The International Cricket Council has asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board to decide by Saturday if they are willing to play their T20 World Cup matches in India after dispelling their security fears during a late evening meeting on Tuesday.

At the virtual conclave, the ICC representatives made it clear to the BCB that the world body’s security agencies had no information of any threat to the Bangladesh players during the month-long tournament, which begins on February 7. Hence, there was no need to tweak the schedule at this hour.

The BCB claimed the ICC has expressed “willingness to work closely” to ensure Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament.

There are no immediate signs of the ICC retracting on its stance. Sources told
The Telegraph that the BCB was unilaterally told at the meeting that they are bound to play in India as per the Members Playing Agreement.

Any breach of the MPA could mean forfeiting their points which isn’t unusual in ICC tournaments. BCB has, however, vehemently denied receiving any such ultimatum in a media release.

Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh government’s sports adviser, said in Dhaka at a news conference on Wednesday that they would try to convince the ICC to shift their matches to Sri Lanka, the co-hosts of the World Cup, insisting that the governing body had failed to grasp their concerns.

Nazrul met the BCB directors on Wednesday afternoon after the ICC wrote to the Board dismissing their worries. The BCB will again convey to the ICC that the environment is not suitable for them to play in India.

“In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised
and has assured that the Board’s inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event,” the media release said.

“The BCB categorically states that such claims (of an ultimatum by the ICC) are completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC...

“The Board will continue constructive engagement with the ICC and relevant event authorities in a cooperative and professional manner to arrive at an affable and practical solution that ensures the smooth and successful participation of the team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” the release added.

Nazrul said Bangladesh would decide on its future course of action based on the ICC’s response. “The letter (to the ICC) will be sent tonight or by tomorrow morning and after that, depending on the situation, we will sit and take a decision. So far, our decision is clear: we will explain to the ICC that there is no environment in India for us to play safely,” he said.

BCB president Aminul Islam insisted that their
concerns are related to beyond players’ security. It involves “their travelling media,
sponsors and cricket-loving spectators”.

The Board will rely solely on the government directive before making any move, Islam clarified.

The situation arose after Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur Rahman following an instruction from the BCCI that cited the “recent developments” in Bangladesh.

Following an emergency meeting on Sunday, the BCB had formally requested the ICC to consider relocating all of their matches to a venue outside India to “safeguard the safety and well-being
of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members
and other stakeholders, and to ensure that the team can
participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment.”

Pakistan’s matches will be held in Sri Lanka in the light of a prior agreement between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board that allows their teams to play at neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event.

The ICC, however, is not willing to accept that circumstances for Pakistan and Bangladesh are similar. An incident-free 2023 World
Cup in India, where Pakistan also participated, was cited as an example to the BCB during the virtual meeting.

Bangladesh are scheduled to play three of their four group league matches at Eden Gardens with the remaining one in Mumbai. They are clubbed in Group C with two former champions — England and the West Indies — besides Nepal and Italy.

It is understood that the ICC will try to coax and convince Bangladesh to
stick to the original schedule. However, they are also keeping a Plan B ready for
any eventuality.

The ICC is keen to solve the impasse this week to avoid any last-minute tweaking
of the logistics. The world body is open to discussions but won’t wait beyond Saturday when a final call is expected on the issue.