Defy ICC ultimatum
\nSports Adviser Asif Nazrul says they \u2018cannot be forced to play in India\u2019
\n Dhaka
\nThe Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reaffirmed its decision not to tour India for next month\u2019s Twenty20 World Cup, with its chief Aminul Islam announcing on Thursday that it would again request the International Cricket Council (ICC) allow the team to play in Sri Lanka instead.
\nThe ICC board has dismissed Bangladesh\u2019s concerns regarding the safety of its players and fans in India, despite persistent political tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.
\nFollowing a meeting on Thursday between the BCB\u2019s top officials, players and the sports adviser of Bangladesh\u2019s interim government, the board maintained its stance despite the risk of being replaced by another team in the tournament set to begin on February 7.
\n\u201cWe will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka,\u201d Islam said at a press conference.
\n\u201cThey did give us a 24-hour ultimatum but a global body can\u2019t really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup (if Bangladesh is axed). It will be their loss.\u201d Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh \u201ccannot be forced to play in India\u201d, underlining the government\u2019s refusal to bow to what it described as \u201cunreasonable coercion\u201d.
\nHe said the decision not to tour India was taken by the interim government. \u201cWe are hopeful that ICC will give us the opportunity to play in Sri Lanka,\u201d Nazrul added.
\nPolitical relations between India and Bangladesh have recently deteriorated, impacting cricket too.
\nBangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this year\u2019s Indian Premier League (IPL) despite signing with its Kolkata franchise. Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
\nAfter an emergency ICC board meeting on Wednesday, cricket\u2019s global governing body ruled out any security issue in India for players and fans from Bangladesh. It also ruled out altering the schedule so close to the tournament, saying it would set a bad precedent.
\nPolitical tensions have added fuel to the crisis. India-Bangladesh relations have deteriorated since the 2024 mass uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. Bangladesh is also due to hold its first elections since that upheaval during the World Cup period, further complicating matters.
\nBangladesh captain Litton Das admitted uncertainty over participation. \u201cEveryone is uncertain,\u201d he said, reflecting widespread confusion within the team and the country.
\nWith Sri Lanka not formally contacted about hosting Bangladesh\u2019s matches, the ICC has indicated that Scotland, the highest-ranked non-qualified team, could replace Bangladesh if they withdraw.
\nFor now, the Bangladesh T20 World Cup boycott remains one of the most serious crises the tournament has faced, blending sport, politics and diplomacy into a volatile mix.
\nPakistan will play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka in keeping with their policy of not touring India over fraught political tensions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Defy ICC ultimatum Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul says they \u2018cannot be forced to play in India\u2019 Dhaka The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reaffirmed its decision not to tour India for next month\u2019s Twenty20 World Cup, with its chief Aminul Islam announcing on Thursday that it would again request the International Cricket Council (ICC) allow […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-527197","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n