International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) bid to move its T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures out of India, making it clear that the request does not meet the criteria required to justify a venue change.
BCB’s appeal, rooted in what it describes as security concerns for its players following recent diplomatic tensions, has not found traction with the global cricket body.
Bangladesh had formally demanded a relocation after the removal of their fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026, with the board citing safety issues.
In a statement on January 4, BCB said: “Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions.”
ICC’s response
However, ICC’s response has been firm. According to RevSportz, the governing body feels that Bangladesh has not put forward a “valid” reason behind citing security concerns – in part because no formal recce missions or documented evidence of threats have been submitted.
“To demand relocation, you have to provide valid security reasons. You come to a conclusion about security threats only after a visit/visits from a security team/teams to the venues and receiving feedback. Without that, how can you say you are concerned about the players’ safety and security? Security-wise, India has an impeccable record as regards hosting multi-nation sports events,” a source told RevSportz.
Cricket boards typically send security assessment teams to prospective venues ahead of major tournaments, but Bangladesh has yet to do so. India is widely regarded as having an impeccable record hosting international events without security incidents, which is another factor behind the ICC’s stance.
Reports also suggest that the ICC emphasised existing tournament arrangements, pointing out that changing venues at this stage – with match schedules, logistics, broadcast plans and team travel already set – would be extremely complex.
Officials reportedly made it clear during discussions that Bangladesh would be expected to travel to India as originally scheduled for their group-stage matches.
