Bangladesh to host Zimbabwe Test series

Bangladesh has announced it will host Zimbabwe for a two-Test cricket series in November despite Australia’s postponement of a planned visit this month due to security concerns.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan said Zimbabwe had agreed to tour that month although no date had been finalised.

“Zimbabwe have principally agreed to tour Bangladesh in November,” Nazmul said. “We will finalise the date with Zimbabwe officials during next week's ICC meeting in Dubai.”

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Zimbabwe were originally scheduled to visit Bangladesh from next January 11-February 7 for two Tests, three one-day Internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.

But the BCB president said the series would now be spilt in two parts. Zimbabwe would play the Tests in November and return in January for the ODIs and T20s.

Nazmul said following a meeting of the BCB board of directors that Bangladesh would also bid for the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament, which could be held in February next year just ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in India.

The BCB is under pressure to bring back international cricket to the country. South Africa's women's cricket team also postponed a planned tour later this month, citing security concerns.

Australia called off the series after official warnings that militants may attack Western interests.

The postponement comes amid heightened tension in Bangladesh after an Italian and a Japanese were killed in separate attacks claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

In other incidents three Islamic attackers attempted Monday to slit a Christian pastor's throat in a mainly Muslim town in northern Bangladesh.