Australia Set To Tour Bangladesh For T20I Series This Year Ahead Of The T20 World Cup In India

The Australian cricket team will visit Bangladesh for a T20I series later this year, instead of the Test series which was postponed last year. This will be Australia’s first trip to Bangladesh since 2017.

Australia was scheduled to take on Bangladesh in a 2-match Test series to be played in Chattogram and Dhaka in June last year as part of the World Test Championship. However, due to the uncontrolled covid-19 situation and lockdowns the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) mutually agreed to postpone that series.

Now since the WTC final is fixed for 18th June this year, it is not possible for them to play out the Test series.

The Kangaroos and the Tigers will square off in an undecided yet number of T20Is – the series is designed considering the T20 World Cup to be held in India in October and November.

According to the Future Tours Program, Bangladesh are also scheduled to host England for white-ball matched ahead of the mega-event in India – it is reported that the two bilateral series could now well be turned into a triangular series between hosts Bangladesh, and visitors Australia, and England.

This would also mean that Australia will now go about 10 months without playing Test cricket between the series against India and the rescheduled home Test versus Afghanistan ahead of the Ashes.

Aaron Finch’s side after losing 2-1 to India will now take on New Zealand in a 5-match T20I series starting 22nd February in Christchurch. Bangladesh as well, post their home Test series against West Indies, will tour to challenge Kiwis 3 ODIs and as many T20Is.

Australia’s WTC final hopes rely on the result of the India-England series

Australia would be a happy team with England winning the first Test match of the ongoing Test series against India in Chennai. Since Cricket Australia decided to pull out of their tour to South Africa, they have lost the fate of a place in the World Test Championship final from their hands.

With Australia not competing with South Africa, New Zealand have qualified for the WTC final to be played at Lord’s in June.

Despite England being Australia’s arch-rivals, the victory for Joe Root’s side in the first Test match was a happy sign for Australia. With India expected to come back stronger in the series – as they did on their trip Down Under – Australia’s chances of making it to the WTC final are decent as Tim Paine’s side need the India-England series to be drawn or England to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, which is still unlikely.

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