The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated on Saturday that there was nothing more they could do and that they accepted the ICC’s decision to substitute Scotland for their national team in the T20 World Cup next month.
Scotland will take Bangladesh’s spot in the T20 World Cup, which will be jointly held in India and Sri Lanka next month, the ICC revealed on Saturday.
Even after an independent security assessment ruled out any particular threat, Bangladesh persisted in their position that it was hazardous for their players to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, forcing the ICC to make the late move.
Amjad Hossain, head of the BCB media committee, stated that although the Bangladesh Board made every effort, they were aware that the ICC “will not do it” or “do not want to” fulfill his nation’s request and that there was “nothing more” they could do.
“We have tried our best. We fully respect the ICC Board, and the Board’s majority decision was that the match cannot be relocated. Even after that, we tried in our own way and made requests. Since they will not do it or do not want to, there is nothing more we can do. We have accepted the ICC Board’s decision, as the ICC has said that we will not be able to go and play, nor can our match be shifted to Sri Lanka,” a PTI report quoted Hossain as saying.
He hinted that “any separate arbitration or any other process” might not be chosen by the BCB.
“In this case, we cannot go to India to play, and our stance remains the same. We are not going into any separate arbitration or any other process here. We have spoken with the government. The government has said that going to India to play in the World Cup would not be safe for us, for our players, journalists, or anyone accompanying the team. In that case, we requested that our match be shifted to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC did not agree to that, even after several rounds of meetings. Since the ICC did not respond, there is not much we can do because this is the government’s decision,” Hossain added.
The BCB had asked the ICC to either relocate their games to Sri Lanka or move their national team from Group C to Group B.
The ICC, whose Board had decided that Bangladesh would be substituted in the T20 World Cup if the BCB failed to secure their government’s approval, rejected both of these demands.
“Due to security concerns, playing in India is not safe for us, and that is why this decision has been taken,” Hossain added.
