"ICC Failed to Ensure Safety; Skipping World Cup Was Necessary": Faruk Ahmed

Speaking at the CCDM Challenge Cup final in Purbachal on Sunday (February 8), Faruk remarked, "The ICC did not take any significant steps that could have convinced us to participate. They failed to provide any security protocol beyond the conventional ones, which wasn't enough given the circumstances." He noted that after Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL, security tensions rose, leading BCB to request moving their matches to Sri Lanka—a proposal the ICC rejected, opting to include Scotland instead.

The BCB chief further clarified that the final call came from the government. "If the government doesn't permit, the board cannot proceed. It was a state-level decision supported by BCB," he said. While expressing personal disappointment as a former cricketer, he emphasized that the safety of players, journalists, and fans was paramount. "We repeatedly asked for a concrete security plan, but the ICC failed to provide anything satisfactory," he added.