ICC Delegates to Visit Bangladesh as a ‘Last Effort’

ICC Delegation to Visit Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup remains uncertain as a high-level delegation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to arrive in Dhaka on a last-minute mission to break the deadlock. The ICC representatives are scheduled to reach the capital on Saturday night and are expected to hold talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

According to ICC sources, the visit is not merely for discussions but also aims to reassure Bangladesh that it is not isolated within the global cricketing community. The initiative is also being viewed as a final attempt to persuade the BCB to soften its stance.

The BCB has demanded that Bangladesh’s matches in the T20 World Cup—scheduled to be held in India from February 7 to March 8—be moved outside India. The board has cited two primary concerns: the security of players and the issue involving Mustafizur Rahman.

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However, the ICC’s security assessment has classified the risk level in India as “low to moderate,” which it says is not unusual in global sporting events. In contrast, the same report reportedly describes internal security risks in Bangladesh as “moderate to high.”

BCB President Aminul Islam has objected to a section of the report that references a hypothetical scenario of communal violence, calling it unrealistic. He has also raised concerns about potential security threats to Mustafizur Rahman and cited statements made by some leaders of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena.

The ICC’s position is that teams cannot withdraw from a World Cup based solely on hypothetical or speculative threats. By way of example, the governing body argued that France cannot be deemed unsafe simply because pro-Palestinian demonstrations take place in Paris.

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Both the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) believe that altering the schedule would set a dangerous precedent for future global tournaments. Notably, the BCB did not raise any objections for nearly three weeks after the schedule was released on November 25.

During a recent video conference, the ICC was represented by its chief executive, chief security officer, and chief legal officer. The BCB delegation included President Aminul Islam, a vice-president, the chairman of the Cricket Operations Committee, and the board’s chief executive.

This time, ICC officials will hold face-to-face discussions in Dhaka. There are indications that representatives of Bangladesh’s interim government may also be present at the meeting.

crifosports/16January26/AZ