The ICC will send a team of officials to Dhaka this weekend to hold face-to-face talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as uncertainty continues over Bangladesh’s participation in matches scheduled in India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The move comes after the BCB reiterated earlier this week that it is not willing to send the Bangladesh team to India, citing security concerns, even though India is one of the co-hosts of the tournament along with Sri Lanka.
Talks move offline as deadline nears
So far, discussions between the ICC and the BCB have taken place over video calls, but with the World Cup set to begin on February 7, both sides have agreed that in-person talks are now necessary.
During a virtual meeting on January 13, the BCB asked the ICC to consider moving Bangladesh’s group matches out of India. The ICC, however, made it clear that the original schedule would not be changed with the tournament less than a month away.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play all their Group C matches in India, including the opening-day fixture against West Indies in Kolkata.
Security report shared with Bangladesh
As part of the discussions, the ICC has shared a security risk assessment prepared by an independent agency. The report states that while the overall threat level in India is placed in the moderate-to-high category, there is no specific or direct threat identified against any of the teams, including Bangladesh.
According to the assessment, some venues carry low to moderate risks, while others are rated low to nil — classifications that the ICC says are standard for major international tournaments and do not usually lead to matches being moved.
The report has also been reviewed by the BCB’s security team, but it has not resulted in a change of stance so far.
How the situation escalated
The issue escalated earlier this month when the BCB wrote to the ICC on January 4, saying it would not be safe for Bangladesh to travel to India for the World Cup. This followed the BCCI’s decision to allow Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, a move that was not publicly explained.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained in recent months, and that has played a role in the current situation.
Bangladesh’s sports advisor has also said publicly that the team would prefer to play its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, if a change becomes possible.
ICC under pressure as opening day looms
With Bangladesh scheduled to play on the opening day of the tournament, the standoff puts pressure on the ICC to find a solution quickly. Any late change would affect scheduling and logistics, but for now the ICC remains firm on sticking to the original plan.
Whether the meetings in Dhaka can break the deadlock remains unclear, but time is clearly running out as the start of the T20 World Cup draws closer.
