The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has on Tuesday (September 29) confirmed that they would not be able to stage the remaining matches of their Bangladesh series during the ongoing 2020-21 season due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entire cricket calendar.
On Tuesday, the PCB has also informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that Pakistan will not be able to play the ICC World Championship Tests in the near future – the postponed two Tests in April 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan and Bangladesh had played one Test of their two-match Test series in Rawalpindi earlier this year and were scheduled to play the remaining one Test and a one-off ODI in Karachi in April, but the Coronavirus outbreak forced the PCB to postpone the matches.
However, Bangladesh was scheduled to return Pakistan to play the remaining matches of the tour after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020, but the COVID -19 pandemic is still not allowing the plan to go through during the ongoing 2020-21 season.
Informing its Bangladesh counterpart of the existing situation, the PCB told the BCB that the series would not be completed this season due to a tight international and domestic schedule and it could be staged during the 2021-22 season if they find any window in the schedule.
As per the Press Trust of India, the source said: “A slot will have to be taken out sometime next year because indications are that the ICC might have to extend its World Championship due to scheduled matches being hit by the COVID-19 in different countries.”
The source added, “The schedule is packed, and we will now have to find a slot next year, after the England tour, to host the Bangladesh team for one Test and an ODI.”
Noteworthy, it is being said that the ICC Test Championship could be extended by a year as several teams have been unable to complete their series due to the Coronavirus-forced shutdown.
(PTI inputs)
