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

Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup has been in doubt by a top sports official, who claimed that despite security concerns, his nation would not resort to “unreasonable coercion” and play matches there.

Late on Tuesday, Asif Nazrul, a youth and sports adviser in the interim Bangladesh government, told the state-run BSS news agency, “We have logically requested a change of venue for valid reasons.”

“We cannot be made to play in India under illogical or unreasonable coercion,” he said.

In response to safety and security concerns raised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the group of events to Sri Lanka to co-host the upcoming tournament, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has requested that the Bangladesh Cricket Board play its four group-stage games in India.

A Bangladeshi government official stated that they would not be subjected to pressure to alter their position as cricket’s governing body is expected to soon rule on the impasse.

According to reports that Bangladesh had been told to play in India by Wednesday or face being kicked out of the tournament, the BCB and the ICC’s final round of negotiations failed to reach a resolution to the conflict.

Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India has reportedly received Pakistan’s support from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the region’s ongoing political unrest needs to be addressed in a letter to the ICC.

In a report on ESPNcricinfo, the PCB wrote to the governing body to say that it supports the BCB’s position that it does not want to play in India in a region of political unrest.

Pakistani media had earlier made rumors earlier this week that the PCB might consider resuming its participation in the World Cup in the event that Bangladesh is expelled.

On February 7, Bangladesh’s four group matches will be played in Kolkata and Mumbai, which will be the T20 World Cup’s opening match.

Bangladesh’s entire future is uncertain.

Litton Das, the captain of Bangladesh, said he had no idea when the team would participate.

After a domestic cricket match on Tuesday, Das said, “From where I stand, everyone is uncertain,” adding, “Are you certain we will play the World Cup?”

In comments made by Dhaka’s Prothom Alo newspaper, he continued, “I think the entire of Bangladesh is uncertain at this time.”

Bangladesh, the highest-ranked team that did not qualify for the World Cup, might make a similar suggestion.

According to the BBC, Cricket Scotland were prepared to participate if the ICC called them late, but had not been contacted by them.

Due to the ongoing political unrest between Bangladesh and India, Mustafizur Rahman, a top Bangladeshi fast bowler, abruptly resigned from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on orders from the BCCI, prompting the onset of the conflict on January 3.

Since August last year, when former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi from Dhaka after an uprising against her rule, diplomatic relations between the once-close allies have been severely hampered.

India is at fault for a number of its problems, including Hasina’s support for the country’s prime minister when she was in power.