Dhaka/New Delhi: Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul on Monday claimed that the ICC has acknowledged his country's specific security concerns on travelling to India for the T20 World Cup, but the game's global governing body termed his assertion "a complete lie", PTI reported.
Bangladesh has expressed reluctance to tour India for the tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7, and has sought to shift its matches to co-host Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. This was after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on instructions of the BCCI, which cited unspecified "developments' as the reason.
"I need to inform you that the security team of the ICC and those in charge of security have sent a letter (to BCB). In that letter, it has been said that three things will increase the security threat to the Bangladesh team," Nazrul said during a press conference in Dhaka, according to local newspaper 'Daily Star'.
"One is if Mustafizur (Rahman) is included in the Bangladesh team. Two, if the supporters of the Bangladesh team walk around wearing the national jersey of Bangladesh. And the third is that the security threat of the Bangladesh team will increase as the (Bangladesh) elections approach," he added.
However, the ICC, while admitting to having contacted the BCB, denied Nazrul's claims that it had accepted Bangladesh's listed concerns.
"There has been an internal communication from ICC to BCB with regard to security in India. But what Asif Nazrul said is a complete lie. ICC's communication never mentions that Mustafizur's selection will be an issue.
"It's complete falsehood...There is no such advisory in formal communication," an ICC source told PTI.