Difficult to change schedule at last moment, says Indian cricket board on Bangladesh T20 World Cup boycott

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES OF BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA VICE-PRESIDENT RAJEEV SHUKLA; FILE FOOTAGE OF BANGLADESH NATIONAL MEN'S CRICKET TEAM TRAINING DURING NETS SESSION; BANGLADESH PLAYERS LINED UP FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM DURING THEIR MATCH AGAINST INDIA; STILL PHOTOS OF BANGLADESH TEAM PLAYING WITH TEAM INDIA SHOWS: SHOWS: HYDERABAD, TELANGANA, INDIA (FILE – OCTOBER 11, 2024) (ANI – No use India/No use digital) 1. VARIOUS OF BANGLADESH NATIONAL MEN'S CRICKET TEAM TRAINING DURING NETS SESSION NEW DELHI, INDIA (JANUARY 26, 2026) (ANI – No use India) 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA VICE-PRESIDENT, RAJEEV SHUKLA, SAYING:     "Look, since you are talking about Bangladesh…we wanted Bangladesh to play. We gave them full assurance that yes, complete security would be provided…there would be no problem of any kind…full protection will be given. But this was their decision. They were insisting that they will not play here…they cannot send the team…their government is saying we cannot send the team. They said they will play only in Colombo. Changing the entire schedule at the last minute is very difficult task…a very tough task. So this was their decision. Then the ICC (International Cricket Council) had to bring in the next team, which is Scotland." HYDERABAD, TELANGANA, INDIA (FILE – OCTOBER 11, 2024) (ANI – No use India/No use digital) 3. VARIOUS OF BANGLADESH NATIONAL MEN'S CRICKET TEAM TRAINING DURING NETS SESSION NEW DELHI, INDIA (JANUARY 26, 2026) (ANI – No use India) 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA VICE-PRESIDENT, RAJEEV SHUKLA, SAYING:     "Pakistan is unnecessarily getting involved in this. Spreading false things…provoking Bangladesh…instigating them…Pakistan has played a very big role in provoking them. Pakistan should not be doing all this. The whole world knows what injustices Pakistan has done to the Bangladeshis…Bangladeshis know this themselves… that is why the country got separated back then. And now they are trying to mislead them again, trying to take them on the wrong path in the name of being their well-wishers, which is wrong." DUBAI, UAE (FILE – SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 5. STILL PHOTO OF BANGLADESH PLAYERS LINED UP FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM AHEAD OF ASIA CUP SUPER FOUR CRICKET MATCH AGAINST INDIA 6. STILL PHOTO OF BANGLADESH PLAYERS CELEBRATING THE WICKET OF SURYAKUMAR YADAV 7. STILL PHOTO OF BANGLADESH PLAYERS CELEBRATING AFTER TAKING A WICKET  8. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOS OF BANGLADESH PLAYERS IN ACTION BATTING  9. STILL PHOTO OF BANGLADESH'S SHAMIM HOSSAIN BEING BOWLED STORY: Indian cricket board Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Monday (January 26) said bringing changes to next month's T20 World Cup schedule at the last moment was difficult, resulting in inclusion of Scotland in the 20-team showpiece, after Bangladesh decided not to participate in matches scheduled in India over security concerns. The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh's request to move their matches to tournament co-host Sri Lanka, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the February 7 start of the tournament. The events underline the current tension in South Asian cricket. Shukla also said Pakistan was 'unnecessarily' intervening in the matter and provoking Bangladesh, adding that Islamabad was trying to mislead the neighbouring country and that such actions were wrong. Pakistan are set to play all their matches at the upcoming T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, though the country's board chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday their participation was still not confirmed. India's fraught political relations with Pakistan prompted the ICC to broker an arrangement allowing them to play at a neutral venue when their neighbour hosts a global tournament. (Production: Iain Axon)

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