Daily Times

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to drop the ODI series from their upcoming tour of Pakistan, opting instead to play only T20Is. The decision was made in coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as both teams focus on preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup and the ICC T20 World Cup.

Originally, Bangladesh was scheduled to tour Pakistan in May for three ODIs and three T20Is under the Future Tours Programme (FTP). However, both boards have now agreed to replace the ODIs with a five-match T20I series, allowing their teams to fine-tune their squads for the global tournaments ahead. The 2025 Asia Cup will be hosted by India in September and will be played in the T20 format, aligning with the preparations for the T20 World Cup, which is set to take place in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

In addition to the Pakistan tour, Bangladesh will also host a three-match T20I series against Pakistan in July. This series, which was finalized during the recent ICC Champions Trophy discussions between the PCB and BCB presidents, is not part of the FTP but has been scheduled to further strengthen both teams’ World Cup preparations.

“We have decided to play T20Is instead of ODIs in the upcoming tour of Pakistan as part of our preparation for the next T20 World Cup and Asia Cup,” a BCB official told Cricbuzz. “When Pakistan travels to Bangladesh, they are scheduled to play three T20Is on July 20, 22, and 24 in Dhaka, just before their tour of the West Indies,” he added.