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Should Australia cancel Test cricket tour of Bangladesh?

29th September, 2015
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Rod Marsh and Boof (AP Photo / Nick Potts, PA)
Expert
29th September, 2015
79
1518 Reads

If Australia abandon their scheduled Test tour of Bangladesh it will be horribly unfortunate. If it happens, however, there can be no criticism of the Australians.

Media reports suggest there is a strong chance Australia may cancel the two-Test tour, which was meant to kick off this Saturday with a three-day match against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI.

Cricket Australia last Friday was warned by the Australian Government that it had changed its travel advice for the country due to intelligence that “militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh”.

The US and the UK have since upgraded their travel warnings to their citizens.

The Australian players were scheduled to fly to Bangladesh last weekend but are yet to leave the country. In the wake of the Australian Government warning, CA sent a delegation of senior staff to Bangladesh to analyse the security concerns and meet with the BCB.

The BCB has been upbeat about the situation, expressing confidence the series would go ahead and even naming its squad for the two Tests.
But Cricinfo yesterday reported that the tour looked “increasingly in danger of being cancelled”.

Read cricket forums and the comments section of media articles on the situation and you will find an overwhelming number of fans condemning Australia.

These fans mostly agree that Australia are using the security situation as a smokescreen for reasons varying from their lack of desire to play against the low-profile Bangladesh to a fear that they would lose the series.

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While such situations always bring out the trolls there is definitely a great deal of disenchantment among Bangladesh fans, in particular.

It is understandable that they would be disappointed not to watch their improving side tackle the Aussies. It is understandable that they would be upset that their country is being portrayed in the international media as unsafe for foreign visitors.

It is understandable that they may think the Australian Government is overstating the security risk.

But it is unfair to portray the Australian cricket team in a bad light over this incident, whether or not the tour is cancelled. CA would be crazy to ignore such a warning from its government. The Australian players would be just as foolish to challenge the caution expressed by CA.

Aside from the specific warning that “militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh”, there also is the fact the Islamic State reportedly have taken responsibility for the slaying of an Italian man in Dhaka on Monday.

The BCB have been reported as being shocked that CA have delayed the departure of their players, and have offered CA assurances the team would be protected against any threats.

With all due respect to the BCB, there is no way they can guarantee the safety of the Australian players. Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world, a place where security officials, police officers and soldiers easily can be bribed.

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If CA has even the slightest doubt about the safety of its players and officials it must cancel the tour, as unfortunate as that would be. Hopefully, their concerns will be addressed and the series will go ahead.

Both teams have plenty to gain from the two-Test series. For Bangladesh, it would be perhaps their best ever chance of beating one of the powerhouse teams of Test cricket. Their only wins in history have come against the lowly Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

Their brilliant recent results in ODIs and steady improvement in Tests suggest they would be a tough foe for the new-look Australians, who have just lost a raft of experienced players to retirement.

Australia have a shocking record on the kind of dry, dusty decks they would face in Bangladesh and so benefit from any chance to play Tests in such conditions.

The two Tests would also allow their host of fresh players to find their feet out of the media spotlight which will shine upon them when the Australian season commences.

But, above all, the players need to be safe.

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