PCB backs Bangladesh's T20 World Cup stance amid political tensions
What's the story
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has supported the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request to relocate its matches from India to Sri Lanka. The PCB wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC), expressing solidarity with BCB's position amid ongoing political unrest in the region, as per ESPNcricinfo. The ICC is set to hold a board meeting on Wednesday, where this issue will be discussed.
ICC's position
ICC's stance on Bangladesh's matches remains unchanged
Despite the PCB's recent correspondence, the ICC is unlikely to change its position. The governing body has been firm on the World Cup schedule, which implies that matches must go ahead as planned in India. This was reiterated during last week's interactions between BCB and ICC representatives.
BCB's stance
BCB's refusal to travel to India for group-stage games
The BCB, with support from the Bangladesh government, has refused to travel to India for its group-stage games. The ICC and the BCB have met several times on this issue but neither side has changed its position. The deadline for a decision was set as January 21, less than three weeks before the tournament starts.
PCB's role
PCB's involvement amid speculation of alternative arrangements
The PCB's late involvement comes amid speculation about possible solutions to the impasse. Unverified reports had suggested that the PCB had offered to host Bangladesh's games in Pakistan and was even considering its own participation in the World Cup, depending on how things unfold with Bangladesh. However, these claims remain unconfirmed as the PCB has not publicly commented on this matter.
Impact on cricket
Tensions between Bangladesh and India affect cricket
The current tensions stem from the BCCI's order to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to drop Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. The exact reasons remain unclear, but deteriorating political relations between Bangladesh and India are believed to be a factor. This prompted the Bangladesh government to officially announce that its team would not play matches in India.