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News India Live, Digital Desk: We all know that preparation for big cricket tournaments starts years in advance. But this time a strange request came from Bangladesh Cricket. According to reports, Bangladesh wanted its World Cup matches to be held somewhere else instead of India. Reasons like security and bilateral tension were being said behind this. But is it really so easy for one team to change the entire venue in international cricket?
ICC’s blunt answer
ICC rejected this demand of Bangladesh in its recent meeting. His reasoning is very simple and logical—”The venue of any major tournament is decided long in advance and shifting the match at the last moment would be a ‘logistics nightmare’.” Revenue worth crores, broadcasting rights and tickets of thousands of spectators are at stake.
Security question: How prepared is India?
Bangladesh’s concerns may be due to recent political changes in India or security concerns with neighboring countries. But ICC has made it clear that India has always been safe for foreign teams. From IPL to the last several World Cups, everything has been done here without any major glitch. In such a situation, raising questions on India’s hosting is not only good for the host country but also for the image of the tournament.
What will be the impact on cricket fans?
There is a huge number of Bangladeshi fans in India, and when Bangladesh plays in Kolkata or other border cities, the atmosphere is like a home ground. If these matches were shifted outside, it would have become very difficult for the general audience to watch their favorite team. At least fans will be happy with this decision of ICC that they will get a chance to watch cricket close to home.
Now what next?
After this ‘strictness’ of ICC, the ball is now in Bangladesh’s court. There is a lot of time left in the tournament and it is expected that by then things will calm down at the diplomatic level. It is better if the game is seen as a game, otherwise on the political pitch it is often the players and spectators who suffer losses.
What do you think about this? Would it have been wise to change the entire World Cup schedule due to a team’s safety concerns? Or is ICC’s decision completely justified? Please tell us your opinion in the comments.