Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said on Sunday that they are sending an advance security team to Pakistan while they will be accompanied by personnel from national security agencies during their upcoming three-match T20I tour.
According to BCB officials, a group of security teams will travel to Pakistan a day before the team is scheduled to fly while National Security Intelligence (NSI), regarded as the top-most security agency, will be also in Pakistan during the tour.
The BCB and PCB on January 14 reached a consensus to ensure Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of Pakistan would go ahead as planned though doubts were raised after the tourists decided not to send their team for more than seven days at a stretch due to security reasons, for the three-match T20I series along with the two Tests.
Subsequently, under the new agreement, Bangladesh will play the series comprising two Tests, three T20Is and one ODI in three phases to make sure they are staying not more than a week. The tour kicks off with the first installment comprising the three T20Is, scheduled to be played between January 24 and 27.
The Asian nation will return to Pakistan to play the first Test, starting on February 7 and return once again to play the lone ODI on April 3.
“Yes, our advanced security team is going before we travel to Pakistan,” Nazmul told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday. “We will have security from NSI. They will go first while some of them will arrive later.
Nazmul said that he is totally convinced with the security plan provided by the PCB but added that they don’t want to leave any stone unturned as far as the players’ safety is concerned.
Bangladesh had a forgettable experience on their last New Zealand tour, which makes all the measures being undertaken by the BCB quite rational.
“I have seen the security plan of PCB. There is nothing more they could do. But there could be uncertainty at any time. But we will have to remember that this is not just a bilateral series, there are Test Championship matches ahead. This is sort of World Cup. After T20I and One-day, they have started Tests on home and away basis. So there is no option. As a full member of the ICC, we need to participate. There was pressure. I think after playing this T20I series, we will be able to realize what the situation is and if we have some problem, we will be able to discuss.”
