Agencies
New Zealand is set to tour Bangladesh for five-match T20 series as preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury has confirmed to the media that all the matches of the upcoming series will start at 4 pm.
The CEO told to media on Monday, “The plans we have so far since we have a time difference with New Zealand and considering the viewers of New Zealand. Considering everything we have discussed with the team management. Probably we are going to start the game around 4 pm,”
New Zealand are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on August 24. The Blackcaps will tour with an inexperienced side since they have opted to rest their star players who will participate in the IPL and T20 World Cup in October.
New Zealand last played a Test, ODI and T20I series in Bangladesh in 2013.
The first match of the series will be held on September 1. The remaining four matches will be played on September 3, 5, 8 and 10.
All the matches will be staged at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh are not direct qualifiers into the Super 12 of the World T20. They still have to come out of a group that includes Oman, Papua New Guinea and Scotland before they can look to slay the bigger teams.
Playing top teams before that qualifier tournament, though, can only help. There was enough in the Australia squad for them to be challenged, and there will be enough in the New Zealand squad that arrives later this month for five T20Is, albeit without the IPL-bound players. It's fair to call Bangladesh favourites for that contest too.
