The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly issued an ultimatum to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over its refusal to travel to India for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC has set a January 21 deadline for the BCB to agree to travel, or be replaced by Scotland, with the European side getting in based on the current men’s T20I rankings. This message is said to have been conveyed in a meeting between the two organisations in Dhaka on Saturday.
The BCB reiterated its demand to shift its matches from India, preferably to co-hosts Sri Lanka, due to security concerns. The report said an independent security agency’s advisory sent to all 20 participating teams put the threat level in India on a ‘medium to high band’. However, the ICC informed the BCB that there’s no specific security threat against the Bangladeshi side or any particular team playing its matches in India.
The ICC is also said to have rejected the BCB’s idea of a switch of groups with Ireland, who play all their group stage matches in Sri Lanka.
The impasse between BCB and ICC has eked out to its third week now. Bangladesh are scheduled to play three of their group stage matches in Kolkata and a fourth in Mumbai, starting on the opening day, February 7.
BCB’s security concerns arose after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its IPL 2026 roster, despite signing him on a Rs. 9.2 crore deal in the auction last year. Neither the BCCI nor KKR explicitly stated the reason for the directive, but the former hinted at the rising anti-Bangladeshi sentiment in India.
The BCB has faced some resistance from within, with former cricketers calling for a more diplomatic solution than an outright rejection to travel. The matters were recently further complicated by a board official claiming, in a demeaning tone, that the BCB won’t lose any money if it doesn’t participate in the World Cup and won’t compensate the players either, which prompted a player strike before a hard-fought resolution.
Source: News18