According to an NDTV report, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul travelled to Lahore for an emergency meeting with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday. Two senior ICC officials are also on their way to Lahore for a crucial meeting involving all stakeholders, as the governing body races to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
The controversy began when Bangladesh, with backing from their interim government, declined to tour India for group-stage matches, citing security concerns. The BCB formally requested that Bangladesh’s fixtures be shifted to the co-host Sri Lanka.
However, following an independent security assessment, the ICC rejected the request. After Bangladesh failed to confirm participation by the late-January deadline, the ICC dropped them from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland in Group C.
Pakistan has since openly backed Bangladesh’s stance. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the national team has been instructed not to play the India match, while PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi labelled Bangladesh’s exclusion “unjust” and “politically motivated,” insisting no board should be forced to play at a venue it considers unsafe.
Sources say the Lahore meeting aims to establish a united BCB–PCB position ahead of further talks with ICC officials.
