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Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam said on Wednesday that he had requested the ICC for one final opportunity to determine whether Bangladesh can still take part in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
The ICC, however, has already rejected Bangladesh’s plea to relocate their matches, with all but two board members voting against the request. Even a last-minute show of solidarity from the Pakistan Cricket Board failed to make any impact on the all-powerful ICC Board.
The ICC has since issued a final deadline — effectively an ultimatum — to Bangladesh, who have remained firm in their demand for a venue shift. The BCB have been given 24 hours to confirm whether they will travel to India for the February 7–March 8 tournament, failing which they will be replaced by another team.
The BCB are now set to return to their government, which has so far been unwilling to change its stance on participation in India due to security concerns. A final call is expected within the next few hours, with Scotland tipped to replace Bangladesh in Group C should they fail to comply with the deadline.
“We asked them to shift the matches to Sri Lanka. We said that we can switch with Ireland or Zimbabwe. It would have been the easiest way,” Aminul told reporters.
“But Sri Lanka said they don’t want a new team in their group. After the vote, I told them that I want one last chance to speak to my government. They said it’s a valid point and gave me 24 or 48 hours to get back to them.”
“I don’t want to put pressure on the government. We know that India is not secure for us. We remain in our stance that we want to play in Sri Lanka. I know the ICC denied us, but we will talk to the government one more time. I will convey the government’s feedback to the ICC,” he said.
“A government doesn’t only consider the players; they consider everything when taking a decision,” he added.
Another BCB official insisted that the ICC could still have a change of heart, adding that the two sides have exchanged at least 15–20 emails and held three calls in an effort to resolve the issue. Over the weekend, BCB officials also met ICC representatives in Dhaka, but no agreement was reached.
The impasse deepened after the BCB asked the ICC to reconsider Bangladesh’s venues following the BCCI’s directive to IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman amid prevailing political tensions between the two countries.
Bangladesh had also explored the option of swapping groups, but Ireland were unwilling to agree to such a proposal.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/sports/1f0f7638-6cb2-6a90-97d7-2bb51242400e