been forced to postpone cricket series.
This has come as a sad news for cricket fans with Bangladesh playing their best cricket in recent times. Bangladesh had beaten the likes of Pakistan, India and South Africa in three successive ODI series and their Test match performances too have improved.
Cricket Australia's James Sutherland said that recent advice from the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and CA’s Head of Security about an increasing security risk for the Australian team in Bangladesh meant this month’s matches could not proceed.
Cricket Australia released a statement on Thursday and explained their decision. They posted the statement on social micro-blogging site, Twitter.
MEDIA RELEASE: Cricket Australia postpone tour of Bangladesh - http://t.co/7KNeVLTPj5 pic.twitter.com/jmQoH0RgBS
— Cricket Australia (@CAComms) October 1, 2015
Earlier on Wednesday, Australia`s test cricketers had been sent back to their home states to train while awaiting a decision on whether their tour of Bangladesh will proceed amid increasing security concerns. The team was scheduled to depart on Monday for a two-test series but was told to stay back after the Australian government had warned of a potential security risk from militants in the Asian nation.
Bangladesh meanwhile hoped for a series and decided to provide blanket security to the cricket teams.
In a statement, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that VVIP security would be given to the Aussies which is unprecedented for any international team. “We have left no stone unturned in providing assurance regarding security for the Australian team. The Bangladesh Government has committed additional security on top of the substantial and elaborate arrangements in the BCB’s standard Security Plan for international cricket. For the team (Australia) the level has been confirmed as VVIP which is equivalent to security accorded to Head of States and is unprecedented for any international side," he said.
It was expected that the series against Australia would turn out to be a fiery battle. But fans and cricket lovers will now have to move on from the series as Bangladesh will hope to sort out terror issues and threats
