We want CA to honour FTP schedule: BCB CEO

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made it clear yesterday that they will not accept any proposal of changing the format for Australia's cricket team's scheduled tour to Bangladesh this year.

The BCB wants Cricket Australia (CA) to honour the FTP commitment for the two-match Test series as per the original 2015 plan, which Australia ducked citing security concerns.

It has been reported that Cricket Australia (CA) suggested changing the tour to an ODI-based visit ahead of the limited-overs tour of India scheduled for October before the home Ashes summer.

“During an ICC scheduled meeting I had a talk with James Sutherland and on the basis of that discussion I sent them tentative schedules—with the first Test before Eid-ul-Azha (September 2) and the second five days after the Eid vacation. We are yet to get any feedback from them,” said BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury yesterday.

“There is no scope to change the format rather we want them (CA) to honour the FTP commitment,” he added.

In the meantime, in between the schedule Bangladesh are set to play Pakistan at home in July and August after returning home from the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in England from June 1. The Tigers will tour South Africa in September, where they will play their first match on September 28.

On the other hand Chowdhury also cleared the BCB's stance regarding the tour of Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan told reporters in Colombo on Sunday that a Bangladesh High Performance team will go to Pakistan to play against the Pakistan High Performance squad, a tour tentatively slated for this July.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon however didn't clear anything up on Sunday while he was talking to reporters in Colombo but said: “The board president in the meeting has categorically said that we are not in a position to send the national team to Pakistan for security concern. And our president said that he will explore the possibility of sending any junior team to Pakistan.”

“And it is nothing to do with the Pakistan team's scheduled tour of Bangladesh in July this year,” he added.