Bangladesh tour of New Zealand postponed by a week

The upcoming Bangladesh tour of New Zealand has been postponed by a week owing to the impending coronavirus challenges and in order to allow the visiting team adequate time to settle in before the start of the 3 match ODI and T20I series which was stated by the New Zealand Cricket Board. Under the revised schedule Bangladesh will now go head to head against New Zealand in 3 ODI’s and as many T20I’s between March 20 and April 1. 

New Zealand Cricket stood by their decision and said that the changes in the schedule were made due to the current COVID-19 situation as they felt the need to allow the visiting sides more time to get acclimatized to international commitments.

"To accommodate the necessary logistics, the Bangladesh tour will now begin seven days later than initially scheduled, following a five-day training camp at Queenstown, with matches to be played at the venues first planned, but on different dates," the NZC was quoted as saying in a statement.

This will be the very first time that Bangladesh will be travelling to New Zealand since their dreaded tour in 2019 was cut short due to a shooting attack on a mosque which the players survived by a whisker before the scheduled start of the 3rd Test at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. 

Coming back to the upcoming tour, Bangladesh will play the opening ODI at the University Oval in Dunedin following their completion of a 5-day training camp in Queenstown. Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket also made changes in the upcoming schedule of Australia’s women’s tour of New Zealand. 

"Additionally, with Bangladesh remaining in New Zealand longer than originally scheduled, NZC has taken the opportunity to play the three WHITE FERNS v Australia women's T20s as double-headers alongside the BLACKCAPS v Bangladesh T20s -- at Seddon Park, McLean Park, and Eden Park, respectively,’ the statement added. 

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