Venue changed for Australia’s preparation match in Bangladesh

If no further issues are raised, the Australia will tour Bangladesh in August-September this year for a two-match Test series. They will land in Bangladesh on 18th August and will take part in a two-day practice match ahead of the first Test match at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.

As has been scheduled, the match is supposed to take place in Fatullah, at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium. However, due to incessant rainfall through the rainy season, Fatullah has remained perennially flooded. This has now forced the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to look for an alternative venue for the practice match.

BKSP as an alternative

Jalal Yunus, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board Media Committee has revealed that Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP), the national sports institute, has been asked to arrange for an alternative venue to arrange the practice match of Australia.

“We are preparing BKSP as an option to arrange the practice match if plays would not be possible in Fatullah. We will sort out a practice match anyhow when Australia will come,” Jalal was quoted by bdcrictime.

When questioned about the facilities in BKSP, he said, “We arranged a practice match in BKSP when Zimbabwe came to visit. We will fix up all equipment so that media personnel could cover the match properly. There will be internet connection and all other facilities.”

It is important to note, though, that BKSP has four grounds, which have staged first-class and List A cricket matches in Bangladesh’s domestic competitions since 2000, and few other minor international matches. The ground for the practice match has not yet been confirmed.

Earlier, Cricket Australia reached an agreement for a new pay deal with Australian Cricketers’ Association after months of bitter negotiations. This ensured that the series in Bangladesh, as well as the other tours, will go ahead as per schedule.