The International Cricket Council (ICC) is facing a major dilemma just weeks ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as Bangladesh remain firm on their stance not to travel to India for their group matches next month, citing security reasons.
Bangladesh stand firm on security concerns during video conference with ICC ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
On Tuesday, January 13, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held an urgent video conference with the ICC to discuss the team’s participation in India. The online meeting was attended by the top BCB officials, including President Md Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Md Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, Director Nazmul Abedeen, and CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has made it clear that player and staff safety is their highest priority and reiterated its security concerns as they requested the ICC to explore moving Bangladesh’s matches outside India.
However, the ICC reminded Bangladesh that the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule is already set and asked the Bangladesh cricket board to reconsider its stance, but they denied it, leaving both parties to find a middle ground.
BCB demands relocation of matches
The BCB said in an official media release, “During the discussions, the BCB reaffirmed its position regarding the decision not to travel to India, citing security concerns. The Board also reiterated its request for the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India.
The statement further reads, “While the ICC highlighted that the tournament itinerary has already been announced and requested the BCB to reconsider its stance, the Board’s position remains unchanged. Both parties agreed that discussions will continue to explore possible solutions.
The BCB remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of its players, officials, and staff while engaging constructively with the ICC to address the matter.”
Notably, Bangladesh is scheduled to play three group matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai, but the BCB has written to the ICC multiple times asking for these matches to be moved out of India. Sri Lanka has been suggested as the possible new venue because of safety concerns.
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Mustafizur Rahman row explodes into ICC–BCB standoff
Things got worse after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for IPL 2026. KKR had bought him for a huge amount of Rs 9.2 crore at the IPL auction 2026. Soon after, the BCCI, KKR, and its owner, Shah Rukh Khan, faced criticism from some political groups and fans.
Following the intense backlash, the BCCI instructed KKR to release Mustafizur. After this incident, the BCB informed the ICC that the team may not travel to India for the T20 World Cup. Later, Bangladesh’s sports ministry advisor suggested the report mentioned a threat to Mustafizur.
However, the BCB clarified that the ICC security report was not a reply to their request to move matches. Later, the ICC shared an internal security report saying there was no serious or special threat to the Bangladesh team. For now, the ICC rejected the BCB’s request but has yet to find a solution.
