Australia yet not ready for the Bangla Tigers

 

 Australia’s Test cricketers are set to return to domestic one-day ranks with their tour of Bangladesh expected to be called off on Thursday. Captain Steve Smith and his tour squad have returned to training with their state colleagues and are now expected to feature in the one-day competition starting on Monday.

Cricket Australia security staff were briefing the federal government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Wednesday, after returning from meeting with Bangladeshi officials in Dhaka.
                             
Australia’s cricket tour of Bangladesh could be scrapped within days amid heightened warnings from Britain and the United States about the likelihood of militant attacks              

           

CA head of security Sean Carroll, team manager Gavin Dovey and team security manager Frank Dimasi were then to brief players and the CA board, which is expected to announce the scrapping of the tour on Thursday.

DFAT, citing intelligence about possible militant attacks on Australian interests in Bangladesh, blocked Australia’s squad from departing. The tour was to have started Saturday with a tour game against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, followed by two Tests, starting 9 October and 17 October.

The threat of militant attacks prompted the United States and United Kingdom to follow Australia’s lead by upgrading travel warnings for Bangladesh.
Australian football has also been drawn into the crisis ahead of the Socceroos’ scheduled World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on 17 November.
Football Federation Australia said it was monitoring the cricket situation and had discussed security issues with DFAT and other federal government agencies, security experts and the Asian Football Confederation.
Wednesday’s briefings come after fresh warnings from hardline Islamist group Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the shooting death of an Italian citizen in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday.
Islamic State said it tracked and killed the 50-year-old Italian with silenced weapons in Dhaka, according to the SITE intelligence group’s website. It warned that “citizens of the crusader coalition” would not be safe in Muslim nations.
Australia’s concern has been mirrored in the UK and US, who have warned their citizens in Bangladesh to avoid attending any events where westerners may gather. The US said the threats to Australian interests were based on “reliable” information.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/30/australia-cricketers-return-to-state-sides-ahead-of-bangladesh-tour-decision