Bangladesh postpone New Zealand Tests

Bangladesh have postponed their Test series against New Zealand scheduled for October, opting instead to play three additional ODIs to concentrate on their preparation for the 2011 World Cup in the subcontinent.

"It's a decision of the board and this morning we have conveyed our decision to the New Zealand cricket authorities," Enayet Hossain Siraj, head of cricket operations at the Bangladesh Cricket Board, told AFP. "We want to focus more on the World Cup and will play as many one-day matches as possible in the next months."

New Zealand Cricket's chief executive, Justin Vaughan, said they were comfortable with the change. "We have tours to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India all in advance of the World Cup so we are really keen to take the most advantage of that to prepare ourselves do really well in the World Cup," he told Radio Sport. "Playing a full ODI series in Bangladesh works out pretty well."

Bangladesh and New Zealand will play five ODIs, all at Mirpur's Sher-E-Bangla Stadium, and the two-Test series will be rescheduled for a date after the World Cup.