BCB dismisses media reports over T20 World Cup travel
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday dismissed an ESPNcricinfo report claiming that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had rejected Bangladesh's request to shift its T20 World Cup matches out of India due to security concerns.
An ESPNcricinfo story had reported that the ICC informed the BCB, through a virtual meeting, that Bangladesh would have to travel to India for the upcoming men's T20 World Cup or risk forfeiting points. However, a top BCB official refuted that claim, saying the report was inaccurate and misleading.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "The ICC responded to our mail last night. The news published by ESPNcricinfo isn't right. There was no conference call. They sent us an email and raised some queries. We will issue a media release shortly," the official told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.
He added that the ICC communication did not contain any ultimatum. "No kind of ultimate issue was mentioned in the email," he said.
The BCB later issued a media release, detailing what the ICC communicated to the BCB.
"In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board's inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event," it read.
This was the first formal response from the ICC since Bangladesh requested on Sunday that its T20 World Cup matches be relocated from India, citing security concerns. According to sources, The ICC reportedly asked the BCB to clarify and elaborate on the specific nature of those concerns and to respond in writing.
The issue has emerged against the backdrop of heightened tension surrounding Bangladesh's cricketing engagements in India. Earlier, the Bangladesh camp was unsettled after left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bangladesh, in its aftermath, decided not to send the team to India for the World Cup, scheduled to start from February 7, and banned all broadcast of the Indian Premier League in the territory.
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