BSP-14 Uncertainty looms over HP’s SL tour

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Uncertainty looms over HP’s SL tour

DHAKA, Sept 13, 2020 (BSS)—The High Performance (HP) team’s tour in Sri Lanka suddenly became uncertain after the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) showed their willingness to host Bangladesh national team only.

SLC has rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to bring a 65-member contingent, Sri Lanka’s Sunday Observer report said.

Bangladesh HP’s tour in Sri Lanka coincides with the national team’s tour and therefore the BCB devised a plan to arrange practice matches between the two teams and thereby take a good preparation for three-match Test series. Since Sri Lanka can’t give any team a warm-up, HP remains the only hope for Bangladesh for their practice game.

More than 60 members from Bangladesh were to travel to the island nation but the SLC had asked the BCB to reduce that number to 30 for the upcoming tour which means the HP team’s tour might get suspended for the time being.

“Nothing is finalized yet but I hope it will take three-four days to finalize. We have been in constant touch with SLC. But the issue is not only for SLC, it’s a national issue so their Health Ministry would have to give their say. They are discussing the matter and we are also thinking. Until everything is clear we are unable to talk about HP separately at the moment,” Naimur Rahman Durjoy, chairman of the High Performance unit told the media here today.

But the national team’s tour will be prioritized if the HP’s tour in Sri Lanka is cancelled finally.

“The national team has some priority because you know there is a matter of Test championship. In that case, if we miss this window with the Test Championship, it will be difficult to find a new window or slot. So the Test series will get priority in the national team,” he remarked.

Bangladesh had already conducted the coronavirus tests of the 24 members expected to tour Sri Lanka and the contingent includes cricketers, support staff and a few members of the HP side.

BSS/SMP/AU/19:45 hrs