Aussies arrive tonight
Eid Holiday of 1400 policemen cancelled
for providing security to visiting team
Sports Reporter
Ending all speculations, the Australia team finally touches down in Bangladesh tonight to play a two-match Test series, a bilateral series that has been due for the last six years. It will be Australias only second Test tour in Bangladesh after 2006. They were supposed to play a Test series in 2011 which they later refused and made it up with three-match ODI series.
They were indeed reluctant to play a Test series against Bangladesh either home or away. Analyst guessed they didnt think any Test series against Bangladesh wouldnt be profitable for them.
The Australia team again called off Bangladesh tour in 2015, citing the security issue and even their Under-19 pulled out from the Youth World Cup 2016 which the country hosted.
However they were at least convinced after Bangladesh hosted England successfully at the end of the 2016. Their security team gave the green signal about the tour after they visited Bangladesh during the time when England was touring.
As the platform was ready, the fate of the series was left uncertain again because of the long and bitter pay dispute between Cricket Australia and it players. At that phase, there was slim chance about the series to be held.
The pay dispute was finally over in the first week of this month after days of intense negotiations in which the players appeared to emerge as winner.
The Australian players who were out of action after the ICC Champions Trophy later shifted the focus towards the series with a week long practice camp which ended with an intra-squad practice game at Darwin. In an intense three-day practice match, opener David Warner was felled by Josh Hazlewood bouncer which indicated how tough practice match that was.
As they ponder a rage turner in Bangladesh, Australia focused on playing spin bowling during the practice match. Their pacers however honed the skill of short ball with which they will try to bounce out Bangladesh. After practicing two days in Dhaka, the Australia team will play a practice against BCB XI on August 22-23, preferably at Fatullah, subject to the fitness of the venue. The inspection team of Australia which had come in Bangladesh two days ago led by Sean Carroll will also visit BKSP that will be used as alternative to Fatullah.
The first Test will be held at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on August 27-31 after which they will travel to Chittagong. They will practice at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on September 2, a day when Bangladesh is scheduled to observe Eid-ul-Adha. Eid holiday of a total of 1400 police is cancelled as they will give the security to the team during the time the Australia will stay in Chittagong which hosts the second Test on September 4-8.
The security will be in the fore however in Dhaka also. Australia will be given a state security during their three-week stay in Bangladesh.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (C), David Warner (VC), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.
