Australia to tour Bangladesh this year

UNB file photo

Australia national cricket team will tour Bangladesh later this year. They will take on the hosts in a T20Is series during the brief tour right ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup which will take place in India, reports news agency UNB.

Australia were due to tour Bangladesh in June-July 2020 to play a Test series which was a part of the ongoing World Test Championship, but due to the COVID-19 situation, the series was postponed.

"Australia will tour Bangladesh later this year ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, the schedule is yet to be finalised," Nizamuddin Chowdhury, chief executive officer of Bangladesh Cricket Board, told UNB on Wednesday.

During the same period of time, England are scheduled to tour Bangladesh for a three-match ODI and three-match T20Is series. With the inclusion of England, the T20Is series might be arranged as a triangular series.

Bangladesh are currently playing a two-match Test series against West Indies with one match is already finished in Chattogram which Bangladesh lost by three wickets.

Due to COVID-19, Bangladesh missed at least four Tests which were the parts of the Test Championship, including a three-match series in Sri Lanka.

As per the latest development, Sri Lanka might tour Bangladesh in May this year and they might play a Test series as well, which is unlikely to be a part of the Test Championship. As per the current window for the championship title, matches will end in March-April this year.

Bangladesh played four matches of Test Championship and lost all of them. England are currently at the top of the table with 11 wins in 18 matches while New Zealand are behind them with seven wins in 11 matches in five series.