Bangladesh tour of West Indies confirmed

Bangladesh will definitely tour West Indies in May next year, a highly placed source in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Thursday. The confirmation cleared the confusion created by some national daily reports that had quoted Ali Asghar, the board president, as saying that the BCB proposed to host the West Indies instead of touring there.

According to The Daily Star, the source said: "We did consider it as an option as India were supposed to tour Bangladesh in April 2004. So there was a thought that if we can bring the West Indies over,we could then hold the planned tri-series as most of the other Test playing nations will be busy during that time.

"But that's not going to happen because India will be touring Pakistan till April 26, and Pakistan is planning to hold the Asia Cup in early May. That puts India's scheduled visit to Bangladesh in jeopardy."

The Indian government recently agreed to allow its cricketers to tour Pakistan after a gap of 14 years. "With India's arrival uncertain, there's no question of not touring the West Indies," the source said.

Top BCB officials are planning to go to Kolkata next week to meet Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the BCCI, and discuss the future of the Indian tour. The source also criticised Asghar for providing the media with premature information. "We have not yet informed India that we might arrange a tri-nation tournament instead of playing a three-match one-day series. Only after India's consent would we have invited the West Indies."

Bangladesh's tour itinerary involves three one-day internationals followed by two Tests. The one-dayers will be at Kingstown, St Vincent, on May 15 and 16 and at St George's, Grenada, on May 19.

The first Test will be played at Georgetown, Guyana, from May 28 while St Lucia will host the second Test starting from June 4 at the newly built Beausejour Stadium.