Bangladesh to play maiden Test series in India in 2016, confirm total four series
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan has confirmed that fans will be seeing a lot of Bangladeshi Test Cricket in the coming years as he has signed the members’ participation agreements (MPA) with BCCI agreeing for four tours against India.
“We have signed with India that they will visit us in 2014,” Hassan said. “The next year, 2015, India will come to Bangladesh to play Tests. In August and September of 2016, Bangladesh will tour India to play Tests. In June 2020, India will come to play Tests and ODIs.”
Apart from an ODI series against India in June 2014 and a Test and ODI series in June 2015 at home, Bangladesh will play their maiden series in India in 2016. They have also agreed on another Test and ODI series against India in 2020 at home.
“Our main objective was to play more Test matches, and tour the big nations. We have confirmed these so far, because every country has a very tight schedule.”
“We have not signed on it but have principally agreed,” Hassan confirms Australia’s tour of Bangladesh in October 2015 and 2021.
“We have to fix the date with them soon. As for England, we haven’t signed anything but they have agreed to honour our FTP till 2020. They have agreed to come twice to Bangladesh.”
Bangladesh are currently ranked 10th in the ICC Test Championship ranking and Hassan was confident that matches with higher-ranked teams will give Bangladesh more chances to climb up the test rankings.
“According to the last FTP, we have 33 Tests left to play till 2020. Now the timings might change with other teams at first, because of the MPA and all the hassle that will come with it. We have targeted around 50 Tests.”
“We will play more cricket now against big teams, and if we win or draw against them, then our ranking will rise. The proposal went as we wanted it. So you can say we are successful,” Hassan concluded.