By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Wednesday that it was engaged in discussions with the International Cricket Council to find a “practical” resolution to its request to relocate the country’s group-stage matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup out of India, citing heightened security concerns amid strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The announcement came days after Indian cricket authorities compelled a Bangladeshi fast bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, to withdraw from the Indian Premier League, a move that has fueled tensions and prompted Dhaka to push for the games to be moved to Sri Lanka, the tournament’s co-host.
The World Cup is set to begin on Feb. 7, with Bangladesh scheduled to play its four group matches in India: three in Kolkata against the West Indies on Feb. 7, Italy on Feb. 9 and England on Feb. 14, followed by a final group game against Nepal in Mumbai on Feb. 17. Bangladesh is in Group C.
Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, a senior official with the Bangladesh Cricket Board said the talks were ongoing with the ICC “regarding security issues.” In a statement issued Wednesday, the board said it had received a response from the ICC following a call the previous evening to discuss the concerns and the potential relocation of fixtures. “The ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament,” the statement said. “The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board’s inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event.”
The board added that it would “continue constructive engagement with the ICC and relevant event authorities in a cooperative and professional manner to arrive at an affable and practical solution that ensures the smooth and successful participation of the team.” It said its commitment to “placing the highest priority on the safety, security and well-being of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team.”
The ICC has not commented publicly on the matter. The dispute stems from the abrupt release of Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL franchise that had acquired him at auction in December for more than $1 million. The Board of Control for Cricket in India advised the team to let him go, citing “recent developments,” without elaborating publicly.
Political ties between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated since a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 ousted Sheikh Hasina, the longtime prime minister and a close ally of New Delhi. India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it described as “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s interim leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.
On Tuesday, ESPNcricinfo reported that the ICC had rejected the BCB’s request to shift the matches and warned that Bangladesh would forfeit points if it refused to play in India — a penalty that would effectively eliminate the team from the tournament, with no replacement side brought in. The BCB forcefully denied those claims in its statement, calling them “completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC”
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