The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to respond to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) between Monday and Tuesday over the ongoing T20 World Cup venue dispute.
Sources indicate that the ICC is unlikely to approve Dhaka’s request to move matches to Sri Lanka. Instead, the governing body is expected to propose Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as alternative venues for Bangladesh’s group-stage games.
The BCB had formally sought to relocate their matches out of India, citing “security concerns” after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was controversially removed from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad. Bangladesh is scheduled to play in Kolkata and Mumbai—cities now considered politically sensitive by the board.
However, the proposed southern India venues may not fully satisfy Dhaka. BCB President Aminul Islam has indicated that even Chennai might not be acceptable without direct security assurances from the Indian government.
To counter claims of an unsafe environment, the ICC is expected to point to Bangladeshi umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat, who officiated the India vs New Zealand ODI in Vadodara on Sunday without incident. His presence demonstrates that Bangladeshi officials can travel and work in India safely.
With less than four weeks to go before the tournament begins, the ICC is pushing for a prompt resolution to avoid further delays and ensure the smooth conduct of the World Cup.
