We won't play in India but still hopeful of justice from ICC: Bangladesh
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh on Thursday refused to send its national cricket team for the T20 World Cup in India, effectively paving the way for Scotland to take its place in the tournament roster after the ICC dismissed the country's demand for a change of venue.
Bangladesh had been served an ultimatum by the world body on Wednesday to either agree to travel to India or risk being replaced as there was no credible threat to the safety of their players, officials or fans there. The country was given time till Thursday to make its decision.
However, taking a defiant position Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Nazrul, after a meeting with national team players, announced that the ICC's position was not acceptable to them.
"While our cricketers have worked hard to qualify for the World Cup, the security risk regarding playing in India remains unchanged. This concern is not based on abstract analysis," Nazrul said.
"We are not giving up hope yet; our team is ready. We expect the ICC to provide justice by considering our genuine security risks and allowing us to play in Sri Lanka," he added.
Bangladesh are due to play four games in India (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai). The country raised security concerns after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was ousted from the IPL on BCCI's instructions for unspecified "developments all around."
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PM Modi, Serbian prez discuss ways to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in areas such as defence, manufacturing, fertilisers and infrastructure.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit being held here from February 16-20.
"Met President Aleksandar Vučić on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit. We discussed ways to deepen cooperation in areas such as defence, manufacturing, DPI, fertilisers and infrastructure. For many years, India and Serbia have worked closely and I am confident our ties will gain even more momentum in the times to come," Modi wrote on X.
Vučić said the two leaders were proud of the friendship between Serbia and India, and the people of the two nations.
"India is a reliable and important partner for us, and we want to deepen economic exchange and encourage new investment projects. I am especially happy because India wants significant participation in the Serbian #Expo," he said in a post on X in Serbian.
The India AI Impact Expo features more than 600 high-potential startups and 13 country pavilions showcasing international collaboration in the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. Over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers and 500 global AI leaders are attending the summit.
