The International Cricket Council (ICC) has ruled out sanction on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over its refusal to play matches in India during the T20 World Cup, a decision that ultimately led to Bangladesh being excluded from the tournament, ESPNcricinfo reports.
In a statement cited by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, the ICC said Bangladesh would face no financial, sporting or administrative consequences over the episode.
The global governing body of the sport also confirmed that Bangladesh would be awarded hosting rights for an ICC event before the 2031 ODI World Cup, which Bangladesh is set to co-host with India, according to bdnews24.com.
"It is agreed that no financial, sporting or administrative penalty will be imposed on Bangladesh Cricket Board in relation to the current matter," the ICC was quoted as saying.
"It is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), should it choose to do so. This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intact."
The governing body said its handling of the issue was guided by institutional principles rather than punitive intent.
"The ICC's approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishment," the statement added.
As part of the understanding reached among stakeholders, the ICC confirmed that Bangladesh would host a global event before 2031, subject to standard procedures.
"As part of this understanding, an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event before the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements," the ICC said, adding that the decision reflected confidence in Bangladesh's ability as a host.
Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the ongoing T20 World Cup after the government declined to allow the team to travel to India.
The BCB had sought to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka, but the ICC Board voted against the proposal and opted for replacement instead.
The situation unfolded amid strained political relations between India and Bangladesh and followed the removal of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the BCCI for unspecified reasons.
The issue took on wider significance when Pakistan said it would participate in the tournament but boycott its group match against India in Colombo, linking its stance to Bangladesh's exclusion.
According to ESPNcricinfo, securing redress for Bangladesh became central to subsequent discussions between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the ICC. On Sunday, ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khawaja met PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi and BCB President Aminul Islam in Lahore. While the PCB said a decision on its boycott was expected soon, the ICC indicated that Bangladesh's matter had now been settled.
ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta told ESPNcricinfo that Bangladesh's absence from the tournament was "regrettable" but did not diminish the organisation's long-term commitment to the country as a major cricketing nation.
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