Australia postpone Bangladesh Test tour

Australia

Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland has confirmed that the Aussies' two-match Test tour to Bangladesh has been postponed due to a security threat.

The first match of the tour was scheduled for Saturday when Australia were to play a three-day warm-up match against a Bangladesh Board XI in Fatullah.

Cricket Australia had sent out a their officials to Dhaka for talks with their Bangladesh counterparts and even though the Australia team were offered VVIP security, Sutherland said they could not take a risk with the players' safety.

Sutherland said: "After six days of extensive deliberations and research, we've come to the conclusion that we have no other alternative than to postpone our tour to Bangladesh.

"It's a very disappointing outcome from our perspective. Six days ago we were informed by ASIO and our Department of Foreign Affairs that there was a credible risk to Australians in Bangladesh and we've worked through a rigorous process to try and understand that.

"We've had three people on the ground meeting with Bangladesh Cricket, Bangladesh government sources and members of our foreign affairs department in Bangladesh.

"In the end, all things considered, we've made this decision to postpone the tour for now and we'll enter into discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board about when we can play this cricket series next."

"It's not really appropriate for me to go into specific detail on this. But all I can say is that the threats were credible and real and targeted, not only against Westerners but against Australians."

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