Pakistan U19’s tour to Bangladesh was called off on Saturday due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh, which has caused the extension of a nationwide lockdown in the country.
Bangladesh recorded 6854 cases of the virus on Friday, including 74 deaths. Following the spike in infections, the government had announced a strict week-long lockdown starting from April 14.
The Pakistan U19 team was originally scheduled to fly out to Dhaka from Lahore on April 11 for the one four-day and five 50-over matches.
Bangladesh’s first-class competition has already been postponed after two rounds, and the 2019-20 Dhaka Premier League, originally set to resume from May 6, is looking unlikely with an extended lockdown looming in the country.
After the Bangladesh government announced a nationwide lockdown at the beginning of the month, the departure of the team was rescheduled for Saturday, April 17.
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However, since the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh has not improved, the lockdown has been further extended by the Bangladesh Government, causing an indefinite postponement of Pakistan U19’s tour.
Both cricket boards will now look for a new window for the tour when the situation improves in Bangladesh, details of which will be shared in due course.
It is understood that both cricket boards will now look for a new window for the tour when the situation improves in Bangladesh.
Pakistan U19’s ongoing training camp taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore has now concluded.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s U-19 team has not played any cricket since their exit from the 2020 World Cup came through India’s hands. The men in blue beat their arch-rivals by ten wickets in the semi-final of the tournament. Half-centuries from captain Rohail Nazir and Haider Ali were not enough as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyansh Saxena delivered victory by ten wickets.
With the latest postponement, the current Under-19 World champions Bangladesh have now missed two series, against Afghanistan and Pakistan.
