ICC to send a delegation to Bangladesh amid T20 WC venue change row

Dhaka: In a bid to resolve the ongoing impasse over Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to send a delegation to Bangladesh for in-person discussions ahead of the tournament scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

ICC sources have confirmed to IANS that the delegation will travel in a few days for a final one-on-one meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board officials regarding the T20 World Cup, and a decision will be announced after it. The ICC’s visit is seen as a crucial step, as previous attempts to resolve the issue via email and virtual meetings failed to yield any breakthrough.

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

The development comes after the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the sports ministry took a strong stand on not playing any matches in India, following the BCCI asking IPL franchise KKR to remove Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rehman from the squad.

Bangladesh’s interim government Youth and Sports Adviser, Asif Nazrul, also informed the media about the visit. Speaking 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,” the sports adviser said, as quoted by The Daily Star.

The ICC previously held a video conference with the BCB. The meeting focused on Bangladesh’s participation in the global tournament, with the BCB once again requesting that its matches be relocated outside India. While the ICC pointed out that the tournament schedule has already been finalised and urged the BCB to reconsider its position, the Bangladesh Cricket Board remained firm. Both sides agreed to continue discussions to find a possible resolution.

Bangladesh are scheduled to play three games in India – against the West Indies (February 7), against Italy (February 9), and against England (February 14) in Kolkata – before moving to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17.

IANS