Bangladesh Cricket Board decides against sending team to India for T20 World Cup

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced that it will not send its team to India for the T20 World Cup.

In a statement, the BCB said an emergency meeting of its Board of Directors was held this afternoon, during which developments related to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka were reviewed.

The statement added that the situation which has emerged over the past 24 hours was discussed in detail, after which the Board of Governors decided that the Bangladesh national team would not travel to India.

According to the board, the decision has been formally conveyed to the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the BCB is awaiting a response, expressing hope that the ICC will consider the situation and reply at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s adviser on sports also announced that the country would not tour India to participate in the World Cup, confirming that the decision had been taken by the Bangladesh Cricket Board earlier today.

He said the decision was welcomed, as it had been taken in the context of what he described as aggressive and sectarian policies of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

Tensions between the Indian and Bangladesh cricket boards reportedly escalated after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released from the Indian Premier League under pressure from Indian hardliners.

Sources said the BCB is likely to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be shifted to Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh’s matches in the ICC T20 World Cup are currently scheduled to be played in India, with three fixtures in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.