Cricket Australia (CA) is likely to declare the two-Test series in Bangladesh has been abandoned in the wake of the threats, today.
The Australian cricket board’s security staff briefed the peak body's board and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Wednesday, after coming back from meetings in Bangladesh.
In a last-ditch effort to convince CA to reconsider their decision, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan promised an unprecedented level of security for Australia.
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We have left no stone unturned in providing assurance regarding security for the Australian team.
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- Hassan said in a statement.
"The Bangladesh Government has committed additional security on top of the substantial and elaborate arrangements in the BCB's standard security plan for international cricket.
"For the team [Australia] the level has been confirmed as VVIP which is equivalent to security accorded to head of states and is unprecedented for any international side.
"We are still hopeful that a fresh date for arrival of it's team will be declared by CA and we will see some exciting cricket on the ground soon.
"It is worth mentioning that during the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, when the risk which was assessed by Australia was of a higher level to what is at present.
"Safety and security was successfully provided to 24 men's and women's teams including the Australian men's and women's squads as well as to officials and guests who arrived for the event."
Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Alistair Nicholson said players’ safety was and always be the top priority.
“The players were looking forward to touring.”
- he said.
"There's obviously a new team and that's a tough environment to play in Chittagong and or Dhaka, so it's actually something that's important to the players but in this case we'll have to wait on the best advice and how it transpires."
Football Federation Australia is also keeping a close eye on the outcome of the cricket crisis, with the Socceroos scheduled to play Bangladesh in a World Cup qualifier in Dhaka on November 17 this year.
Australia's Test squad have returned to state ranks for training and are now expected to feature in the domestic one-day tournament starting Monday in Sydney.
Source - Daily Star