New Delhi: After days of bickering, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finally been told by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the Bangladesh cricket team is being replaced replaced by Scotland in the upcoming T20I World Cup.
This comes after the Bangladesh side refused to travel to India, citing security reasons due to the ouster of Mustafizur Rahaman from the IPL.
News agency PTI has learnt that top ICC officials including chairman Jay Shah were in Dubai on Friday and late evening an e-mail was sent to BCB chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul informing him about the global body’s decision.
“An e-mail was sent last evening to Bangladesh Cricket Board chairman intimating him that his board didn’t get back to ICC officially after the 24 hour deadline that was given to them to decide if they wanted to come to India,” an ICC source told the agency on conditions of anonymity.
“The BCB did a press conference in Dhaka before officially intimating the global body which is a violation of protocol. They have been categorically told that they are being replaced,” the official added.
This came after Bangladesh’s sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul advised the team against travelling to India, citing security issues despite being given repeated assurances by the ICC.
The BCB has asked ICC to place it in the group that plays its matches in Sri Lanka, which is the co-host of the tournament. Pakistan was the only country that supported Bangladesh.
According to the report, Cricket Scotland has maintained that they haven’t received any official confirmation but it seems that it is only a matter of time before they are intimated the decision.
Scotland will thus play their four group league games against West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9) and England (February 14) in Kolkata followed by a game against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
