England still not sure about Bangladesh tour due to security issues
England cricket team’s assistant coach Paul Farbrace said that the England is not going to make a decision about their Bangladesh tour which was planned to occur later this year until a security probe of the country is completed. Earlier reports stated that the English cricket team was about to travel to Bangladesh on 30th September for three ODIs and two Test matches.
After the recent infamous incidents that took place in Bangladesh, England team fell into a dilemma as to whether it would be wise to make the Bangladesh tour or not. During the last month, 29 people were brutally killed in a deadly terror attack in Dhaka, which not only shocked the England team but also the whole world.
Recently, a report in the British Press suggested that even if the team’s longstanding security advisor Reg Dickason gave them the green signal to make the trip, the English players may skip the trip without causing any harm to their long-term future in the International cricket.
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After the Bangladesh terror attack and their security issues, concerns were also raised about the importance of England’s tour, the first leg of an off-season program that features a subsequent Test series in India.
On Friday, just after the stumps on the second day of the fourth Test match between England and Pakistan which was held at the Oval, Farbrace said "We had a conversation with both the Test and the one-day squad at least 10 or 12 days before Reg went on the trip, and we all agreed we wouldn't spend any time talking about Bangladesh."
The Assistant Coach said that their decision is hanging until the security advisor Dickason and his team arrives and gives them a report. Farbrace said that till then they have nothing to make a decision on.
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Farbrace added "We've made a group decision as players and managers (that) we're not even going to talk about it until Reg is back -- so the idea that players will be allowed to opt out ... has certainly not come from within our team and is certainly not something we've talked about.”
In 2009, England’s coach Trevor Bayliss and Farbrace were holding similar posts in the Sri Lankan team when the team bus came under fire from the militants as they were traveling to play a Test match against Pakistan at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore. The incident led the injury of six players and death of six policemen and two civilians.
The Assistant Coach of the English team stated "Player and staff safety is obviously paramount ... (but) it's a huge decision not to go ... and Bangladesh will be looking forward to us going there.” Farbrace added, "I promise you nothing has been talked about in our dressing room ... and players are not aware of any chance of opting in or out of tours at this stage.”