The Bangladesh cricket team is left with no choice but to go to India for the T20 World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) plea to shift their encounters to Sri Lanka. If Bangladesh chooses not to participate, they might as well pull out from the tournament.
ICC Sticks to the Planned Timeline
- The ICC confirmed that all the games would be played at the designated times. The officials made it clear that there is no hint of danger to players, officials, or fans at any of the venues in India. Changing the dates, the ICC stressed, is not an option.
- The ruling was made during a video conference call board meeting on Wednesday. The ICC pointed out that moving matches might put the integrity of its tournaments at stake and nonappearance of the organization as a neutral party. Only Bangladesh and Pakistan backed the idea to move the matches.
Bangladesh Government Stance and ICC Ultimatum
- The ICC had given a deadline to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to let them know by Wednesday if the team was going to travel to India. Bangladesh Government Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul said that the team would not be going to India and they would not give in to ICC’s pressure.
- In case Bangladesh steps back, then ICC might let Scotland in instead. Besides, ICC may also impose sanctions on the BCB which may include financial penalties.
History of Security Problems
- The whole thing was initiated by the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh which brought about criticism from Indian fans. The issue was inflamed when the Bangladeshi paceman Mustafizur Rahman was barred from playing in the IPL. The BCB then applied to the ICC for moving their World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, citing security issues.
- The T20 World Cup that India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting is set to kick off on April 7.
Pakistan Offers Assistance
Pakistan supported Bangladesh's concerns about traveling to India. The Pakistan Cricket Board informed the ICC that it could host Bangladesh’s matches if relocation to Sri Lanka was not possible. Pakistan also voted in favor of Bangladesh at the ICC board meeting.
Uncertainty for Bangladesh Players
Bangladesh captain Litton Das expressed uncertainty about the team’s participation. He stated that players do not know which country they will travel to or who their group opponents are. Das noted that the team faces a state of uncertainty regarding the World Cup.
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