The controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup is intensifying with each passing day. In a recent interview, Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser, Asif Nazrul, when asked about their stance on the ‘deadline and potential replacement’, he expressed grimly that the country will not budge from their decision.
In a recent press conference, Nazrul stated, “We can’t be forced to play in India with unreasonable and unrealistic pressure. Haven’t heard formally that they will exclude us and take Scotland instead. If ICC bows to BCCI and puts pressure on us, if they put unrealistic demands, we will not accept. There have been examples where India has refused to travel to Pakistan, and the ICC changed the venue. We have asked for a venue change for a logical reason. They can’t force us to play in India by exerting undue and unreasonable pressure”.
The ICC, after a few rounds of discussion, has given Bangladesh a deadline of “21st January” to finalise its decision. The situation further escalated when a few reports suggested that the team could be excluded by ICC while Scotland could potentially replace them in the tournament.
The apex body has given an ultimatum to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to find their final stature for the tournament. It is rumoured that if Bangladesh refuses to play in India, the ICC is likely to name a replacement for the team, as per the current ranking chart, Scotland has the highest possibility.
The T20 World Cup is set to begin on 7th February. Bangladesh is scheduled to start their campaign on 7th against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
