Australia tour in serious doubt

With Australia’s Test cricketers instructed to re-join their state squads for training while deliberations on the tour continue, Lehmann said he expected a decision to be made within 24 hours.

Australia’s proposed Test tour of Bangladesh remains in limbo over security fears despite safety assurances from the country’s government.

At the time, the Australia delegation was in the country, an Italian aid worker in Dhaka was shot dead in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

Last week, the Australian cricket team delayed its planned departure to Bangladesh after being warned of a potential security risk from militants.

“The situation is now different after the death of the Italian national”, BCB president Nazmul Hassan Hassan told reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Australian soccer has also been drawn into the crisis ahead of the Socceroos’ scheduled World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 17.

Bangladesh has hosted Test cricket since 2000 without a major security incident and in the BCB statement the governing body said it was “dismayed at the apparent attempt by certain quarters in trying to project Bangladesh as an unsafe place”.

The USA is working with Bangladeshi authorities and other partners “to assess who is responsible for this cowardly attack” and bring them to justice, the US State Department said.

Cricket Australia (CA) instead sent two security experts and a manager to meet with top Bangladesh security and intelligence officials.

An online statement in the name of the hardline Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Tavella.

According to ESPN CricInfo, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is hopeful about the series and has already named their squad for the upcoming first test on October. 9 with Mushfiqur Rahim as their Captain.

Meanwhile, Great Britain and Canada’s foreign offices have upgraded their advice to their citizens in Bangladesh, with the United Kingdom saying: “UK officials have been advised to limit attendance at events where westerners may gather”.

The U.S. separately noted there was “reliable new information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh”.

Earlier in the day, team performance manager Pat Howard aired his concerns.

“This has obviously come very suddenly and we needed to make this response”.

Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Alistair Nicholson says the safety of the players is paramount. The visitors are also supposed to play a three-day warm-up match against BCB XI from October 3 as per the tour itinerary.