Bangladesh tour of Ireland postponed due to Coronavirus pandemic
Ireland's seven-match series against Bangladesh has been postponed, on Saturday, at it became the latest casualty to be inflicted on the cricket calendar by the coronavirus pandemic. No professional cricket will be played in England and Wales before May 28 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the pandemic, Cricket Ireland and the Bangladesh Cricket Board have decided to postpone the series, which was scheduled for May. Ireland's was about to play a seven-match series against Bangladesh but on Saturday it became another casualty to be inflicted on the cricket calendar by the coronavirus pandemic.
The three one-day internationals in Belfast and four Twenty20 matches in England, scheduled to take place in May, have been postponed in line with British and Irish government advice against the staging of sporting events with mass gatherings and travel restrictions.
"Once the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic was understood, and the advice of both Governments and partner boards was sought, it became increasingly unlikely that this series could proceed as scheduled. We have a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of players, coaches, fans and the wider community, and will not hesitate to take a safety-first approach to our operations over coming months," said Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom as quoted by Times of India.
The United Kingdom is entering a second weekend of sporting shutdown that is expected to last for at least a couple of months. No professional cricket will be played in England and Wales before May 28 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pubs, restaurants and gyms across the UK were closed on Friday, while schools will remain open only for the children of key workers to try and halt the spread of the virus.
Some of the other series that have been postponed or cancelled due to the outbreak include the India v South Africa ODIs, Australia v New Zealand ODIs, Sri Lanka v England Tests and the Australia women's tour of South Africa among others. Several domestic tournaments have been affected too.