Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of applying double standards after rejecting Bangladesh’s request to move its T20 World Cup matches out of India, while previously allowing India to play the 2025 Champions Trophy at a neutral venue.Speaking to reporters in Dhaka, BCB president Aminul Islam said the ICC had shown flexibility in the past but refused to extend the same option to Bangladesh. His comments came after a meeting involving Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Nazrul, BCB officials and national team players, following the board’s decision to not travel to India for the T20 World Cup.
Aminul said India were given special treatment during the 2025 Champions Trophy by being allowed to play all their matches in Dubai.“When a country refused to travel to another country for the Champions Trophy last February, the ICC organised a neutral venue for them. The team played all their Champions Trophy matches in that neutral venue. They played in one ground, staying in one hotel. It was a privilege,” Aminul Islam said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.The T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7, with India and Sri Lanka listed as hosts. Aminul said Bangladesh had proposed a similar arrangement, allowing them to play their matches in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model.“We are calling Sri Lanka co-hosts, but they are not co-hosts. Sri Lanka is part of the hybrid model where one country is going to play,” Aminul said. “We indicated to the ICC that since our government is reluctant (to let us play in India), we want to take that option. Still, they denied our request. We will communicate with the ICC today. We are ready to play the World Cup in Sri Lanka. We don’t want to play in India,” he added.The ICC had earlier approved a hybrid model for India-Pakistan matches, allowing Pakistan to host the 2025 Champions Trophy while India played its matches in the UAE. Pakistan’s women’s team also played their 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup matches in Sri Lanka while India hosted the tournament.The standoff began after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid protests in the country against attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.After Rahman’s release from the IPL, the BCB cited safety concerns for its players and staff as the reason for refusing to travel to India for the T20 World Cup.Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Nazrul said the decision was taken by the government and would not be reversed.“Let me tell you clearly. It is the government’s decision not to play in India due to security concerns,” Nazrul said on Thursday.The ICC on Wednesday had rejected the BCB’s request to move its matches out of India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.Under the current schedule, Bangladesh are set to begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 7. They will then play Italy on February 9 at the same venue, followed by another match against England in Kolkata. Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Mumbai to face Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium after the England game.
