BCCI Unaware of Bangladesh's T20 WC Venue Shift Talks Amid Security Row

A video conference between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) was held on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the Bangladesh National Cricket Team's participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The board has been wanting to shift their team's matches in T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, outside India ever since Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on instructions of BCCI, amid ongoing atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.

"As of now, BCCI is not in the loop regarding any communication between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC, so we are totally unaware. Once we receive information, we will keep you updated," Saikia told ANI.

During the discussions, the BCB is learnt to have requested the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh's matches outside India.

While the ICC noted that the tournament itinerary has already been announced and requested that the BCB reconsider its stance, the Board's position remained unchanged. Both parties agreed that discussions will continue to explore possible solutions.

The BCB has said it remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of its players, officials and staff while engaging constructively with the ICC to address the matter.

Earlier, Bangladesh's Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul has claimed that there is "no atmosphere to play" the T20 WC in India as he referred to a "letter" from the International Cricket Council (ICC) security team, the state news agency, BSS, reported on Monday.

ICC sources said on Monday that independent risk assessments, carried out by internationally recognised security experts, do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled T20 World Cup matches in India, noting that the overall security risk for the tournament in India has been assessed as low to moderate, which is consistent with the profile of many major global sporting events.

The sources said the independent risk assessments did not identify any specific or direct threat to the Bangladesh team, its officials, or the match venues in India.They said based on the professional advice received, the risk associated with Bangladesh's scheduled fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai is assessed as low to moderate, with no indication of risks that cannot be effectively managed through established security planning and mitigation measures.

The sources said that ICC is aware of public comments made in recent days concerning the participation of Bangladesh in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, including selective references to the ICC's security risk assessment.The sources said as with all ICC events, the security plan for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 remains under continuous review.

Participating members, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board, are being consulted as part of this process, and the ICC remains open to constructive dialogue and feedback to further strengthen arrangements where appropriate, the sources said.

"It is important to clarify that the ICC's independent risk assessments, carried out by internationally recognised security experts, do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches in India," a source said.

The sources said ICC has full confidence in the security arrangements being developed in close collaboration with the BCCI and relevant local authorities, who have a strong and proven track record of safely delivering major international sporting events.

The sources said that ICC's position remains unchanged. The match schedule has been finalised and published, and the ICC expects all participating teams to meet their obligations under the Terms of Participation. At the same time, the ICC will continue to engage with all stakeholders in a transparent, professional and collaborative manner to ensure the safety, security and integrity of the tournament, they said.

The T20 World Cup will start on February 7. Bangladesh are scheduled to open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After the West Indies, Bangladesh will face Italy on February 9 at the same venue, then face the 2022 T20 World Cup champions, England, in Kolkata and will conclude their group-stage campaign with clash against Nepal on February 17.

- ANI