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Published : 17 Jan 2026, 12:26 AM
An International Cricket Council (ICC) representative will arrive in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss Bangladesh’s venue concerns for the T20 World Cup, marking a fresh attempt to break the deadlock over where the Tigers will play their games.
Initially, a two-member ICC delegation was expected to visit, but visa complications meant one official could not travel.
As a result, only Andrew Ephgrave, the ICC’s interim general manager of the Anti-Corruption Unit, will be coming to Dhaka. A former British police officer, Ephgrave previously served as the ICC unit’s operations manager.
During his visit, the ICC representative is scheduled to hold meetings not only with senior officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) but also with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The visit follows a recent video conference between the ICC and the BCB.
After that meeting, the BCB said it had received a request from the ICC for Bangladesh to travel to India to play their World Cup matches, but the board made it clear that it would not move from its stance.
BCB Director and BPL Governing Council member Secretary Iftekhar Rahman explained the background to the ICC envoy’s visit.
“We sent an email, they replied, we sent another email, and then there was a Zoom meeting. After that meeting, they said they wanted to sit down and talk face to face. But you all know our stance remains unchanged,” he said.
“We certainly want the tournament to be held. Cricket should continue. Let us see what happens tomorrow,” Iftekhar added.
He said BCB President Aminul Islam is personally overseeing the entire process. According to Iftekhar, both the board and the government believe Bangladesh’s players would not be safe in India, and that concern is expected to dominate the discussions.
“At the moment, everything is at a standstill. The fact that someone is coming is at least a positive sign. Now we wait to see the outcome,” he said.
