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BCB optimistic of hosting the Kiwis despite hard lockdown announced by New Zealand govt.

Aryasekhar Chakraborty

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is optimistic about hosting New Zealand for a five-match T20I series despite the lockdown imposed by the New Zealand government. The measure was taken after the country reported 10 new cases on Tuesday, their first, in as many as six months. 

New Zealand is slated to play all their five T20Is at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium between 1-10 September. BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury clarified that he had a word with the CEO of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and the tour is well on track. 

"The series is very much on,'' BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury was quoted as saying by the Cricbuzz. "I just spoke with the CEO of NZC and there is no kind of uncertainty regarding the upcoming home series against them,” he added. 

Meanwhile NZC’s public affairs manager, Richard Brook confirmed that the level four COVID-19 alert in the country won’t hamper their travel plans in any way or the other. 

"We still have some matters to work through but we're confident we'll be able to arrange for the players to depart as scheduled," Boock was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz. 

"Regarding COVID-19, our players will be vaccinated and adhering to best-practice health protocols, including mask-wearing, social distancing and operating within bio-secure bubbles. Once in Bangladesh, they will be flying into, and out of Pakistan on charter flights," he further added. 

The advance team of the New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) is already in Dhaka to inspect the arrangements of bio-bubble. The personnel who inspect the condition before giving a green signal is currently undergoing three-day isolation in Dhaka. The New Zealand team is expected to arrive in Dhaka on August 24 once he sends the report back from Dhaka. 

Nizamuddin further stated that the traveling protocols of the New Zealand team will be a bit different from the Australian team which played a five match T20I series in Bangladesh not long ago. 

"They will be travelling in a commercial flight so their airport procedure won't be exactly like Australia's arrangements. But we will try to minimize public contact on their way to the hotel," the BCB chief said.

"They have requested us to give them the same bio-bubble environment that we ensured for Australia keeping everything in mind, we will do as much as practically possible to put together a complete bio-bubble environment to have a successful series,” he added. 

New Zealand however won’t be able to get a practice match ahead of the actual series. For that to materialise, one more bio-bubble had to be formed in another venue which was discouraged by NZC. 

"They were offered [a practice match] but since it means an additional bio-bubble in another venue, they have discouraged it. They also want minimum movement during the series," he pointed out.

"Our players have been instructed to keep their movements restricted and told to be within the family environment. They have been discouraged from attending public functions. They will enter the bio-bubble when it is ready,” Nizamuddin signed off. 

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