ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh has formally refused to send its national cricket team to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, citing security concerns and what officials described as coercive pressure from the International Cricket Council, escalating a standoff that could see the country expelled from the tournament days before it begins.
The decision, backed by both the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Bangladesh’s interim government, follows an ICC Board vote on January 21 rejecting Dhaka’s request to relocate its matches from India to co-host Sri Lanka.
The ICC has given Bangladesh a 24-hour deadline to confirm participation under the original schedule or face removal, with Scotland named as a potential replacement.
The dispute has drawn in regional politics, with the Pakistan Cricket Board publicly supporting Bangladesh and offering to host its matches, while warning it could boycott the event if Bangladesh is forced out.
