Amid the ongoing back-and-forth between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) over a potential venue change for the men’s T20 World Cup, Bangladesh government’s Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul on Tuesday reiterated the country’s firm stance on not travelling to India for the marquee event.
Nazrul stated that Bangladesh would not accept any “unreasonable” conditions if the ICC attempted to impose them under pressure from India.
“If the International Cricket Council bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose any illogical condition on us, we will not accept it,” Nazrul told reporters.
“There are precedents in the past where Pakistan refused to travel to India and the ICC changed the venue. Our request is based on logical grounds, and we cannot be pressured into playing in India through unreasonable demands,” he added.
Bangladesh have consistently maintained their refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India, citing security concerns, and have requested the ICC to shift their fixtures to co-host Sri Lanka. This stance follows the BCCI’s directive to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid prevailing political tensions between the two countries.
According to reports, the ICC is expected to take a final call on Bangladesh’s request by January 21. After several failed attempts to resolve the matter through emails and virtual meetings, the ICC sent a delegate for a face-to-face discussion with the BCB. However, both sides remained firm on their respective positions even after the meeting.
Bangladesh has also proposed a group swap, suggesting a move to Group B in exchange for Ireland, whose matches are scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka. The ICC, however, has reportedly assured Ireland that no such change will be made.
ICC officials are understood to be unhappy with the BCB’s stance, especially as the Bangladesh board had earlier assured them there was no specific security threat to the team. The ICC has also conveyed that if Bangladesh withdraws, a replacement team will be named, with Scotland currently next in line based on rankings.