BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup row Highlights: Bangladesh refuse to travel to India, ball in ICC's court

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: One sub-plot to watch is how Pakistan would respond if Bangladesh indeed do not participate in the World Cup. Having become something of a bloc against the BCCI, the PCB and BCB working hand-in-hand could signal a big shift – it's difficult to think Pakistan would pull such a drastic move after all the hoops that have needed jumping through to get this kind of setup, but it would equally by not surprising at all.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: While an earlier ESPN report indicated that Pakistan had directly written to the ICC regarding Bangladesh's situation, more recent reports in response from sources within the PCB say that Pakistan are staying out of it since they already have their way with regards to participating entirely in Sri Lanka. Plenty of confusion and different sides with regards to who is saying what and what is going down.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: Bangladesh in their four group stage matches will only play across two venues, should the current schedule remain in place. At the moment, their first three games will all take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, a short hop over the border – this will include England, Italy, and the West Indies. They are set to round out the group stage with a visit to Mumbai for a match against Nepal, but the communal tensions means the Kolkata leg is the one that could prove to be a sticking point.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: Former Tigers Test captain Shanto also weighs in on what he thinks about the situation, and all of it is fairly similar across the board for the players at least.

“As cricketers, we always want to play. And when it’s an event like the World Cup, of course we want to be there. These tournaments don’t come often. World Cups are rare, especially the 50-over format which comes every four years. I see it as a big opportunity for us to play good cricket," said Shanto, also referring to the welfare board for players in Bangladesh not being able to have a big impact yet.

“I don’t really know what is happening internally, so it’s difficult for me to comment. But as players, we definitely want to play."

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: The players who have been called up for the World Cup will be watching anxiously. It's an exciting squad which will back itself if given the chance – but that if has taken a life all of its own at this point.

Litton Das (C), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shaif Uddin, Shoriful Islam

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: Watching intently from afar are the other three teams in Bangladesh's group – that being Group C in the tournament.

Those teams are England, West Indies, Nepal, and Italy. None of the teams will want to get a walkover win and any sort of asterisk over their feats at the tournament, but they know Bangladesh on subcontinental surfaces can be very tricky – a window that has opened.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: In case Bangladesh do pull themselves out of the World Cup, one idea is that Scotland could come in – but the ICC has not begun that route of conversation just yet. 3 weeks is not a lot of time to tell players to gear up for a World Cup given all the preparation and training camps that are crucial for such a campaign.

Scotland are by no means a sure shot to get in, remember: it is just as likely that all Bangladesh matches are simply forfeit.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: Recent reports on the morning of the verdict indicate that the Pakistan Cricket Board remain involved within the situation, with the PCB writing to the ICC with mention of their support for the Bangladesh board's decision to not play in India. With Pakistan themselves in the same boat, this might add more pressure on the ICC to try and acquiesce to these demands – but with 3 weeks until the tournament, this would not be an easy situation to manage.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: The players are also aware that their livelihood depends on being able to show their skills at such tournaments. Mehidy Hasan Miraz made clear that the most important asset for the BCB by far was its players:

“The money the board has today is the result of every match played wearing the Bangladesh jersey. It’s earned through the hard work of players. Everyone has a rightful share in it," he said to reporters.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: Litton Das spoke about the situation and what he believes the sticking point with regards to Bangladesh's situation is. Not an optimistic outlook, and one which shows that the players also believe they don't really have any power in the matter.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: Here is what Asif Nazrul, who is acting as the Bangladesh government's sports advisor, said about the situation, explaining how there was a ‘logical reason’ for Bangladesh's demands.

"We can't be forced to play in India with unreasonable and unrealistic pressure. Haven't heard formally that they will exclude us and take Scotland instead. If ICC bows to BCCI and puts pressure on us, if they put unrealistic demands, we will not accept.

There have been examples where India has refused to travel to Pakistan, ICC changed the venue. We have asked for venue change, for a logical reason. They can't force us to play in India by exerting undue and unreasonable pressure."

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: With this being indicative of tensions between subcontinental nations as a whole, the PCB and Pakistan have also been involved – remember, they also will not be playing any cricket in India, entirely in Sri Lanka. However, the board has also been criticised for trying to be involved in a situation they have little to do with.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: The biggest cost of the entire situation lands squarely on the Bangladesh players, who find themselves as collateral damage in what is essentially a political conflict now. With Litton already having commented, the players as a whole know that their chance to play in a World Cup is being used as a bargaining chip – leading to plenty of internal turmoil.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: With the U19 World Cup taking place in Zimbabwe and Namibia and India and Bangladesh in the same group, the two teams' colts faced off amidst the tensions back home. What followed was a script Indian fans are a little too familiar with: no handshakes, and a match made memorable because of that fact.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation verdict, LIVE Updates: What Bangladesh's hal-in half-out state has meant is that the ICC has begun to look for alternatives. There is a chance that the Bangladesh matches will simply be scrapped as forfeits, making it a three-way scrap in Group C. But a more interesting option is to include the Scotland team, who would make it in as the highest-ranked T20 team which hasn't qualified. With 3 weeks to go, still some time to work with.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: An emergency meeting was called for officials for the ICC to meet the BCB, which is where the idea of the Ireland switch was first floated. However, those didn't prove too successful, and only resulted in the Jan 18th meeting forcing the ultimatum upon Bangladesh, the ball now in their court.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: Bangladesh's reasoning for not playing in India had to do with security concerns for backlash against communal violence in the country, as well as the general hostility surrounding the Mustafizur scenario. However, the ICC held an independent check on security, particularly with Bangladesh playing most of their games in Kolkata, and provided the go-ahead and the green light – but the drama wasn't done there, with a little bit of he-said-she-said going around with regards to security.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: Litton Das, who is set to be Bangladesh's captain, has admitted that he and his teammates have no clarity regarding the position, with a definitive pessimism regarding where the team will be in three weeks' time when the tournament is set to begin.

"Are you sure that we are going to the World Cup?" he said to reporters after a BPL match. "In reality, there is still a long time left before the World Cup, and we are not even sure whether we will go or not."

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: There are cracks and pressures within the Bangladesh CB's offices as well, as a little bit of in-fighting and uncertainty seems to have broken out. Senior official Najmul Islam lost his position after he called former Tigers captain Tamim Iqbal and ‘Indian agent’, with such divided stances indicating that there is no unified front for the BCB to back either. To make matters worse, this bled into the players themselves making their frustration clear.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: The response via Cricket Ireland was that the ICC had provided ‘assurances’ that their own schedule would not be tinkered with. As a result, that option was taken off the table – the ICC opting to retain Ireland's matches in Sri Lanka.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: Bangladesh demanded that the response be to allow the Tigers to play their games on Sri Lankan soil, similar to how Pakistan will be – an indication of fraying tensions in the subcontinent.

After the logistical impossibility of shuffling group games was presented, the BCB then asked for a swap of groups with Ireland, who are another country set to play their games entirely in Sri Lanka.

With a lot of criticism already surrounding the lack of transparency with tournament draws, this was another moment of pressure for the ICC – a neat solution if they were to accept it, but one that would frustrate the developing cricketing culture in Ireland.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: The beginning of what has turned into a full-blown international affair was the BCCI's decision to remove Mustafizur Rahman from KKR's squad – the only Bangladesh cricketer chosen in the tournament. In response, all hell broke lose in Bangladesh, as they cancelled this year's series at home against India, withdrew broadcasting priveleges for the IPL, and began making a list of demands to see some changes in their path during the upcoming World Cup.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: On the other hand, it seems the BCB is working under a different timeline, with reports and quotes from sources stating that there has been no ultimatum provided by the ICC. In any case, with three weeks left to the tournament, the short-notice nature would suggest that logistically, time is running out for the ICC to make a decision – and therefore one must be forced out of Bangladesh, via inaction if nothing else.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: Today presents a significant day given its stature as the deadline that has been handed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board in order to make a decision for the World Cup. The ICC seems set not to bend, with replacements and alternatives lined up for Bangladesh's absence: it is the Tigers who must make the call, to acquiesce to those demands or to stick by their guns and sit out of the tournament.

BCB vs ICC T20 World Cup verdict, LIVE updates: It's a big day in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh cricket's battles – internally and against the ICC – have dominated airwaves in recent weeks. That should reach a conclusion today, but it might not be one that leaves too many parties happy.

Stay with us as we recap and catch up, before taking a look at possible solutions ahead of the ICC's deadline today.