Bangladesh to boycott T20 World Cup in India: Here's why
What's the story
Bangladesh has been firm on its decision to not play the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India. The country has requested for its matches to be moved to Sri Lanka instead. This comes despite an ultimatum from the International Cricket Council (ICC) that they would be replaced if they continue with their refusal. A meeting was held in Dhaka on Thursday between Bangladesh's sports adviser Asif Nazrul, BCB president Aminul Islam and CEO Nizamuddin, and several national team players including Nurul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Hasan Mahmud among others.
Firm decision
Bangladesh's firm stance on World Cup matches
BCB president Aminul Islam confirmed their plan to the ICC, saying, "We will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka." He further added that while they were given a 24-hour ultimatum, "a global body can't really do that." He emphasized that the ICC would miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup and it would be their loss.
Security issues
Bangladesh's security concerns and ICC's response
Nazrul reiterated the decision was taken by the government, saying, "It is our government who has decided not to go to India." The ICC had previously rejected Bangladesh's request, stating there was no credible security threat. This came after Kolkata Knight Riders were asked to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh.
Stance clarification
ICC's stance on tournament security framework
The ICC had rejected the Mustafizur issue as a valid concern, saying that the BCB was "repeatedly linking its participation in the tournament to a single, isolated and unrelated development concerning one of its player's involvement in a domestic league." The global body emphasized that this linkage has no bearing on the tournament's security framework or conditions governing participation in it.
Rejection
ICC rejects BCB's request to shift T20 WC matches
On Wednesday, the ICC turned down the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) plea to move their 2026 Men's T20 World Cup matches out of India. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the decision was taken at an emergency board meeting, where all members were present. Of the 15 members who voted on the matter, the ones from Pakistan were in favor of changes to the tournament schedule.
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Scotland could replace Bangladesh
If the BCB decides against traveling to India for the tournament, another country could take their place based on team rankings. Scotland will be their replacement as the highest-ranked team (ICC T20I Rankings), which didn't qualify for the tournament.