A virtual meeting was held on Tuesday between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to address the security concerns raised by Bangladesh regarding their fixtures in India.
Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup cricket match between India And Bangladesh at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (Photo: IANS)
The ICC, currently headed by Jay Shah, has rejected Bangladesh’s plea to change the venue for their matches in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20I World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, as per ESPNcricinfo.
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According to sources, a virtual meeting was held on Tuesday between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to address the security concerns raised by Bangladesh regarding their fixtures in India.
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Following the discussions, the ICC reportedly turned down the request and reiterated that the Bangladesh team would be required to travel to India for their scheduled fixtures.
Later, the BCB issued an official statement on its position after engaging with the ICC on the matter.
“In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board’s inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event.
The BCB also denied reports suggesting that it had received any form of ultimatum from the ICC, terming such claims as baseless.
“The BCB has also taken note of certain reports published in a section of the media suggesting that the Board has been issued an ultimatum in this regard. The BCB categorically states that such claims are completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC.”
Bangladesh Cricket Board Statement on ICC Communication Regarding T20 World Cup 2026
▪️The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received response from the International Cricket Council (ICC)
regarding the Board’s expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh… pic.twitter.com/3QVPnxlqNs— Indrajit Kundu | ইন্দ্রজিৎ (@iindrojit) January 7, 2026
The statement further confirmed that the Board would continue constructive engagement with the ICC and relevant event authorities to ensure the smooth participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament.
The development comes in the backdrop of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the Kolkata Knight Riders after the BCCI issued a directive to the franchise also allowing them to replace the player. In the aftermath, the BCB imposed a ban on the broadcast of the IPL and related programmes in Bangladesh and formally requested the ICC to shift their World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka.
“An emergency meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was held this afternoon to discuss recent developments related to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka,” the BCB release said.
“The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours, and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India.”
Tensions between the two nations escalated following reports of violence against members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. In the wake of these developments, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the board’s decision to release Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad. However, he refrained from citing any specific reason, stating only that the decision was taken in light of the “recent developments”.
Placed in Group C, Bangladesh will begin their campaign with a three-match stint in Kolkata, taking on West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14. They will then travel to Mumbai to conclude the group stage against Nepal on February 17.
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