Bangladesh's Tour to Sri Lanka Postponed Due to Coronavirus: ICC

The Bangladesh cricket team's tour of Sri Lanka next month was on Wednesday postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has wreaked havoc on international sports schedules worldwide.

"Bangladesh's tour to Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place next month, has been postponed," the ICC posted on its twitter handle.

Bangladesh were scheduled to tour Sri Lanka next month for a three-Test series.

The COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday led to New Zealand's Test tour of Bangladesh being postponed due to the health threat posed by pandemic after three cricketers from the South Asian country recently tested positive for the virus.

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New Zealand were slated to play a two-Test series in Bangladesh in August-September as part of the ICC World Test Championship.

Last week, Bangladesh's former ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazmul Islam and Nafees Iqbal also tested positive for the deadly contagion.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board had earlier postponed its Test tour of Pakistan in April apart from the Ireland and UK tour in May.

Australia's tour of Bangladesh, originally scheduled for June, has also been deferred, owing to the pandemic.

International cricket is set for resumption next month when England take on the West Indies in a home Test series.

Earlier, New Zealand's tour of Bangladesh scheduled for August-September this year was postponed to a later date due to the COVID-19 situation.

New Zealand and Bangladesh were scheduled to play two Tests, both part of the ICC World Test Championship.

"In the present COVID-19 pandemic scenario, hosting a full cricket series in August 2020 will be a challenge in terms of preparations and we cannot take chances with the safety and health of players, support staff and related stakeholders,’ Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury said in a BCB statement.