Bangladesh plan to move T20 World Cup matches from India, BCCI says 'logistical nightmare'
The BCCI has issued a response to reports that Bangladesh is allegedly writing to the ICC to request that its T20 World Cup matches be shifted from India.
The Mustafizur Rahman and Indian Premier League (IPL) row continues to snowball, and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is now gearing up to write to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to get its T20 World Cup matches shifted from India to Sri Lanka.
The 20-team tournament is scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March, with Bangladesh placed in Group A alongside England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies.
Bangladesh is scheduled to play its matches in Kolkata and Mumbai; however, the BCB are now set to demand that the ICC review the security arrangements in India.
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According to ESPN Cricinfo, the BCB has decided to write to the apex cricket body regarding the ongoing situation.
The BCCI has now issued a reaction to the ongoing reports, stating that shifting Bangladesh's matches from India will be a "logistical nightmare" and that one cannot keep changing the schedule at someone's whim and fancy.
"You can't just change games at someone's whims and fancies. It is a logistical nightmare. Think about opposition teams. Their air tickets, hotels are booked," news agency PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
"Also, on all days, there are three games each, which means one game is in Sri Lanka. There is a broadcast crew. So, it will be easier said than done," the source added.
The situation escalates
The situation between both the BCCI and BCB escalated on Saturday following Kolkata Knight Riders' release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of the IPL 2026 edition. KKR, which picked the 30-year-old for INR 9.2 crore, were made to let go of the player after the BCCI ordered the three-time champions to release him from their player pool.
The call was made keeping the recent developments in mind. The political tensions continue to rise between the two countries following the incidents of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh.
Following Rahman's release, the BCB held an emergency meeting on Saturday night, and the board was also ordered by its sports ministry to seek the relocation of T20 World Cup matches.
"As the adviser in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to put the entire matter in writing and explain it to the ICC," government advisor Asif Nazrul wrote in Bengali on his Facebook page.
"The board must make it clear that if a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, cannot play in India, then the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling to India to play the World Cup. I have also directed the board to formally request that Bangladesh's World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka instead," he added.
As of now, Bangladesh's matches in the T20 World Cup are as follows: West Indies (7 February), Italy (9 February), England (14 February) in Kolkata and Nepal (17 February) in Mumbai.
