Dhaka, Jan 7: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday said the ICC has assured it is willing to work closely with Dhaka to address security concerns surrounding the national team’s participation in next month’s T20 World Cup in India, even though Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches out of India has not been accepted so far.
The tournament begins on February 7, with Bangladesh scheduled to play all four of their group-stage matches in Kolkata and Mumbai. In an official statement, the BCB said it had received a formal response from the ICC regarding its concerns over the “safety and security” of the team in India, including its plea to relocate the fixtures to co-host Sri Lanka.
According to the BCB, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the “full and uninterrupted participation” of the Bangladesh side in the event. It added that cricket’s global governing body has expressed its readiness to “work closely with the BCB” and has assured that Dhaka’s inputs will be “welcomed and duly considered” as part of detailed security planning for the World Cup.
Relations between the two boards have been strained after the BCCI directed franchises to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, a move that came without a clear public explanation but has been widely linked to escalating diplomatic tensions following a spate of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
The decision angered the BCB, which subsequently wrote to the ICC demanding that Bangladesh’s four World Cup fixtures in India be shifted to Sri Lanka. A scheduled meeting between the BCB and ICC on the issue could not take place on Tuesday, and the ICC is yet to issue a public statement specifically on the relocation request.
Despite this, the BCB said it will continue “constructive engagement” with the ICC and other relevant event authorities in a “cooperative and professional manner”, expressing confidence that an “affable and practical solution” would be found to ensure the team’s “smooth and successful” participation in the tournament.
Drawn in Group C, Bangladesh are slated to open their campaign against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata before taking on defending champions England, Italy and Nepal in subsequent group fixtures.
The BCB also firmly denied media reports suggesting that the ICC had issued an ultimatum requiring Bangladesh either to play as per the existing schedule or forfeit their matches. It stated such claims were “completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content” of the communication it has received from the ICC.
On the player front, Mustafizur Rahman, who was bought for ₹9.2 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders at last year’s IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, has since been picked up by the Pakistan Super League, even though the PSL players’ draft is yet to be formally held.
