Bangladesh’s ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has said that England team should visit Bangladesh for a two-Test and three-ODI series in October as scheduled.
The fast bowler renowned as Narail-express said this in a persuasive tone while speaking about the tour’s plan to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur earlier on Wednesday.
The England cricket team will be given a briefing on Thursday by a three-man security team that has departed Bangladesh last week, and it is understood that the tour may depend on the briefing.
Security doubts were first cast over the scheduled tour after the incident of July 1 terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, where 20 civilians and 2 policemen had died.
“Firstly, I would ask them to come, and I still believe they will come,” Tigers’ skipper Mashrafe said, a day after England ODI skipper Eoin Morgan hinted that the choice to tour may be left up to the players.
“We are all confident that the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the government will be able to make necessary security arrangements. As a player I will say that the sport should continue. This kind of attack is happening all over the world. There were attacks in France and still the Euro matches were held there. I think it depends on ECB-BCB, what is going on between them. I think they should come,” Mashrafe said.
Apart from England’s skipper Morgan’s words, a report carried on British newspaper The Telegraph’s website shed doubts over travel safety within the two cities of Bangladesh where the matches will be held.
Mashrafe said the England security team had issues about one or two things in Bangladesh.
“I don’t know in what sense they said it or whether it can be fixed. I think whatever happens we have the ability to transport players safely. We also have families, we are also humans and our transport issues fall into the same category. I believe the BCB can handle it; I don’t think it will be too difficult,” mentioned Mashrafe in his briefing.
Source: Ittefaq
