Bogra stadium set to host international cricket match next month

Dhaka, Jan 19 (BDNEWS) – The Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra is set to host international cricket matches during the Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh in February-March.

Sri Lanka is scheduled to arrive here February 17 to play three ODIs and two Tests series against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has already sent the itinerary of the tour of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh. Bogra, Chittagong and Dhaka have been selected as venues.

BCB general secretary Mahbub Anam told reporters without naming the venues, "We have already sent the itinerary of Sri Lanka tour that include two ODIs in Bogra, one ODI and one Test in Chittagong and one Test in Dhaka."

He added that the hosting matches in three cities depend on subject to the approval of International Cricket Council (ICC) after ICC match referee Roshan Mahanama submitting his observation about country's five new cricket venues.

Mahbub said that they had kept the alternative of hosting the matches in different venues if the ICC would not give the approval of the venues in three towns.

BCB general secretary, however, are confident that a number of venues might be approved by the ICC.

ICC match referee Roshan Mahanama inspected all five new venues -– Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, Khulna Divisional Stadium, Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Fatullah Cricket Stadium and Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium -- and would leave early Friday to submit the reports to ICC.

The former Sri Lankan batsman Mahanama said, "I inspected all five venues and can't give any comment to you due to code of conduct of ICC."

He said, "I will submit my observations and reports about the new venues to ICC within couple of days and the ICC will inform the BCB in a week about the fate of benues."

Of five new cricket venues, three venues in Bogra, Khulna and Chittagong has completed while two Dhaka venues -– Mirpur and Fatullah -– are still under construction and are expected to be finished the primarily requirements to host the international match before February 15.

Mahbub Anam urged the National Sports Council and Government to accelerate ongoing construction-work in Mirpur and Fatullah to finish the preliminary requirements in the stadiums.

In both the stadium in Dhaka, players' lounge, media center, press box, match referees' room etc are under-construction.

It's anticipate that the under construction stadiums might not get the ICC approval.

And, the last Test match between Bangladesh-Sri Lanka might be shifted to Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra as Dhaka's only ICC approved venue of Bangabandhu National Stadium is under the custody of Bangladesh Football Federation.

Meanwhile, the Chittagong MA Aziz Stadium is the second ICC approved venue in country.

BDNEWS/1908 hrs