- Bangladesh have refused to play their matches in India.
- They cite security concerns after deteriorating political relations.
- The ICC says there is no credible security threat.
NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh’s demand to shift their matches at next month’s T20 World Cup away from India, the governing body said on Wednesday.
Bangladesh have refused to play their matches in India, citing security concerns after deteriorating political relations between the neighbours, and demanded to play them in Sri Lanka, which is hosting the tournament instead.
“The decision was taken after considering all security assessments undertaken, including independent reviews, all of which indicated that there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, 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 the 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’s leadership also engaged in a series of “correspondences and meetings” with the Bangladesh Cricket Board in an attempt to resolve the impasse, and shared details of the event’s security plan, including tiered federal and state law enforcement support.
An ICC spokesman said: “Over the past several weeks, the ICC has engaged with the BCB in an ongoing and constructive dialogue 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 the host authorities, all of which have consistently concluded that there is 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, maintaining consistent standards and protecting the collective interests of the global game.”
