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International Cricket Council (ICC) pitch consultant Andy Atkinson (right) inspects the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium with Bangladesh Cricket Board curator Shafiul Alam Belal, in Fatullah on the outskirts of Dhaka on Monday.
DHAKA: The International Cricket Council says it will monitor political violence in Bangladesh ahead of next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in the troubled country but is “happy” for now with arrangements.
An ICC official said there would be a “continual review” of planning for the March-April tournament in view of the turmoil that has left dozens of people dead in street protests around the country.
“This is a situation that we have to consistently monitor,” Chris Tetley, an ICC event manager, told reporters late Monday after a final inspection of the stadiums in Dhaka and in Fatullah, just outside the capital.
“Security is something we keep discussing. Obviously the things today could be different tomorrow. There will be a continual review of our arrangements against the situation. But at this stage, we are definitely happy,” Tetley said.
Asked whether the ICC would shift the tournament to another country if the violence escalated, Tetley said: “It’s difficult to speculate because we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“All we can do is continually assess the situation and discuss with the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) and make plans accordingly,” he added.
Bangladesh is set to host the tournament in three cities, Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet -- all of which have been hit by the violence. AFP
