Bangladesh tour of New Zealand delayed by a week due to COVID-19 related challenges

Auckland, February 4: The start of Bangladesh's upcoming tour of New Zealand was on Thursday (February 4) postponed by a week due to the coronavirus-related "challenges" and to allow adequate preparation time, the host country's cricket board has said.

Under the revised schedule, Bangladesh will play three ODIs and an equal number of T20 Internationals between March 20 and April 1.

New Zealand Cricket said the change in tour schedules was due to "ongoing challenges in the current COVID-19 environment and the need to allow visiting sides adequate preparation for international commitments."

"To accommodate the necessary logistics, the Bangladesh tour will now begin seven days later than initially scheduled, following a five-day training camp at Queenstown, with matches to be played at the venues first planned, but on different dates," the NZC said in a statement.

This will be Bangladesh's first visit to New Zealand since their 2019 tour was cut short following the shooting attack on a mosque, which players narrowly avoided the day before the scheduled third Test at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.

The tour-opening ODI will be played at Dunedin's University Oval on March 20, after Bangladesh complete a five-day training camp in Queenstown, followed by 50-over matches on March 23 (Hagley Oval, Christchurch) and March 26 (Basin Reserve, Wellington).

The T20Is will be played on March 28 (Seddon Park, Hamilton), March 30 (McLean Park, Napier) and April 1 (Eden Park, Auckland).

The NZC also made changes in the schedule of the Australian women's team's limited overs tour of New Zealand.

"Additionally, with Bangladesh remaining in New Zealand longer than originally scheduled, NZC has taken the opportunity to play the three WHITE FERNS v Australia women's T20s as double-headers alongside the BLACKCAPS v Bangladesh T20s - at Seddon Park, McLean Park and Eden Park, respectively."