Cricket Australia on Monday rejected their only warm-up match in Bangladesh ahead of two-Test series due to flooding, officials said.
Australia were scheduled to play the two-day warm-up at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium on August 22 and 23, but the match was always in doubt as part of the ground was flooded by recent spell of heavy rain.
BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) has offered alternative venues but the Australians were reluctant to change at the last minute.
Cricket Australia in an email on last Friday had expressed their reluctance to play the game, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board took a last ditch attempt to convince them for the match.
As part of its attempt BCB took Australian captain Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehman too Fatullah on Monday but the visitors were rarely impressed.
‘They had appreciated our effort as we have tried out our best. But the outfield is still wet. So they decided to train in Dhaka instead of playing the match,’ said Bangladesh Cricket Board media committee chairman Jalal Yunus.
Lehman confirmed their decision later at a press conference in Dhaka.
‘The BCB has been fantastic trying to get us the game. The amount of rain hasn’t helped,’ he said.
‘We looked at various facilities around Dhaka. We feel for the people of Bangladesh with the amount of rain they have had. There are a lot of people in this country struggling because of the rain so the thoughts are with them.’
Australia decided against a warm-up match during their last tour of Bangladesh in 2006 and were caught off guard by the hosts, narrowly escaping a defeat.
The first Test of the series will begin on August 27.