Bangladesh's new offer to move out of India for T20 World Cup, ask ICC to swap groups with Ireland: Report

The report states that Bangladesh wants to replace Ireland in Group B, asking the ICC to shift Ireland back to its original Group C. It is worth noting that Group B matches are scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka, while Group C games are scheduled to be held in India.

According to the original schedule, Ireland is slated to take on Sri Lanka, Australia and Oman in Colombo, while their last group match is scheduled in Kandy against Zimbabwe.

The BCB first asked the ICC to move their matches out of India after the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad due to the BCCI diktat.

The BCCI ordered KKR because of the recent developments, which saw multiple incidents of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh. Ever since KKR picked Rahman for INR 9.20 crore, the franchise and co-owner, Shah Rukh Khan, has been targeted by several politicians for going against national sentiment.

A delegation from ICC touched base in Bangladesh on Saturday morning, and the apex body is trying its best to convince the BCB to play its matches in India.

The BCB released an official statement on Saturday regarding the meeting, and the board confirmed that the matter of switching groups was indeed discussed.

“The BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government's views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders," the statement said.

“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,” it added.

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