CSA delegation satisfied with security measures in Bangladesh ahead of Test series

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) expressed optimism about hosting South Africa in an upcoming home series, following positive feedback from a Cricket South Africa (CSA) delegation that reviewed the security and logistical arrangements.

The two-match Test series, scheduled to take place in Dhaka and Chattogram in late October, hinges on final security clearance from CSA. The review comes in the wake of political unrest in Bangladesh, which led the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the Women's T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE.

The CSA’s four-member delegation, which arrived in Dhaka on September 21, inspected key venues, including the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur and the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

During their visit, the delegation observed security protocols and drills overseen by Bangladeshi security forces.

"As much as I could gather from their conversations, they are very satisfied. They thanked the BCB and the security forces for arranging everything in such a short time. They will now fly back home and submit their final report while we complete our internal work," Shahriar Nafees, BCB cricket operations manager, told reporters on Monday.

"We showed them the protocol BCB usually maintains for any international series. Unfortunately, due to the political unrest, we couldn't host the Women's T20 World Cup," he added.

Nafees emphasized the importance of maintaining international standards amid the current political climate. ""They had concerns about the situation, so they came to observe the current conditions and how we will maintain security protocols. South Africa has never sent a delegation before, but after we lost the hosting rights to the Women's T20 World Cup, they came to review the arrangements," he concluded.

Among the delegates was former South African all-rounder Farhaan Behardien, now the cricket operations and player engagement manager at the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), alongside other CSA officials.

BCB officials also held security meetings with Bangladesh's Army, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), and Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) to ensure robust safety measures are in place.

The South African cricket team is set to arrive in Bangladesh on October 16. The first Test will begin in Dhaka on October 21, followed by the second Test in Chattogram on October 29.