LAHORE: Pakistan Under-19 cricket team tour to Bangladesh has been called-off due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh which has caused the extension of a nationwide lockdown there.

The Pakistan U-19 team was originally scheduled to fly out to Dhaka from Lahore on 11th April for the one four-day and five 50-over matches.

After the Bangladesh government announced a nationwide lockdown at the beginning of the month, the departure of the team was rescheduled for Saturday 17 April.

However, since the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh has not improved, the lockdown has been further extended by the Bangladesh Government, causing an indefinite postponement of Pakistan U19’s tour.

Both cricket boards will now look for a new window for the tour when the situation improves in Bangladesh, details of which will be shared in due course.

Pakistan U19’s ongoing training camp taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore has now concluded, a PCB spokesman, said.

This tour was expected to provide a wonderful grooming opportunity for the players against one of the most formidable U-19 sides at present which won the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup last year.

Pakistan has a talented bunch of players and a number of them have proven their worth already at the domestic circuit in the recently concluded season. The squad for this series also includes players like Abdul Wahid, Qasim Akram, Fahad Munir, Mohammad Irfan Niazi, Mohammad Shehzad and Tahir Hussain who represented Pakistan U19 in the World Cup.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021