Bangladesh's T20 World Cup dispute deepens after BCB's surprise proposal to ICC, here's all you need to know

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has proposed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate them to a different group as the situation regarding their T20 World Cup 2026 participation takes a new turn on Saturday. This development occurred during a meeting held between the BCB and ICC in Dhaka.

A two-member ICC delegation was set to visit Dhaka for discussions with BCB officials. Gaurav Saxena, the General Manager of Events and Corporate Communications, could not attend the meeting in person due to his visa arriving later than expected. Instead, he participated virtually.

Andrew Ephgrave, the General Manager of the Integrity Unit, was present at the meeting in person. BCB's Md Aminul Islam was also in attendance, along with other BCB officials. As before, the BCB maintained its position of not traveling to India for the T20 World Cup 2026.

“During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government’s views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders,” BCB said.

“Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed,” the statement further added.

India and Sri Lanka are the co-hosts for the T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to commence on February 7.

Why is Bangladesh declining to tour India?

The issue arose after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the Indian Premier League (IPL) following directives from the BCCI. In response, the BCB sent a letter to the ICC, indicating that they would not travel to India due to security concerns and requested that their matches be moved to a neutral venue.

The ICC reportedly asked the BCB to reconsider their stance on the T20 World Cup 2026, but the BCB remained resolute. With the BCB's request coming just a month before the tournament, it would pose a logistical challenge for the ICC to rearrange Bangladesh's matches at such short notice.

Bangladesh has been placed in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Italy, and Nepal. During the group stage, Bangladesh is scheduled to play three matches at Kolkata's famous Eden Gardens, with one game set to take place at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

Also read| Italy reveals squad for maiden T20 World Cup appearance, former South Africa international included