It is almost certainly the end of the road for Bangladesh at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Their insistence on relocating their matches out of India has backfired, and even a last-ditch show of support from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has failed to sway the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The ICC convened an emergency board meeting on Wednesday (January 21) to deliberate on the issue. At the virtual meeting, Bangladesh’s request was overwhelmingly rejected, with only two of the 16 member boards voting in favour—Bangladesh and Pakistan. In the aftermath, the ICC issued what was effectively an ultimatum to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which has remained firm in its stance, reports Live Cricket Score.
Bangladesh have been given 24 hours to confirm whether they will travel to India for the World Cup, scheduled from February 7 to March 8. Failure to do so will result in their replacement by another team. The BCB is expected to consult the Bangladesh government over the next few hours before taking a final call. Scotland is widely tipped to step in as Bangladesh’s replacement in Group C if the deadline is missed.
A source indicated that the ICC was never likely to alter its plans at such a late stage. The situation briefly took an unexpected turn when the PCB formally backed Bangladesh’s demand, but the joint stance failed to convince the board.
The ICC reviewed multiple security assessments, including independent evaluations, and concluded that there is no credible threat to the safety of Bangladesh players, officials, media or fans in India. On that basis, the board saw no justification to move Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka.
The BCB had also proposed a group-stage swap with Ireland, who are scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka. That idea, however, gained no traction. Cricket Ireland had already stated earlier that day that the ICC had assured them their schedule would remain unchanged—a point that was reiterated during the meeting.
As things stand, Bangladesh are scheduled to play three of their four group-stage matches in Kolkata—against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9 and England on February 14—before travelling to Mumbai for their final group fixture against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium on February 17.
ICC releases statement
Later on Wednesday, the ICC issued a formal statement reaffirming its position following the board meeting.
“The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said.
An ICC spokesperson also rejected the BCB’s attempt to link Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the IPL to broader security concerns.
“Over the past several weeks, the ICC has engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue, with the clear objective of enabling Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament,” the spokesperson said. “During this period, the ICC shared detailed inputs, including independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from host authorities, all of which consistently concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.
“Despite these efforts, the BCB maintained its position, repeatedly linking its participation in the tournament to a single, isolated and unrelated development concerning one player’s involvement in a domestic league. This linkage has no bearing on the tournament’s security framework or the conditions governing participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
