Dhaka – Dispelling all uncertainties, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday stated that the England cricket team’s tour to Bangladesh will go ahead as planned, UNB news agency reported.“England’s tour of Bangladesh will continue as planned,” ECB Director Andrew Strauss made this statement after Thursday’s meeting on security issues with England cricket team players and the three-member security delegation that recently visited Bangladesh.
However, an uncertainty about the Test and ODI series has arisen over security in the wake of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka.
“Tonight we discussed details with the players and management in an open meeting. They asked lots of questions, have time to ask more and will clearly want to take it all in – we understand that. Selection for the tour will be made after the end of the summer internationals,” Andrew Strauss continued.
England cricket team players, including Test captain Alastair Cook and ODI captain Eoin Morgan, were briefed on security arrangements and the risk assessment in the meeting by ECB security advisor Reg Dickason.
Dickason, a member of security delegation, visited Bangladesh last week, alongside the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) chief executive David Leatherdale and the ECB director of cricket operations John Carr.
Besides the three –Dickason, Leatherdale and Carr– members of the security delegation, ECB director Andrew Strauss and chief executive Tom Harrison were also present at the briefing, according to ECB official website.
“Safety and security of players and management are always paramount. We’ve received a thorough risk assessment, had excellent insight into the current situation and been fully briefed on security commitments. ECB and PCA have the utmost confidence in the advice and support we’ve been given,” Strauss added.
“We will, as always, continue to monitor the situation right up to and throughout the tour,” Strauss stated.
The English team is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 and will stay until November 2 to play three ODIs, two Tests and three practice matches in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The ODIs are scheduled to start on October 7 while the two-Test series on October 20.
