B’desh accepts Zimbabwe request to host tri-series next month

DHAKA: Bangladesh will host a tri-series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe from September 13-24, announced Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday.

The tournament will begin after the home team’s lone Test match against Afghanistan, to be played between September 5 and 9 in Chittagong. Zimbabwe, who were recently suspended by the International Cricket Council, will be making their first appearance in international cricket since the sanction was imposed on July 18.

“As per the ICC FTP schedule, we had Afghanistan touring Bangladesh for a Test match and ODI or T20 match. We decided to make that a triangular series as per the request of the Zimbabwean cricket board in the last ICC scheduling meeting,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Ch said.

“There is no problem with the match status [involving Zimbabwe]. They cannot take part in ICC competition and ICC is following those things as there were some implications of ICC on their financial status,” he said.

“As per their ban on the cricket board there was confusion about their participation but the Zimbabwe cricket board requested to give them some time as they wanted to sort out the matter,” he said.

Host Bangladesh will play against Zimbabwe in the tri-series opener at Dhaka on September 13 while Afghanistan will begin against Zimbabwe on the following day. Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan at Dhaka on September 15 and later the team will move to Chittagong to play the next three matches on September 18, 20 and 21.

The final will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on September 24.There is a speculation that an ODI series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe might take place after the tri-nation as BCB is hoping to give a farewell to their ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza.