Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka likely to go ahead

By Bipin Dani

Bangladesh's tour to Sri Lanka is most likely to go ahead with announcement to be made within the next 24 to 48 hours, it is reliably learnt. 

According to highly placed sources in SLC, new proposals and guidelines have been sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday and their confirmation is awaited. 

"We want this tour to happen, because the LPL is to be followed immediately after it. Players from other countries will participate in the LPL and we want to show the world on how we dealt with the situation against one team," a source involved in the process, said.  

"Our country is safer than Bangladesh and their players will be safe in this country. We await their response today".   

"Both boards have agreed to a new set of guidelines in principle and the tour is likely to happen," the source also said. 

Originally, the Bangladesh team was to arrive in Sri Lanka on September 27 and the players' COVID-19 tests were to be conducted on 25th. 

However, it had to be postponed with a new date to be announced. 

Bangladeshi players and the support staff have remained in a bio-secure bubble in their hotel rooms.  

There is no threat to the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which is to be soon followed after the Test series against Bangladesh. 

"We need only 25-30 foreign players for the LPL. And the common Test and T-20 players participating in the Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will have no quarantine issues". 

"We expect players from Pakistan and India also. LPL will have legendary Sri Lanka players and we are confident of hosting the LPL," the source further added.