Bangladesh has firmly maintained its decision not to play its matches in India during the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, even after the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that the tournament will go ahead as scheduled.
Bangladesh Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said there was ‘no scope’ for reconsideration, asserting that the ICC had failed to adequately address the country’s security concerns.
Speaking after a meeting with Bangladesh cricketers and officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in Dhaka, Nazrul expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ICC’s handling of the issue.
He said Bangladesh had proposed playing their matches in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model, but the global body issued a 24-hour ultimatum instead.
“A global body cannot really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million viewers. It will be their loss,” he remarked.
Bangladesh had earlier informed the ICC that it would not travel to India due to security concerns arising from deteriorating bilateral relations and what Nazrul described as a ‘real incident’ that triggered apprehensions.
The ICC reiterated on Wednesday that it would keep the World Cup schedule unchanged, stating that making changes so close to the tournament was not feasible.
The Board warned that altering fixtures without a credible security threat could set a harmful precedent and undermine the neutrality of future ICC events.
Rejecting the ICC’s stance, Nazrul said Bangladesh’s concerns were genuine and dismissed the description of Sri Lanka as a co-host, calling the proposal a hybrid model.
The standoff has added uncertainty to the build-up of the tournament, raising questions over participation and governance in international cricket.
Also Read: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh Board To Take 48 Hours Before Confirming Participation
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