ICC T20 World Cup: BCB president hopes for a ‘miracle’

The atmosphere at Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) office felt heavy, and even more so was Aminul Islam’s expression. Sitting across were cricket operations chief Nazmul Abedin and board director Abdur Razzak. Another director, Iftekhar Rahman, was also present in the BCB president’s room. Yet, no one seemed in the mood to speak.

Amid this, Aminul granted permission for a brief one-minute entry into the room. The purpose: to gauge the BCB president’s reaction to the ICC’s decision to exclude Bangladesh from hosting the T20 World Cup.

From the short discussion, it became clear that despite the ICC decision, Aminul remains hopeful for a “miracle.” Only if something extraordinary happens in the next 24 hours could Bangladesh still participate in this T20 World Cup.

Earlier, the ICC had issued a press release outlining that Bangladesh’s matches would remain scheduled in India as planned. The ICC found no basis for Bangladesh’s request to move the matches elsewhere over security concerns in India.

At the board meeting, the majority voted against changing the venue. Although not mentioned in the ICC press release, it is understood that the BCB president Aminul was given one day to consult with the government and request a reconsideration of the decision.

Aminul Islam told Prothom Alo, “This is the right approach.” In other words, the BCB has one day in hand. During this time, it will consult with the government to determine the next steps.

But having a day doesn’t change the fact that Bangladesh has already made it clear multiple times that it will not play World Cup matches in India due to security concerns. Will one extra day make the board change its stance?

A government source confirmed that there is no such possibility. The decision not to send the team to India will remain unchanged.

When asked whether the BCB would request the government to change its position, Aminul said the same, “Honestly, ever since the incident of Mustafizur being excluded from the IPL, I have felt that playing in India is not safe for us. That’s exactly what I told the ICC meeting today. We have communicated our areas of concern.”

On another question, Aminul said he will speak with the government once more.

“We don’t want to put pressure on the government. They want us to play. But at this moment, playing in India is not safe for us. We want to play in Sri Lanka. Our position on this remains firm,” he added.

Even after losing the vote on a venue change at the ICC meeting, this statement leaves no doubt: Bangladesh, which received only one vote outside its own, will not participate in this T20 World Cup.

In the half-hour virtual meeting, all boards except Pakistan voted against changing the venue. Apparently, even Sri Lanka did not want Bangladesh included in their group. Astonishingly, yet clinging to hope like straw, BCB president Aminul said, “Let’s see if a miracle happens…”

When asked where he expects this “miracle” to come from the government or ICC, Aminul replied, “From the ICC. They can also change their stance…”

Reaffirming his support for the government’s decision, Aminul said, “The government always makes decisions after considering all aspects. They give the highest importance to the political situation and security. We know that the situation in India hasn’t improved much.”

Aminul also said that the ICC had tasked a Canadian agency to assess India’s security situation. The agency reported to the ICC that there is no major security risk for Bangladesh to play in India.

When asked if any legal steps would be taken in this context, the BCB chairman replied, “I’m not sure if that opportunity exists after the vote.”