The ongoing unrest in Bangladesh has put their upcoming tour of Pakistan in doubt. The Bengali country has been rocked by the anti-government movement in recent times.
It all started last month when the university students peacefully demanded the abolishment of the quotas in civil service jobs.
Even though the government met most of the demands, the protest soon turned into a violent anti-government movement that has already claimed the lives of more than 300 people.
On Monday (August 6), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India. Soon after Hasina stepped down, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman assumed charge. However, the violence is still on.
Even after Hasina resigned, the protestors destroyed not only her official residence but also the properties belonging to members of her Awami League party. As per media reports, the house of former captain Mashrafe Mortaza was set on fire too.
Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan looks doubtful:
With the situation showing little signs of improvement at present, their men’s team’s tour of Pakistan is in doubt. The two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played from August 21 in Rawalpindi.
According to a report in PTI, the Bengali team might find it difficult to travel for a series. The report stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered to help the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The PCB has offered to fly the Test team to Rawalpindi at the earliest to ensure that the series takes place.
“The PCB has even offered to host their players for the extra days and provide them with all the training facilities in Rawalpindi ahead of the Test matches, but they have not responded as yet,” the source said.
“With the BCB president (Najmul Hasan Papon) also leaving the country, apparently the board is not functioning normally,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Bengali team A’s tour of Pakistan is also in doubt due to the ongoing turmoil. On Monday, the BCB delayed the arrival of their A side to Pakistan by 48 hours. The series between the A teams is scheduled to be played from August 11.
Earlier, reports stated that the Bengali country could also lose the hosting rights for this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The marquee event is scheduled to take place in October in Bangladesh. However, the ICC is likely to change the venue with India emerging as the front-runner.