Bangladesh-India T20 World Cup dispute unresolved as ICC deadline looms

Bangladeshi authoritative says his state volition not backmost down nether unit arsenic squad skipper Litton Das voices concerns implicit his team’s participation.

A apical athletics authoritative has formed doubts implicit Bangladesh’s information successful the T20 World Cup, saying his state volition not backmost down to “unreasonable coercion” and play their matches successful India contempt information concerns.

“We person logically requested a change of venue for valid reasons,” Asif Nazrul, younker and sports advisor successful the Bangladesh interim government, told the state-run BSS quality bureau precocious connected Tuesday.

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“We cannot beryllium forced to play successful India done illogical unit oregon unreasonable coercion.”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has refused to play its 4 group-stage fixtures successful India, citing information and information concerns for its players, and asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the fixtures to co-hosts Sri Lanka for the upcoming tournament.

With cricket’s governing assemblage expected to regularisation connected the impasse imminently, an authoritative from the Bangladeshi authorities stated that they would not beryllium pressured into changing their stance.

The past circular of talks betwixt the BCB and the ICC failed to scope immoderate woody to extremity the impasse, amid reports that Bangladesh had been told to hold to play successful India by Wednesday oregon hazard being kicked retired of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly enactment its value down Bangladesh’s refusal to question to India and has written to the ICC to see the ongoing governmental turmoil successful the portion earlier reaching a conclusion.

“The PCB wrote to the [ICC’s] governing assemblage stating that it supports the BCB’s stance connected not wanting to play successful India astatine a clip of governmental turmoil successful the neighbourhood,” a study connected ESPNcricinfo said.

Earlier successful the week, Pakistani media had speculated that the PCB mightiness see pulling retired of the tourney should Bangladesh beryllium ousted from the World Cup.

The T20 World Cup begins successful a small much than 2 weeks, connected February 7, with Bangladesh’s 4 radical matches to beryllium played successful Kolkata and Mumbai.

Bangladesh past faced India during the Asia Cup 2025 successful Dubai [File: Raghed Waked/Reuters]

‘Whole of Bangladesh is uncertain’

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das said helium had nary thought if the squad would instrumentality part.

“From wherever I stand, I’m uncertain, everyone is uncertain,” Das told reporters aft a home cricket lucifer connected Tuesday, asking: “Are you definite we volition play the World Cup?

“I deliberation astatine this moment, the full of Bangladesh is uncertain,” helium added successful comments reported by Dhaka’s Prothom Alo newspaper.

One proposition is that Bangladesh could beryllium replaced by Scotland, the highest-ranked squad that did not suffice for the World Cup.

The BBC reported that Cricket Scotland had not been contacted by the ICC, but were acceptable to instrumentality portion should they get a precocious call-up.

The quality betwixt Bangladesh and India erupted connected January 3, pursuing apical Bangladeshi accelerated bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s abrupt removal from the Indian Premier League (IPL) upon instructions from the BCCI owed to the ongoing governmental tensions betwixt the 2 nations.

Diplomatic relations betwixt the once-close allies person been sharply tested since August past year, erstwhile erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi from Dhaka aft an uprising against her rule.

Bangladesh blames India for a fig of its troubles, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s enactment for Hasina erstwhile she was successful power.

During the World Cup, Bangladesh volition clasp its archetypal elections since Hasina’s ousting.