The Australian Under 19 team have pulled out of the World Cup to be played in Bangladesh due to security concerns. According to a report in Australian website, cricket Australia have been monitoring the situation in the country since the senior team decided to pull out of the Bangladesh tour in October.
The Department of foreign affairs and trade had informed CA at that time they had reliable information about a possible security risk. Cricket Australia security head Sean Caroll met the officials in Bangaldesh last week before giving the details to the board in Melbourne. It prompted them not to send their team for the Under 19 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh. The 15 member squad will travel to Dubai this week for One day International tri series against New Zealand and Pakistan.
Australia was in Group D of the tournament which will start in Chittagong on January 27 alongside India, Nepal and New Zealand. Cricket Australia travelled to Bangladesh to check the security arrangements and after discussions with the Australian government and cricket associations, Cricket Australia decided to pull out of the event.
“We have always maintained that the safety and security of Australian teams and officials is our number-one priority,” Sutherland said in a statement.
“For some time we have been working closely with ICC security advisors and monitoring the security situation in Bangladesh and have been keeping our players, officials and the players’ parents as up to date as possible.
“Regrettably, the advice from our Government suggests that the security threat to Australians travelling to Bangladesh remains as high now as it was when we postponed the Test team’s tour of that country late last year.
“Included in that is reliable information suggesting there is a high threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh.”