Amid the ongoing standoff between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), members from the International Cricket Council (ICC) are set to visit Bangladesh. They will hold a one-on-one meeting with BCB officials regarding their request of changing the Bangladesh team's venues for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
ICC had rejected BCB's request
The team is not in favour of travelling to India for the tournament and the BCB wants their share of matches to be played in Sri Lanka instead. Similarly, Pakistan will also be playing their share of games in Sri Lanka. The BCB had earlier written a letter to ICC, requesting them to shift their venues due to security concerns in India. However, the global cricket body rejected their initial request and asked them to adhere to the schedule.
But, the BCB remained adamant and shot a second letter to ICC, reiterating their demands. With tensions escalating, ICC officials have decided to visit Bangladesh for a meeting with BCB's members. This development was confirmed by Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Nazrul, who made it clear that the team want to participate in the tournament but will not compromise the venue problem.
“According to the latest updates, Mr. Aminul Islam (BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul) informed me that an ICC team is likely to come to Bangladesh for discussions," Nazrul told media while speaking at the Foreign Service Academy.
"There is no chance of us changing our stance. We are eager to play in the World Cup, particularly in Sri Lanka, and I strongly believe that organising this is not impossible,” he added.
Saikia's verdict on the matter
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had recently broken his silence on the standoff with BCB and their request of shifting their venues for the T20 World Cup. He had stated that they are yet to receive any communication from the ICC regarding the issue and are unaware about the current situation of the matter.
"Till now, BCCI is not in loop of whatever communication is going on with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC. So, we are unaware. Once we get some information, we will keep you updated," Saikia had told ANI.