Isis had plans to attack Australian cricketers if they had toured Bangladesh last year – report

England's tour of Bangladesh later this year faces fresh trouble after details of an alleged Islamic State (Isis) plan to attack Australian cricketers in the sub-continent nation last year emerged. According to reports, the Australian government received intelligence about an Isis plot to target the country's cricket players during a reception with the hosts in Dhaka.

The Daily Mail reported that Australia immediately pulled out of the tour of Bangladesh on security grounds with Cricket Australia not confident of players' and officials' safety after receiving this credible security threat. The decision seemed well founded as soon after the Aussie government's step, extremists attacked and murdered a group of Italian tourists in the city.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mal Loye, the former Bangladesh Cricket head of performance, revealed that upon learning of the plans by Isis to attack the Australians he quit his post.

"The week I left, the Australia team didn't turn up because the terrorists had planned to take us out when we had an event sorted with the touring team. My boss's wife was arranging the event with the Australians. The Australian government saw the plans from the underworld guys about what was going to happen. The plans didn't work out for the terrorists because the Australia team didn't arrive there."

"The Italians got shot that week. The terrorists obviously thought they'd take a few people out while they were there. That was enough for me. I knew after the shootings that my freedom as a westerner had gone."

England are scheduled to tour the sub-continent nation next month after the board officials decided that they were satisfied with the safety arrangements. However, many of the country's players are yet to commit to the tour with Jos Buttler expressing doubts with managing director Andrew Strauss confirming that no player would be forced to go on the trip.