Bangladesh reiterates refusal to tour India for T20 World Cup 2026

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday reaffirmed its decision not to send the national team to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejecting its request to relocate matches.

The decision was finalized by Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul after a meeting with national team players and senior BCB officials in Dhaka.

“There is no scope to change our decision. We are not giving up yet. Our team is fully prepared, and we still hope the ICC will deliver justice,” Nazrul told reporters. “Our security concerns are genuine, and we want the ICC to allow us to play our matches in Sri Lanka.”

Nazrul said the security situation for Bangladesh players in India remains unchanged and is based on real incidents rather than assumptions. He referred to the removal of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League, stating that the Indian cricket authorities failed to provide him protection under pressure from extremist elements.

“This is not a hypothetical concern. A top Bangladeshi player was asked to leave India after security was not ensured,” he said.

He further noted that neither the Indian government nor the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has provided any concrete guarantee regarding the safety of Bangladeshi players, officials, media personnel, or spectators.

“Since the Indian cricket board effectively functions as an extension of the government and could not ensure the safety of even a single player, there is no assurance for the security of our entire delegation,” Nazrul added.

A day earlier, the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its World Cup fixtures out of India during a board meeting, keeping the original tournament schedule intact.

The standoff began after the BCB cited serious security risks and formally requested that its matches be shifted outside India. While the ICC proposed alternative venues within India, the BCB rejected the offer and has remained firm on its demand to play in Sri Lanka.

The deadlock continues, raising uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament.