With Bangladesh out of T20 WC, ICC reworking application process for its travelling media
New Delhi (PTI): The International Cricket Council is reworking the media accreditation process for Bangladesh journalists wishing to cover the T20 World Cup in India after the withdrawal of its national team citing security concerns in the neighbouring nation.
The ICC is changing the application process even as some of the Bangladesh journalists claimed that their accreditation request was rejected by the world body.
"There is a reworking of the process since there is a change in the number of requests and the schedules. The accreditation lists are being worked out accordingly.
"Some of the Bangladesh journalists, who showed interest in covering the tournament despite their team's withdrawal, have started getting approvals," ICC sources told PTI.
Roughly 80-90 Bangladeshi journalists applied for the media accreditation and, sources said, even if their team was participating in the ICC event, not all requests could be accommodated.
"If you go by the country quota, you can't exceed the number beyond 40. The ICC goes by the recommendations of the home board and accordingly takes a call on the applications," sources added.
In Dhaka, BCB media chairman Amjad Hossain said he has taken up the matter with the ICC.
"The decision came only yesterday and we have sought to know (the details). An explanation has been requested. This is an internal and confidential matter, but to summarise -- we wanted to know why this was done," Hossain told reporters in Dhaka.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Bangladeshi journalist said it was the first time his media accreditation was not approved.
"I have covered 8 to 9 ICC World Cups. This was the first time my application was rejected. We are awaiting clarity from BCB before reapplying," he said.
As per the ICC assessment, the Bangladesh cricket team did not face a security threat in India but the country's cricket board still decided to not travel to the country.
Subsequently, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the tournament beginning on February 7.
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Telangana municipal polls on Feb 11
Hyderabad (PTI): The Telangana State Election Commission on Tuesday announced a single-phase schedule for municipal elections in the state to be held on February 11 for seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities.
As per the schedule, the election notice will be issued on January 28 and from the same day the nominations will be taken, State Election Commissioner I Rani Kumudini told reporters here.
The last date for filing nominations is January 31.
After scrutiny and withdrawals, the final list of contesting candidates will be announced on February 3.
The date of the poll is February 11 and counting will be done on February 13 and the results will be declared soon after the counting process is completed, she said.
"This is the schedule for direct elections to all the 2,996 wards covering 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations," she said.
The registered voters are 52.43 lakh -- 25.62 lakh male voters and 26.8 lakh female voters and others are 640.
Kumudini appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise on the poll day.
The Telangana Cabinet on January 18 decided to conduct elections to the municipalities and corporations as early as possible.
Gram panchayat elections were conducted in Telangana in December last year.
