BCB confirms four series with India, maiden Test tour in 2016

The BCB president, Nazmul Hassan, has said that he has signed members' participation agreements (MPA) for four tours with the BCCI, which includes Bangladesh's maiden Test tour to India in 2016. The other significant agreement, although in principle, has been with Cricket Australia while the ECB did not confirm additional tours.

According to the FTP of 2012-2020, India were supposed to tour Bangladesh in June 2014 (only ODIs) and June 2015 (Tests and ODIs). In addition to these tours, Bangladesh will tour India in 2016 as the latter have slots free after the World Twenty20 and before Champions League. India has also agreed to tour Bangladesh in 2020 to play Tests and ODIs.

"We have signed with India that they will visit us in 2014," Hassan said. "The next year, 2015, India will come to Bangladesh to play Tests. In August and September of 2016, Bangladesh will tour India to play Tests. In June 2020, India will come to play Tests and ODIs.

"Our main objective was to play more Test matches, and tour the big nations. We have confirmed these so far, because every country has a very tight schedule."

The BCB has also secured MPAs with CA for a tour by Australia to Bangladesh in October 2015 to play Tests, as well as the July 2018 tour to play Tests and ODIs in Australia. The additional tour is scheduled for 2021, when Australia will tour Bangladesh.

"We have not signed on it but have principally agreed," Hassan said. "We have to fix the date with them soon. As for England, we haven't signed anything but they have agreed to honour our FTP till 2020. They have agreed to come twice to Bangladesh."

According to the old FTP, England are scheduled to tour Bangladesh in October 2016, so the BCB is expecting the ECB to sign an MPA for the previously scheduled tour and an additional one.

Hassan said that since Bangladesh are likely to participate in the play-off with the next Intercontinental Cup winner, their target is to play more Tests with higher-ranked sides, to give them more chances to move up the ICC Test rankings. He said the target is to play 50 Tests in the next six to seven years.

"According to the last FTP, we have 33 Tests left to play till 2020," Hassan said. "Now the timings might change with other teams at first, because of the MPA and all the hassle that will come with it. We have targeted around 50 Tests.

"We will play more cricket now against big teams, and if we win or draw against them, then our ranking will rise. The proposal went as we wanted it. So you can say we are successful."