If the International Cricket Council (ICC) approves the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request for a group swap ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka’s group is set to become one of the toughest in the tournament — though the proposal is reportedly facing resistance.
According to Cricbuzz, the BCB has formally asked the ICC to swap groups with Ireland, a move that would allow Bangladesh to play all their group-stage matches in Sri Lanka instead of India. The request has been made citing safety and security concerns for players, fans, media personnel and other stakeholders.
However, it’s reported that Sri Lanka and several other participating nations are not in favour of the proposed move, amid concerns over competitive balance and fairness so close to the tournament.
If approved, the revised Sri Lanka-based group would feature Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, creating one of the most competitive pools in the tournament.
The knock-on effect would also significantly alter the balance of other groups. Bangladesh’s current group — which includes England and West Indies — would become one of the easier groups in the competition if Bangladesh were moved out.
In contrast, critics have pointed out that the group containing India and Pakistan already features only two traditional Test-playing nations, raising further questions about overall tournament balance should a late reshuffle be approved.
Bangladesh raised the proposal during a meeting with ICC officials in Dhaka on January 17, with the BCB later describing the discussions as “constructive and professional.” A group swap was reportedly floated as a solution requiring minimal logistical changes.
At present, Bangladesh are scheduled to play their group matches across venues in India, while Sri Lanka-hosted matches are planned for Colombo and Kandy.
The ICC has not made a final decision on the request. Any late change to group compositions would be highly unusual at this stage of tournament planning, and discussions are understood to be ongoing among member boards.
No official announcement has been made by the ICC on whether the proposed group swap will be approved. (Newswire)