ICC rejects Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request again, asks board to reconsider stance about moving games out of India

FILE picture of Bangladesh cricket team. (PHOTO: AP)

Amid the ongoing stalemate between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regarding relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India at the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the two parties held a video conference on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the matter. But there was no agreement on Tuesday either with both sides holding firm: Bangladesh’s national cricket board has reiterated its position regarding the decision not to travel to India, citing security concerns and requested the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India. However, the ICC has dug in its heels and requested the BCB to reconsider its stance.

“During the discussions, the BCB reaffirmed its position regarding the decision not to travel to India, citing security concerns. The Board also reiterated its request for the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India. While the ICC highlighted that the tournament itinerary has already been announced and requested the BCB to reconsider its stance, the Board’s position remains unchanged. Both parties agreed that discussions will continue to explore possible solutions. The BCB remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of its players, officials and staff while engaging constructively with the ICC to address the matter,” a statement from the BCB read.

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Previously, BCB and ICC have exchanged letters stating their positions with the ICC reportedly sharing a “security assessment with Bangladesh which indicates no specific or heightened threat to their cricket team in India

Bangladesh are in Group C at the T20 World Cup and were scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata (vs West Indies on February 7, vs Italy on February 9 and vs England on February 14) before travelling to Mumbai to play their final group game against Nepal, on February 17.

While the ICC hasn’t made any official comment on the issue, it is understood that they held an internal meeting on Tuesday and then conveyed their decision to Bangladesh (BCB)

Bangladesh Cricket Board have been up in arms about playing their T20 World Cup games in India ever since a BCCI directive to Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from its 2026 squad. The BCCI missive gave no reason publicly, but came in the middle of deteriorating relations between the two countries. Mustafizur was one of seven Bangladeshi players in the IPL auction pool but the only one to find bidders. KKR had bought the 30-year-old Bangladesh fast bowler for Rs 9.5 crore.

Rahman will be part of the Bangladesh team at the T20 World Cup.

After Mustafizur Rahman was released by KKR, Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry banned the telecast of IPL matches in their country, saying that the move “to release” Mustafizur “has hurt and angered the Bangladesh citizens”.