ICC denies an threat to B’desh in India for T20 WC

Dubai, Jan 13: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has assured the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that there is no specific or heightened security threat awaiting the national team in India during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
An internal assessment circulated to the BCB’s security division concluded that while minor risks exist at certain match locations, the overall environment remains stable and manageable — well within the ICC’s standard global threat matrix.
According to sources familiar with the document, the report categorised some venues as low to moderate risk, while others were marked ‘low to nil’.
The ICC stressed that such gradings are routine for major international tournaments and do not warrant venue changes or special intervention unless conditions deteriorate significantly.
The revelation comes amidst growing public debate in Bangladesh after sports adviser Asif Nazrul claimed this week that the ICC’s correspondence highlighted problematic conditions for the Tigers to compete in India.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Nazrul said Bangladesh had written twice to the ICC seeking clarity, following which the governing body responded with what he described as “a concerning threat outline.”Nazrul said the ICC highlighted three potentially sensitive issues — Mustafizur Rahman’s presence in the squad, Bangladesh fans wearing national team jerseys in Indian stadiums, and the proximity of Bangladesh’s national elections.Nazrul argued that these considerations amount to an untenable situation for participation.
“If the ICC expects Bangladesh to field a team without its leading fast bowler, prevent fans from wearing their colours, or delay national elections to play cricket, then there could be no expectation more absurd or unreasonable,” he said, insisting that the circumstances justify relocating Bangladesh’s matches.Bangladesh are originally slated to play Group-stage fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai. Concern further escalated when the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster, reportedly due to strained diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. The BCCI did not publicly explain the directive, but the fallout has been swift.
Since the IPL exclusion, Nazrul has led calls to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches from Indian soil. In solidarity, the Bangladesh government imposed a blanket ban on the telecast of IPL matches inside the country, while the BCB dispatched a formal letter to the ICC refusing to play scheduled games in India.
However, not everyone in Dhaka shares Nazrul’s interpretation.
Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, countered the adviser’s claims, stating that the security document being circulated publicly was misunderstood.
“The ICC note mentioned was an internal briefing shared among stakeholders as part of early security monitoring for the World Cup in India,” Majumder said in a social media post. “It was not a response to Bangladesh’s petition to shift their matches elsewhere.”
Majumder’s clarification indicates that — despite political tension and administrative pushback — the ICC’s position has not changed: security conditions remain acceptable, and teams, including Bangladesh, are expected to participate under the original hosting framework.