Bangladesh officials said that Bangladesh will not back down under pressure as team captain Litton Das has expressed concerns about the team’s participation.
A top sports official has cast doubt on Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup, saying the country will not succumb to “unreasonable coercion” and play matches in India despite security concerns.
“We logically requested a change of venue based on valid reasons,” Asif Nazrul, youth and sports adviser to Bangladesh’s caretaker government, told state news agency BSS late Tuesday.
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“We cannot allow anyone to be forced to play in India through illogical pressure or undue coercion.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has refused to host four group stage matches in India, citing concerns for the safety and security of its players, and has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move the next tournament to co-host Sri Lanka.
As cricket’s governing body is expected to rule on the impending impasse, a Bangladeshi government official said the governing body would not be forced to change its position.
The final round of talks between the BCB and ICC failed to reach an agreement to break the deadlock amid reports that Bangladesh had been told if they did not agree to play in India by Wednesday, they risked being kicked out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly written to the ICC to take note of Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India and take into consideration the ongoing political turmoil in the region before drawing any conclusion.
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, “The PCB has written to the (ICC) governing body supporting the BCB’s position of not wanting to play in India at a time of political turmoil in the neighboring country.”
Earlier this week, Pakistani media speculated that the PCB may consider withdrawing from the tournament if Bangladesh is excluded from the World Cup.
The T20 World Cup begins in just over two weeks on February 7, with Bangladesh’s four group stage matches to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai.
“The whole of Bangladesh is uncertain.”
Bangladesh captain Litton Das said he was unsure whether his team would participate.
“From my point of view, I’m uncertain. Everyone is uncertain,” Das told reporters after Tuesday’s domestic cricket match, asking: “Are you sure that we will qualify for the World Cup?”
“I think the whole of Bangladesh is uncertain at the moment,” he added in comments reported by Dhaka’s Prothom Alo newspaper.
One suggestion is that Bangladesh could be replaced by Scotland, the top-flight team that failed to qualify for the World Cup.
The BBC reported that Cricket Scotland had not been contacted by the ICC but was prepared to participate if the call-up was delayed.
The conflict between Bangladesh and India erupted on January 3 after Bangladesh’s top fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was abruptly excluded from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instructions of the BCCI due to ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
Diplomatic relations between the once-close allies have been severely tested since last August, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka for New Delhi following a revolt against her rule.
Bangladesh blames India for many of its problems, including support for Hasina when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in power.
During the World Cup, Bangladesh will hold its first elections since Hasina’s ouster.
