With just a month left for the ICC T20 World Cup, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s sudden demand to shift its scheduled matches out of India has posed several logistical challenges for the ICC and it has urged the BCB to reconsider its decision.
Following some political and social conflicts in the country, following BCCI’s controversial decision to issue instructions to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the IPL season, the BCB, in response, decided not to travel to India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
They formally sought to change the venue from India to Sri Lanka for their matches in the upcoming tournament citing safety concerns for their players, team management, media persons and their spectators in India.
ICC refuses to let BCB shift venue with just a month left for ICC T20 World Cup
The ICC has held several meetings with BCCI and BCB officials in both Mumbai and Dubai after receiving a formal request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board for the change of venues.
With just a month left for the ICC T20 World Cup, the ICC will face a huge logistical challenge if Bangladesh’s games are shifted from their starting venues in India to Sri Lanka. Therefore, the ICC has asked the BCB to reconsider their decision, and under such clauses, they are ready to make minor changes as well as promise top-level security if they agree to play their games in India.
However, as per The Telegraph report, BCB will come back only after discussing with its government. However, ICC is preparing Plan B to deal with any situation.
During its meetings in Mumbai and Dubai, ICC has already made several efforts to resolve the issues between the two boards BCCI and BCB. If the Bangladesh Cricket Board does not agree to their terms, one way out is for the ICC to act as a mediator between the two boards who are currently at loggerheads.
To ensure security development in India, ICC may refer Bangladesh team to ICC ODI World Cup 2023. In the tournament three years ago, Pakistan, despite its political tensions with India, traveled to the country and played a healthy tournament without any controversies.
They have been placed in the same group with England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy and have to play three of their four matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and only one match in Mumbai.
“ICC will try to convince Bangladesh to play in India”
The ICC events team is well aware that if Bangladesh progresses to the next stage, the schedule change will impact not only the group stage games but also the next Super-8 stage. Ticket sales are also live and the strictness of Bangladesh will make the situation very complicated.
“The ICC will try to convince Bangladesh to play in India. It is not just about the two teams, it also involves spectators and fans, broadcasters and traveling media,” The Telegraph quoted a veteran ICC administrator as saying.
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