The unexpected return to leadership for the 28-year-old comes after 12 players, including captain Jason Holder and vice-captain Roston Chase declined to take part in the tour, due to concerns over the coronavirus. Bangladesh is noted as one of the world’s Covid-19 hots with 510,080 confirmed coronavirus cases and 7,479 deaths. Brathwaite had been previously been replaced as vice-captain by Chase, ahead of the New Zealand tour.
The tour was sanctioned following a report from a health and safety team, which was sent on a pre-series tour of the country but that was not enough to assure the majority of the players.
Former Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies A team captain, Jason Mohammed, will lead the ODI team with Sunil Ambris as vice-captain.
The absence of the A-list players will see Kavem Hodge, the right-handed top-order batsman, called to the Test squad for the first time. Left-handed opener Shayne Moseley and all-rounder Kyle Mayers will now feature in the first team for the first time, after making trips to England and New Zealand as reserves earlier this year.
Two players have earned their first call-ups for the ODI squad — Akeal Hosein, a left-arm spinner allrounder; and Kjorn Ottley, a left-handed top-order batsman.
West Indies Test Squad
Kraigg Brathwaite (captain)
Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
John Campbell
Rahkeem Cornwall
Joshua Da Silva
Shannon Gabriel
Kavem Hodge
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Shayne Moseley
Veerasammy Permaul
Kemar Roach
Raymon Reifer
Jomel Warrican
West Indies ODI Squad
Jason Mohammed (captain)
Sunil Ambris (vice-captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
Joshua Da Silva
Jahmar Hamilton
Chemar Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Andre McCarthy
Kjorn Ottley
Rovman Powell
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Hayden Walsh jr
Bumrah ended the contest with 4-50 as India ripped through the tourists' batting order before ending their second innings at 81-3 at stumps.
Bangladesh started the day positively, restricting their opponents to adding just 37 runs to their overnight score, with Hasan Mahmud (5-83) doing most of the damage.
However, the tourists' first innings started poorly as Shadman Islam (two), Zakir Hasan (three) and Monimul Haque (zero) fell inside the first eight overs.
Bangladesh found themselves 92-7 within 30 overs with Ravindra Jadeja (2-19) and Bumrah ripping through their middle order.
Mohammed Siraj concluded a dominant bowling display with the wicket of Nahid Rana (11), as India returned to the crease to hammer home their advantage.
Shubman Gill (33 not out) and Rishabh Pant (12 not out) will resume play on day three, with the hosts now in a commanding position to claim the triumph.
Data Debrief: Bumrah joins elite club
Bumrah was the pick of the bunch for the hosts with his four-wicket haul putting him among the elite bowlers in Indian cricket.
He became only the 10th Indian bowler to reach 400 international wickets, while his bowling average of 21 is the second-best among all bowlers to have hit this milestone in men's cricket (Joel Garner - 20.2).
With Tom Abell and Will Jacks unavailable due to injury, England might have sent for batting reinforcements but instead elected to persevere with their weakened unit.
It meant Moeen Ali batted at three on Sunday, with Sam Curran at six, both bumped up higher than they would usually be expected to figure in the order.
Moeen made 15 and Curran added 12 in a feeble 117 all out, with Buttler dropping down from playing as an opener to bat at number four, where he scored only four.
Bangladesh won by four wickets, with Najmul Hossain Shanto hitting 46no, leaving Buttler to face questions about England's performance, and their selections.
"It's a different balance and it's a different feel to the team," he said. "I think we're wanting to give exposure to guys especially who, in these conditions, will also probably play a part in the 50-over World Cup.
"It felt like a great chance to expose the all-rounders' batting, maybe one spot higher than in our normal team.
"The way cricket is at the moment, there's a few players who've opted not to be here anyway for various reasons. So instead of calling up someone else, we tried to use the guys who would be exposed to these conditions in the 50-over World Cup as well."
Regarding his own move in the line-up, perhaps intended to beef up the middle order, Buttler said: "I'm very comfortable batting anywhere in the order.
"I've spent a hell of a lot of my career as a middle order player, and I think we've got some good options. I just felt like it would be an opportunity to try something different."
England will hope for a better outcome in Tuesday's final match, but Bangladesh's wins in Chattogram and Mirpur mean the tourists are playing for mere consolation.
Sam Curran starred with bat and ball, while Jason Roy top-scored with 132, which also proved to be the exact margin of victory as England posted 326-7 before bowling the hosts out for 194.
Curran followed 33 not out with 4-29, while Adil Rashid also took four wickets as the tourists seized an unassailable 2-0 series lead, ahead of the third match on Monday.
After a nail-biting three-wicket win in the series opener, also played in Mirpur, this second contest saw England go up a level, to the delight of captain Buttler.
It was their biggest victory margin, in terms of runs, in ODIs played in Asia.
"That was a fantastic series win," Buttler said. "Bangladesh are a formidable team at home, so we are delighted to get the series win.
"We spoke about ways we could improve from the last match and I thought we really did that. Jason Roy led fantastically well with the batting and guys chipped in around him, and then a fantastic start with the ball."
Buttler made 76 with the bat and Moeen Ali added 42, as Roy found plenty of strong support, with England winning a 50-over series after falling short in their most recent four attempts in the format.
"From one to 11, the guys stood up," Buttler said, "and I thought our standard and the intensity we played the game at was much higher than the first game and that's what we strive to get to.
"We've talked a lot in the dressing room about adapting to conditions and being a team that can play in a variety of ways. There are lots of guys putting their hands up and putting up great performances which is fantastic for the team."
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said Roy performed "exceptionally well", adding: "I am disappointed to lose the series. When you lose a game like this you can point a lot of fingers at a lot of people, but I'm not the kind of person who'll do that. We didn't do well as a team and that's why we lost.
"We'd like to finish the series on a high, it's very disappointing that we lost the series, but credit must go to England for the way they played."
Roy, whose century was his 12th for England in ODIs, spoke of how experience of playing in varying conditions throughout his career helped him get to grips with the pitch.
"I've spent a lot of time playing a lot of cricket in the subcontinent when i was younger, doing a lot of training camps," the 32-year-old opener said. "Today I had to dig deep with those skills and put it on the field.
"I needed to give myself an opportunity. In the first game I had a bit of a rush of blood and played a pretty poor shot against the spin. I wanted to make sure I batted time and gave myself the best opportunity to score runs and get a good score on the board for the team."
Matthew Mott's tourists had already secured victory in the three-match series and opted for a host of changes in Monday's final ODI in Chattogram, where Bangladesh won by 50 runs.
Young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed made his international white-ball debut, while all-rounder Sam Curran was promoted up the batting order as Buttler dropped down to make room.
England captain Buttler suggested the result mattered for little after seizing an opportunity to evaluate his options on a surface that may be similar to those at the World Cup in India, which starts in October.
"We changed a few things today and gave an opportunity to people in different ways, but I thought the intensity was still there," Buttler said.
"We certainly believed we could win the game, and if we played well enough, we would have won the game.
"But there was an opportunity today to give Rehan a debut, and for Sam to bat at No. 5, and this is the last ODI we play now until September.
"So, especially in these conditions, it felt like a great chance to gather as much information as we can, and expose people to different situations.
"If we lost the game, then so be it. But I certainly believed we had a team and a performance that could have won the game today."
The much-maligned cricket schedule has regularly been a topic of discussion, with the ODI series in Bangladesh a rare chance for England to plan away from the stress of pre-tournament warm-up fixtures.
England will head to the next global tournament as dual champions, having won the T20 World Cup in Australia last year and the 50-over version in a dramatic victory over New Zealand at Lord's in 2019.
Buttler reaffirmed confidence in all the moving parts within his England side fitting together when it comes to the next World Cup, as they did at the back end of 2022 in the T20 competition.
"I think the schedule is hugely challenging to always get your best XI on the field," Buttler said. "But the game has changed a bit [since] the previous cycle of the World Cup.
"Looking back to the T20 World Cup, we probably went into that World Cup having never played our perceived best XI.
"But then to get into the tournament and go on to win it, that gives you great confidence that, even though we haven't had the opportunities to always play our best team, international cricket has become [more] focused on the ICC tournaments.
"I think that's the way we're building towards that. And we know that, come the World Cup, we will have the opportunity to pick from everyone who's available."
Needing 16 from the final over bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz in pursuit of 190, Khulna Tigers only managed to eight runs. Miraz bowled a yorker-filled over that yielded a boundary by Fletcher and four singles before taking the wicket of Thisara Perera for three with the last ball of the match.
The Grenadian, who hit six fours and four sixes in his 58-ball knock that threatened to lead his side to another remarkable victory, got support from Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 43 from 29 balls. Together they put on 64 for the third wicket that took the score from 43-2 after Mahedi Hasan and Soumya Sarkar were dismissed for, two and one, respectively.
Fletcher and Yasir Ali then put together a stand of 65 for the fourth wicket. Yasir hit two fours and four sixes in his 24-ball 45 that took Khulna Tigers within touching distance of the target with nine balls remaining.
Miraz finished with 2-40.
Earlier, it was Chadwick Walton’s unbeaten 89 that helped Chattogram Challengers to their score of 189-5.
The Jamaican hit seven fours and seven sixes in his 44-ball knock that rescued Chattogram Challengers from a precarious 65-4 in the 10th over. Other useful contributions came from Walton’s compatriot Kennar Lewis, who opened the batting with an uncharacteristically sedate 39 from 32 balls.
Miraz scored 36 from 30 late in the innings that helped Walton take Chattogram Challengers to their winning score.
The Strikers made 175-7 from their 20 overs after the Victorians won the toss and elected to field first.
Mushfiqur Rahim led the way with an unbeaten 74 off 48 balls including five fours and three sixes.
Earlier, opener Najmul Hossain Shanto made a 45-ball 64 including nine fours and a six. Pacer Mustafizur Rahman took 2-21 off his four overs for the Victorians.
The Victorians then needed 19.2 overs to reach their target, with the chase being led by half centuries from Charles and opener Litton Das.
Das made a 39-ball 55 including seven fours and one six to lay the foundation for Charles.
The St. Lucian’s innings lasted 52 balls and included seven fours and five sixes as he, along with captain Moeen Ali who finished 25*, steered the Victorians to their second BPL title in a row and fourth overall.
Charles ended the 2023 BPL as the 11th highest run-scorer with 308 runs in nine matches including one fifty and one hundred. He also hit the most sixes in the tournament with 26.
Scores: Sylhet Strikers 175-7 off 20 overs (Mushfiqur Rahim 74*, Najmul Hossain Shanto 64, Mustafizur Rahman 2-21) Comilla Victorians 176-3 off 19.2 overs (Johnson Charles 79*, Litton Das 55, Rubel Hossain 2-39)
Team captains Jason Holder, Kieron Pollard, and Roston Chase were among 12 players opting not to go on the Bangladesh tour due to Covid-19 concerns. The list includes Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Sheldon Cottrell, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, and Nicholas Pooran. Fabian Allen and Shane Dowrich will be unavailable because of personal reasons.
With the first team players missing Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the Test team, with Jermaine Blackwood assigned as his deputy. Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies A team captain, Jason Mohammed, will lead the ODI team with Sunil Ambris as vice-captain.
The absence of the A-list players will see Kavem Hodge, a right-handed top-order batsman, called to the Test squad for the first time. Left-handed opener Shayne Moseley and all-rounder Kyle Mayers will now feature in the first team for the first time, after making trips to England and New Zealand as reserves earlier this year.
Two other players will earn their first call-ups for the ODI squad — Akeal Hosein, a left-arm spinner allrounder; and Kjorn Ottley, a left-handed top-order batsman.
Despite coming off the back of dismal Test performances in England and then New Zealand, where they lost both matches by an innings, Harper believes the desire to prove themselves as good enough to play at the highest level could see the stand-in team put in a strong shift.
“Touring Bangladesh is not easy. Bangladesh is a team that plays well in its own conditions but I really believe that the group of players that we put together, the squad for both the Test series and ODIs, will be competitive and give a good account of themselves,” Harper told members of the media on Tuesday.
“I think we can come away with some positive results from this series. Bangladesh plays extremely well in one-day cricket, so the players will have to play well be at the top of their games and make smart decisions,” he added.
The selectors announced an initial party of 23 to face the Windies and the Tigers, featuring a number of players who played in an Indian Premier League that was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They have now added Christian, Agar, Ellis, Ben McDermott, Cameron Green and Ashton Turner.
All-rounder Christian, 38, and wicketkeeper-batsman McDermott will end spells in England with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire respectively to fly home and complete the mandatory two-week quarantine period before the final squad's scheduled departure for the Caribbean late in June.
Christian has not played for his country since October 2017, while Agar and Ellis will be hoping to make their international debuts.
Promising all-rounder Green made his ODI bow against India last December, while Turner has featured in the 50-over format six times and played 11 Twenty20 Internationals.
Confirmation of the tours are subject to agreement on bio-security arrangements and relevant government approvals.
The Tigers wrapped up the series with two matches to spare as they prevailed by 10 runs on Friday.
But despite a fifth successive T20I series defeat, Australia hit back to prevent Bangladesh from completing only a third series clean sweep in their history.
Dan Christian led the way with 39 runs from 15 balls – including a whopping 30 after hitting five sixes during the fourth over – as Justin Langer’s side chased the target of 104.
A further 27 from Ashton Agar moved the visitors to the brink of only a second victory in their last 10 T20Is.
Andrew Tye sealed it with an over to spare and ended Bangladesh’s four-match winning streak.
NO CENTURY FOR SHAKIB
Shakib Al Hasan came into the match just three away from becoming only the second player after Lasith Malinga to take 100 wickets in men’s T20Is – and first for Bangladesh.
However, he failed to add to his tally of 97 and conceded 50 runs during his four overs, including that sensational 30 from Christian.
SWEPSON STEPS UP
Mitch Swepson stepped up to the plate for Australia with three wickets in four overs, while conceding just 13 runs – his new best figures in T20Is.
It was a wonderful return for the spin bowler, who dismissed Mohammad Mahmudullah, Nurul Hasan and Mohammad Naim along the way.
Hurraira was expected to get a chance when the two-match series gets under way in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, having impressed on the domestic stage for Islamabad United.
He scored 218 against a Bangladesh High Performance XI in a four-day match last month, also receiving his first international call-up for a tour of Sri Lanka.
He was not selected for his red-ball debut during that series, however, and he has also been overlooked for this week's first meeting with Bangladesh, despite Imam-ul-Haq being rested.
"We have plenty of riches in our opening batting," Masood said ahead of the Test. "Imam-ul-Haq isn't here for this series.
"We don't limit ourselves to 17 players. We have 20 to 25 players who are part of our squad.
"We initially felt that it was our ideal chance to check Muhammad Hurraira and see what he could offer the Pakistan team after doing so well in domestic cricket in the last three or four years.
"We rested Imam in this series. Saim, who is in good touch now, showed potential in the second innings against Australia.
"As a team, you have to send a message of continuity. So we will try to back the players. We want to give him a fair chance."
Masood also said the expected conditions at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium had influenced the decision to select Mohammad Ali to lead the bowling attack.
"You have to look at a few factors," Masood said. "You have to take into account Pakistan's position in the WTC.
"We at least have to win the home matches. Secondly, you have to look at the ground conditions. Thirdly, we have to look at our team combination.
"I think Mohammad Ali gave us the surprise element, we have been seeing it for a long time."
By the final session of the day, the West Indies had dismissed the hosts for 296 to begin the second innings with a 113-run lead. However, they ended the day at 41 for 3, having lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite (6), John Campbell (18), and Shayne Mosely (7) before long.
The West Indies captain was the first casualty, miscuing a shot off Nayeem Hasan, which caught the top of his gloves before being taken by wicketkeeper Liton Das. Shayne Moseley then departed after edging to second slip, in the process becoming Mehidy Hasan’s 100th Test wicket. Brathwaite’s opening partner Campbell was then dismissed in bizarre fashion, with the ball spinning back off the ground to hit the stumps after he had attempted to play a defensive stroke.
Earlier, Das and Mehidy, who got together before lunch, played out a crucial session after the break – with the team still over fifty short of avoiding the follow-on and looking at one point like they would have headed in that direction. Eventually, the two accounted for a valuable 126-run partnership and looked set to potentially cause even more severe damage.
Cornwall, however, ensured it would not be the case. Having earlier removed both captain Mominul Haque (21) a confident-looking Mushfiqur Rahim (54) and Mohammad Mithun (15), earlier, he put an end to the partnership after removing Das. The batsman took the dreaded walk after getting an edge off an attempted paddle, for 71. Cornwall added No. 9 Nayeem Hasan to complete his tally. It was pace bowler Shannon Gabriel who accounted for Mehidy after an attempted drive.
Cornwall ended the innings with figures of 5 for 74, while Gabriel ended with 3 for 70. Nkrumah Bonner (8) and Jomel Warrican (2) will be the batsman resuming the day at the crease for the West Indies on the fourth day.
Amidst a flurry of withdrawals, Cornwall was one of the current members of the squad to readily accept the invitation to tour the Asian country next month.
The 27-year-old has been part of the West Indies squad since being invited to the England tour with the team in July. He then traveled to New Zealand with the team for the tour that took place in December.
Cornwall has, however, had a difficult time making an impact. Called to the first-team squad for the third Test in England, the spinner bowled 46 overs but did get a wicket. He was not added to the first team for the New Zealand tour. On the slower, more spin-friendly matches in Bangladesh, however, the player hopes to have a much bigger impact.
“I think I’m in a good space and we know Bangladesh is known for being more conducive to spin, so I just have to set my mind for a next bubble and go out there and perform the way I should,” Cornwall told the Antigua Observer.
“I went on two tours in England and New Zealand and there was nothing there for spinners and after playing three Test matches, I finally got something that suits me and I hope I can go there and perform,” he added.
Cornwall will have good memories of performing in Asia, as he claimed his career-best figures of 7 for 75 against Bangladesh last year.
The West Indies won the first Test in Chattogram by three wickets.
Cornwall, who had nine wickets in the match, took 4 for 105 as Bangladesh, chasing 231 for victory after bowling the West Indies out for 117, made 213 all out.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite 3 for 25 and Jomel Warrican 3 for 47 also played crucial roles as the Caribbean claimed their first away series win since 2017 and only their third in almost a decade.
It was Brathwaite who got the wickets of Soumya Sarkar for 13 after he and Tamim Iqbal, who had raced to a 46-ball 50, that took a sizeable chunk out of the intended target. The pair put on 59 for the opening stand when Sarkar edged Brathwaite onto the wicketkeeper’s gloves before popping forcing Cornwall to dive forward at slip to complete the catch.
He then had Iqbal caught at short cover for 50 that included nine fours and Bangladesh were 70 for 2.
Wickets fell steadily after that with Cornwall claiming the wickets of Shanto (11), Mohammed Mithun for 10, the dangerous Liton Das for 22 and Taijul Islam for 8.
Warrican claimed the valuable wicket Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the last man out, for 31, to add to the wickets of Mominul Haque, who made 26 and Mishfiqur Rahim for 13.
Brathwaite got the ninth Bangladeshi wicket to fall and his third of the match when he trapped Nayeem Hasan lbw for 14.
Had it not been for the match-winning performance of its bowlers, the West Indies might have been hard-pressed to achieve victory given their woes with the bat earlier in the day.
Resuming from their overnight score of 41 for 3, a lead of 154, the West Indies struggled to press home their hard-earned advantage.
Bonner, who was on eight overnight, batted resolutely for his top score of 38, hemmed in by tight bowling and aggressive fields that took away his favoured scoring areas. However, even as he fought, wickets fell steadily at the other end the West Indies lost their last seven wickets for 76 runs.
Joshua Da Silva was the only other West Indies batsman on the day to make double figures, getting 20 before he became one of Islam’s four wickets. The spinner conceded a miserly 36 runs from the 21 overs he bowled.
Nayeem Hasan, who bowled Bonner shortly after lunch, took 3 for 34 and Abu Jayed 2 for 32.
COVID-19 has brought sport to a standstill, with cricket on hiatus due to the global health emergency, which has claimed more than 37,800 lives.
Attempting to stay fit amid the shutdown, Paine relocated his car onto the street and transformed his garage into a home gym in Hobart, where the wicketkeeper was robbed.
"I woke up this morning to a message from NAB saying I had some interesting movements on my account," Paine told reporters on Tuesday.
"I went out and the [car] door was open and my wallet and a few other things had gone.
"Actually looking at my account, the boys went straight to Maccas [McDonalds] – the boys must have been hungry."
"Since that went on radio, I've had a message from [sponsor] Kookaburra and they're going to send me some balls on a string that I can hook up in the garage and start training," added Paine.
While happy at home, Paine said: "Steve Smith, David Warner – guys like that, they're high energy, they love to train so this would be a real eye opener for them.
"I think [Smith] is doing a 10km run every day so hopefully he doesn't come back as a skeleton. But him and Marnus [Labuschagne] and Davey are probably the three I worry about.
"They don't like sitting still, and Steve and Marnus don't like not batting for too long. And Davey – he literally can't sit still.
"Davey has got a home gym so he will be in there literally 24/7 and Steve and Marnus would have some kind of contraption where they're hitting balls, or they've got their wives are feeding them balls because there's no way those two are going a week without batting."
Paine also conceded June's two-Test tour of Bangladesh is unlikely to go ahead as scheduled due to coronavirus.
The first Test is set to start on June 11 and Paine said: "You don't have to be Einstein to realise it is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment."
The Tigers were scheduled to play in a three-match ODI series and then four Twenty20 Internationals against Ireland during a trip that was to run between May 14-29.
However, the games were already placed in doubt after the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Friday that they will not stage any fixtures prior to May 28.
Cricket Ireland has now confirmed they will not be taking on Bangladesh as planned, with the T20 games having been scheduled to take place at venues in England.
"Once the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic was understood, and the advice of both Governments and partner boards was sought, it became increasingly unlikely that this series could proceed as scheduled," Warren Deutrom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland, said in a statement.
"We have a responsibility to protect the well-being of players, coaches, fans and the wider community, and will not hesitate to take a safety-first approach to our operations over coming months.
“We will continue monitoring the situation, and will liaise as necessary with relevant sports bodies, public health agencies and our stakeholders here and abroad, and provide further updates on the home season in due course."
The COVID-19 outbreak had already forced Bangladesh to shelve plans for a return trip to Pakistan, where they were due to play a one-off 50-over game and also the second Test of the series in Karachi.
Bangladesh, who visited Pakistan for Test and Twenty20 matches earlier this year, were due to arrive back in the country on March 29 to complete the final leg of their three-part, multi-format tour.
Those plans are now on hold, with the two boards set to discuss options for rescheduling the second Test that was due to begin in Karachi on April 5.
A standalone ODI had also been scheduled to go ahead in Karachi on April 1.
A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement read: "The Pakistan and Bangladesh cricket boards have decided to postpone the upcoming One-Day International and Test in Karachi for a later date.
"The two boards will now work together to identify a future opportunity to complete the ICC World Test Championship commitment."
Pakistan beat the Tigers by an innings and 44 runs in the first Test in Rawalpindi in February.
The unusual fixture arrangements emerged as a compromise after the Bangladesh Cricket Board expressed concerns over security and player safety in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the PCB has also indefinitely postponed the domestic one-day Pakistan Cup tournament, which was scheduled to start on March 25.
The Dutch government has banned all sports and cultural events until September 1 as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistan were meant to be play three ODIs in Amstelveen on July 4, 7 and 9, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Wednesday that the tour has been shelved.
As things stand Pakistan are due to play two Twenty20 matches in Ireland, before starting a three-Test series against England at Lord's on July 30, which precedes three T20 fixtures.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said via a news release that the tour is still on as things stand.
"It is sad that we have to postpone our July tour to the Netherlands, but in the prevailing circumstances, this is absolutely the right thing to do as human lives are far more precious and valuable than a cricket match or an event," he said.
"Netherlands has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and we offer our heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their lives. Like any other country, the PCB stands firmly with the KNCB and hope they will be able to overcome this crisis.
"The Pakistan national cricket teams have always enjoyed touring the Netherlands and as soon as things return to normal, the PCB will engage with the KNCB to reschedule the tour so that we can fulfil our obligation.
"The Pakistan national men's cricket team's tours to Ireland, for two Twenty20 Internationals, and England, for three Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals, are on track at this stage.
"We are keeping a watching brief and are in contact with our counterparts in Dublin and London, respectively.
"As is always the case, the PCB will be happy to be guided by the hosts on the upcoming tours but without compromising on the health and safety of its players and team support personnel."
The tour is subject to the finalization of the medical and logistical details within the tour Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The West Indies are expected to arrive in Bangladesh on January 10 with a one-day warm-up match scheduled for January 18.
The first ODI has been scheduled for January 20 in Dhaka while the first Test is set to begin in Chattogram on February 3.
The approval in principle was made following a recommendation from CWI’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), having received a detailed report from the pre-tour visit of Bangladesh by CWI Director and Member of the CWI and ICC MAC, Dr Mansingh and Security Manager, Paul Slowe.
CWI will continue discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) to fine-tune the various arrangements in order to ensure the health and safety of the players and team management unit.
The revised draft tour schedule is as follows:
January 10: West Indies arrive
January 18: One-Day warm-up match, BKSP, Savar
January 20: 1st ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka
January 22: 2nd ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka
January 25: 3rd ODI, ZACS, Chattogram
January 28-31: Four-Day warm-up, M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram
February 3-7: 1st Test Match, ZACS, Chattogram
February 11-15: 2nd Test Match, SBNCS, Dhaka
Led by an amazing double century by Kyle Mayers on debut, West Indies made 395-7 to win by three wickets. He made 210 not out and shared a superb partnership of 216 with fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner, who made 86.
The superb batting performance was the second-highest score in a successful run chase in West Indies Test history and the highest run chase in a Test match in Asia.
CWI President Ricky Skerritt lauded team and their performance, which brought great joy to West Indies supporters around the world.
“Congratulations to Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and our entire squad for an exceptional display of composure and desire,” Skerritt said in a statement.
“Led by debutant Kyle Mayers, it was a fighting team performance overall. The people of our region should walk a little taller today and the challenges of COVID-19 should temporarily be overshadowed by this astonishing West Indies Test victory. The hard work will continue.”
Mayers was named Man-of-the-Match for the knock that turned the match around for the West Indies.
