ICC authorises replacement if Bangladesh refuses to play World Cup in India

Bangladesh has been given one more day to finalise its decision, failing which another team will take its place, ESPNcricinfo reports

Bangladesh faces the prospect of being replaced in the T20 World Cup if it refuses to travel to India for its matches, ESPNcricinfo reports.

The ICC board, in a vote on Wednesday, decided that another team would be invited should Bangladesh fail to confirm participation.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been granted an additional day to communicate its stance.

Requests to relocate Bangladesh’s matches were rejected, with only one vote supporting the proposal.

The virtual meeting included ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul, Indian board secretary Devajit Saikia, representatives from all Test-playing nations, two associate members, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja, and ICC Events GM Gaurav Saxena. Andrew Ephgrave, head of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, also participated, having met BCB officials in Dhaka last Saturday.

Scotland is poised to replace Bangladesh in Group C if no decision is reached, having missed out in the European qualifier behind the Netherlands, Italy, and Jersey.

The saga began after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh’s left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL squad.

The day following his exclusion, the BCB formally informed the ICC that Bangladesh would not travel to India for the World Cup, citing security concerns. It also requested the Tigers’ matches be moved outside India.

Since then, the ICC and BCB have held two rounds of meetings, but no resolution was reached.

Both sides reiterated their positions repeatedly, with the BCB emphasising its security apprehensions.

The ICC, in response, consistently stated that there is no specific threat or risk to any team.