Bangladesh likely to play Tests in Australia in 2027
The Bangladesh cricket team could tour Australia for a Test series after 24 years in 2027, said Bangladesh Cricket Board’s cricket operations committee chairman Jalal Yunus on Sunday.
Bangladesh has toured Australia only twice. The first tour happened in 2003 where they played two Tests and a three One-Day Internationals. The second tour took place in 2008. This time the Tigers only got to play a three-match ODI series.
In the recent ICC meeting, the draft of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-27 was brought up for discussion. According to it, Australia is supposed to tour Bangladesh in 2026 and the Tigers are to reciprocate the tour the following year. But Bangladesh doesn’t yet have a series lined up in England in the next FTP cycle.
On Sunday, after a meeting with the selectors about the forthcoming home series against Sri Lanka, Jalal Yunus said, “We are still in talks with England. We are unsure. But we are trying to play a series in England. We are hopeful of getting a positive response from them. Bangladesh is likely to go to Australia in 2027 to play two Tests. It’s not confirmed yet. Australia will tour here in 2026.”
Jalal Yunus said that BCB has secured 42 Tests in the next FTP cycle, “So far we have confirmed 40+ Tests, 70+ ODIs, 76+ Twenty20s… These matches are excluding the ICC events.”
Bangladesh is set to play a two-Test series against Sri Lanka next month. The Sri Lankan team is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on 8 May. The Bangladesh team will begin their training camp for the series that very day. The coaching staff of the Bangladesh team will arrive in Dhaka on 7 May.
Shakib Al Hasan didn’t play in the Test series against South Africa owing to personal reasons. There are doubts about Shakib’s participation in the Sri Lanka series. Jalal Yunus said, “I will get to know from Shakib in a day or two. We are in contact with him. His mother-in-law passed away very recently, he is also going through some personal issues. If his personal issues get resolved, we can have him available.”