BCB not to force cricketers for Pakistan tour: Nazmul
President of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Nazmul Hassan on Saturday said the board will not force the national cricketers for the tour of Pakistan scheduled for January next.
“If any player refuses to tour Pakistan due to security concerns, we won’t force any cricketer for the tour. This is my own decision. Everything is depending on several situations. Let’s see what comes up in the next few days,” he said.
Due to security concerns in Pakistan, the BCB is yet to get a green signal from the government for the tour.
However, Nazmul said the board is hopeful about getting the clearance from the government.
“We sent our U-16 team and women team to Pakistan after getting the green signal from the government. Now, we’re waiting for the same before the tour of Pakistan of the Bangladesh national team,” he told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
“We’re expecting that the government will allow us to tour Pakistan next month. However, we’re yet to get consent from the higher officials. We’ll take the final call as soon as we get the government approval for the tour. I think it won’t take more than 4-5 days for the final call,” he added.
In this tour, Bangladesh are scheduled to play two Tests and three T20Is. If the BCB refuses to go to Pakistan, the country might opt for a neutral venue for the series.