South Africa women postpone Bangladesh tour again

Dhaka, Nov 3: South Africa's women's cricket team has postponed its tour to Bangladesh again, an official said, as tension rose in the country following a spate of targeted killings linked to Islamist militants.

Bangladesh Cricket Board made the announcement yesterday (November 2), just a day before the visitors were scheduled to arrive in Dhaka to play three One-Day Internationals and four Twenty20 Internationals.

"South African cricket authorities told us that their women's team cannot come on Tuesday," BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told AFP.

"They cited logistic problems. We hope the problems will be solved soon and they'll announce a fresh date of arrival," he said.

There were no comments from South Africa cricket chiefs or the government, but the postponement came just two days after the murder of a secular publisher who worked with a slain atheist blogger and writer.

Two secular bloggers and another publisher of books by the atheist writer were also brutally attacked on the same day, triggering fresh security fears in the officially secular but mainly Muslim South Asian nation.

South African women's team was originally scheduled to visit in October but the tour was postponed in the wake of the murders of an Italian aid worker and a Japanese farmer. Islamic State group said it was behind the earlier attacks - a claim bluntly rejected by the Bangladesh government.

In late September the Australian cricket team called off their two-match Test series in Bangladesh after official warned militants might attack Western interests.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe cricket team arrived yesterday to play three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals in a tour originally scheduled for January, 2016. Bangladesh brought the series forward after Australia cancelled their tour.

Bangladesh is desperate to avoid the fate of Pakistan which has had to host nearly all of its home matches at neutral venues since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus during a 2009 Test match in Lahore.

AFP