The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday turned down the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, stating that the fixtures will go ahead as scheduled as there is no credible threat to the safety of Bangladesh players, officials or fans at any venue in India.The decision was taken during an ICC Board meeting held via video conference, which was called after the BCB raised concerns and formally sought a venue change for its matches.
What ICC said
“The ICC Board noted that relocating matches under the present circumstances could jeopardise the sanctity of ICC events and undermine the organisation’s neutrality as a global governing body,” the ICC said in a statement.The ICC said the Board examined several security assessments, including independent evaluations, all of which concluded that there was no credible threat to Bangladesh players.14 of the 16 Board members voted against the BCB’s request to relocate the matches, news agency PTI reported, quoting sources. The ICC has given the BCB one more day to review its position and communicate a final decision.“Of all the members, only BCB and Pakistan voted in favour of the relocation request while all other voted against it. Bangladesh was given time till January 21 to confirm its participation but they have been given one more day by the ICC Board to state their position,” an ICC source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.The ICC also said that changing the schedule at this stage was not possible and that altering fixtures without a verified security risk could set what it called an “undesirable precedent” for future global tournaments.“In the absence of any independent security findings that materially compromise the safety of the Bangladesh team, the ICC is unable to relocate fixtures. Doing so would carry significant logistical and scheduling consequences for other teams and fans worldwide, and would also create far-reaching precedent-related challenges that risk undermining the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of ICC governance,” ICC spokesperson said in a statement.According to the ICC, its management has held multiple meetings and exchanged correspondence with the BCB over recent weeks, sharing detailed information on security arrangements for the tournament.These discussions included venue-specific security plans and assurances of protection involving both federal and state law enforcement agencies.An ICC spokesperson said the governing body had been engaged in “sustained and constructive dialogue” with the BCB to ensure Bangladesh’s participation in the event.“Independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from host authorities consistently concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India,” the spokesperson said.The ICC, however, said it was concerned that the BCB continued to link its participation to what it described as a “single, isolated and unrelated development” involving one of its players’ involvement in a domestic league, which the ICC said had no connection to the tournament’s security framework.The Board reiterated that decisions related to venues and scheduling are based on threat assessments, host assurances and agreed participation terms, which apply equally to all 20 teams in the tournament.“In the absence of any independent security findings that materially compromise safety, the ICC is unable to relocate fixtures. Doing so would carry significant logistical and scheduling consequences for other teams and fans worldwide, and would also create far-reaching precedent-related challenges that risk undermining the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of ICC governance,” the spokesperson said.On Tuesday, Bangladesh government’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul reiterated that the national team would not travel to India under any circumstances.If Bangladesh decides to withdraw from the tournament, Scotland is likely to replace them based on current rankings.The dispute began after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League following instructions from the BCCI, citing unspecified “developments all around”.Citing “security concerns”, the BCB then announced that the Bangladesh team would not travel to India for its group-stage matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.The BCB has sought to play all four of its group matches in Sri Lanka, where the India–Pakistan match will also be held under an agreed ICC arrangement in place until 2027.Bangladesh are placed in Group C alongside West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal.During its last meeting with ICC officials in Dhaka, the BCB proposed swapping places with Ireland in Group B, which includes co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman and Zimbabwe.Such a change would allow Bangladesh to remain based in Sri Lanka for all its group-stage matches.Relations between India and Bangladesh have worsened in recent months, with tensions rising following the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh.Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal and current Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto have both urged caution on the issue. Tamim has said that decisions taken now could have consequences a decade later
