Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe confirmed

Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe will take place in late July after Zimbabwe Cricket finally confirmed dates with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The five-ODI series will start with a match at Bulawayo on July 29 and conclude eight days later at Harare.

Confirmation of the series had been delayed after the Zimbabwe board had asked for the matches to take place in September, but the BCB was adamant that the original timeline as specified by the ICC in its Future Tours Program should be adhered to.

Local reports indicate that the BCB is unhappy with the packed itinerary which sees five matches take place in eight days. It is thought that the BCB will continue to press for more rest time to be included between games.

What is also unclear is the situation regarding the Zimbabwe players who are contracted to play club cricket in England. At least eight of the side which toured the Caribbean are believed to be in that position, and given that they arrived a month into the English season anyway, the clubs may be loathed to release them.

That could account for Zimbabwe's eagerness to play the series in September, as by then all those players will have finished in England.

Draft itinerary
July 29 1st ODI Bulawayo
July 30 2nd ODI Bulawayo
August 2 3rd ODI Harare
August 4 4th ODI Harare
August 5 5th ODI Harare