‘Will not bow to ICC pressure on T20 WC’

dhaka: Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul on Tuesday reiterated that under no condition would the national team travel to India for the T20 World Cup, despite an ultimatum from the International Cricket Council to the Bangladesh Cricket Board on deciding their participation by January 21.

If BCB remains adamant on not travelling to India for the 20-team tournament, Scotland are likely to replace Bangladesh as per current rankings. “I am not aware that Scotland will be included in our place. If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose pressure on us by setting unreasonable conditions, we will not accept those conditions,” Nazrul told reporters.

“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. The crisis was triggered by the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders’ roster for this year’s IPL on BCCI’s instructions for unspecified “developments all around”.