Bangladesh postpones New Zealand Tests

Bangladesh will play five one-day international matches against New Zealand in October, instead of the scheduled two Tests and three limited-over contests, an official said today.

"It's a decision of the board and this morning we have conveyed our decision to the New Zealand cricket authorities," Enayet Hossain Siraj, head of cricket operations at the Bangladesh Cricket Board, told AFP.

All five of the October one-dayers will be played at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Siraj said the two countries would play two Tests after the end of the World Cup in April 2011.

But in the meantime Bangladesh, one of the co-hosts of the World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka, is keen to play more limited-over matches instead of Tests to prepare for the tournament, Siraj said.

The Tigers have lost all but two of their 29 one-day international matches this year. "We want to focus more on the World Cup and will play as many one-day matches as possible in the next months," Siraj said.