In a fresh twist, the Pakistan Cricket Board is considering pulling out of the T20 World Cup if the Bangladesh stand-off over moving their matches out of India is not resolved, said media reports.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly contacted the PCB seeking diplomatic help as they look to pile on pressure on the International Cricket Council to shift their T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka.
"The Bangladesh government contacted officials in Pakistan to seek support regarding their participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup and received a positive response," a source told NDTV.
"Pakistan has indicated to us that they could reconsider their own participation if Bangladesh's issue is not addressed."
The BCB on Saturday asked the ICC to swap its matches with Ireland in Group C during the T20 World Cup in order to play in Sri Lanka instead of India.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today held a meeting with representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss matters relating to Bangladesh's participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026,” said the BCB in a release after the meeting with ICC delegates.
ICC gives ultimatum to Bangladesh
Bangladesh are currently placed in Group C along with the West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal and are scheduled to play their matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the ICC has given an ultimatum to BCB to give their final decision on whether they will send the Bangladesh cricket team to India or not for the T20 World Cup by January 21, Wednesday, said a report in ANI.
If the BCB refuses to send its team to India, the ICC is likely to name a replacement, and, as per the current rankings, it could be Scotland.
The ICC has stood firm on not changing the original schedule, which has Bangladesh playing three group-stage matches at Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens, followed by their final group-stage game at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
Key Points:
- The Bangladesh Cricket Board has asked the ICC to swap its matches with Ireland in Group C during the T20 World Cup in order to play in Sri Lanka instead of India.
- The ICC has given an ultimatum to BCB to give their final decision by January 21.
- If the BCB refuses to send its team to India, the ICC is likely to name a replacement.
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