BCB seeks group swap in meeting with ICC

A possible group change for Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup was discussed during a meeting between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday.

According to a BCB official, who was among the attendees at the meeting, the proposal of group swapping came from the BCB so that the ICC can facilitate the matter with minimum logistical adjustments as the tournament is set to start in just three weeks’ time.

Bangladesh are currently placed in Group C of the tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7, where they are set to face England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy. According to the current fixture, all of Bangladesh’s group matches are scheduled to be played in India alongside the remaining fixtures of Group C.

In contrast, Group B -- comprising Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe -- will have all their matches played across different venues in Sri Lanka.

Apart from these matches, Sri Lanka will host the Group A matches involving Pakistan during the group phase of the upcoming marquee event.

“The discussions were conducted in a constructive, cordial and professional manner, with all parties engaging openly on the relevant issues. Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed,” a BCB press release stated.

Meanwhile, during the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka.

The board also shared the views and concerns of the Bangladesh government regarding the safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media personnel and other stakeholders, the press release further stated.

The ICC delegation was represented by Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, and Andrew Ephgrave, General Manager of the Integrity Unit.

Saxena was unable to attend the meeting in person as his visa was received later than anticipated and therefore joined the discussions virtually claimed the press release. Ephgrave was present in Dhaka.

From the BCB’s side, the meeting was attended by president Aminul Islam Bulbul, vice-presidents Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, director and chairman of Cricket Operations Committee, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim,head of security Brigadier General Kazi Shameem Farhad (Retd) and CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury.

Both the BCB and the ICC agreed to continue discussions on the matter in the coming days, added the press release.

The situation stemmed from Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman being released by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders on January 3, following directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after protests against the pacer’s inclusion in the IPL.

On January 4, Bangladesh formally asked the ICC to relocate its T20 World Cup matches from India due to security concerns.

Meanwhile, amid reports that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) proposed a group swap with Ireland for the T20 World Cup 2026, Cricket Ireland has confirmed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will not move Ireland’s matches out of Sri Lanka.

“We’ve received definitive assurances that we won’t move from the original schedule. We’re definitely playing the Group Stage in Sri Lanka,” a Cricket Ireland official told Cricbuzz.