Hours after most of the Bangladesh cricket team narrowly avoided being caught up in a shooting at a mosque in New Zealand’s Christchurch on Friday that left 49 people dead and scores injured, Bangladesh has said there will be no international tour from their side until the host country ensures proper security to the players.
“From now one, Bangladesh will tour only if we receive the assurance on proper security,” Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nazmul Hasan said on Friday.
The escape of Bangladesh team in Christchurch raised questions to its players’ security during the away series as they never witnessed such experience.
Reuters reports the team were on a bus that was pulling up to the Al Noor mosque near Hagley Oval for Friday prayers when the shooting began.
There were reportedly no security or liaison officers accompanying them. The team were said to be warned by a woman that helped them avoid being caught up in a shooting.
Bangladesh, however, always puts emphasis on the maximum security arrangement while hosting a series. “When any foreign team comes to our country, we always provide proper security,” BCB president told the media at his Gulshan residence in the city.
Hasan said, “To be honest, New Zealand is such a country that nobody expects such kind of incident there. The amount of time it took to reach Police at the spot was unnatural and surprising. I believe in our county or other country beside us, Police or security forces always come early in the spot if such situation happens. I think they were unprepared. They may be more caution from now on.”
“I can say that everything will change after today’s incident. We will set a plan from now on to ensure proper security when our team will be on tour in future,” BCB boss concluded.
Sources at the BCB said the team will return home as soon as possible.
The attack on cricketers not an exception with Sri Lanka's team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore during their tour of Pakistan in 2009.
Six members of the team were wounded, while six security personnel and two civilians were killed.
Pakistan still host nearly all of their international matches in the United Arab Emirates due to ongoing security concerns.
New Zealand abandoned their 1987 tour of Sri Lanka following a bombing near their hotel in Colombo in which more than 100 people were killed.
They also abandoned a tour of Pakistan in May 2002 following a suicide bombing outside their hotel in Karachi.

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