Bangladesh Cricket Board says the team will tour Pakistan early next year. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
DHAKA: Bangladesh have agreed in principle to tour Pakistan early next year and become the first team to play international cricket there since the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus, officials said Monday.
“We have in principle agreed to tour Pakistan. It’s a commitment made by former BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) president Mustafa Kamal. We are keeping his word,” Enayet Husain Siraj, the board’s head of cricket operations, told AFP.
“The tour is subject to security clearance,” he added.
Foreign teams have since refused to tour Pakistan since an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, which left eight people dead and seven Sri Lankan players wounded.
Bangladesh had also accepted an invitation to tour Pakistan last April for a short limited-over series but the Dhaka High Court blocked the tour on security grounds.
Officials have said they see no judicial bar this time although Jalal Yunus, a spokesman for the BCB, said the board was still awaiting a security plan from its counterparts in Pakistan which would be discussed before signing off on the tour.
“We’ll sit with our stakeholders including players and concerned government officials very soon,” he told AFP.
Yunus said Pakistan had proposed two matches to take place in Lahore from January 12-13, one of which would be a 50-over international game and the other a Twenty20 contest.
In October, Pakistan successfully hosted two Twenty20 exhibition matches involving a group of largely retired stars from South Africa, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Pakistan are due to play two Twenty20 games in India later this month and three 50 over matches in the first series between the two neighbours in five years.
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don’t believe them. Once a lier is always a lier.
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“The tour is subject to security clearance,” he added.
And THAT clearance will never come. It’s all politics. India have too much clout over Bangladesh’s foreign policy viz-a-viz Pakistan.
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What a bunch of lies!!!
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Lie just to get NoC for the players to play BPL and ofcourse PCB as always will provide NoC to players. BD talking abt security sounds like a joke big time as they have no reason to get attacked in Pakistan. PCB must focus on local cricket strengthning than buttering these non sense boards who badly under BCCI influance to come and play in Pakistan. We want other teams to come to Pakistan under normal cricketing arrangement than making it look like a big favour (and that from minows like BD).
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can we trust there words? I hope they will not do as they did in the past.Recommend
Watching our domestic tournament is more fun than watching Bangladesh team.
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@Antebellum:
Yes like you have too much clout with Talibans.
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A desperate effort to save BPL. And ironically no one will fill a petition against BD team tour to Pakistan this time. You have learned some nasty things from India.
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Why in God name PCB agree to this ridiculous 1 ODI and 1 T20? Seriously PCB have you lost all your senses?
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This is a hypocrisy from Hasina.
She wants an apology from Pakistan if she wants to visit. However, she has no problem if the cricketers visit Pakistan.
Bangladesh mush show some self respect and cancel the series.
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@abs:
and what was the reason behind the Sri Lankan team being attacked? and what is the reason behind ordinary Pakistanis being attacked every day? LOL, so much for reason. Everybody cares about their security. Why being concerned about your security is a ‘big joke’ when the situation is this bad? (even yesterday the airport in Peshawar was attacked), I don’t blame the Bangladeshis at all here.
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Bangladesh wants Pak player in BPL
So Their team will go to PakistanRecommend
Bangladesh needs pak player in BPL
This is why they will go To PakistanRecommend
We want revival of cricket in Pakistan, but the security situation is extremely uncertain in the country. BD should stay at home, because Pak has security insurance to its own people, let alone a visiting high profile team.
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KARACHI>LAHORE
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Pakistani they force bd b coz paki know if they invite other country they refuse straghtwAy
There is no security for people
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Is Bangladeshi Cricket Team tour subject to tendering apology from Pakistani Government about 1971 war events in which former East Pakistan with the help of Indian Army broke Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan and created Bangladesh on the world map?
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Must not come.
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Two events are unlikely in our life times. International cricket and International cricketer becoming our Prime Minister.
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Seriously? Now Bangalis thinks their doing favor coming to Pak. whats next
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Its a Shame that Bengladesh didn’t keep their word the last time. PCB shouldn’t issue NOC to their players for BPL.
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pakistan is a peaceful country plz cum nd play hereRecommend
Security is always a concern for any team in anywhere. Some Pakistani brother say that Bangladesh is a lair bcz, they did not visit during April 2012. For all of your concern i must say Our honorable High-Court issue a rule due to safety issue of the players. As a part of democratic country, BCB have to obey the rule and failed to visit pak. Some one also write that BD will not be a target to attack because they are neutral. At this point i will say Srilanka were also neutral but face the attack. some one ask the apology issue of 1971, on that case u just think apology never make u small, why u people bear the shame of those rapist and killers? Above all plz remember we are the first country who agree to visit pakistan after that incidence, no one else. We are really glad to see Cricket back in pakistan. hope our boys will be safe there……
Greetings from Dhaka……….
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Yes ! This is great new and happiness. Now it is duty of Govet to save this opportunity.
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didn’t SL team had presidential security?not even ministers are safe in Pakistan.the recent killing have really messed up the tour.According to BD newspapers PCB is giving false information abt confirmation of the tour.BD will only visit when ICC gives green light and sends its own match officials.If ICC doesn’t then no tour.Its shameful hw PCB is endangering the lives of our boys and putting a friendly country on the spot.I was a die hard fan of Pak team but nw India and Pakistan can go to Hell…
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