Dhaka. Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul on Tuesday again indicated that they are not ready to change their stance on playing the ICC T20 World Cup in India. Asif also dismissed speculation that if Bangladesh refuse to play in India citing security concerns and ask the ICC to shift their matches to co-hosts Sri Lanka, Scotland could take their place.
Over the weekend, the BCB held talks with ICC officials in Dhaka over the impasse, but no agreement was reached as the BCB requested the ICC to change the venue after the BCCI directed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad amid the ongoing political tension between the two countries.
It is understood that the ICC has set a deadline of January 21 to resolve the matter as they are short on time. If they are to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, the highest-ranked team not to qualify for the World Cup, they will have to give them at least 15 days to prepare. “I am not aware that Scotland will be included in our place (in the upcoming T20 World Cup),” Asif told reporters on Tuesday.
“If the ICC bows to the pressure of the Indian cricket board and tries to put pressure on us by imposing unfair conditions, we will not accept those conditions,” he said. “There have been instances in the past where Pakistan had said they would not go to India and the ICC had changed the venue,” he said. He further said, “We have asked for the change of venue on logical grounds and we cannot be forced to play in India by putting unreasonable pressure on us.
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