- By Himanshu Badola
- Sat, 17 Jan 2026 07:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
BCB-ICC Meeting, T20 World Cup 2026 Row: Amid the ongoing stand-off against the BCCI, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made a request in front of the ICC members to swap groups in order to feature in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. The offer was made by the BCB during a meeting with the ICC representatives at Dhaka on Saturday (January 17).
While the ongoing row regarding Bangladesh's reluctance to travel to India for the marquee tournament escalates, the ICC made a reportedly final move to convince the BCB to ensure a smooth conduct of the event, which is scheduled to start from February 7. As per a report in Cricbuzz, the BCB insisted that they should replace Ireland in Group C so that they can play all their matches in Sri Lanka.
Ireland are scheduled to take on Sri Lanka, Australia and Oman in Colombo, while their last group match is scheduled in Kandy against Zimbabwe. On the other hand, Bangladesh are currently placed in Group B where they are scheduled to take on West Indies, Italy and England in Kolkata before facing Nepal in Mumbai.
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Later in the evening, the BCB released a statement related to the meeting. "The BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka," the statement read. "The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government's views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders.
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"The discussions were conducted in a constructive, cordial and professional manner, with all parties engaging openly on the relevant issues. Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed."
"The ICC delegation was represented by Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, and Andrew Ephgrave, General Manager, Integrity Unit. Gaurav Saxena was unable to attend the meeting in person as his visa was received later than anticipated and therefore joined the discussions virtually. Andrew Ephgrave attended the meeting in person."
"From the BCB's side President Md Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Md Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, Director and Chairman of the Cricket Operations Committee Nazmul Abedeen and Chief Executive Officer Nizam Uddin Chowdhury. The BCB and the ICC have agreed to continue engaging in constructive dialogue on this matter," it added.