ICC likely to ask Bangladesh to play in India, venue to be changed

Although the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested that World Cup matches be moved out of India, the likelihood of this request being implemented appears very slim.

According to Indian media reports, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to propose that Bangladesh play not in Sri Lanka, but instead at two alternative venues within India itself.

Citing concerns over the safety of Bangladeshi citizens in India, the BCB had written twice to the ICC requesting that Bangladesh’s upcoming T20 World Cup matches be relocated to Sri Lanka.

However, the global governing body of cricket believes that shifting venues from one country to another at the very last moment before the tournament begins is not logistically feasible.

As an alternative, the ICC is reportedly considering hosting Bangladesh’s matches in Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

However, BCB president Aminul Islam has already stated that alternative venues within India still mean playing in India.

According to the current schedule, all four of Bangladesh’s group stage matches in the 10th T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on 7 February, are to be held in India.

The first three matches are set to take place in Kolkata, with the final match in Mumbai.

Indian cricket portal Cricbuzz has reported that although the BCB remains firm on its demand to play in Sri Lanka, the ICC is searching for alternative venues within India.

It has been learned that the ICC and the T20 World Cup co-host, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have already contacted the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). NDTV has also reported similar information.

Yesterday, Sunday a meeting was held in Vadodara, Gujarat, between ICC chairman Jay Shah and BCCI officials. However, no media outlet has confirmed whether the decision to propose alternative venues was taken at that meeting.

An NDTV report has outlined the ICC’s possible reasoning for proposing alternative venues within India.

On Sunday in Gujarat, Bangladesh’s Sharafuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat served as an umpire in the first ODI of the India-New Zealand series.

The report suggests that, in response to the BCB’s security concerns cited in its request for a venue change, the ICC may highlight Saikat’s example and advise Bangladesh to play their T20 World Cup matches in India.

The BCB’s security concerns regarding India originated from an incident on 3 January, when Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the Indian Premier League following threats from extremists.

Bangladesh has questioned how the entire national team, as well as journalists, sponsors and spectators travelling to cover the World Cup, could be kept safe if even one player could not be provided with adequate security and on that basis requested that the matches be moved out of India.