Bangladesh Puts Jay Shah to a Tough Test Over World Cup

Bangladesh Puts Jay Shah to a Tough Test Over the World Cup.

Bangladesh has hardened its position against traveling to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, formally reiterating its stance in a second letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Indian Media NDTV reported that ICC Chairman Jay Shah is due to meet officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday to seek a way out of the standoff, though the report said a swift resolution appears unlikely.

According to NDTV, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) initially told the ICC it was unwilling to play in India and asked for its matches to be moved to Sri Lanka. However, a follow-up letter significantly escalated the issue, framing it as a matter of national dignity, not logistics.

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The shift in tone follows the sudden removal of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League after pressure from extremist groups, a move widely seen in Bangladesh as humiliating.

Bangladesh is no longer seeking generic security assurances. The BCB has demanded individual, man-to-man security for players, coaching staff and officials, stressing that the issue extends beyond safety to respect and sovereignty.

The ICC has yet to respond to the second letter. NDTV said Shah’s immediate task is to review tournament security plans with ICC and BCCI officials and assess why previous assurances failed to convince Bangladesh, including whether ICC communication lacked empathy and clarity.

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The report stressed that excluding Bangladesh from the World Cup is not an option. Bangladesh qualified on merit, and any attempt to sideline the team would expose the ICC to legal, political and institutional fallout, potentially destabilizing the Asian Cricket Council and setting a dangerous precedent.

NDTV also noted that Bangladesh’s interim government adviser for youth and sports, Asif Nazrul, has publicly opposed the current plan, warning that playing in India under present conditions would undermine national honor.

Jay Shah now faces a defining test of his leadership — not as India’s most powerful cricket administrator, but as a neutral global steward tasked with defusing tensions and restoring trust.

crifosports/10January26/AZ