Bangladesh firm on venue change request despite ICC rejection

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has refused to back down from its decision not to send the national men’s team to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejecting its request to relocate matches to Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh have consistently raised concerns over the safety and security of their players in India and have demanded that their fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka, the co-host of the tournament.

However, the ICC has remained unmoved, insisting that the World Cup schedule will not be altered so close to the start of the event.

Following an ICC board meeting on Wednesday, BCB president Aminul Islam revealed that Bangladesh had been warned of replacement if they refused to travel to India.

Despite the firm stance from the global body, Islam said he had requested additional time to consult the Bangladesh government before taking a final call.

“I asked the ICC board for time to talk to my government for one last time,” Aminul said. “They said it’s a valid point and gave me 24 or 48 hours to get back to them.”

The BCB president acknowledged the ICC’s position but reiterated Bangladesh’s concerns, stressing that the board does not believe India is a safe destination for its players.

“I don’t want to put pressure on the government. We know that India is not secure for us. We remain in the stance that we want to play in Sri Lanka,” he added.

Aminul also confirmed that Bangladesh players are scheduled to meet the country’s sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, on Thursday afternoon as discussions intensify behind the scenes.

While holding firm on the security issue, Aminul admitted that all stakeholders in Bangladesh want the team to participate in the World Cup and expressed hope that the ICC might still reconsider.

“I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC,” he said.

“The Bangladesh players want to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh government wants Bangladesh to play the World Cup. But a government doesn’t only consider players, it considers everything when taking a decision.”

In a statement issued after the board meeting, the ICC said Bangladesh’s request was rejected after extensive security assessments, including independent reviews.

“The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, officials, media personnel or fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said.

The governing body added that making changes at this stage was not feasible and warned that altering the schedule without a credible security threat could set a dangerous precedent for future ICC events.