Bangladesh has been given 24 hours to confirm their participation, otherwise Scotland will take their place.
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday rejected Bangladesh's request to move its Twenty20 World Cup matches outside India, casting doubt on their participation in the tournament, which begins next month.
The Twenty20 World Cup begins in India and Sri Lanka on February 7. Bangladesh is scheduled to play its four group stage matches in Kolkata and Mumbai. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has consistently refused to play in India, citing security reasons. Bangladesh had only said on Tuesday that there was no change in its stance.
The ICC said in a statement on Wednesday, “An independent security agency has also reported that there is no threat to the Bangladesh cricket team in India, therefore the ICC will not shift the match.” The dispute between the two countries escalated after the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders removed Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their team on January 3, on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Bangladesh then said that it was unable to play in India, citing security reasons. The majority of the ICC meeting held via video conference on Wednesday said that if Bangladesh does not play, another team will be arranged in its place. Only Pakistan supported Bangladesh, while others present at the board meeting virtually emphasized that Bangladesh should be considered as an alternative.
The ICC meeting said that the decision was taken based on a report from the security mechanism that there would be no security threat to the Bangladesh cricket team, media personnel, officials and fans while playing in India.
Bangladesh has been given 1 day to reconsider its decision. Otherwise, Scotland can take Bangladesh's place based on its higher ranking. Scotland failed to qualify for the Twenty20 World Cup after falling behind the Netherlands and Italy in the European qualifiers. Bangladesh had requested that its matches be moved from India to Sri Lanka. According to AFP's Colombo source, no request has been received so far to play Bangladesh's matches there.
Bangladesh has not yet responded to the ICC's latest decision. The ICC has said that it has adopted flexibility for Bangladesh's participation in the World Cup. But so far, the ICC has not received any positive response from Bangladesh.
In 2024, a mass movement in Dhaka ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She has since taken refuge in India. Since then, India has objected to the ongoing movement in Bangladesh, saying that minorities have been systematically suppressed. General elections are also scheduled to be held in Bangladesh during the World Cup. Bangladesh hosted the 2014 Twenty20 World Cup.
