CA promise tour will be rescheduled

Cricket365
October 4, 2015

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland says he understands the disappointment from Bangladesh about the postponed Test tour, and has assured the BCB that the series will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

CA pulled their players from the tour after threats were made against westerners in the country, and after the UK and US also issued a travel advisory to that part of the world. The murder of an Italian citizen in Dhaka cemented their decision.

The BCB are angry about the call though, saying they would have made every effort to keep the players safe, but Australia, after longs talks in Dhaka, opted to go with safety as their top priority.

Sutherland said on the CA website: "Clearly this is very, very disappointing news for (Bangladesh) and I think we respect and understand their disappointment.

"Not just Bangladesh Cricket, but also the Bangladesh government and the cricket fans of Bangladesh. This has been a tour that has been looked forward to for a long time.

"The Bangladesh cricket team is on the rise. We've been looking forward to the challenges of playing them and of course for the Australian cricket team, (it) was going to be a fantastic opportunity for a number of new players to make their mark in Bangladesh on this tour.

"It's been nine years since we've played Test cricket in Bangladesh so you can understand the level of anticipation, (especially) with the performances of their team in recent times.

"We too were very much looking forward to it and it's with deep regret that we announce that we're postponing the tour.

"What we all need to know and understand is that Bangladesh is a passionate cricket country and we understand that this will be devastating for cricket fans in Bangladesh.

"We hope to get back on the cricket field with Bangladesh very, very soon and certainly one of the first things we want to do is to sit down with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and work out a time when this tour can proceed."