Bangladesh to tour Zimbabwe despite Covid restrictions

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Wednesday its national team will leave for Zimbabwe on June 29 for a full series despite heavy coronavirus restrictions in the African country.

The tour will feature a Test, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals. Players will be in a bio-secure bubble.

“We have been assured of highest Covid-19 protocol by the Zimbabwean cricket authorities,” said Ahmed Sazzadul Alam, a BCB director who will head the delegation.

Zimbabwe on Tuesday released the itinerary of the series after it received clearance from the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).

All the matches between July 7 and July 27 will be behind closed doors, Cricket Zimbabwe (ZC) said in a statement.

ZC said it was grateful to SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa for “fighting tooth and nail” to ensure cricket was exempted from a government directive to suspend all sporting activities as part of new Covid-19 restrictions.

“All the matches between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will be played behind closed doors at Harare Sports Club, with no spectators allowed in the ground as part of the pandemic protocols that ZC has put in place at its facilities,” ZC said.

The tour will begin with the Test match scheduled for July 7-11. It will be followed by an ODI series that is part of the ICC Super League—the main qualification path for World Cup 2023 in India. After the Super League clash, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will then face off in three T20I matches set for July 23, 25 and 27.