Official: Bangladesh won’t tour Pakistan on security grounds

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh is not going to tour Pakistan next month because of security concerns, the country’s top cricket official said Monday.

Earlier this month, Bangladesh had agreed in principle to play a one-day international and a Twenty20 match against Pakistan, and the possible venue was Lahore where gunmen had attacked the Sri Lankan team in 2009. No international match has been held in the troubled country since then.

Nazmul Hasan, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, told reporters Monday that he has already informed Pakistan about Bangladesh’s decision in a letter.

He said the International Cricket Council did not reply to Bangladesh’s repeated appeals for being engaged in the planned tour.

“The situation in Pakistan is alarming. There are worries in the country (Bangladesh) over the proposed tour,” Hasan said in Dhaka.

The latest decision came as a serious blow to Pakistan’s efforts to resume international cricket in the country.

In April last year, Bangladesh was scheduled to tour Pakistan for a brief series but it was scrapped after the country’s High Court asked the government to suspend the matches because of security concerns.

10:45ET 31-12-12