ICC rejects Bangladesh's request to shift T20 World Cup venue outside India
PTC News Desk: The International Cricket Council has rejected Bangladesh Cricket Boards's request to shift its T20 World Cup venue outside India. The council conveyed the message during a virtual meeting between the two bodies with ICC explicitly asserting that no assessment indicating actionable security inputs have been received to support Bangladesh's concerns.
The global body also made it clear that Bangladesh cricket team will have to travel to India for the tournament or risk forfeiting points.
The dispute has grown after tensions between the BCCI and the Bangladesh Cricket Board increased sharply following the release of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. The BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to cancel Mustafizur’s contract, citing “developments all around,” a decision that came amid political outrage in India over alleged violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
In response, the BCB held an emergency meeting to review the situation and then wrote to the ICC, raising concerns about the safety of its players if they were required to travel to India for the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh also highlighted previous instances, with BCB director Faruque Ahmed pointing to Pakistan’s participation under a hybrid model for ICC events as an example supporting their request. As events escalated, Bangladesh further reacted by banning the broadcast of the upcoming IPL season within the country. Faruque Ahmed told India Today that politics had deeply influenced the crisis, with cricket matters becoming mixed with broader political issues.
Meanwhile, Mustafizur quickly moved forward by signing with the Pakistan Super League after leaving the IPL. Although the ICC appears reluctant to make sudden changes to the World Cup schedule, the absence of clear communication means uncertainty remains, as the BCB has not yet officially announced its next steps.
- With inputs from agencies
