The International Cricket Council (ICC) isn’t convinced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) demand for relocation. After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) removed Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the BCB wrote to the ICC, citing ‘security concerns’ as the reason to relocate their T20 World Cup 2026 matches outside India.
BCB demands relocation
“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,” the BCB said in a statement on January 4.
The BCB didn’t get the expected response. In fact, reports suggested that ICC rejected the plea. The international cricket body even hinted that Bangladesh would have to forfeit points if they refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup. This prompted the BCB to write to ICC again.
ICC unmoved
The ICC is still not convinced by the BCB’s demand for relocation. The ICC doesn’t think Bangladesh has provided any ‘valid’ reason behind citing security concerns. It’s common for boards to send recce teams to other countries. But BCB hasn’t done that, and India has an impeccable record when it comes to hosting cricket events.
“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.
Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule
| Date | Teams | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb 7, 2026 | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Mon, Feb 9, 2026 | Bangladesh vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Sat, Feb 14, 2026 | England vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Tue, Feb 17, 2026 | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
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