Bangladesh ready to tour Sri Lanka if seven-day quarantine is maintained: BCB

Dhaka, September 13: Bangladesh is set to go ahead with its scheduled three-match Test tour of Sri Lanka as per schedule provided the hosts stick to the seven-day mandatory quarantine regulations for the visiting team, the country's cricket board (BCB) said on Saturday (September 12).

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has informed them that the visitors will have to spend a week in quarantine instead of the earlier mandated 14-day period ahead of their upcoming series.

"We're communicating with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on a regular basis. We sought detailed plans from them but they informed us that they are talking with their health ministry about the quarantine period," BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters.

"In our last communication with them, SLC told us that we have to be in quarantine for the first seven days after arrival, after which the players can go ahead with the training schedule.

"We believe that if it remains seven days of quarantine, we can proceed according to our plans. (But) I think we should wait for feedback from SLC before making any further comment."

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was earlier shifted from July-August to September.

According to the current schedule, Bangladesh are likely to reach Sri Lanka on September 27 for the three-Test series beginning on October 24.

Nizamuddin said they expected to hear from SLC "within the next two-three days" and might need "to make some minor adjustments" to their plans due to the changing circumstances.

The Test series will see the resumption of cricket in both the countries since coronavirus outbreak had shutdown all activities in March.

Bangladesh has started their preparation and the players might have a week-long residential camp ahead of the tour beginning on September 21.