An international cricket website has reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) may include another team in the T20 World Cup if Bangladesh refuses to travel to India for the tournament.
According to the report, a final decision on Bangladesh’s participation will be made on January 21. The ICC has reportedly informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of this deadline during discussions held in Dhaka.
The report also claims that the ICC has rejected Bangladesh’s request to change groups. Bangladesh had asked to swap places with Ireland, which is currently placed in Group B.
The ICC has reportedly assured Bangladesh that there are no security threats in India. Security advisories sent to all 20 participating teams state that no team faces any direct security risk while playing in the country.
The ICC is now awaiting Bangladesh’s final response. If Bangladesh formally withdraws, the ICC may include another team in the tournament based on rankings. According to the report, Scotland is next in line under the ICC rankings system.
Despite this, Bangladesh remains firm on its decision not to travel to India. The BCB argues that the issue goes beyond routine security matters and is linked to broader diplomatic tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.
These concerns reportedly intensified after Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the Indian Premier League following alleged threats from extremist groups.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has expressed full support for Bangladesh on the issue. Government sources say the Bangladeshi government has contacted Pakistani authorities regarding the situation.
Sources further stated that Pakistan may review its own participation in the T20 World Cup if Bangladesh’s concerns are not addressed. Pakistani officials reportedly said that Bangladesh has valid and reasonable grounds for its decision and that no country should be allowed to intimidate or pressure another.
