ZCZC
BSP-09
CRICKET-CEO-SL-TEST
Bangladesh to visit Sri Lanka for Test series in April
DHAKA, Feb 20, 2021 (BSS)—The Bangladesh national cricket team will leave Dhaka for Sri Lanka in mid April to play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka as the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has already finalized the schedule.
Both the Test matches, which are part of the ICC Test Championship, will be held at the same venue but the Lankan Cricket Board is yet to announce the name of the venue.
“The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has already finalized the schedule of the two Tests, which are part of the ICC Test Championship,” the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said here today.
“Both the two Test matches will be held in the same venue. Hopefully we’ll leave the country around sometime between April 12-15,” he added.
The series was postponed twice in pandemic-struck 2020-first in July and then in October before it was finalized in April this year. Last time Bangladesh showed its reluctance to visit the country due to Sri Lanka’s strict quarantine policy which denied Bangladesh any practice even amongst themselves for up to 14 days.
Recently England has visited Sri Lanka for a Test series and Chowdhury said, Bangladesh would have to accept the same health policy which was applied in case of England in Sri Lanka tour.
“Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 situation is much improved now. Recently England has visited the country and the Sri Lanka Cricket told us that the health rules will be same for us, that was in case of England,” he added.
After the Test series, Sri Lanka will visit Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, which is part of the ICC ODI Super League, a tournament through which the teams will have direct entry to the 2023 World Cup in India.
BSS/SMP/ARS/1815 hrs