ICC delegation to hold final talks with BCB on Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation

The ongoing discussions surrounding Bangladesh’s request to change the venue of their T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka have taken a significant step forward. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to send a delegation to Bangladesh for in-person talks ahead of the tournament, which is scheduled to start on February 7.

According to ICC sources, the delegation will travel to Bangladesh in the coming days for a final face-to-face meeting with officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). A decision regarding the matter is expected to be announced after these discussions. Previous attempts to resolve the issue through emails and virtual meetings have failed to produce a breakthrough, leaving the situation at a standstill.

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“An ICC delegation will travel to Bangladesh in a few days for a final one-on-one meeting with BCB officials regarding the T20 World Cup, and a decision will be announced after it,” ICC sources said.

The issue arose after the BCB cited security concerns for its players travelling to India for World Cup matches. This followed recent developments involving the BCCI asking the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman. Tensions between the two nations heightened after reports of attacks and assaults on members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s interim government Youth and Sports Adviser, Asif Nazrul, also confirmed the ICC’s planned visit. Speaking to the media at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Nazrul said, “According to the latest updates, Mr Aminul Islam informed me that an ICC team is likely to come to Bangladesh for discussions. There is no chance of us changing our stance. We are eager to play in the World Cup, particularly in Sri Lanka, and I strongly believe that organising this is not impossible,” as quoted by The Daily Star.

Earlier, during a video conference between the ICC and the BCB, the Bangladesh board formally requested a change in venue for their matches. The ICC, however, maintained that there were no security concerns and pointed out that the tournament schedule had already been finalised, urging the BCB to reconsider its position. Despite this, the BCB remained firm, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions in search of a possible resolution.

As per the existing schedule, Bangladesh is set to play three matches in India, against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 in Kolkata, before travelling to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17.