Cricket Australia's decision has been a sad one

"We have not taken this decision lightly and we apologise for the inconvenience this may create for the organisers of the tournament - in particular the ICC and BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board)."

Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland’s statement indicates that CA had to make a hard choice regarding the matter.  You and I are not security experts and can’t even fathom about the reports of the intelligence which led CA to withdraw from the upcoming mega event. Neither can we assume nor can we be sure about the reason of why CA had to make such a tough decision of pulling back from the upcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.

We must not forget that Australia participated in the World Twenty20 amid political chaos and their soccer team toured last year, despite the withdraw of the senior cricket team from playing a two-match Test series. Then what led CA to take such a decision remains a moot question.

Before traveling to any country for a tournament or mega-event, each and every big team remain highly cautious about the safety of their players and heavily depends on the reports of the intelligence. Any sort of chinks in the intelligence reports, let the higher officials to take drastic measures.  Such decisions trigger criticisms, but those don’t bother the higher officials at all. At least, CA have been generous enough to feel the sentiments of the Bangladesh cricket fans.

Personally, from a fan’s perspective, I am quite hurt. As a Bangladeshi, I can guarantee that Bangladesh is a safe place to travel and the fiber and fabric of the society is intact and there exists a harmonious environment throughout the country. If anyone travels to Chittagong, Sylhet or Cox’s Bazar, the number of travelling from the western countries and Downunder are very encouraging and they are boosting the tourism sector of Bangladesh enormously. The satisfaction on their faces will indicate that Bangladesh is a safe place to travel.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar