Former India cricketer Suresh Raina issued a blunt warning to Pakistan and blamed Bangladesh for creating all this chaos ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
During a recent conversation, Suresh Raina stated that there are no security concerns in India, and Bangladesh could play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches here without facing any trouble.
Why is Bangladesh out of the T20 World Cup 2026?
According to the former cricketer Suresh Raina, during the high-profile events such as the T20 World Cup 2026, the atmosphere is like a festival where every cricketer would like to participate.
The ex-cricketer directly said that it was completely the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s fault, as there are no security concerns. After Mustafizur Rahman‘s exit from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), Bangladesh cricket officials asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka, as they had concerns regarding players’ safety in India. ICC provided BCB a 24-hour ultimatum to change their mind.
Bangladesh cricket officials remained firm on their decision not to travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026. The council took the matter in strong hands and removed the nation from the marquee tournament. In place of Bangladesh, the ICC named Scotland as their replacement.
Suresh Raina directly blamed Bangladesh for the messy situation
“I think whatever happened with Bangladesh, we provided the security; everything was there. I think it’s their fault,” Suresh Raina stated sternly during a chat with NDTV on the sidelines of the World Legends Pro T20 League.
Suresh Raina felt that the Bangladesh cricket team could offer a strong fight in the tournament because of the conditions. Bangladeshi cricketers are well aware of the subcontinental conditions, and they have some quality spinners as well.
“If they would have come to India, it would have been different because the Bangladesh team is very, very strong. Their spinners know the conditions really well. I think they’re going to lose out so much,” Raina added.
Raina issues a warning against Pakistan
But what will happen if Pakistan decides to boycott the competition? The ex-cricketer stated that if Pakistan fixes their mind to do this, then the ICC can take major actions against them.
“As the ICC chairman said, they’re going to take strict action against those who are not coming to India,” Raina said.
Reports are claiming that Pakistan can take the route to boycott the tournament entirely or partially. Some reports strongly claim that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may not dare to boycott the entire competition, as their fixtures are in Sri Lanka, on a neutral venue, due to their concerns. Instead of skipping the tournament, PCB could think about not playing with Team India on February 15, media reports claim.
PCB boss Mohsin Naqvi and the Government of Pakistan are yet to clear their stance after showing support to Bangladesh. PCB can inform about their final decision on February 2.
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