- Bangladesh refused to play their matches in India.
- They cite security concerns after a deterioration in political relations.
- The ICC says there is no credible security threat.
NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches in next month’s T20 World Cup outside India, the governing body said on Wednesday.
Bangladesh refused to play its matches in India, citing security concerns over tense political relations between the neighbors, and demanded to play them in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament.
“The decision was taken after taking into account all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated that there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said in a statement after a board meeting.
“The ICC Board noted that it was not possible to make changes so close to the tournament and that changing the schedule in these circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardize the sanctity of future ICC events…”
The ICC said the board leadership has also engaged in a series of “correspondences and meetings” with the Bangladesh Cricket Board in a bid to break the impasse, sharing detailed information on the security plan for the event, including support from federal and state law enforcement agencies.
An ICC spokesperson said: “Over the past few weeks, the ICC has engaged in sustained and constructive dialogue with the BCB, with the clear objective of enabling Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament. »
“During this period, the ICC has shared detailed inputs, including independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from host authorities, all of which consistently concluded that there was no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.
“The ICC remains committed to acting in good faith, upholding consistent standards and safeguarding the collective interests of world football.”
