The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The letter expressed support for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal to play its matches in India amid concerns over regional political instability.
According to a report by cricket news website ESPNcricinfo, the PCB sent the letter to the ICC on Tuesday. Copies of the letter were also circulated among ICC board members.
ESPNcricinfo reported that Bangladesh’s request to have its World Cup matches relocated to Sri Lanka on security grounds has prompted the ICC to convene a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
However, it remains unclear whether the PCB’s correspondence directly led to the meeting being called.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on 7 February, with India and Sri Lanka serving as joint hosts.
The timing of the PCB’s letter has raised questions in cricketing circles, though it is widely believed that the move will not influence the ICC’s position.
The game’s governing body is understood to be unwilling to amend the tournament schedule or allow Bangladesh to play its matches outside India. The ICC has reportedly maintained a firm stance on the matter and conveyed the same message during discussions with the BCB last week.
Backed by the Bangladesh government, the BCB has refused to send the national team to India to play its group-stage matches in the tournament.
The ICC and the BCB have held several rounds of talks on the issue, the most recent of which took place in Dhaka over the weekend.
Neither side has shifted from its position: the ICC insists the matches proceed as scheduled, while the BCB maintains that it will not send the team to India.
According to ESPNcricinfo, 21 January had been set as the deadline for a final decision on the matter.
Earlier speculation suggested that the PCB had offered to host Bangladesh’s matches in Pakistan and that Pakistan itself was reconsidering participation in the tournament depending on Bangladesh’s decision.
However, the PCB has made no public comment on these claims and did not respond to ESPNcricinfo’s enquiries.
Tensions escalated further earlier this month after Kolkata Knight Riders, acting on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), released Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League squad on 3 January following protests by Indian extremist groups.
No detailed explanation was provided for the decision, though it was widely linked to the deterioration of political relations between India and Bangladesh. The move triggered widespread anger in Bangladesh.
In the wake of the incident, the Bangladesh government formally announced that the national team would not travel to India to participate in the T20 World Cup.