The International Cricket Council has advised Bangladesh to leave fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman out of its T20I World Cup squad if the team wants to limit perceived security risks in India, rather than pressing its request to relocate the team’s fixtures.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board had formally asked the ICC to shift its matches to Sri Lanka or another venue, citing safety concerns for players and supporters after Mustafizur was recently left out of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ Indian Premier League squad on the Indian board’s orders.

In a response that caught officials in Dhaka off guard, the global governing body offered three recommendations: drop Mustafizur from the World Cup squad, warn Bangladeshi fans against wearing national team jerseys or carrying flags in India, and note that risks would rise as Bangladesh’s general election approaches.

Asif Nazrul, the interim government’s sports adviser, revealed the information on Monday. He has said repeatedly that the team will not play the World Cup on Indian soil under any circumstances.

The BCB’s request followed KKR’s decision to release Mustafizur, a move that sparked anger in Bangladesh. The resulting deadlock over security assurances has now dragged on for nine to ten days.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is weighing alternative venues within the country, with Chennai and Kerala under consideration instead of the originally scheduled Kolkata and Mumbai. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board had received no specific direction from the ICC, describing the issue as a matter solely between the ICC and the BCB.

Bangladesh is scheduled to play three of its four group-stage matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and one at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India and Sri Lanka are joint hosts of the tenth edition of the tournament that will begin on February 7.