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New Delhi: Bangladesh's request to shift its T20 World Cup matches from India is likely to get declined after International Cricket Council's assessment report deemed it unnecessary.
ICC's risk assessment report didn't find any specific or direct threat once Bangladesh flagged security concerns for its four group matches in the tournament starting on February 7.
"It is important to clarify that the ICC's independent risk assessments, carried out by internationally recognised security experts, do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches in India," an ICC source told PTI.
"The overall security risk for the tournament in India has been assessed as low to moderate, which is consistent with the profile of many major global sporting events."
Bangladesh made the request after Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur Rahman on BCCI's directions owing to unspecified "developments all around".
Bangladesh Cricket Board had threatened pull out even as the country's sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul claimed that the left arm seamer's inclusion in squad would increase overall threat on the team.
But ICC's assessment didn't find any direct threat to even Bangladesh officials at any venue in India.
"Based on the professional advice received, the risk associated with Bangladesh's scheduled fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai is assessed as low to moderate, with no indication of risks that cannot be effectively managed through established security planning and mitigation measures," the source added.
Nazrul had stated on Monday that ICC's report had spoken of a threat to Mustafizur but BCB later backtracked on those assertions through a clarification.
"The correspondence cited today by the Advisor for the Ministry of Youth & Sports was in reference to an internal communication between the BCB and the ICC's Security Department related to threat assessments for the Bangladesh team ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
"This does not constitute a formal response from the ICC to the BCB’s request for the relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India," the BCB said in a statement.
ICC is also unlikely to alter match schedule and reiterated that security planning is an ongoing process.
