New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Thursday (February 4) announced the postponement of the upcoming home series against Bangladesh by a week due to the COVID-19 related challenges.
The Black Caps are scheduled to host Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series followed by as many as T20 Internationals between 20 March and 1 April 2021. Previously, the two teams were to play the limited-overs games from March 13 to 28 in New Zealand.
After confirming the Bangladesh tour will now begin seven days late, the NZC said the “ongoing challenges in the current COVID-19 environment and the need to allow visiting sides’ adequate preparation for international commitments” forced the board to make the latest changes.
The NZC said in a statement: “To accommodate the necessary logistics, the Bangladesh tour will now begin seven days later than initially scheduled, following a five-day training camp at Queenstown, with matches to be played at the venues first planned, but on different dates.”
Meanwhile, the New Zealand board also announced changes in the schedule of the White Ferns’ limited-overs series against the Australian women's team next month.
The NZC statement further reads: “Additionally, with Bangladesh remaining in New Zealand longer than originally scheduled, NZC has taken the opportunity to play the three WHITE FERNS v Australia women's T20s as double-headers alongside the BLACKCAPS v Bangladesh T20s - at Seddon Park, McLean Park, and Eden Park, respectively.”
Noteworthy, Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of New Zealand will be their first visit to the country since 2019 when the tour was cut short after the shooting attack on a mosque.
Coming to the series, Bangladesh will play a five-day training camp in Queenstown before the first ODI at Dunedin's University Oval on 20 March followed by the second and final ODI on 23 March at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, and 26 March at Basin Reserve, Wellington respectively.
The three-match T20I series will start on 28 March at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The second T20I will be played on 30 March at McLean Park in Napier and the final game on 1 April at Eden Park, Auckland.
(With PTI Inputs)
