The International Cricket Council (ICC) is poised to formally respond to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) between Monday and Tuesday regarding the ongoing World Cup venue standoff.
However, reports indicate the global body is unlikely to accept Dhaka’s demand to move their matches to Sri Lanka. Instead, the ICC is expected to propose shifting the games to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as a compromise.
The BCB had officially requested the transfer out of India citing "security concerns," a move triggered by the controversial release of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
Bangladesh is currently scheduled to play their group-stage fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai—hubs that the board now views as politically sensitive.
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This proposed solution faces immediate hurdles. BCB President Aminul Islam has previously signaled that shifting to Chennai may still be unacceptable to the Bangladesh government, which is reportedly waiting for direct communication from the Indian government regarding security assurances.
To counter the “unsafe environment” narrative, the ICC is expected to highlight the presence of Bangladeshi umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat, who successfully officiated the India vs. New Zealand ODI in Vadodara on Sunday without incident.
The governing body is likely to use his participation as evidence that Bangladeshi representatives can travel and work safely in India.
With less than four weeks remaining before teams arrive for the tournament, the ICC is pressing for a swift resolution to the current deadlock.