The controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s removal from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 just doesn’t stop. After Bangladesh willingly accepted to not play the tournament, reports now emerge that the ICC has rejected accreditation applications from all Bangladeshi journalists for the mega ICC event, starting on February 9 in India and Sri Lanka.
According to The Daily Star, between 130 and 150 journalists from Bangladesh applied for media accreditation for the T20 World Cup. None of the applications have reportedly been approved. The development was confirmed by BCB media committee chairman Amzad Hossain, who said that, to his knowledge, every Bangladeshi journalist who applied had been denied access.
“As far as I know, all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none received accreditation,” Amzad said.
The report also claimed that a few photojournalists who had initially received approval emails on January 20 and 21, along with visa support letters, later had their accreditation withdrawn. One such journalist, Mir Farid, said he was informed days later that his application had been rejected.
Journalist bear ICC’s brunt
Expectedly, the development has seen an angered response within Bangladesh’s media fraternity, especially given that Bangladeshi journalists have covered ICC events for decades, even in tournaments where the national team was not participating.
Veteran journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, who covered the 1996 World Cup (where Bangladesh didn’t play) and is currently the president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), said he was surprised by the blanket rejection. He pointed out that journalists from Associate Member nations are routinely accredited for ICC events regardless of team participation.
“Even if a team is not playing, journalists from an ICC Associate Member nation can still receive accreditation. I find no reason why everyone was rejected. I am surprised, and I strongly condemn and protest this decision,” Arifur said.
Arifur also indicated that discussions are underway with the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC) to decide the next course of action. A formal protest letter to the ICC, routed through the Ministry of Information and the BCB, is among the options being considered. He also questioned why coverage from Sri Lanka, a co-host nation, could not have been facilitated.
