The International Cricket Council has formally dismissed Bangladesh’s appeal to relocate their Twenty20 World Cup matches from India, creating a diplomatic standoff just weeks before the tournament’s February 7 commencement. Despite expressing grave concerns about player and fan safety amid heightened political tensions between the South Asian neighbors, the Bangladesh Cricket Board saw its proposal to shift matches to Sri Lanka rejected by cricket’s global governing body.
BCB President Aminul Islam revealed the board will make a final appeal to Bangladesh’s interim government before determining their participation fate. ‘I requested the ICC board for additional time to consult my government one last time,’ Islam stated following the decision. ‘They acknowledged this as a valid concern and granted me 24 to 48 hours to respond.’
The president maintained that India remains ‘not secure for us’ despite the ICC’s security assurances, emphasizing that Bangladesh’s preference to compete in Sri Lanka remains unchanged. This diplomatic impasse stems from deteriorating political relations that recently spilled into cricket when Bangladeshi pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman was unexpectedly dropped from the Indian Premier League after signing with Kolkata’s franchise.
Bangladesh retaliated by banning IPL broadcasts domestically and initiating the World Cup venue change request. With the ICC maintaining its position, Bangladesh now faces the critical choice of either participating under current arrangements or potentially being replaced by another team in the global tournament. Islam acknowledged the players’ strong desire to compete, stating ‘Bangladesh players want to play the World Cup,’ while simultaneously expressing hope for ‘a miracle from the ICC’ regarding venue security concerns.