KEY POINTS
- Bangladesh has issued an uncompromising stance not to play its World Cup matches in India.
- ICC and BCCI’s reactive search for alternative Indian venues contradicts Bangladesh’s core demand.
- Crisis was ignited by BCCI-instructed release of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL.
ISLAMABAD: With just over three weeks until the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Bangladesh has reiterated its stance, declaring it will not play anywhere in India and forcing global cricketing bodies into a defensive scramble to save the tournament’s schedule.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated on Monday that it is still waiting for a formal reply from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding its request to relocate its T20 World Cup 2026 matches away from India on security grounds.
‘Anywhere except India’
Bangladesh’s government and cricket board have presented a unified, uncompromising front.
Asif Nazrul, the government’s sports advisor, on Monday, stated unequivocally that the team would play the World Cup “anywhere except India,” listing Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or the UAE as acceptable alternatives.
This position is rooted in what Bangladesh describes as an untenable security environment, a claim they assert is backed by the ICC’s own security team.
Also Read: Pakistan Offers to Host Bangladesh T20 World Cup Matches Amid India Concerns
Nazrul revealed a confidential ICC security assessment that outlined extreme risks if Bangladesh selects key players like Mustafizur Rahman or if their fans wear national colours in India.
“This statement from the ICC security team has undoubtedly proven that there is no situation whatsoever for the Bangladesh cricket team to play in India,” Nazrul declared, framing the ICC’s own report as justification for their boycott.
Reactive proposals and logistical hurdles
Faced with Bangladesh’s firm refusal, the response from the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appeared reactive and fragmented, highlighting a weaker negotiating stance.
Despite two formal requests from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to relocate matches to Sri Lanka, the global body has yet to provide a decisive response.
Instead of addressing the core demand, sources indicate the ICC and BCCI are weakly exploring last-minute alternatives within India, reportedly contacting state associations in Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as potential backups.
This move directly contradicts Bangladesh’s explicit rejection of any Indian venue and is seen as an attempt to placate the host nation rather than resolve the impasse.
The bodies now face a public relations and logistical nightmare, with the tournament weeks away and a full member nation threatening withdrawal based on security concerns validated, in their view, by the ICC’s own officials.
Also Read: Bangladesh Cricket Board Approaches ICC Over Security Concerns in India
Mustafizur episode ignites tensions
The crisis was triggered by the BCCI’s instruction to the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, an act the BCB cites as a direct security provocation and evidence of an “anti-Bangladesh environment.”
Bangladesh has linked this to broader political tensions, accusing the BCCI of bowing to “aggressive communal forces.”
Nazrul’s sharp criticism extended to the ICC’s governance, questioning, “if the ICC does not rise and sit at India’s command,” suggesting the organization is unduly influenced by its most powerful member.
This paints the ICC’s delayed and indecisive response as a sign of weakness and subservience.
Tournament in limbo as deadline Looms
Under the current schedule, Bangladesh is set to play in Kolkata and Mumbai. With the ICC’s formal response expected on January 12, the clock is ticking.
The logistical feasibility of moving an entire team’s matches to another country like Sri Lanka at this late stage is low, yet Bangladesh has vowed “no compromise.”
Also Read: Bangladesh Stands Firm on T20 World Cup Outside India
The standoff leaves the ICC in a precarious position: force a sovereign nation to play in a location it deems unsafe, potentially leading to a boycott, or last-minute, hastily rearrange a segment of its flagship event, undermining its own authority and the host nation’s plans.
Bangladesh’s strong, public stance has successfully shifted the burden of compromise entirely onto the shoulders of the ICC and BCCI.
Bangladesh squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Litton Kumar Das (c), Saif Hassan (vc), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Md Shaifuddin and Shoriful Islam
