UPDATE: Cricket Australia stance unchanged over Bangladesh test series

Steve Smith will have to wait for his official test debut as captain of the Australian cricket team as security concerns continue to threaten the Bangladesh series.

The team was due to play a practice match in Bangladesh on Oct. 3, but failed to depart on Monday after a warning was issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) about a militant risk to the squad.

This hold up could mean Smith, who skippered the squad following Michael Clarke’s injury in December 2014 but was officially unveiled as Australia’s 45th test captain following Clarke’s retirement, may have to wait until the November test series against New Zealand for his captaincy to take effect.

Meanwhile, team members from Australia’s 15-man squad have been ordered to return to training with their state squads as Cricket Australia has yet to confirm if the two-test tour will go ahead.

The players will re-join their state outfits as they prepare for the Matador Cup to be played in Sydney on Oct. 5, coinciding with the proposed practice match between Australia and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) XI in Fatullah on Oct. 3.

The CA security counsel headed by Sean Carroll was sent to gain an understanding of the threat from the ground. The security entourage arrived on Monday in Bangladesh to investigate the circumstances surrounding the security notice by DFAT, yet will seemingly be returning empty handed as staff and player security is still at risk.

With test series against New Zealand in November, the West Indies in December and India in January, the Bangladesh tour is important for the Australian squad to familiarise themselves under the guidance of a new captain – and put the devastation of the failed Ashes campaign behind them.

James Sutherland told reporters earlier this week that Bangladesh is a team on the rise, and this tour is extremely important to both nations involved.

“Their performances in recent times have been very, very good,” he said.

“We’ve got a young team under a new captain very much looking forward to take the opportunities playing in sub-continental conditions.”

Bangladesh has moved up to 9th spot in the International Cricket Council’s world rankings with recent draws against heavyweights South Africa and India in earlier test series this year.

The BCB tweeted a picture of the squad practicing ahead of the #BANvAUS test series, re-asserting their position for the continuation of the series.

The regeneration of the Australian test team could be hinging on the proceedings of the Bangladesh tour, and while Cricket Australia is yet to call off the test completely, the nine-year test period gap between Australia and Bangladesh could well strike 10.

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