T20 World Cup Row: Bangladesh Seeks Sri Lanka Shift, Pakistan Backs Claim, ICC Says No

A major controversy has erupted ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after Bangladesh questioned player safety in India and pushed for its matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka, drawing a firm rejection from the ICC and sharp reactions across the cricketing world.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul has publicly stated that the national team does not feel safe travelling to India for the tournament. The BCB formally requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s fixtures to Sri Lanka, insisting that the prevailing situation makes participation in India unsafe. “Playing in India right now is not safe for us; we want to play in Sri Lanka,” Aminul said after an ICC Board meeting held via video conference.

The ICC, however, has refused to alter the schedule. After reviewing multiple independent security assessments and venue-level reports, the global governing body concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety of Bangladesh players, officials, media personnel, or fans at any of the tournament venues in India. The ICC noted that making changes so close to the tournament, in the absence of a genuine security risk, would create a damaging precedent and undermine the neutrality and integrity of future global events.

According to the ICC, it engaged in sustained and constructive dialogue with the BCB over several weeks, sharing detailed security plans, host government assurances, and law-enforcement support frameworks. Despite these efforts, the BCB maintained its stance and repeatedly linked its participation to an unrelated domestic league issue involving one of its players, an argument the ICC said had no bearing on the tournament’s security framework.

Aminul has since asked the ICC for 24 to 48 hours to consult the Bangladesh government “one last time” before communicating a final decision. While he acknowledged that Bangladesh’s players and government want to participate in the World Cup, he reiterated that the board remains unconvinced about player safety in India. “I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC,” he said.

Bangladesh is scheduled to begin its T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by matches against Italy and England at the same venue. The team is then slated to travel to Mumbai to face Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium. The tournament kicks off on February 7.

The standoff has drawn strong reactions from across the cricketing fraternity. Former India cricketer Atul Wassan backed the ICC’s decision, accusing Bangladesh of “sulking” and stating that the tournament would not suffer if the team chose not to participate. He suggested that Bangladesh is not among the contenders to win the title and that a replacement would not dilute the competition.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly conveyed its support for Bangladesh’s stance to the ICC, citing regional instability, although it has not issued any public statement. With the World Cup fast approaching, Bangladesh’s final call now rests on consultations with its government, even as the ICC remains firm that the tournament will proceed as scheduled.

(With inputs from ANI & yMedia)