England await decision on whether T20 World Cup match could be relocated amid Bangladesh and India tensions
England expect to discover later this week if their Twenty20 World Cup fixture against Bangladesh is being re-located.
Harry Brook’s team are scheduled to take on the Bangladeshis on February 14 in their penultimate group game at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, although the venue has been thrown into doubt in recent days.
That is because Bangladesh wrote to the International Cricket Council on Sunday requesting that their matches be moved from India, following a deterioration of relations between the two Asian neighbours.
Pakistan have long since been guaranteed to play their entire World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka due to political tension with India.
However, the ICC have been in discussions with the Bangladesh board over the past two days and are expected to request that, with just a month to go to the opening fixtures, the schedule remains as is.
Bangladesh cited security concerns for their players in asking for the switch, in a response to the Board of Control for Cricket in India instructing Kolkata Knight Riders to axe Bangladeshi pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who cost £900,000 at last month’s auction, from their 2026 playing group.
England expect to discover later this week if their Twenty20 World Cup fixture against Bangladesh is being re-located (Pictured: Captain Harry Brook, right, with Brendon McCullum)
The ICC are not commenting publicly on the issue, but an ECB spokesperson said they hoped to be updated by the end of the week.
Moving the Valentine’s Day match would be extremely complex, not least because England are due to play minnows Italy back in Kolkata two days later, before heading to Sri Lanka for the second stage should they qualify.
