Australia's test tour of Bangladesh uncertain again

The scheduled tour of Australia to Bangladesh in August-September for playing two tests is now hardly likely after a compromise deal brokered between the board and the players' representative body fell apart.

ESPNCricinfo has written that it is believed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been informed it should be prepared for the possibility of the tour's cancellation.

The tentative proposal, negotiated at the talks involving the Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive, James Sutherland, and his Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) counterpart, Alistair Nicholson, is said to have been broken down.

"It is believed that Australian cricket's intricate web of commercial partnerships and related advertising and promotional campaigns will start to come apart should no agreement be reached by August 15," ESPNCricinfo observed.

It is pointed out that given Australia's looming test tour of Bangladesh, selected players are due to convene in Darwin for a pre-tour camp on 10 August before the squad's scheduled departure later in the month.

ESPNCricinfo mentioned that there are mixed messages emerging about the likelihood of the Bangladesh tour going ahead.

However, it added, a customary pre-tour security visit involving representatives from both CA and the ACA will be going ahead as scheduled on 24 July.

Australia have already cancelled a planned visit of its A team to South Africa recently, due to the deadlock on pay issue.

Source: Prothom Alo