Dhaka, Jan 23: Bangladesh has taken a firm and unprecedented stand ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, saying it will not send its national cricket team to play matches in India, even after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected its request to relocate fixtures to Sri Lanka. The tournament is scheduled to begin on February 7, 2026 with co-hosts India and Sri Lanka.In a strong statement on Thursday, officials from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterated that although the country wants to participate in the World Cup, it will not travel to India for the competition unless its concerns are addressed. BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul described the ICC’s venue decision as unfair and accused the global body of double standards.
The impasse stems from a security dispute, with Bangladesh citing unresolved safety concerns and political tensions between the two countries. The controversy escalated after that country’s pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from his Indian Premier League (IPL) side, an issue that Bangladesh officials have linked to broader diplomatic friction.
The ICC, however, has maintained that independent security assessments show no credible threat to players, officials or fans at the Indian venues. The governing body also emphasised that changing match locations so close to the start of the tournament would undermine the scheduling and sanctity of future ICC events.
Bangladesh was given an ultimatum by the ICC to confirm whether it would travel to India, with the deadline set for Thursday. Officials have indicated that if Bangladesh declines to participate, Scotland — next in the team rankings — is likely to take its place in the tournament.
Despite the stand-off, Bangladesh officials said they remain hopeful the ICC will act justly and consider relocating their fixtures to Sri Lanka, where they would be willing to play. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul described the ICC’s decision as “unacceptable” and criticised what he called a lack of adequate assurances from both the ICC and Indian authorities regarding player safety.
The dispute casts a shadow over the upcoming ICC event and signals potential challenges ahead for the tournament’s logistics and diplomatic relations in world cricket, with Bangladesh prepared to pursue all avenues before the World Cup begins.