Bangladesh have once again made it clear that they are unwilling to soften their position on playing the ICC T20 World Cup matches in India, with uncertainty continuing to surround their participation as the tournament draws closer.
On Tuesday, Asif Nazrul, sports adviser to the Bangladesh government, reiterated that the country is not prepared to revise its stance regarding the World Cup venues.
“We have asked to change the venue on logical ground and we cannot be pressurized to play in India by putting illogical pressure,” he said as per a report by Cricbuzz
Bangladesh have maintained that they won’t play matches in India and have formally requested that their fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka, which is serving as a co-host for the tournament.
Bangladesh Dismiss Scotland Replacement Talks
Despite growing speculation around possible alternatives, Nazrul firmly dismissed reports suggesting that Bangladesh could be replaced by Scotland should they opt out of the event.
According to him, such claims are unfounded and do not reflect the current discussions taking place behind the scenes. Here’s what he said per the Cricbuzz report:
“I am not aware that Scotland will be included in our place (in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup),” Asif told reporters on Tuesday. “If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose pressure on us by setting unreasonable conditions, we will not accept those conditions,“
Amid rising political tensions between India and Bangladesh, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad, which prompted Bangladesh’s refusal to play the T20 World Cup in India.
In an effort to resolve the impasse, senior officials from the BCB held meetings with ICC representatives in Dhaka over the weekend. The discussions were aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution regarding match venues, but the talks seemingly ended without any agreement.
