Chris Jordan has followed Moeen Ali in declaring he will be available for England’s tour of Bangladesh, saying yesterday he was happy with assurances there would be “more than enough” security in place.
The tour was called into question after an attack on a Dhaka cafe in July that saw 20 hostages killed.
Last week off-spinner and left-handed batsman Ali became the first England player to state, without qualification, that he would travel to Bangladesh at the end of this month if selected and all-rounder Jordan was equally adamant on Tuesday.
“If selected, I will definitely go,” Jordan told a news conference at Old Trafford ahead of England’s Twenty20 international against Pakistan at the Manchester ground on Wednesday.
Jonny Bairstow has all but guaranteed his tour availability and Alastair Cook, England’s Test captain, is understood to have given a private assurance to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) officials that he too will make the trip.
Following the Dhaka attack, the ECB sent an inspection team to Bangladesh led by their long-serving security chief Reg Dickason.
After he reported back, the board confirmed last month that the tour, which includes three one-day international and two Test match fixtures in October and November, would go ahead as planned, with Dickason also briefing England players in London.
“They obviously said they’ll provide more than enough security — they reckon they’ll overcook themselves on the amount provided,” said Jordan.
Asked if other members of England’s Test and ODI squads were still uncertain about touring Bangladesh, Jordan said: “Possibly, and naturally so.
“It’s not the ideal situation, but we can’t change it or what’s gone on in the past.”
England coach Trevor Bayliss, who held a similar role with Sri Lanka when their team bus came under armed attack in Lahore, Pakistan in 2009, has also said that he will tour Bangladesh.
Sunday’s four-wicket defeat by Pakistan in the fifth ODI in Cardiff has been England’s lone loss in white-ball cricket so far this season.
They won an ODI series against Sri Lanka 3-0 before triumphing in their Twenty20 with the islanders and Sunday’s reverse still meant they came away with a 4-1 win in a five-match campaign.
England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler is set to be back behind the stumps at his Lancashire home ground on Wednesday after missing the last two ODIs with a hamstring problem.