The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been told by the International Cricket Council to play in India or risk being replaced in the T20 World Cup by a lower-ranked team. The country has to decide by 21st January, as directed by the cricket body, after which a replacement would be sought. The development transpired in the second meeting between the two sides on 17th January.
Bangladesh’s Group C matches are scheduled to take place in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens next month. However, the BCB has frequently hinted that it might decline, claiming safety concerns and the political controversy brought on by the release of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL following the BCCI’s recommendation. The board has continued to refuse to visit India and demand to switch groups so that Bangladesh could play in Sri Lanka.
However, the plea to add Bangladesh to Group B and change places with Ireland, who play their group matches in Sri Lanka, was rejected by the ICC, which reportedly undertook independent risk assessments and concluded no security threat to the team in India. Hence, it ruled out shifting the matches at a late stage of planning.
The standoff has lasted for almost three weeks. The BCB first voiced the alleged concerns on 4th January. The international event is set to commence on 7th February in India and Sri Lanka. On the first day, Bangladesh will play the West Indies in Kolkata, where they will also play their next two games. Afterwards, they will have their final group encounter in Mumbai.
