The countdown is on for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which has been handed a stark 24-hour ultimatum by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to decide if its national team will play in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India. The controversy erupted after Bangladesh requested that all four of its Group C matches be moved from India to co-host Sri Lanka, citing “security concerns” and what officials described as “valid reasons” amid a tense political climate.
With the T20 World Cup set to kick off in just over two weeks—on February 7—Bangladesh is scheduled to play its first three games in Kolkata (February 7, 9, and 14) and one in Mumbai (February 17). But the BCB has so far refused to send its team to India, even as the ICC has repeatedly emphasized that “independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from the host authorities” show “no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.”
ICC Holds Firm as PCB Offers Support
Despite these reassurances, the BCB has stood its ground, linking its participation to what the ICC described as “a single, isolated and unrelated development concerning one of its players’ involvement in a domestic league.” The ICC, led by Chairman Jay Shah, convened an emergency board meeting via video conference and has decided to proceed with the tournament as scheduled. If Bangladesh refuses to play in India, the team will forfeit its slot, paving the way for Scotland to take its place in Group C—a move that could upend group dynamics, ticketing, and the integrity of the tournament’s schedule.
Bangladesh’s position has drawn support from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which has offered to host Bangladesh’s matches and even hinted at pulling out of the World Cup if the ICC doesn’t reconsider. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has urged solidarity, calling on the PCB to join Bangladesh in protest.
BCB Faces a Binary Choice
In a press briefing on Tuesday, BCB President Aminul Islam declared that Bangladesh “won’t travel to India,” though he left the door open for a final round of talks with the ICC. Youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul insisted, “We cannot be forced to play in India through illogical pressure or unreasonable coercion.” The ICC, however, has made it clear: confirm participation within a day, or Scotland will step in.
The clock is ticking for Bangladesh. The next 24 hours will not only determine the country’s fate in the T20 World Cup but could also set a powerful precedent for how cricket’s governing bodies address security and political tensions in future tournaments.
