In a blow to Bangladesh cricket, Australia have called off a tour by the Tigers later this year for financial reasons.
The shocking development comes despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board imploring Cricket Australia to go ahead with the series.
According to ICC fixture, Bangladesh were to play two Tests and three ODIs in the series in August and September.
Cricket Australia, however, had earlier informed the BCB that they were not interested in host the series, arguing that it would not be ‘commercially viable’.
ESPNcricinfo reported on Wednesday that the trip was scrapped because Australian free-to-air broadcasters are understood to be uninterested in televising the series in the middle of the football season.
Bangladesh have played Tests in Australia only once. That series in 2003 was held offseason for cricket and at Cairn and Darwin, which were irregular venues at the time.
ESPNcricinfo said it learned one of the alternative options discussed was Australia touring Bangladesh after the 2019 World Cup.
“We have proposed some options and are now waiting for their response,” it quoted BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury as saying.
Source: Bdnews24.
