Dhaka, Jan 18 (V7N) — Cricket Ireland has confirmed that it will not play any of its matches in India during the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, though it has received firm assurances from the International Cricket Council (ICC) that its scheduled matches will remain in Sri Lanka.

An official of Cricket Ireland told Cricbuzz that the ICC has clearly communicated that there will be no changes to Ireland’s match venues. “We have received clear assurances that the scheduled fixtures will not change. We will definitely play our group-stage matches in Sri Lanka,” the official said.

Ireland have been placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup alongside Australia, Zimbabwe, Oman, and co-host Sri Lanka. All group matches involving Ireland are scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh have been drawn in Group B, which includes England, West Indies, Nepal, and Italy. Bangladesh’s group-stage matches are scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai in India.

However, Bangladesh have already expressed reluctance to tour India for the tournament. In light of this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) raised the issue with the ICC and proposed a possible group rearrangement to address the situation. The matter was discussed during a meeting between BCB officials and the ICC in Dhaka on Saturday.

According to the BCB, discussions included “the possibility of moving Bangladesh to another group with minimal logistical changes” as a potential solution.

Despite the discussions, the proposal has not found support from either the ICC or Cricket Ireland. As a result, there appears to be no immediate possibility of Ireland altering its stance, nor any confirmed changes to the tournament’s group structure or venues.

The ICC has yet to issue an official statement on any potential adjustments to the T20 World Cup schedule.

END/SMA/AJ