Pak likely to tour BD mid-2025: BCB
The tour will not be part of the Future Tour Programme. Photo: AFP
The Chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Faruque Ahmed, has provided a major update regarding Pakistan's upcoming tour of Bangladesh.
According to Ahmed, Pakistan is likely to visit Bangladesh for a white-ball series in mid-2025.
Bangladesh is already scheduled to tour Pakistan in May for three ODIs and three T20Is as part of the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP).
However, following recent discussions between BCB Chief Faruque and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on the sidelines of the Champions Trophy, an additional reciprocal white-ball tour has been agreed upon for July and August 2025.
"The PCB informed us that they would tour Bangladesh outside of the FTP," Ahmed said on Saturday. "A short tour in July has been mostly confirmed, and we will provide final details once everything is finalized."
Ahmed also proposed Bangladesh joining a future Pakistan-hosted tri-series if the schedule allows.
Following Bangladesh's early exit from the Champions Trophy, Ahmed emphasized that the BCB will now shift focus to preparations for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, set to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
"The board will outline its policy for the 2027 World Cup. I believe someone like Najmul Abedin Faheem, who has extensive experience, is well-suited to oversee the operations committee. We will discuss how to progress Bangladesh cricket," he said.
Bangladesh is also facing key decisions regarding its T20I leadership after Najmul Hossain Shanto stepped down as captain in January.
Ahmed indicated that the next captain will be chosen from players who have previously led the team, with speculation pointing towards Litton Das as a strong candidate.
"We aim to appoint a captain from among those who have previously captained the team. A decision will be made soon, and we will announce it in due course," he added.
Meanwhile, the BCB is planning a farewell event for veteran cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim, who recently announced his retirement from ODIs.
"We will plan on how to give Mushfiqur Rahim a proper farewell. He is probably one of the legends of our team," Faruque said. "He is one of the architects of Bangladesh cricket over the last 19 years."
"I can remember how he started in 2005, and then played a vital role in the 2007 World Cup. The path that he has shown is ideal for the younger generation," he concluded.
Zimbabwe Tests
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday, announced that it will host Zimbabwe for a two-match Test series, scheduled to run from April 20 to May 5.
The two-match series will be Zimbabwe's first red-ball tour to Bangladesh in five years as they last played a Test against Bangladesh in February 2020, which the hosts won comprehensively by an innings and 106 runs.
The first Test is scheduled to be played at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium from April 20 to 24, while the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong will host the subsequent fixture from April 28 to May 2.
Furthermore, the upcoming series also marks the first instance since March 2024 that Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium is not hosting a Test match.
According to a BCB official, the board preferred to host the home series against Zimbabwe outside of Dhaka as the venue is currently hosting the ongoing Dhaka Premier League – Bangladesh's traditional list A tournament.
"We are regularly having DPL matches in SBNS and so we decided to play the Test series in Chattogram and Sylhet because there you will get wickets that have got enough rest while it wouldn't have been the case in Dhaka," the BCB official said.
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