PCB asks Bangladesh to give valid reasons for not playing Tests in Pakistan

PCB has written an e-mail to the BCB officials and said that Sri Lanka recently played Test matches in Pakistan and they had no problem in doing so.

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday asked Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to provide valid reasons for refusing to play Test series in the country.

PCB has written an e-mail to the BCB officials and said that Sri Lanka recently played Test matches in Pakistan and they had no problem in doing so.

The board has also reminded Bangladesh that the series has been on the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP) list since December last year.

The PCB has also written that the ICC sends its officials to a country after reviewing and approving security plans.

Since 2017, the ICC has sent five teams of match officials to supervise the international fixtures played in Pakistan, the PCB stated in the e-mail.

"We received an email from the BCB on Tuesday and today (Thursday) we have responded to them. Obviously, this series is important to both the countries who need Test cricket. Besides, this is also part of the ICC World Test Championship, so the ICC is also a stakeholder in this," dawn.com quoted PCB spokesperson as saying.

"In the past few years, we have demonstrated to the world that Pakistan is as safe and secure as any other cricket-playing country and we need to know what are the BCB's reasons for not sending their players for an extended stay," he added.

Earlier, BCB's chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said their primary aim is to play T20s in Pakistan.

"Our primary proposal is to play three T20Is in a shorter period so that players and team management can do a proper assessment of the situation there," ESPNcricinfo had quoted Chowdhury as saying.

"Pakistan will definitely try for the full return of international cricket to their country. We have to take into account the views of our players and members of our team management, who are foreigners," he added.

Earlier, PCB chairman Ehsan Mani had said Pakistan will play all of its matches on home soil.

"All of Pakistan's matches, against Bangladesh or anyone else, will take place in Pakistan," Mani had said.

If Bangladesh government approves Pakistan tour then they will become the second nation after Sri Lanka to tour in the country after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team.

In 2009, the Sri Lankan team was on their way to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for a Test match with Pakistan, when terrorists fired indiscriminately on their bus. That attack left eight people dead and injured seven Sri Lankan players and staff.