Bangladesh attack puts winter tour at risk
England’s tour to Bangladesh this year is in doubt after a terrorist attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Dhaka overnight left 20 dead in a cafe popular with westerners.
The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement saying it would call the tour off if security is not guaranteed or the British government warns them it is not safe to travel.
England announced the itinerary for the Bangladesh tour only last week and are due to arrive in Dhaka on Sept 30 to play three one-dayers and two Tests over five weeks. The ECB’s security specialist, Reg Dickason, is expected to travel to Bangladesh to review safety and security arrangements and he will decide whether the tour goes ahead.
An ECB spokesman said: “The safety and security of our players and management is always of paramount importance to ECB and this applies to all teams representing England on overseas tours. We will continue to monitor the situation and will undertake a thorough pre-tour inspection of security arrangements for the England team.
“We will also continue to work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and should our director of security, Reg Dickason, or the FCO, advise that the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps.” The ECB has to evaluate the security of not just the team but also supporters and media travelling on the tour.
The Foreign Office updated its security status for Bangladesh yesterday, warning British nationals not to gather in areas that could be targets for terrorists looking to attack westerners, and an England team and their supporters would make a high-profile target.
“We advise against visiting areas where foreign nationals are known to congregate such as public areas of international hotels, large supermarkets, restaurants and clubs,” said the FCO. No Britons have been confirmed among the casualties in the attack at a bakery in Dhaka’s diplomatic quarter. Isil claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last year Australia pulled out of a tour to Bangladesh after attacks on westerners, and their under-19s team did not play at a World Cup in the country a few months later. If England’s tour is cancelled they could play in the UAE, where Pakistan are based due to security issues. India is another possibility, with England heading there when the Bangladesh tour ends on Nov 1.