Bangladesh Likely to Exit T20 World Cup After Refusing to Play in India

Bangladesh declined to participate in the T20 World Cup in India on January 22, making the team’s exit from the tournament almost certain. A day earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had clarified that all of Bangladesh’s group matches would be held in India.

Prior to this decision, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had demanded that all of its matches be conducted in Sri Lanka instead of India. The ICC rejected this request on Wednesday and gave the BCB one day to take a final decision.

Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul held a meeting with national team players in Dhaka. After the meeting, he stated, “We want to play the World Cup, but concerns regarding the safety of our players and support staff in India still remain.”

Meanwhile, BCB President Aminul Islam said that the board would once again engage in discussions with the ICC to firmly present its concerns. He added that Bangladesh would continue to pursue its stand.

Amid these developments, the ICC has expressed satisfaction with the preparations at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. An ICC inspection team visited the venue along with officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The iconic stadium is scheduled to host four group-stage matches.