Bangladesh tour close to cancellation after Australia send players back

Bangladesh tour close to cancellation after Australia send players back: Australia cricketers are set to return to their domestic state squads with the Bangladesh tour expected to be called off on Thursday. Test captain Steve Smith and his tour squad will return to training with their state colleagues and are now expected to feature in the one day competition starting this Monday. A Cricket Australia spokesman said today that a decision on the tour is unlikely to be made on Wednesday.

The situation worsened after the killing of an Italian national in the country. Islamist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the death of the Italian charity worker in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday. The Italian man who was gunned down had been followed by militants on a motorbike, who reportedly shot the 50-year-old while he was on an evening walk.

“The situation is now different after the death of the Italian national,” BCB president Nazmul Hassan told reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday.

CA had already been warned by the Australia Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade last week that Australian interests could be threatened in Bangladesh. This prompted CA to announce on Saturday night that Monday’s scheduled departure for Bangladesh would be postponed.

CA sent security chiefs Sean Carroll and Frank Dimasi and team manager Gavin Dovey to Bangladesh for meetings with key Bangladesh officials on Monday. Carroll is set to brief CA’s board and the Australian Cricketers’ Association today.

Australia’s domestic one-day tournament starts in Sydney on Monday. Test stars are set to play in the Matador Cup if the Bangladesh series is called off.

A decision on whether the tour will go ahead has to be made soon because Australia is scheduled to host New Zealand in a three-Test series, starting in early November.

Australia have not toured Bangladesh for a Test series since 2006, although they have visited for one-day matches since then and last played in the country in 2014 at the World T20.