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The Bangladesh Cricket Board is continuing its push to challenge the ICC’s decision to stage Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches in India. In its latest desperate move, the BCB has approached the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee, despite the governing body making it clear that the fixtures will remain unchanged. The ICC has already stated that security assessments found no specific threat to the Bangladesh team, leaving little room for a venue change. According to a PTI report, BCB’s appeal won’t be heard because it falls outside the sub-committee’s remit.
ICC has already kept the Scotland cricket team on stand-by to replace Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup, but the BCB made a last-ditch effort and approached the DRC, headed by Englishman Michael Beloff (Kings Counsel).
“Yes, BCB has approached the DRC of ICC as it wants to exhaust all its options. If DRC rules against BCB, then the only body that can be approached is Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) in Switzerland,” a BCB source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
Bangladesh’s interim government and its sports ministry advisor and anti-India hardliner Asif Nazrul had announced that the team wouldn’t travel to India due to “security reasons” after senior pacer Mustafizur Rahaman was removed from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad on the BCCI’s diktat.
If one checks the ICC’s Constitution and ‘Terms of Reference’ for the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), it will become clear that it has no right to hear an appeal against a decision of the Board of Directors of the global body.
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Even after the ICC Board of Directors voted 14–2 to retain Bangladesh’s matches in India, following an independent security review that rated the risk as low to moderate, Nazrul insisted the call did not rest with the BCB. He reiterated that such decisions fall under the government’s jurisdiction, not the cricket board.
As per clause 1.3 of Terms of Reference of DRC: “The Committee shall not operate as an appeal body against decisions of the ICC or any decision making body established under the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association or under any rules or regulations of the ICC…”
An ICC board source said: “Bangladesh can approach the DRC but if one looks at the rules, the case can’t even heard as the committee doesn’t have the remit to hear an appeal which is against the decision made by the Board of Directors.”
Scotland to be named Bangladesh’s replacement on Saturday
The report further suggested that the ICC chairman will formally announce Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement for the mega event by Saturday.
“The ICC Board Members are extremely angry with Aminul Islam Bulbul as to why before informing the global body, a press conference was held. Asif Nazrul is a persona-non-grata for the ICC but Bulbul shouldn’t have allowed a press conference before informing their decision to the ICC,” the source told PTI.
The DRC normally checks whether the ICC Board has followed all the rules as per its law and, accordingly, gives its verdict. It is not an appeals body.
Apart from Beloff, others include Mike Heron (Kings Counsel), Justice Winston Anderson, both of whom are Independent Code of Conduct Commission representative. The independent lawyers are Deon van Zyl (South Africa), Gary Roberts (Americas), Guo Cai (Asia), EAP Anabelle Bennett, Jean Paulsson (Europe), Peter Nicholson (Ethics Officer). Vijay Malhotra (Chair of Audit Committee) and Sally Clark (Management Support) are also part of the 11-member committee.
