In order to have more time to prepare for the next ICC T20 World Cup, which is set to begin in the USA and the West Indies on June 1, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to reschedule the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe at home.
A senior BCB official informed ‘Cricket Line News’ of the development and stated that a final decision will be made in the next few days.
BCB cricket operation chairman Jalal Yunus told ‘Cricket Line News’ on Tuesday, “It is not a fact that we are going to abandon the two Tests against Zimbabwe and certainly we will play the two Tests (against Zimbabwe) but when we will play that Test is something we need to decide.”
The Bangladesh Premier League is set to begin on January 19 as part of Bangladesh’s preparation for the global T20 competition. Bangladesh will play a home series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka following the BPL.
Following Sri Lanka’s two Test matches, three ODIs, and three Twenty20 Internationals, Bangladesh will host two Test matches and five Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe in May.
In order to have more time to prepare for the T20 World Cup, BCB is considering delaying the Tests. Chandika Hathurusingha, the head coach of Bangladesh, is scheduled to arrive on January 20. Once he does, BCB will start planning the major event.
It is acknowledged that the board may send a team early to the USA to adjust to the new schedule if the Test series against Zimbabwe needs to be postponed. After playing two matches against the West Indies in Florida in 2018, Bangladesh is now playing cricket in the United States for the second time.