Sports Desk (MNN); The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced that there will be no changes to the Men’s T20 World Cup schedule or groups, following Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches to Sri Lanka after refusing to play in India.
Bangladesh had declared on January 4 that it would not participate in its World Cup matches in India after player Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League (IPL) team amid rising tensions between the two countries. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) then formally requested the ICC to move its games to Sri Lanka.
The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7, with Bangladesh in England’s Group C. All of their group matches are scheduled to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai.
In a statement, the ICC said the decision followed a thorough review of all security assessments, including independent evaluations, which concluded there was no threat to Bangladesh’s players, officials, media personnel, or fans at any venues. The ICC added that changing the schedule so close to the tournament, without a credible security threat, could set a dangerous precedent affecting the neutrality of future events.
The governing body also noted that while it has engaged the BCB for weeks to ensure Bangladesh’s participation, the board repeatedly tied its involvement to a separate domestic league issue concerning one player, which does not affect the tournament’s security framework.
Cricinfo reported that the ICC has given the BCB an additional day to consult with the Bangladesh government. Should the team continue to refuse travel to India, Scotland could replace Bangladesh in the tournament based on team rankings.
Bangladesh government sports adviser Asif Nazrul reaffirmed that the national team would under no circumstances travel to India. He said, “If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian cricket board and tries to impose unreasonable conditions, we will not accept them.” He also referenced Pakistan’s past request to change venues, noting Bangladesh’s request is based on logical grounds and should not be dismissed.
