Bangladesh meet with ICC to request relocation of T20 World Cup matches

Reuters: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has had “constructive” discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over moving their Twenty20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, the country’s governing body said on Saturday.

Uncertainty looms over Bangladesh’s participation in the Twenty20 World Cup following an earlier request by the BCB to the ICC to move their World Cup matches out of India over safety concerns amid political tensions.

BCB and ICC officials met in Dhaka on Saturday.

“During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka,” the BCB said in a statement.

“The board also shared the Bangladesh government’s views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders.”

Bangladesh are in World Cup’s Group C and will play West Indies, England and Italy in Kolkata before facing Nepal in Mumbai. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Tensions have heightened in recent weeks between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Hundreds protested near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi last month after a Hindu factory worker was beaten and set on fire in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over blasphemy allegations.