Liton open to Pakistan series if BCB deems it safe 

Bangladesh's newly appointed T20I captain, Liton Das, stated that the national team would have no objections to touring Pakistan later this month if the conditions are deemed favourable by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). 

Several members of the national squad, who trained at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday, attended a meeting with officials from the BCB's cricket operations department. The meeting focused on player consent regarding the proposed tour of Pakistan.

The Tigers are scheduled to play a five-match T20I series against Pakistan from May 25 to June 3, with matches to be held in Faisalabad and Lahore. Before this tour, Bangladesh will play a two-match T20I series in the United Arab Emirates.

Following the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suspended the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and several domestic competitions. However, with the situation easing and a ceasefire in place, the PCB has now announced the resumption of domestic men's cricket, beginning Wednesday.

"Everyone knows why cricket in Pakistan is currently off. I think the BCB can take a better call about the Pakistan tour. The cricket boards will discuss with each other to take the series forward. If the BCB feels that the condition there is favourable, we will definitely go there to play the series," Liton told reporters in Mirpur on Monday during his first press conference as a full-time skipper.

Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain, two Bangladeshi players taking part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), came back to the country alongside two Bangladeshi journalists on Saturday after the India-Pakistan conflict escalated as Pakistan claimed to have been subject to several drone attacks by India. A special flight which took off from an undisclosed and secured location was arranged by the Pakistan Air Force for the Bangladeshis.

Meanwhile, Liton has not played for Bangladesh in any format since December 2024 due to a prolonged dip in form that saw him left out of the ICC Champions Trophy squad. He was granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the PSL with Karachi Kings during Bangladesh's home Test series against Zimbabwe. However, a finger injury sustained in training forced him to return home without playing a match.

"The last time I played an international match was back in December. After that, I couldn't get many chances to play international cricket. I was passing a bad time as I couldn't score runs, but I tried to do well in the Bangladesh Premier League and Dhaka Premier League," Liton said.

"A player can only try his best but there are times when it just does not work for you. A player can fail in one or two series but can make a comeback in the next one. I will try to do the same," he added.