Bangladesh again tells ICC it won’t travel to India for T20 World Cup

Bangladesh has again made it clear that its cricket team will not travel to India for next month’s T20 World Cup, repeating its stance during fresh talks with the International Cricket Council, the country’s cricket board said on Tuesday.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s refusal dates back to early January, when it announced the team would not take part in World Cup matches scheduled in India.

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7, and Bangladesh is currently slated to play all four of its group-stage matches at Indian venues.

According to the BCB, the issue was raised again this week during a video conference with ICC officials. In a statement, the board said that it had “reiterated its request” for Bangladesh’s matches to be shifted outside India.

The board said it had “reaffirmed its position” on not travelling, citing security concerns. It added that the ICC pointed out the tournament schedule was already finalised and urged Bangladesh to rethink its decision. However, the BCB said “the Board’s position remains unchanged”.

The ICC has not issued any public response so far.

The BCB said that discussions with the global governing body are still under way to “explore possible solutions”, while stressing that the board “remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of its players, officials and staff”.