Pakistan call off tour of Bangladesh

(Reuters) - Pakistan has called off their scheduled cricket tour of Bangladesh this year, the country's board chairman Shaharyar Khan has said.

Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in 2007-08. Pakistan has since traveled to Bangladesh in 2011 and 2015 and were scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 International in July and August in the South Asian country.

Khan said Bangladesh had failed to reciprocate Pakistan's visits with the Bangladesh Cricket Board turning down an invitation to play two T20 internationals in Pakistan.

"We had spoken about the possibility of hosting them (Bangladesh in Pakistan) this year," the PCB chairman told ESPNcricinfo.

"Pakistan have now toured Bangladesh twice without them reciprocating, and we feel we cannot tour Bangladesh for the third straight time.

"Therefore, we have decided to postpone the tour, and will explore another window in the next year or so.”

At least 10 gunmen fired on a bus carrying Sri Lanka's cricket team in 2009 with rifles, grenades, and rockets, wounding six players and a British coach, and killing eight Pakistanis.

Since then, Pakistan has been forced to play most of its "home" games in the United Arab Emirates.

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)