Bangladesh Test tour of Sri Lanka deferred 24 hours after New Zealand series postponed

The delay to this series is Bangladesh’s fifth in the lockdown period, with matches against Pakistan, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand all called off in recent weeks and months

Bangladesh’s three-Test tour of Sri Lanka has been deferred, just a day after their home series against New Zealand was postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The sides were due to meet in July and August as part of the World Test Championship, but the decision to put off the series for the moment comes after the Bangladesh Cricket Board informed Sri Lanka Cricket that the national team was not yet prepared for a return to international action.

Bangladesh have not yet resumed training, with the country’s Shere Bangla National Stadium situated in an area deemed a high-risk “red zone” for Covid-19.

More than 100,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the country, as well as 1,545 deaths from the virus. Veteran seamer Mashrafe Mortaza tested positive last week.

The delay to this series is Bangladesh’s fifth in the lockdown period, with matches against Pakistan, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand all called off in recent weeks and months.

For Sri Lanka, they were due to face England in a two-match series just as cricket began to shut down. England returned home after a second practice game was declared a draw. Since then, series against South Africa and India have also been postponed.

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