ICC turns down Bangladesh request to move T20 World Cup matches from India
Cricket
The ICC informed the BCB during a virtual meeting that their request to move their matches outside India “on security concerns” had been rejected, ESPNcricinfo reported
DUBAI (Dunya News) – The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to move T20 World Cup matches from India.
The ICC informed the BCB during a virtual meeting that their request to move their matches outside India “on security concerns” had been rejected, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Bangladesh sought on Sunday to move their Twenty20 World Cup matches out of India after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League team amid growing tensions between the countries.
Last month, a protest was held near Bangladesh's High Commission in New Delhi after a Hindu factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was beaten and set on fire in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district by a crowd that accused him of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
Bangladesh had demanded the relocation of matches on the grounds of security threats in India. In this regard, just a day earlier, BCB director Asif Akbar had clearly stated that his team would not go to India under any circumstances to play the T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, a private TV channel, citing sources within Bangladesh cricket, reported that no formal ultimatum has been received from the ICC.
However, the ICC has reportedly conveyed to the BCB that Bangladesh would be required to travel to India for the tournament or risk losing points.
Bangladesh, drawn in Group C, are set to play their three fixtures in Kolkata – against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 –and move to Mumbai for last group match against Nepal on February 17.
