The increasing threat of coronavirus epidemic across the globe has once again forced a sporting event to be postponed. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to postpone the World XI v Asia XI matches that would have marked the birthday celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, often referred to as the father of the nation.
The games were scheduled to take place on March 18, 21 and 22, 2020 in Mirpur. Both the games will have international status. The series included a variety of star-studded cricketers including Virat Kohli, Lasith Malinga and Chris Gayle, but the BCB president Nazmul Hasan announced on Wednesday that they had been "deferred" until further notice".
Moreover, BCB has also postponed the concert of AR Rahman at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, which was also set to be a part of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary celebrations.
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"We could have held the concert in a small scale but decided against it," Hassan said. "It will not take place on March 18, and the March 21 and 22 matches are also causing concern. There's no guarantee that those who are supposed to play will be able to arrive, or can leave after the matches. There are a lot of restrictions, so we have deferred both programmes. We will organise after a month taking stock of the situation. It is postponed for the time being," he added.
Meanwhile, Nazmul Hasan confirmed the Dhaka Premier League will go on as per the original schedule as it doesn't attract massive turnouts. The ongoing Bangladesh-Zimbabwe T20I series is going on amid ticket restrictions due to scare of coronavirus.
