The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to shift its upcoming T20 World Cup matches from India to Bangladesh. The Indian Express understands that during a virtual meeting with BCB officials late on Tuesday evening, the ICC said there are no inputs of security threats to any of the teams and that Bangladesh must play in India as per the Members Playing Agreement (MPA). It is understood that the BCB has sought time, and the ball is now in their court. The ICC, as things stand, is not coming up with any alternate schedule and a final decision is expected to be taken on Saturday. However, all things point to the BCB eventually agreeing to play its matches in India as per the original schedule.
Although the ICC is yet to respond officially, the BCB acknowledged receiving a response from the world body. “The BCB has received a response from the ICC regarding the Board’s expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, including the request for relocation of the team’s matches. In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board’s inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event,” the BCB said in a statement on Wednesday.
On Sunday, a day after the BCCI ejected Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL), the BCB responded by putting in a formal request to the ICC asking for their World Cup matches in Kolkata and Mumbai to be moved to Sri Lanka, who are the co-hosts. “As far as the ICC goes, there is no security threat in India, and the ICC has communicated this to the BCB. The ICC hasn’t received any inputs which say the security of the Bangladesh team is at risk in India. Under these circumstances, there is no reason to tweak the schedule and move the matches. There is very little time left. The BCB has been reminded of the MPA, and they have to decide now,” sources in the know told The Indian Express.
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With the ICC standing firm, the BCB seems to have read the writing on the wall. As the world body has clearly stated that there are no security threats, the only option at the moment for Bangladesh is to seek clearance from its government to travel for the tournament. “The Board will continue constructive engagement with the ICC and relevant event authorities in a cooperative and professional manner to arrive at an affable and practical solution that ensures the smooth and successful participation of the team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The BCB remains firmly committed to placing the highest priority on the safety, security and well-being of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team,” the BCB said.
With the BCB taking a step back, full clarity is expected by the weekend. But the ICC seems to have informed the BCB that while it is open to discussions in the coming days, it won’t wait beyond Saturday. It is understood that the Bangladesh cricket body would have discussions with its government, which has taken a hard stand on the issue.
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Hours before the BCB put in a request to move the matches away from India, Asif Nazrul, the advisor for Youth and Sports in the Mohammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh, wrote on his Facebook page: “We won’t stand for any insult to Bangladesh’s cricket, cricketers and the country. The days of slavery are over. The Board should make it clear that where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite (being) contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to the World Cup. I have also instructed the board (BCB) to request its matches be held in Sri Lanka.”
Reports emerging from Bangladesh suggested that the ICC has informed the BCB that if they don’t send the team to India, they have to forfeit the points. However, such a scenario seems far-fetched at this stage, as in the case of Bangladesh refusing to turn up, a different team will be called in. The BCB declined to have been given such ultimatums.
“The BCB has also taken note of certain reports published in a section of the media suggesting that the Board has been issued an ultimatum in this regard. The BCB categorically states that such claims are completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC,” it said.
From the moment the Bangladesh government reacted strongly to Mustafizur’s expulsion from the IPL, the BCB was left with no choice but to make a request to move the matches away from India. The ICC, however, is understood to have informed the BCB that it is an issue between two boards (BCCI and BCB), and they can’t be dragged into it.
