The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to shift their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fixtures outside India, sparking a major standoff. BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul maintains that Bangladesh will not travel to India for the tournament.
The BCB has accused the ICC of double standards, pointing to the governing body’s decision to allow India to play their 2025 Champions Trophy matches in the UAE instead of Pakistan.
Speaking to the media in Dhaka, Aminul Islam said India were given the “privilege” of playing all their Champions Trophy matches at one venue in Dubai.
“When a country refused to travel to another country for the Champions Trophy last February, the ICC organised a neutral venue for them. The team played all their Champions Trophy matches in that neutral venue. They played in one ground, staying in one hotel. It was a privilege,” Aminul Islam said, as per ESPNcricinfo.
His comments came after a meeting in Dhaka attended by Asif Nazrul (adviser to the interim government), BCB President Aminul Islam, BCB CEO Nizamuddin, and several national team players including Nurul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Jaker Ali, Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh is scheduled to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai, starting their campaign against the West Indies at Eden Gardens.
Aminul Islam also proposed a hybrid model, suggesting that Bangladesh could play its matches in Sri Lanka. He argued that although Sri Lanka is officially a co-host, they are not being treated as such in the tournament structure.
“We indicated to the ICC that since our government is reluctant to let us play in India, we want to take the Sri Lanka option. Still, they denied our request. We will communicate with the ICC today. We are ready to play the World Cup in Sri Lanka. We don’t want to play in India,” he said.
The ICC Board had previously approved a hybrid model for India-Pakistan matches, allowing Pakistan to host the 2025 Champions Trophy while India played in the UAE. Similarly, Pakistan played their 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup matches in Sri Lanka while India hosted the tournament.
The tension between Bangladesh and India intensified after the BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid protests against alleged atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh banned IPL broadcasts in the country and appealed to the ICC for a venue change for the T20 World Cup.
Government adviser Asif Nazrul has strongly supported the BCB’s decision, stating that Bangladesh will not travel to India due to security concerns.
“Let me tell you clearly. It is the government’s decision not to play in India due to security concerns,” Nazrul said.
He added that the ICC had failed to address Bangladesh’s concerns and had not shown any goodwill. He also criticised the Indian government for not responding or proposing additional security measures.
The ICC rejected the BCB’s request via a video conference held on Wednesday to discuss the issue, leaving the standoff unresolved.