After the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request for a change of venue, the country declined to send its national cricket team to the T20 World Cup in India on Thursday, opening the door for Scotland to join the tournament roster.
Since there was no real threat to the safety of their players, officials, or supporters in India, the international body had given Bangladesh an ultimatum on Wednesday: either accept to travel there or risk being replaced. The nation was given time till Thursday to decide.
But in a defiant move, Bangladesh’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul declared that the ICC’s stance was unacceptable to national team players following a meeting.
“While our cricketers have worked hard to qualify for the World Cup, the security risk regarding playing in India remains unchanged. This concern is not based on abstract analysis,” Nazrul said.
“We are not giving up hope yet; our team is ready. We expect the ICC to provide justice by considering our genuine security risks and allowing us to play in Sri Lanka,” he added.
Bangladesh is scheduled to play four games in India: one in Mumbai and three in Kolkata. After bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the IPL on the BCCI’s orders due to vague “developments all around,” the nation expressed security worries.
