Cricket South Africa delegation in Dhaka ahead of Test series

A three-member delegation of Cricket South Africa (CSA) arrived in Dhaka yesterday for a routine inspection ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, tentatively scheduled to take place in mid-October. 

Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) Cricket Operations in-charge Shahriar Nafees confirmed the development to The Daily Star, adding that the delegation will visit both the venues in Chattogram and Mirpur and have discussions with the law enforcement agencies of the country.

"It's a routine visit," Nafees told The Daily Star yesterday.

"This is nothing significant as all foreign teams maintain the same process. 

"The delegation members will visit the Chattogram venue [Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium] and talk with law enforcement agencies tomorrow before repeating the same process in Dhaka the following day."

The delegation team is scheduled to leave for South Africa on Tuesday.

According to the draft itinerary, the tourists will arrive in Bangladesh on October 16.

South Africa will play the opening Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on October 21 followed by the series-concluding match in Chattogram on October 29. The Proteas will depart on November 3.

Both the Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.

Earlier, it was reported in several media outlets that CSA was expected to sit with the South African Cricketers Association (SACA) before making a final decision regarding their forthcoming tour.

Recently, the ICC Women's T20 World Cup was shifted from Bangladesh to the UAE due to the travel advisories issued by several participating countries owing to political unrest in the country. New Zealand A team's tour to Bangladesh was also deferred within the same timeframe.