KEY POINTS
- ICC remains firm that schedule must stay unchanged.
- Bangladesh stands by its decision not to travel to India.
- Dispute originated when BCCI removed Bangladeshi player from the IPL.
- ICC will decide Bangladesh’s participation.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (BCB) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it expresses solidarity with Bangladesh’s stance to refuse playing in India in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 starting next month.
With the International Cricket Council (ICC) set to make a final decision on the matter today (Wednesday), the PCB’s intervention adds a significant new layer of geopolitical tension to the long-running dispute over tournament security and logistics.
Show of solidarity before crucial vote
The PCB wrote to the ICC on Tuesday, explicitly endorsing the BCB’s stance of not travelling to India due to ongoing regional political tensions. In its correspondence, the Pakistani board backed Bangladesh’s security concerns.
While unclear if the letter prompted the emergency ICC Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, its timing ensures the issue will be at the forefront of discussions aimed at resolving the deadlock.
ICC holds firm as Bangladesh refuses to budge
Despite the PCB’s show of solidarity, the ICC has so far remained unwavering in its position.
The global governing body insists the tournament schedule, with India and Sri Lanka as co-hosts, must remain unchanged and expects Bangladesh to fulfill its fixtures in India.
BCB, however, with firm backing from its government, has stated it will not send its national team across the border.
Multiple rounds of discussions, including a high-level ICC delegation’s visit to Dhaka last weekend, have failed to break the impasse.
The Wednesday meeting is seen as a final attempt to find a resolution.
Political row sparked by IPL move
The current standoff traces its origins to a decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this month.
The BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise to drop Bangladeshi pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the 2026 Indian Premier League season.
While no official reason was given, the move was widely linked to deteriorating diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.
This action prompted an immediate and firm response from Dhaka, with the Bangladeshi government declaring its national team would not play World Cup matches on Indian soil.
Speculation and fallout
The PCB’s late entry into the dispute follows a week of intense speculation.
Unverified reports had suggested Pakistan could offer to host Bangladesh’s matches or that the PCB was reviewing its own participation in the World Cup based on the outcome.
The controversy has also spilled over into Bangladesh’s domestic cricket.
A senior BCB official’s remarks about the financial impact of a potential World Cup withdrawal and comments about leading players caused unrest within the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, highlighting the high stakes and widespread anxiety the situation has generated.
The ICC Board’s decision on Wednesday will now determine the immediate future of Bangladesh’s participation.
