Players want to tour Bangladesh: Clarke

Michael Clarke says Australia's cricketers would want to tour Bangladesh as the security situation in the subcontinent country remains clouded following an Australian government warning.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) warned there was "reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh" on Friday.

Security fears: CA delays Bangladesh tour 

That prompted Cricket Australia to delay the team's departure for Bangladesh, which had been scheduled for Monday morning. CA chief executive James Sutherland is expected to provide further details later Sunday.

Former captain Clarke said he regretted security situations which impacted on cricket, lamenting his career coinciding with an absence of international cricket in Pakistan following a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

Asked if he thought Australia's players still wanted to tour, Clarke said: "I'm pretty sure they would."

"A lot of the time as a player you leave decisions like this up to the experts," Clarke said on today's Wide World of Sports broadcast.

"This is one of the occasions you want, DFAT, CA, the Australian Cricketers' Association (player union) to make the decision for you.

"If they're saying lets hold the guys' travel off for a few extra days, that shouldn't affect the tour at all.

"If they're still saying don't go in a week or two weeks' time then we're having a different conversation.

"For the game we need to see teams be able to travel the world and play in all different conditions. I never got to play in Pakistan.

"I hope over time cricket is played all around the world and we don't have these problems."

Bangladesh reacts: 'No alarm' here say BCB

Bangladesh's administrative functions had shut down late last week as Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest Muslim festival, was celebrated. The celebrations passed without incident or violence and saw the country decked out in decorations with millions turning out on the streets.

CA's Anti-Corruption and Security Manager Sean Carroll is en route to Dhaka to assess conditions.

However, CA's delay appears to have caught many in Bangladesh by surprise, including the country's cricket board.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police joint commissioner Monirul Islam denied there was any risk to the Australian team.

"We don’t think they are facing any risks," Islam told the Financial Express newspaper.

"However, Bangladesh is ready to provide them with any kind of security they feel needed.”

Islam added the DMP had received no information from the Australian embassy in the Bangladesh capital and it was "unclear" the exact nature of the security risk.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan said the decision to delay the tour was "very disappointing".

"There is no violence in the country," Hassan told Reuters. "We are hoping things will be sorted out quickly."

BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said the organisation had been caught on the hop by CA's announcement.

"We are very surprised that CA have given this media release," Yunus told ESPN.

"There is no violence in the country, no alerts in the county. We appreciate that they have some concerns though.

"CA head of security Sean Carroll is coming to Dhaka tomorrow afternoon and he is going to go through the security arrangements. I'm hopeful the tour will take place and there will be no long delay."