Bangladeshi Journalists’ accreditation applications rejected for T20 World Cup; ICC official cites reason

The ripple effects of Bangladesh’s exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continue to surface, with the ICC reportedly rejecting accreditation applications from Bangladeshi journalists for the tournament.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) media committee chairman Amzad Hossain confirmed that none of the Bangladeshi journalists who applied for accreditation were approved.

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“As far as I know, all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none received accreditation,” Amzad said, as quoted by The Daily Star.

The ripple effects of #Bangladesh’s exit from the ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup2026 continue to surface, with the ICC reportedly rejecting accreditation applications from Bangladeshi #journalists for the tournament.
Read More- https://t.co/cU4ZgkuB8M #T20WorldCup #ICC #India… pic.twitter.com/0P4xKrR7tt

— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) January 27, 2026

The ICC, however, has defended its decision, citing the unsafe travel issued by the Bangladeshi government amid the ongoing political situation.

“They have not been given visas or accreditation because the government kept saying it is unsafe to come to India,” an ICC official told NDTV on condition of anonymity.

Bangladesh withdrew from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, citing security and safety concerns for their players under the published schedule. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally requested the ICC to shift their matches from India to co-host Sri Lanka for the marquee tournament.

Following several rounds of meetings and discussions, Bangladesh maintained its stance, while the ICC decided to retain the original schedule, stating that no credible security concerns had been identified in India.

On Saturday, the ICC confirmed that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the tournament after the BCB failed to respond within the stipulated timeline to confirm participation.

Several Bangladeshi photojournalists have also claimed that they initially received approval emails from the ICC media department on January 20 and 21, only to be rejected later.

Bangladeshi journalists have a long history of covering ICC events, even before Bangladesh became regular participants in World Cups. Senior journalist Arifur Rahman Babu was among the four Bangladeshi reporters who covered the 1996 ICC World Cup, co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Reacting to the development, Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) president Arifur Rahman said journalists should not be barred from covering the tournament simply because Bangladesh are not participating.

He added that the BSJA would consult with two other bodies, the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC), to decide on the next course of action.