New Delhi, Jan 8: Bangladesh Sports Minister Asif Nazrul has reiterated his country's firm position on not travelling to India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, stating that the International Cricket
Council (ICC) has failed to fully understand Bangladesh's concerns.
Nazrul confirmed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will write another letter to the International Cricket Council, seeking a venue shift away from Indian soil.
Making Bangladesh's stance unambiguous, Nazrul said the country would not compromise on player safety or national dignity while still expressing its willingness to participate in the global event.
"We will not compromise on the security of our cricketers, the security of Bangladesh, or the dignity of Bangladesh. We want to play cricket, we want to play the World Cup, but we want to do so in another host country, like Sri Lanka," media reports quoted Nazrul as saying.
The sports minister also made it clear that Bangladesh would maintain its position of not travelling to India, despite the ICC recently rejecting BCB's plea for a venue shift. Earlier reports suggested that the ICC had already conveyed its decision, asking Bangladesh to play their scheduled matches in India.
According to the latest update, the ICC has found no concrete security concerns to warrant a change of venue and has assured the BCB of full cooperation in ensuring the safety of players and officials during the tournament. The apex body has reportedly committed to working closely with Bangladesh as part of the detailed security planning.
The BCB, in an official statement released on Wednesday (January 7), acknowledged the ICC's communication while stressing that discussions between the two bodies remain ongoing.
"In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board's inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event," the statement read.
The board also dismissed reports claiming that the ICC had issued an ultimatum to Bangladesh-either play in India or forfeit points-calling such claims completely false.
"The BCB categorically states that such claims are completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC," the statement added.
The latest flashpoint in the ongoing impasse reportedly stems from instructions by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman, a development that gained further traction amid recent incidents of minority killings in Bangladesh. Since then, geopolitical tensions between the two neighbouring nations have increasingly spilled over into cricketing relations.
While both the ICC and BCB have indicated that dialogue will continue, Bangladesh's hardening stance adds fresh uncertainty over where the Tigers will play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches. The eventual resolution could also have long-term implications for cricketing ties between India and Bangladesh.
