Australia keen to tour Bangladesh in 2017

Australia are likely to tour Bangladesh in 2017 to play the two-Test series that had been postponed last year due to security concerns.

The teams were set to play in Dhaka in October 2015, but Cricket Australia received a government advisory about threats to Australian interest in Bangladesh two days before the players' departure. The BCB promised VVIP security in an effort to salvage the tour, but were unsuccessful. The Australian Under-19s had also withdrawn from the World Cup that was held in Bangladesh at the start of 2016.

On Tuesday, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, who had made the pull out public last year, said they were keen to resume ties. "We've had discussions offline with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. They know and understand that we're absolutely committed to playing that [postponed] tour, obviously subject to security matters that we need to go through in preparation for that tour. But we're very much looking forward to getting back to Bangladesh and playing cricket over there."

BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury also told ESPNcricinfo that, "after discussions with Cricket Australia, we are at the final stages of finalising the commitment for their tour to Bangladesh next year, and we will announce the tour dates once everything is confirmed."

It is understood that the two Tests could be held immediately after the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, which runs from June 1 to 18, although cricket in Bangladesh is not usually played in the months between May and October.