Dhaka: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches of the T20 World Cup to a venue outside India. The showpiece event is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the BCB’s request came in the wake of ‘prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government,’ BCB said in a press release following an emergency meeting. ‘An emergency meeting of the Board of Directors of BCB was held this afternoon to discuss recent developments related to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka,’ the release said.
‘Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions.’
The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India, it added.
Bangladesh, which was pitted into Group C along with West Indies, Italy, England, and Nepal, is scheduled to play all its group matches in Kolkata and Mumbai, the two venues in India. ‘In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India,’ the release further said.
‘The Board believes that such a step is necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members, and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment.’
The Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter, the release concluded.