KARACHI: Under normal circumstances, it would have been seen as an ordinary tour. After all, a series against Bangladesh even if it is an away one is hardly rated as a tough challenge for Pakistan’s cricket team.
But these are not ordinary circumstances. Pakistan are still reeling from a below-par showing in the World Cup last month and are now looking to rebuild their team following the ODI retirement of veterans Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi. They have appointed a new ODI captain — Azhar Ali — besides adding a number of new faces to their touring party.
And in any case, Bangladesh are hardly pushovers, something that they proved by reaching the quarter-finals at World Cup 2015 that was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. At home, they have become tough to beat in recent times especially in the sorter formats of the game.
That’s precisely the reason why Pakistan coach Waqar Younis is getting ready to really put his players’ form and fitness to the test during a short training camp that will begin in Lahore from Tuesday (tomorrow).
The national team’s players will be made to go through a series of demanding physical training sessions during the training camp that will continue till the squad’s departure from Dhaka on April 13.
Pakistan will play one-off Twenty20 International, three One-day Internationals and two Tests during their tour of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to pay the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) $325,000 as compensation for postponing the two tours to Pakistan in 2012. The PCB has accepted the terms.
The announcement ended the recent impasse between the two boards after the PCB, in January, had set conditions for their tour to Bangladesh.
After Sunday’s board meeting, the BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that the PCB had asked for $900,000 dollars but the BCB weren’t willing to pay more than $300,000. Ultimately they are paying
$25,000 more.
“We have decided to give 325,000 US dollars to the PCB,” BCB president Nazmul Hassan said. “They demanded 900,000 US dollars. We didn’t want to give more than 300,000 dollars. I think it will solve the situation. We have come under this agreement. We have let them know in a letter that this cannot be discussed in the future. It has been cleared.”
In January, the PCB had demanded 50% of the tour revenue in addition to tours by the Under-19 and A teams. The BCB had responded and said the conditions laid down by the PCB were “not realistic” but later said that they may pay tour costs.
The ODIs will be played on Apr 17, 19 and 22. All of them will be held at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The lone T20, on Apr 24, will be followed by a two-match Test series starting on Apr 28 in Khulna. The second Test will start on May 6 in Mirpur. —with inputs from agencies