Decision on Bangladesh-Pakistan Test series looming as last-ditch offer is made

BCB president Nazmul Hassan says this week will determine how the tour will be structured after the PCB submitted a new proposal

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Bangladesh will make a decision over the structure of their scheduled tour of Pakistan will take before the end of the week.

Both countries have been at loggerheads over the fixture list, which was originally meant to include three T20s and two Tests.

Security clearance was delayed before the BCB confirmed that several big-name players were refusing to tour amid safety fears.

Test cricket returned to Pakistan for the first time in 10 years in December and the PCB are keen that all future matches are hosted on home soil.

Despite the tour being just weeks away, the fixture list remains largely unknown and the formats which will be contested are also up in the air.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan said: "We asked them to play Twenty20s but today they proposed us to play Test matches. 

"They said they will play the Twenty20 bilateral series before the Twenty20 World Cup in Pakistan.

"We informed them that we wanted to play three T20Is first and return home. We told them that we might tour Pakistan later on to play the Tests if we manage to reschedule the tour, but they are more interested in hosting Tests as it is a part of the ICC Test Championship. 

"They said they have no problem hosting three Twenty20s later on. We are yet to take a final decision on that. I hope we will take the final decision tomorrow."

A stand-alone T20 series now appears the most likely option, with a possible Test duel to follow once players have been convinced by the security provisions.

But Hassan says a one-off Test could be possible instead of 20-over series.

"If we play one Test then it will take less amount of time than playing a Twenty20 series," he added.

"If we want to play a T20 series it will take us seven days and we can complete the one-off Test series within six days: five match days and one travel day. 

"We are not saying we won't play [Tests] there but our duration has to be short."

Regardless of the nature of the tour, wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim will not be participating having informed the BCB of his decision.

"Mushfiqur never showed any interest in touring Pakistan. The other players said that they wanted a short tour. We have informed PCB about our players' consent," the BCB chief added.

"We won't get most of our coaches, but our head coach is ready if it is a short tour [T20I series]."