DHAKA: Australia have called off hosting Bangladesh later this year citing financial reasons.

The ICC's Future Tours Program (FTP) had Australia down to play two Tests and three ODIs at home against Bangladesh in August and September 2018, the latter's first bilateral tour down under since 2003. 

However, ESPNcricinfo reports that the trip was scrapped because Australian free-to-air broadcasters are understood to be uninterested in televising the series in the middle of the football season. 

Cricket Australia told BCB that the tour was not "commercially viable", says reports. 

Instead, one of the alternative options discussed was Australia touring Bangladesh after the 2019 World Cup. 

The BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said, "We have proposed some options and are now waiting for their response."

James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, explained the cancellation was related to the timing of the series, plus the fact that apart from India, England and South Africa, the rest of the world's cricket nations including Bangladesh only play Australia sporadically, particularly during the southern summer.

BDST: 1950 HRS, MAY 9, 2018
AP