International cricket matches in Rajshahi from Thursday after 13 years

The international cricket matches are going to return in Rajshahi City from tomorrow (Thursday) after a long 13-year gap.

In the matches, the hosts Bangladesh U19 cricket team will take on its Pakistan counterpart at Shaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Divisional Stadium.

Arefin Islam, Rajshahi Venue Manager of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), said three One Day International (ODI) matches between the two teams will be held on May 11, 13, and 15, while the only T20 match will take place on May 17.

He also said all sorts of necessary preparations centering the cricket series were already completed.

Meanwhile, both teams arrived in Rajshahi on Tuesday afternoon and the officials welcomed them at Hazrat Shah Makhdum Airport.

Khaled Mashud Pilot, the former captain of the Bangladesh National Cricket team, said that there was no international match in Rajshahi for many years.

At least a new chapter will begin when the Under18, Under19 games are played. It will be very good for Rajshahi Cricket Stadium. Rajshahi and Rajshahi players will once again be promoted in international cricket.

Pilot said the Shaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Divisional Stadium is one of the biggest cricket venues in the country's northwest region but has been neglected for a long period of time

National and international cricket stars have played here for various teams and clubs, but there has been no international cricket competition for many years.

Shaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Divisional Stadium was built in 2004 with a capacity of 15,000. The stadium hosted three group-stage matches of the 2004 U19 Cricket World Cup and lastly four matches of the 2010 South Asian Games.

After that, international matches were stopped due to the lack of only three-star or five-star hotels in Rajshahi. It also lost the status of a Test venue.