The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday reiterated its concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and reaffirmed its stance of not sending the national team to the country for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, starting on February 7.
BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul and other board directors had a meeting with the Sports Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul yesterday afternoon, after which Bulbul informed the media of their firm stance.
"We have written to the ICC highlighting the importance of safety and security. While our primary responsibility is to look after the players, there is also a large group beyond them, including journalists, sponsors, and cricket fans," Bulbul said.
"Since a government order [GO] is required for any overseas travel, we are seeking guidance from the government on this matter. If the security situation does not improve, we will continue to fight for our rights," he added.
Dr Nazrul also addressed the media, saying that there was going to be no compromise on the issues of security and dignity.
"We will not compromise with our national honour or the security of our cricketers. We of course want to play the World Cup, but only in the other host nation, Sri Lanka. We are standing firmly by this stance," he said.
Earlier in the day, the BCB issued a press release, categorically denying some reports on international media from Tuesday which suggested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had issued an ultimatum in response to the board's request to relocate World Cup matches from India.
The reports suggested the ICC told the BCB to either send its team to India or forfeit points. But the board claimed the nature of ICC's response was completely different.
"In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the board's inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event," the press release read.
The BCB president also slammed such reports as "propaganda".
"There is propaganda claiming the ICC has informed us that playing in Sri Lanka is impossible, which is completely baseless. We have been in communication with the ICC, and they have asked us to specify our issues. We are currently documenting those issues for them," he added.
A source at the BCB said that the board is likely to send its response to the ICC today.
Bulbul said he remains hopeful of finding a proper resolution, but when asked what the board would do if Bangladesh's World Cup participation were at risk of being compromised, he replied, "The situation will tell us but we will remain firm on our stance."
Earlier on Sunday, the BCB had sent a letter to the ICC to relocate their World Cup matches from India, a day after Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Mustafizur Rahman from their squad, following the directives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
