DHAKA — The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is yet to respond on revised health guidelines, making it tougher for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to leave the country for the tour scheduled on September 27.
The delay of journey means it would affect the whole three-match Test series and may force the two boards to reduce the number of Test matches.
The first Test is scheduled for kick-off on October 24.
But BCB is hopeful that the series will be held and in that case, if any adjustments are needed, they are ready to do it.
“Since we haven’t received it yet [the revised health guidelines], at the moment it will be a little challenging to travel as per schedule on the 27th September,” BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said here today.
“There are also visas and other complications. In that case we will make any adjustment if needed. But we have been preparing ourselves to leave the country on 27th September.”
Sri Lanka also have a domestic league named Lankan Premier League in mid-November, which made it tougher to stick to three-match Test series.
“That cannot be said at the moment,” BCB CEO said on the number of Test matches. “Since the series organizer is Sri Lanka Cricket, the whole issue of adjustment depends on them. They have a domestic league and they have to decide, considering everything.”
But the BCB high ups made it clear that the both boards are committed to make the series happen since the three Tests are the part of ICC Test Championship.
“Since Sri Lanka Cricket and the BCB are committed to hosting the ICC Test Championship, we want to take part in the World Test Championship and take it forward. And both our boards are trying to organize the series.”
“I say again we will do it if any adjustment is needed. We also had a preliminary discussion on that. In that case we are hoping that they would give us feedback as soon as possible. That is how we can plan,” he said.
The BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon had already made it clear that Bangladesh won’t stay mandatory 14-day quarantine after reaching Sri Lanka because such a long lay-off would affect their preparation. BCB instead wants a seven-day quarantine with practice facilities which the England Cricket Board (ECB) and IPL authority did while bringing the cricket back to the ground.
“You know that the board president has clarified our position. Later we kept in touch with Sri Lanka Cricket, there were some restrictions in the health guidelines which they sent. And if we continue then it will be difficult for us to take the tour forward. These issues have been communicated between us for some time. The latest situation is that we have told them certain things,” BCB CEO said without further elaborating.
“After learning of these things, they said they had a Covid-19 task force and they would talk to them. They are now working on how to relax the health guidelines. We hope to hear from them very soon.”
Sri Lanka indeed didn’t want to relax the health guidelines despite seeing the other boards like ECB and even the IPL authority relaxed the issue.
“Specifically I don’t want to say anything at the moment. We have told them things that are tolerable for us or that we want. Since the Sri Lanka Cricket Board is not saying anything, I think it should be between us. We do not want to say any details publicly,” Nizam Uddin remarked.
“The whole thing, however, does not depend on Sri Lankan cricket. It totally depends on their government and Covid-19 task force. As far as we know Sri Lankan cricket has contacted them and is trying to explain our position,” he concluded.BSS
