Bangladesh Risk Losing T20 World Cup Revenue Amid Venue Dispute

Bangladesh recently informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it was unwilling to travel to India for the tournament, citing security issues, and requested that its matches be shifted to Sri Lanka. However, Haque believes such a move would be extremely difficult to implement with barely a month left before the competition.

According to Haque, if Bangladesh maintains its stance and opts out of the tournament, it could lose its share of World Cup revenue and potentially face a direct conflict with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Hostilities shot up between India and Bangladesh following Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman's ouster from the IPL on the BCCI's instructions. The Indian Board did not give a clear reason for the decision, but it was largely attributed to the deepening diplomatic tensions between the two neighbours in the wake of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

In response, Bangladesh’s interim government has banned the broadcast of the upcoming IPL season, claiming no logical explanation was provided for Rahman’s exclusion.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday said the ICC is "willing to work closely" with it to address "security concerns" around the team's participation in the T20 World Cup in India, even though its demand for a change of venue has not yet been accepted. The T20 World Cup starts on February 7, and Bangladesh is due to play their four games in Kolkata and Mumbai.