Bangladesh sent a strong message as doubts continued over its participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Sports adviser Asif Nazrul said the country will not bow to pressure or accept unfair demands.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board raised repeated concerns about travelling to India for the tournament next month. The board cited security risks. The ICC held several talks with the BCB and offered safety assurances. However, both sides have not reached a final decision.

Nazrul made it clear that Bangladesh will not change its position to please the BCCI.

“We Will Not Accept Those Conditions”

Nazrul dismissed reports that Bangladesh could lose its place in the tournament. “We have not heard anything about Scotland being included instead of us,” he said.

“If the ICC exerts pressure or bows down to the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and imposes any unreasonable conditions, or puts pressure on us, we will not accept those conditions.”

He pointed to past examples where the ICC moved matches due to security concerns.

“In the past, there are examples that Pakistan said that they will not travel to India and ICC changed the venue. We have asked to change the venue on logical ground and we cannot be pressurised to play in India by putting illogical pressure,” he added.

Mustafizur Issue Fuels Tension

Tensions grew after the BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL squad. Officials did not give a formal reason. Many believe the move links to recent political tensions between the two countries.

The decision added to the uncertainty around Bangladesh’s World Cup plans.

BCB Rejects Deadline Reports

The BCB denied reports that the ICC set a January 21 deadline for Bangladesh to decide on participation. Media committee chairman Amjad Hossain said no deadline exists.

He said the ICC has not fixed any date for a final decision.

ICC Talks Continue Without Timeline

Amjad Hossain described the latest meeting with the ICC, as quoted by Daily Star.

“Last Saturday, on January 17, an ICC representative came, and our cricket board representatives held a meeting with him. Regarding World Cup participation, there was an issue with the venue, and we informed them of our reluctance to play there. We requested an alternate venue, and we held detailed discussions with the representatives. They told us that they will inform the ICC about the issues and will let us know about the decision later on.”

He said the ICC did not give a timeline for further talks.

“In regard to these talks, they have not mentioned a specific date or when they will let us know. They just told us that they will let us know when the next discussion will take place. Thank you,” he added.

Matches Still Scheduled in India

The T20 World Cup will run from February 7 to March 8. India and Sri Lanka will co-host the tournament. The current schedule lists three Bangladesh group matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. That plan remains unchanged for now.