Overview
- The Bangladesh Cricket Board resolved after an emergency meeting that the national team will not travel to India under current conditions and has formally asked the ICC to relocate all of its group fixtures outside India.
- Bangladesh’s government-backed stance cites player safety, with adviser Asif Nazrul urging Sri Lanka as the alternate venue and calling for a halt to IPL telecasts in Bangladesh.
- The BCCI directed Kolkata Knight Riders to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman, KKR confirmed the release, and the franchise may sign a replacement under IPL rules.
- BCCI officials said the Mustafizur directive pertains only to the IPL, while unnamed Indian sources warned that moving Bangladesh’s World Cup games on short notice would be a logistical challenge; the ICC has not announced a decision.
- Bangladesh are scheduled to open against West Indies on February 7 in Kolkata, with three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai, and their request seeks to shift those fixtures to a neutral venue.