Australian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2017

The Australia cricket team toured Bangladesh in August and September 2017 to play two Test matches.[1] It was Australia's first tour to Bangladesh since 2011.[2] Bangladesh won the first Test by 20 runs, their first ever victory against Australia in a Test match.[3] Following the win, Bangladesh's captain Mushfiqur Rahim said "It's a great feeling beating Australia, and I think it was a great effort by the boys".[4] Australia's Steve Smith said "I think they're a dangerous side, particularly here at home".[5] Australia won the second Test by 7 wickets, therefore drawing the series 1-1.[6]

Australian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2017
 
  Bangladesh Australia
Dates 22 August – 8 September 2017
Captains Mushfiqur Rahim Steve Smith
Test series
Result 2-match series drawn 1–1
Most runs Tamim Iqbal (270) David Warner (351)
Most wickets Shakib Al Hasan (12) Nathan Lyon (22)
Player of the series David Warner and Nathan Lyon (Aus)

Background

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The Australia cricket team were scheduled to tour Bangladesh from 28 September to 21 October 2015 to play a tour match and two Test matches.[7]

A day before the tour was scheduled to start, the Australian team did not leave their country as Cricket Australia (CA) received information about security concerns.[8] The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said that they were surprised by the delay.[9] Sean Carroll, security manager for CA, meet with the Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh government to discuss the concerns.[10] Despite the ongoing concerns regarding the tour, Bangladesh announced their squad on 28 September.[11] The BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that "we are expecting all the matches to be played on schedule".[12] On 30 September the Australian cricketers were sent back to their state squads in readiness for the Matador Cup.[13] The BCB said that "the Bangladesh government has committed to additional security on top of the substantial and elaborate arrangements in the BCB's standard Security Plan for international cricket".[14]

On 1 October, Cricket Australia confirmed that the tour had been postponed with a view to re-arrange the matches for a later date.[15][16] In April 2016, it indicated that it was hoping the tour would go ahead in 2017.[17] In June 2017, Cricket Australia confirmed the tour would take place in August 2017.[1]

Following England's tour to Bangladesh in October 2016, James Sutherland, CEO of Cricket Australia (CA), said the chances of Australia playing in Bangladesh were "quite high".[18] In April 2017, both CA and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) were negotiating the fixtures for the tour.[19] Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB's chief executive, said they "are now working on the schedule and other details with CA".[20] In May 2017, security assessments took place.[2] Later the same month, Cricket Australia sent a security team to Bangladesh to finalise arrangements for the tour.[21]

Representatives from both CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) undertook a pre-tour security visit on 24 July 2017.[22] However, there was an ongoing pay dispute between Australian cricketers, CA and the ACA, with the BCB being informed of the possibility of the tour not going ahead.[23] Earlier in July, the Australia A cricket team had pulled out of a tri-series tournament in South Africa because of the dispute.[24] Australia's Test squad said they would attend a training camp in Darwin ahead of the series, but would not fly to Bangladesh unless there was a resolution to the pay dispute.[25] On 1 August 2017, Australia's captain Steve Smith said that the pay negotiations were progressing, but they needed to be finalised before the tour starts.[26] The following day, a deal was reached in the pay dispute, allowing for the Test series to go ahead as planned.[27][28] The Australian team arrived in Bangladesh on 18 August 2017, under heavy security.[29]

Prior to the tour starting, the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, the venue for the first tour match between the Australians and a BCB XI was waterlogged.[30] The BCB looked at two alternative venues to play the fixture, in case the ground was not ready in time.[30] However, one day before the scheduled start of the match, it was called off, because of the waterlogging.[31]

Squads

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  Bangladesh[32]   Australia[33]

Before the series started, Mitchell Swepson was added to the squad and Jackson Bird replaced James Pattinson.[34][35] Mominul Haque was added to Bangladesh's squad for the first Test, after Mosaddek Hossain suffered an eye infection.[36] Steve O'Keefe was added to Australia's squad ahead of the second Test, as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who was injured.[37]

Tour match: BCB XI v Australia

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22–23 August 2017
Scorecard
BCB XI  
v
  • The match was called off due to waterlogging.[31]

Test series

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1st Test

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27–31 August 2017
Scorecard
v
260 (78.5 overs)
Shakib Al Hasan 84 (133)
Ashton Agar 3/46 (12.5 overs)
217 (74.5 overs)
Matt Renshaw 45 (94)
Shakib Al Hasan 5/68 (25.5 overs)
221 (79.3 overs)
Tamim Iqbal 78 (155)
Nathan Lyon 6/82 (34.3 overs)
244 (70.5 overs)
David Warner 112 (135)
Shakib Al Hasan 5/85 (28 overs)
Bangladesh won by 20 runs
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and Nigel Llong (Eng)
Player of the match: Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)

2nd Test

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4–8 September 2017
Scorecard
v
305 (113.2 overs)
Mushfiqur Rahim 68 (196)
Nathan Lyon 7/94 (46.2 overs)
377 (119.5 overs)
David Warner 123 (234)
Mustafizur Rahman 4/84 (30.5 overs)
157 (71.2 overs)
Mushfiqur Rahim 31 (103)
Nathan Lyon 6/60 (33 overs)
87/3 (28.3 overs)
Glenn Maxwell 25* (46)
Mustafizur Rahman 1/16 (5 overs)
Australia won by 7 wickets
Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
Umpires: Ian Gould (Eng) and Nigel Llong (Eng)
Player of the match: Nathan Lyon (Aus)
  • Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat.
  • No play was possible before lunch on day 3 due to rain.
  • Nathan Lyon's match figures of 13/154 were the best by an Australian bowler in Asia.[41]
  • Nathan Lyon also took the most wickets in a two-Test series by an Australian bowler (22).[42]

Notes

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  1. ^ Twelve teams have Test status, with Afghanistan and Ireland being awarded it in 2017. Neither team had yet played their first Test.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Australia name strong squad for Bangladesh tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Australia's tour of Bangladesh still hinges on security clearance". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Bangladesh claim historic first Test win over Aussies". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Shakib stars in Bangladesh's historic win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  5. ^ "'Bangladesh are dangerous at home' – Smith". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Lyon, Warner power series-saving Australia victory". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  7. ^ "BCB announces dates for Australia Tests". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Australia delay departure for Bangladesh amid security concerns". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Bangladesh surprised at Australian delay". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  10. ^ "CA security manager to visit Bangladesh". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh name unchanged squad for first Australia Test". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  12. ^ "BCB optimistic tour will go as planned". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  13. ^ "Australian players sent back to state squads". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  14. ^ "BCB makes last-ditch appeal to Cricket Australia". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Australia postpone tour of Bangladesh". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Australia postpone Bangladesh tour over 'security concerns'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  17. ^ Isam, Mohammad. "Australia keen to tour Bangladesh in 2017". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  18. ^ "CA boss flags Bangladesh tour in 2017". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  19. ^ "CA, BCB negotiating format, timing of potential Australia visit". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  20. ^ "Australia edges closer to Bangladesh tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  21. ^ "CA security team to visit Bangladesh next week". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  22. ^ "Hopes still high for Bangladesh tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  23. ^ "CA-ACA MoU compromise falls over". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  24. ^ "Players withdraw from Australia A tour". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  25. ^ "Bangladesh Tests in spotlight as MOU drags". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  26. ^ "Australia cricket captain Steve Smith says player won't tour Bangladesh unless Cricket Australia pay deal resolved". Channel 9. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Cricket Australia and players finally reach pay deal". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  28. ^ "CA and ACA agree terms to finally end player pay dispute". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  29. ^ "Aussies arrive amid tight security in Bangladesh". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Waterlogged Fatullah ground could lose Australia tour game". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  31. ^ a b "Australia's only warm-up game called off due to waterlogging". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  32. ^ "Mahmudullah, Mominul left out of Test squad; Nasir returns". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  33. ^ "Injured Starc out of Bangladesh Tests, O'Keefe dropped". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  34. ^ "Swepson called in for Bangladesh tour". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  35. ^ "Bird replaces Pattinson on Bangladesh tour". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  36. ^ "Mominul back in Bangladesh Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  37. ^ "O'Keefe recalled to replace Hazlewood". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  38. ^ Coverdale, Brydon (27 August 2017). "Teams set to renew Test vows after 11 years". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  39. ^ Brettig, Daniel (28 August 2017). "Lyon's persistence leaves only Warne ahead". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  40. ^ "Bangladesh gain control after Shakib's five-for". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  41. ^ "Lyon tames Tigers, Aussies split series". Cricket Australia. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  42. ^ "Lethal Lyon rewrites 130-year-old record". Cricket Australia. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
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