"ICC Not Fair, India Failed To Prove Assurance": Bangladesh On T20 World Cup Withdrawal
Bangladesh will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup after the ICC rejected their request.
Bangladesh will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup, starting February 7, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected their request to shift their matches to a neutral venue. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was served an ultimatum by the ICC: either agree to travel to India or risk being replaced. The global cricket body, in an official statement, also played down security concerns raised by Bangladesh, suggesting that there is no credible threat to its players, officials, or fans in India.
On Thursday, Bangladesh's Youth and Sports Adviser, Asif Nazrul, reacted to the ICC's verdict, calling it "unacceptable" and "unfair."
"We believe the ICC has not been fair to us, yet we remain hopeful that they will eventually do what is right. We urge the ICC to restore our right to compete by relocating the tournament to Sri Lanka. There are numerous precedents for shifting venues due to security concerns; this is a genuine risk, and we have not given up hope," Nazrul said during a press conference on Thursday.
Nazrul met with Bangladesh players on Thursday before the BCB eventually decided that it would not send the national team to India for the tournament, which is co-hosted by Sri Lanka.
Speaking further on Bangladesh's decision to withdraw, Nazrul claimed that the Indian government failed to provide the necessary assurances regarding the security of their players and fans.
"The Indian government has failed to provide the necessary assurances, offer an apology for the Mustafizur incident, or demonstrate a commitment to making amends. There has been no meaningful outreach from their side to convince us that our athletes, journalists, and fans will be protected. Consequently, there is no scope to change our decision," he added.
Scotland is next in line, based on team rankings, to join the tournament if Bangladesh and the ICC are unable to reach a common ground.
Bangladesh Cricket Team
India Cricket Team