England’s limited-overs tour of Bangladesh has been postponed to March 2023. The series of three ODIs and three T20Is was due to take place in September-October this year, but has been rearranged now by the two countries’ cricket boards.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board have mutually decided to reschedule the tour, which includes three One Day Internationals and three T20 internationals,”
the ECB stated in a media release on Tuesday afternoon.
England’s white-ball trip will now take place in the first two weeks of March 2023, with the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka and the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram being the two venues.
The reports of BCB being in talks with their English counterpart to reschedule the forthcoming visit had first come to light on Monday.
The postponement of the series will pave the way for England players’ participation in the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League 2021.
There were indications that England won’t be sending their players for the rest of IPL 2021, with tours to Bangladesh and Pakistan looming ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Ashley Giles, the England men’s director of cricket, had said in May that England won’t be making any tweaks to their schedule for the remaining portion of IPL 2021.
But with the original window for the Bangladesh tour now vacant, England look set to send their prominent white-ball regulars to play for their respective IPL franchises.
At the same time, however, the fate of the two-match T20I series against Pakistan hangs in the balance. It seems likely that England will be sending an alternate touring contingent to Pakistan and avoid the quarantine hurdle for their IPL-bound stars amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IPL 2021, which was suspended on May 4 after only 31 of its 60 matches due to a cluster of positive tests inside different teams’ bubbles, will now resume on September 19 and conclude on October 15. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will be hosting the games.
