ICC Denies Bangladesh's Request to Move T20 World Cup Matches to Sri Lanka
ICC's Decision on Bangladesh's T20 World Cup Matches
Dhaka, January 7: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) appeal to relocate their matches for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka, as reported by a leading sports news outlet.
During a virtual meeting held on Tuesday, the ICC communicated to the BCB that their request to shift matches due to security issues was not approved.
The ICC emphasized that the Bangladesh men's national cricket team must travel to India for their T20 World Cup fixtures or face the possibility of losing points.
It is important to note that neither the BCB nor the ICC has released an official statement regarding the outcome of the Tuesday discussion, which followed a request from the BCB made on Sunday to consider moving their matches to Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh is set to kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 journey on February 7 against the West Indies, who are two-time champions, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Following this match, they will compete against Italy on February 9 at the same venue, and later face the reigning T20 World Cup champions, England.
After their match against England, the team will head to Mumbai to take on Nepal at Wankhede Stadium. The tournament will commence on February 7 with a match between Pakistan and the Netherlands in Colombo.
Previously, the BCB had formally requested the ICC to move Bangladesh's matches to locations outside India, citing concerns over the safety and security of their players.
The BCB expressed that the team would refrain from traveling to India for the T20 World Cup, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, due to escalating safety concerns for the Bangladesh contingent.
This situation follows the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) decision to drop Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster, a move made in response to a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh.
An emergency meeting of the BCB's Board of Directors was convened to discuss the recent developments concerning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to take place in India and Sri Lanka.
The Board expressed significant concern over the circumstances affecting the Bangladesh National Team's participation in matches scheduled in India.
After a comprehensive evaluation of the current situation and the increasing safety concerns for the Bangladesh team in India, along with advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board concluded that the team would not travel to India under the existing conditions.
KKR's decision to release Mustafizur Rahman came after BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the board had instructed the franchise to let go of the Bangladeshi pacer due to ongoing developments.
Saikia mentioned, 'In light of recent events, BCCI has directed KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad, and they will be permitted to seek a replacement if needed.'
The inclusion of the Bangladeshi player had triggered political controversy in India, especially amid recent incidents involving the targeting of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, leading to various opinions regarding Mustafizur's selection by KKR for the IPL 2026 season, where he was acquired for Rs 9.20 crores during the IPL auction last December.