BCB to seek player consent before deciding upon Pakistan tour

It seems like Pakistan is struggling harder it did to bring back Test cricket to the nation after a decade to secure a home Test series against Bangladesh. It’s been more than three months since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) started negotiations over the tour but a solid decision is still to come.

Amidst all the chaos, the BCB has initiated its official procedure for the tour as it started seeking consent from players to tour the country. According to an ESPNCricinfo report, a Test specialist has also given his consent, indicating that BCB’s demand to split the tour over formats wasn't passed by the BCB.

The BCB demanded to split the tour citing that players don’t want to be bound to such strict security for a long span and hence asked to split the tour with the Test series taking place in a neutral venue or after a while like Sri Lanka. But the PCB seemed to stick that the tour, which will consist T20Is and Tests should be completed in a single go.

Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB's chief executive, said last week that the BCB wanted the squad to travel for the T20Is first and get a clear idea of the security arrangements. "We want our players, coaching staff and security team to see what it's like, after which we want to decide if we want to play Tests in Pakistan or at a neutral venue," he had said, while BCB chief Nazmul Hassan had said earlier that a few senior players had voiced their concerns over touring Pakistan even for the T20Is.

The board is yet to make a decision as it is expected after its board meeting on Sunday (January 12). Hasan had earlier shared that he will be meeting senior players to have a final round of discussions over the matter on January 5. If the governing body comes up with an affirmative answer, the players will be leaving on January 18.