BCB to decide test future after T20 series

Despite Pakistan Cricket Board's tough stance on playing home games in Pakistan from now on, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has so far shown interest in only a T20 series in the country.

Chief executive of BCB, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, said that Bangladesh would decide on the longer series after the T20I tour.

Speaking to a few reporters in Dhaka, Chowdhury said that while the BCB understood the sentiments of the PCB, it needed to take into account the views of the Bangladeshi players and the team management.

"Pakistan will definitely try for the full return of international cricket to their country. We have to take into account the views of our players and members of our team management, who are foreigners," Chowdhury said. "The match environment is also important to us. Relevant stakeholders' view is also important, regarding a longer tour to Pakistan. "Our primary proposal is to play three T20Is in a shorter period so that players and team management can do a proper assessment of the situation there."

On Monday, at the end of Pakistan's Test series against Sri Lanka, Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, had adopted a particularly defiant tone, saying there was "absolutely no doubt" Pakistan would play all home series within the country going forward.

"No one should be under any misapprehension as to where Pakistan's home Tests will take place," Mani said at a press interaction. "All of Pakistan's matches, against Bangladesh or anyone else, will take place in Pakistan. I still hope the BCB will reflect on the matter and accept there is no reason for them not to visit Pakistan. If Sri Lanka can come - and bringing them was very high-risk - then it is safe. If anything even minor had happened, people would have said it isn't safe to come. But they trusted the people here and came and they [the ones that opted out] said they wished they had come for the limited-overs series as well, because what they've been told and the ground realities are very different." 

Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali and head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq had on Monday slammed Bangladesh's reported unwillingness to play Test cricket in Pakistan, saying it is "a great injustice" and "there is no excuse not to come". 

 The Sri Lanka Test series in Rawalpindi and Karachi went off smoothly and the PCB said there was no justification behind Bangladesh's refusal. 

Pakistan had thrashed Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 263 runs in the Karachi Test to win the historic two-match series 1-0.

Bangladesh are slated to play two Tests and three T20Is against Pakistan in January.

The T20Is are scheduled for January 23, 25 and 27 and the PCB has a very small window to host the Bangladesh Tests, with the PSL scheduled to begin in the third week of February.