New Zealand's tour of Bangladesh postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19
Dhaka: New Zealand’s test tour of Bangladesh has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Tuesday.
Kane Williamson's side were scheduled to play two matches of the ICC World Test Championship in August-September in Bangladesh.
The BCB and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will now work on identifying a suitable time to reschedule the series, the Bangladesh board said in a statement.
"In the present COVID-19 pandemic scenario, hosting a full cricket series in August 2020 will be a challenge in terms of preparations and we cannot take chances with the safety and health of players, support staff and related stakeholders," Cricbuzz quoted BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury as saying.
"Under these circumstances, the BCB and NZC have felt that the best way forward would be to defer the series. We realise that this will be hugely disappointing for the players and officials of both teams, not to mention the fans of the two nations but I must thank NZC for its understanding and for recognising the rationale behind such a decision,'' he added.
Bangladesh has reported more than 1,15,000 infections and 1,500 deaths due to the novel coronavirus pandemic so far.
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