Liam Plunkett still undecided on travelling to Bangladesh amidst security concerns

Plunkett still has reservations about the security situation in Bangladesh

While the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may have given the go ahead for England’s upcoming tour of Bangladesh, Yorkshire fast bowler Liam Plunkett claimed that he is yet to decide on whether to tour the Asian nation which has seen a number of terrorist attacks lately, the most notable being the attack on an upscale restaurant in Dhaka that saw 20 foreign nationals being killed. 

The tour, which comprises of three ODIs and two Tests, had been under a cloud of uncertainty since the July terror attack with many players expressing their concern over the state of affairs in the Asian country. The security clearance given by the 3-member ECB team that carried out a thorough assessment after visiting Bangladesh has done little to alleviate those fears with the likes of Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Kevin Pietersen making their views known on the issue. 

While Hales indicated that he would like to pull out if his place in the England side was not as risk, Pietersen said that he would have serious thoughts about going ahead with the tour with thoughts of a young family in mind. Plunkett, who is expected to be named for the ODI leg of the tour, is the latest to speak on the issue claiming that he is still undecided on whether to commit to the tour or not. 

"People are just digesting what went on in the meeting and I will have a bit more of a think once the series is done," Plunkett said. "Maybe I will speak to a few more people but I trust Reg (ECB's head of security Reg Dickason) and what he says and I will have another look after the series. I know the environment in Bangladesh and I know what it's like. I've travelled in the sub-continent quite a lot so I've got a few more questions to ask and I'll finalise my judgment and come up with a decision then."

Plunkett admitted thought that the terror threat is not just restricted to Bangladesh and as such will take an apt decision after discussing with his close family. 

"You pick up a paper and there's trouble everywhere in the world so I don't know but I'll speak to my family once the series is done, have a good think, look into it a bit more and come up with a decision," Plunkett said. 

England ODI skipper Eoin Morgan had said that no player would be under compulsion to ago ahead with the tour and that should offer some relief for Plunkett before he takes a final decision on the matter.