Ireland dismiss talk of group swap with Bangladesh

Ireland have ruled out any possibility of a group reshuffle with Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, amid ongoing uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation due to security concerns.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested that Bangladesh’s matches be moved out of India, urging the ICC to consider hosting them in Sri Lanka. As discussions continued, reports emerged suggesting a potential group swap—Bangladesh moving to Group C and Ireland to Group B—to ease logistical challenges.

Cricket Ireland, however, said the ICC has assured them there will be no changes to their group or fixtures. “Our schedule will remain unchanged, and all group matches will be played in Sri Lanka,” a Cricket Ireland spokesperson told Cricbuzz.

The tournament begins on February 7 and will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Under the current schedule, Ireland are in Group C with Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe and Oman, while Bangladesh are in Group B alongside West Indies, England, Nepal and Italy. Bangladesh are set to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

Following a meeting in Dhaka on Saturday, the BCB said group reassignment was discussed but no decision was reached. With safety concerns still unresolved, the ICC and BCB have agreed to continue talks.