No breakthrough, no clarity: Is Bangladesh about to skip T20 World Cup?
The final phase of the BPL in Dhaka has been noisy both on and off the field. Off-field drama stole the spotlight after Board Director Nazmul Islam posted a Facebook comment insulting former national captain Tamim Iqbal. The reaction was immediate. Cricketers boycotted play for a day and demanded his resignation.
The board eventually removed Nazmul Islam from the standing committee he chaired as well as the finance committee. On January 15, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul and other senior officials met the players late at night to calm tensions. The players returned with an ultimatum: remove Nazmul Islam from the board. BPL action then resumed.
Amid this turmoil came another twist. ICC officials were scheduled to arrive in Dhaka, but the visit faced a visa snag. Gaurav Saxena, ICC’s Events and Corporate Communications chief, failed to obtain a visa and joined online instead. Integrity Unit head Andrew F. Grave attended in person as the ICC sat down with a BCB team led by Aminul Islam Bulbul, vice presidents Faruk Ahmed and Shahadat Hossain, senior director Nazmul Abedin Fahim and CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury Sujan.
What happened in the meeting remains unclear. Neither side spoke to the media. The BCB issued a brief statement listing the agenda but offered no insight into tone, urgency or outcomes. The board’s position appears unchanged: Bangladesh will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup. If Bangladesh plays at all, it wants its matches shifted to Sri Lanka. The BCB also raised concerns about the safety of Bangladeshi fans and journalists in India.
The press release hinted that alternative venues were discussed, including switching Bangladesh into another group if games are moved to Sri Lanka. It also noted that both ICC officials repeatedly argued in favor of Bangladesh playing in India. What the statement did not reveal is whether the ICC left any room for compromise or offered any new assurances.
No member of the BCB delegation has explained whether the meeting produced any hope of a solution. Calls to the BCB president, vice president and senior director brought no comments or even subtle hints.
A source close to the board says the chance of Bangladesh getting Sri Lanka as an alternative venue is now “almost zero.” Talks have not collapsed outright, but they appear stuck at a point where optimism is hard to justify. Within the board, morale has dipped. Although no one will say it openly, many officials fear Bangladesh will not take part in this World Cup at all.
A final turning point may rest with ICC Chairman Jay Shah. If he personally pushes for a reshuffle that moves Bangladesh from Group B to Group C and shifts those matches to Sri Lanka, the plan could still happen. But that would require consent from the cricket boards of all eight teams involved. Without Jay Shah’s active support, insiders believe the effort will stall.
For now, the path ahead remains foggy. The meeting has ended, but the uncertainty has not lifted. Whether Bangladesh plays this World Cup is still a question without an answer.