Will Bangladesh be banned from international cricket? ICC signals action, Jay Shah arrives in Dubai

DUBAI: Bangladesh may have to pay a heavy price for maintaining its stand that it will not travel to India to participate in the T20 World Cup. Reports indicate that the International Cricket Council (ICC) may take strict action, including a possible ban, after Bangladesh ignored repeated warnings from the global cricket body. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) rejected the ICC’s ultimatum to take a decision within 24 hours and continued to insist that it would not play matches in India, triggering speculation that the ICC could move towards strong disciplinary measures.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah has arrived in Dubai to hold discussions on the Bangladesh issue. The decision to maintain the stand was taken jointly by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the government after Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul held consultations with all players. Nazrul said the security concerns raised by Bangladesh are genuine and added that the board still hopes the ICC will ensure fairness.

After the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s demand for a venue change, the BCB approached the ICC’s independent Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). The board has stated that its players, fans, and media personnel may not be safe in India. The issue began after India expressed strong displeasure over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. As the incidents continued, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL.

Soon after, the Bangladesh government banned the broadcast of the IPL in the country. This was followed by Bangladesh demanding that its matches in the India-hosted T20 World Cup be shifted to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC rejected the request. Meanwhile, former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has warned that creating unnecessary disputes with India over cricket could prove damaging to Bangladesh cricket.