Bangladesh's sports advisor reiterates stance on playing in India
What's the story
Asif Nazrul, the sports advisor to the Bangladesh government, has reiterated the country's position on participating in the ICC T20 World Cup in India. He dismissed rumors of Scotland replacing Bangladesh if they withdraw due to security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) recently met with ICC officials but failed to reach an agreement over the venue shift for their matches.
Venue negotiations
BCB's request to ICC and BCCI's response
The BCB has been requesting the ICC to change the team's T20 World Cup venues after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. This was amid ongoing political tensions between Bangladesh and India. However, the ICC has reportedly denied the same. Now, the ICC has set a deadline of January 21 to resolve this issue, as time is running out for potential replacements like Scotland.
Firm position
'We won't accept the conditions'
Nazrul was firm in his response to the ICC's pressure. He said, "If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose pressure on us by setting unreasonable conditions, we will not accept those conditions." He also cited past instances where Pakistan had refused to travel to India but got their venue changed by the ICC.
Justification
Request for venue change on logical grounds
Nazrul justified Bangladesh's request for a venue change, saying it was based on logical grounds. He said, "We cannot be pressurized to play in India by putting illogical pressure." Bangladesh are currently placed in Group C with Italy, England, West Indies, and Nepal in the 2026 T20 World Cup. They will play three group-stage matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and one at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.