Bangladesh-India Test will be hosted in Hyderabad, says HCA

Hyderabad Cricket Association Secretary K John Manoj has said it will host the Test between Bangladesh and India next month, brushing aside rumours that hinted otherwise.

India's 'The Hindu' reported on Sunday that HCA had expressed its inability to host the one-off Test citing lack of funds as the reason for withdrawing.

Manoj, however, dismissed the news as a rumour.

“Let me set the record straight that the HCA has never ever shown reluctance to host the Test. I don’t know who spread all these rumours,” Manoj told PTI on Monday.

He said the association is also ready to host a three-day warm-up match.

“In fact, Bangladesh want to come a week early for a practice match. We have enough funds for that also.

“Therefore, I believe it is some BCCI officials, who probably are disqualified, want to spread baseless rumours. So I put it again: Hyderabad is hosting the Test match,” he added.

The Tigers, who are in New Zealand at the moment, are scheduled to play their first Test in India beginning on Feb 8.

According to ICC’s Future Tours Programme, Bangladesh were supposed to go to India in August last year. But with Virat Kohli and his men in West Indies at that time, it was not possible.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India later finalised the trip for February.