Hosts Bangladesh have apparently given up hope of gaining direct entry into the second round of the ICC World Twenty20 despite the ICC confirming that the tournament format has yet to be finalised, Bangladesh Cricket Board officials said on Monday.
The Bangladeshi cricket community was surprised last week after it discovered that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe would likely have to play in the tournament’s first round, where they would compete with six associate members for four spots in the second round.
The eight other Test-playing nations would, on the other hand, receive direct-entry into the next round.
Host tournament director Tanveer Qamrul Islam seemed convinced that there was no chance for the hosts to convince the ICC board to reconsider the rules and regulations for the T20 extravaganza at its next meeting.
‘I don’t think there is any chance left for us now,’ Tanveer told New Age on Monday.
‘As far as I know the format for the event was made long ago, though the ICC has yet to announce it officially,’ said Tanveer.
ICC officials, however, declined to provide any detailed information about the format of the ICC World Twenty20, scheduled for March 16 to April 6 2014, reasoning that it would be finalised in the next ICC board meeting in October.
This would seem to give Bangladesh a chance to make its case to be treated the same as the Test-playing nations, but the hosts appear unlikely to try.
Tanveer added that there was misconception about Bangladesh’s potential participation in the first round of the tournament, with some looking at it as another qualifying round.
‘Bangladesh will play the opening match of the tournament against a qualifier that is yet to be decided,’ he said, ‘But it is not a qualifying round, rather very much part of the tournament proper.’
The ICC will hold an ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE in October this year, where 16 associate teams will compete for six spots in the next year’s tournament. The ten Test nations have automatically qualified for the tournament.
-With New Age input
