India may delay Bangladesh's visit

Bangladesh's tour of India next October looks set to be postponed for the second time in six months, according to the Daily Star newspaper in Dhaka, because it will clash with the International Cricket Council's new fixture, the Super Series.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) received a letter on Sunday from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in which it was stated that the scheduled time was not feasible. Bangladesh had originally expected the tour to take place in April, after India's visit to the country in December last year.

"The Indian board informed us that it would not be possible to arrange the series in October due mainly to the Super Series and as well as their two big festivals in this month [Diwali and Dhashara] ," said BCB president Ali Asghar on Monday. "But it is an ideal time for us as we also have international commitments with the other countries."

Asghar added that the ICC had requested all the respective boards to avoid any kind of clash with the Super Series if their players are involved. The Bangladesh board, however, is worried that the tour could be postponed indefinitely, as India has busy international schedules from next November, which begin with a five-match one-day series against South Africa.

"It is a very important tour for us considering financial and other aspects but there is actually hardly any vacuum to reschedule the series," added Asghar. "I will discuss the matter with the Indian authorities when I attend a function in Kolkata on July 16."

Asghar also informed that he would visit England next August during the Bangladesh A tour to create opportunities for the Bangladeshi players to play county cricket. "We had a preliminary discussion with our English counterparts during the ICC meeting and hopefully it will be finalised this time. We believe that it would create real exposure for our cricketers."