Dhaka, Jan 17 (PTI) The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday asked the ICC to swap its national team with Ireland in Group C during the upcoming T20 World Cup in order to play in Sri Lanka instead of India.
Bangladesh are currently placed in Group C along with the West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal and are scheduled to play their matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.
Ireland are in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman and Zimbabwe and their matches are scheduled in Colombo and Pallekele.
The two-member ICC team, consisting of Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, and Andrew Ephgrave, General Manager, Integrity Unit, was in Dhaka to convince BCB about the security arrangements in India and to follow the original schedule.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today held a meeting with representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss matters relating to Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” said the BCB in a release after the meeting with ICC delegates.
Ephgrave attended the meeting in person but Saxena joined virtually after he failed to secure a Bangladesh visa in time.
“During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government’s views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders,” the BCB added.
From the BCB’s side, President Mohammad Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Md Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, Director and Chairman of Cricket Operations Committee Nazmul Abedeen and Chief Executive Officer Nizam Uddin Chowdhury attended the meeting.
However, it is learnt that the ICC is reluctant to accept Bangladesh’s demand, considering the logical constraints and the enormous changes to the itinerary to be made deep into the tournament.
Bangladesh has been asking the global governing body to relocate its World Cup matches, scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai, on the pretext of a perceived security threat to its players.
The BCB raised this demand after national team pacer Mustafizur Rahman was abruptly delinked from his IPL contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders following a BCCI directive.
The BCB indicated that more dialogue will follow soon to find an amicable solution to the impasse.
“The discussions were conducted in a constructive, cordial and professional manner, with all parties engaging openly on the relevant issues.
“Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed. The BCB and the ICC have agreed to continue engaging in constructive dialogue on this matter,” it noted. PTI UNG PDS PDS
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