Cricket Australia has announced Australia’s upcoming tour of Bangladesh will be postponed due to purported security concerns.
The tour, which was to include a tour match against a Bangladeshi XI along with two Test matches, had been scheduled for October. There has been no indication as to when the series will be postponed to, or whether it will go ahead at all.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said that CA had no other alternative but to postpone the tour. After receiving advice from the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that Australians and Australian interests would potentially be terrorist targets, CA engaged an independent security firm to make an assessment before deciding that the players would not depart as scheduled.
“This has been a very difficult decision. Following the most recent information from Australian Government agencies and our own security advisors, we have decided that, regrettably, we have no alternative but to postpone the tour,” Mr Sutherland said.
“Over the last few days we have sought to obtain as much information as possible about the risks for Australians travelling to Bangladesh.
“We had hoped that the security concerns would fade, but unfortunately the advice we have received from government, our own security experts and independent security advisors has clearly indicated that there are now high risks to our people should they make the trip.”
The cancellation is a blow for Bangladesh and Bangladeshi cricket, and in addition to security concerns in Pakistan represents another Test-playing nation where foreign teams have refused to tour. There are no indications as to how the cancellation will affect other scheduled tours in future.
Sutherland said that while the tour was a priority for an Australian cricket team on the rebuild, the primary concern of CA was the security of the Australian players.
“[F]rom an Australian perspective, the safety of our players and officials is our highest priority. We will work with the BCB to reschedule the tour as soon as possible.”
As reported in The Roar recently, the tour had been under significant doubt for weeks as government security warnings increased. There had been suggestions that Australia “were 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.”
However, Sutherland reiterated that the players and officials – not to mention fans from both countries – had been looking forward to the tour, and that cancelling it was unfortunately the only option.
“Cricket Australia and the BCB both exist to stage international cricket. It is therefore so disappointing that external influences have affected a tour that many Bangladeshis and Australians were looking forward to,” Sutherland said.
Australia’s next Test series will now be against the visiting New Zealanders, with the first match starting on November 5 at the ‘Gabba.
Vic
Guest
I wonder if the government will stop the Socceroos from playing their upcoming match against Bangladesh?
Alex L
Roar Rookie
What is the ABT if not a terrorist group?
Alex L
Roar Rookie
It's a Muslim country where bloggers have been quite literally hacked to death with machetes by Islamists for commenting about religious fundamentalism. Targeted threats in that part of the world aren't a joking matter.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Very good move this one.
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
Mate, this isn't about general levels of terrorist activity in Bangladesh. It's about a specific threat right now which intelligence agencies from Australia, the UK and the US have all picked up on.
ebi
Guest
This is the terrorism index: 1 Iraq 10 2 Afghanistan 9.39 3 Pakistan 9.37 4 Nigeria 8.58 5 Syria 8.12 6 India 7.77 7 Somalia 7.41 8 Yemen 7.31 9 Philippines 7.29 10 Thailand 7.19 11 Russia 6.76 12 Kenya 6.58 13 Egypt 6.5 14 Lebanon 6.4 15 Libya 6.25 16 Colombia 6.24 17 Turkey 5.98 18 Democratic Republic of the Congo 5.9 19 Sudan 5.77 20 South Sudan 5.6 21 Algeria 5.52 22 Mali 5.29 23 Bangladesh 5.25 24 Nepal 5.23 25 China 5.21 26 Central African Republic 5.19 27 United Kingdom 5.17 28 Iran 4.9 29 Greece 4.73 30 United States 4.71 31 Indonesia 4.67 32 Israel 4.66 32 Mexico 4.66
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Bangladesh would be spewing.... A chance of home tour win gone due to a few radicals
ebi
Guest
Bangladesh does not have any active terrorists group and the government has taken many steps to crack down the terrorists. Due to their actions in resisting terrorists, they have been praised by UK, USA and other westerners. As per the terrorists index, Bangladesh's position is 23, while India's position is 6 - much worse than Bangladesh. Are we not going to play in India? We mentioned England and USA also as possible place of being attacked by terrorists . Are we not going to play there? I understand and agree that the safety of our cricketers are the most important issue than anything else. But what else could Bangladesh do for ensuring the safety? They offered the highest level of security that is provided to the state heads visiting Bangladesh. Are state heads not vising Bangladesh? Did they face any security fear? If we still think that level of safety is not enough then the question remains - is cricket going to surrender to the terrorists organisations?
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
This idea that the team are trying to get out of the tour because they don't want to risk losing makes no sense when you think about it. We've got a new 26-year-old captain leading team so inexperienced that Voges has pretty much been selected as a specialist vice captain, and, considering recent form and history, the upcoming NZ series is going to be pretty massive. Why would a team in that situation want less Tests to play together? What has the team got to fear from losing anyway? The media? They're professional sportsmen, copping hate from the media now and then is in their job description. At the end of the day, as disappointed as they'd be, they'd take a loss in Bangladesh as lessons learned, experience gained, and move on.
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
It's the specific, targeted nature of the threat against Australians which is the issue, Ebi, not a general possibility of terrorist activity. And you know, there's always a possibility that ASIO and the CA security team know a tad more about the situation than we do. Besides, if something did happen, think of the damage it would do to Bangladesh cricket.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
The correct decision, however not a happy one.
The Bush
Roar Guru
My understanding, happy for others to correct me, is that the Federal Government has the power to bloke national teams, for example the Olympics Team and others, from travelling to countries where there is a direct threat to Australian interests. So unlike individuals who pretty much have free reign to ignore travel advice, national teams don't have that luxury.
Charl
Guest
What restrictions did the Federal government put in place on travel to Bangladesh?
Craig Swanson
Guest
Let us be realistic here. Does Bangladesh have the resources to stop IS carrying out terrorists threats on their soil? This death cult are very resourceful and all the security the Bangladesh Government could provide westerners would not stop them. Our government saw this and pulled the plug on the tour. CA said the decision was "made with regret" but that the "safety of our cricketers "was paramount.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Ebi. I can see things from your point of view. All Bangladeshies wanted our baggy greens to play the Tigers at home. Would have been a great gauge to see where Bangladesh cricket is. Would also have taken on an Australia in lowish morale after the ashes. But the simple fact is. The Australian Foreign Affairs were acting on reported terrorists threats against Australian interests. IS went public saying they would " target all western coalition crusaders " in Muslim countries. Australia is a member of the Arab/western coalition. Once the Italian national was killed that was the final nail in the coffin for the tour.
The Bush
Roar Guru
You do realise that it is the Federal Government putting in place these restrictions?
Ebi
Guest
This is sad for the cricket. It not nice to change the program few days before the scheduled match. The excuse of "possible security threat" to our players is silly. The Australian government's involvement in attacking Syria in recent weeks has been said as the prime source of threat to our players in any Muslim country. Bangladesh is not such a Muslim country where terrorism is encouraged and it is also not a Muslim country - it is a secular country. So many expatriate work there and freely move and the people in Bangladesh have high regards for Australians. Although the recent death of an Italian citizen has been linked with the terrorist act, the Italian embassy in Bangladesh does not believe any such link. We rather see serious terrorist acts in countries like Thailand. Have the Australian stopped visiting there where there is a clear and known risks? Bangladesh has offered the highest level of security, which is given to the state heads visit. Despite, we have cancelled the match!!! this now raises so many questions including our new team's ability to face the challenges by the rising cricketers in Bangladesh !!
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
A shame, but the right decision. After all, if anything were to happen it wouldn't only be terrible for Australia, but for Bangladesh and for cricket. Better safe than sorry.