ICC confirms tournament will go ahead as planned
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will proceed as originally scheduled, with Bangladesh’s matches set to be played in India. The decision comes after weeks of uncertainty following the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) repeated requests to shift their fixtures to co-host Sri Lanka, citing concerns over player safety.
“The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled with Bangladesh’s matches to be played in India,” the ICC said in a statement.
This confirmation followed an ICC Board meeting held via video-conference to deliberate on the matter. “The decision was taken following an ICC Board meeting (via video-conference) convened to discuss the way forward after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sought its matches be moved to Sri Lanka,” the statement added.
Security reviews rule out credible threat
According to the ICC, multiple layers of security analysis were undertaken before arriving at the final call. “The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the statement read.
The ICC also revealed it had undertaken extensive efforts to address the BCB’s concerns through ongoing discussions and sharing of detailed security documentation. “The ICC management also engaged in a series of correspondences and meetings with the BCB in a bid to resolve the impasse, sharing detailed information on the event security plan, including layered federal and state law-enforcement support,” the statement said.
An ICC spokesperson elaborated on the process: “Over the past several weeks, the ICC has engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue, with the clear objective of enabling Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament. During this period, the ICC has shared detailed inputs, including independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from the host authorities, all of which consistently concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.”
ICC criticises rationale behind BCB’s request
Despite these efforts, the BCB held firm on its stance, citing the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 as a key concern, even though no official reason was given by the BCCI for the release. The ICC strongly refuted this basis for withdrawal.
“Despite these efforts, the BCB maintained its position, 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. This linkage has no bearing on the tournament’s security framework or the conditions governing participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the ICC spokesperson said.
The ICC also highlighted the logistical and governance risks associated with altering tournament schedules based on individual member requests. It argued that such flexibility, especially so close to the event, would not only disrupt operations but also compromise its role as a neutral global body.
“The ICC Board noted that it was not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament and that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events and undermine its neutrality as a global governing body,” the ICC said in a statement.
The global governing body argued that it must remain consistent in applying its standards across all 20 participating teams, and must avoid setting a precedent that could disrupt future events.
“The ICC’s venue and scheduling decisions are guided by objective threat assessments, host guarantees, and the tournament’s agreed terms of participation, which apply uniformly to all 20 competing nations. In the absence of any independent security findings that materially compromise the safety of the Bangladesh team, the ICC is unable to relocate fixtures. Doing so would carry significant logistical and scheduling consequences for other teams and fans worldwide, and would also create far-reaching precedent-related challenges that risk undermining the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of ICC governance,” the spokesperson added.
ICC warns of replacement if Bangladesh withdraws
With Bangladesh remaining reluctant, the ICC has issued a final ultimatum. The BCB has been given one more day to confirm its participation. If it fails to do so, the ICC has decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland — the next-best ranked team — in Group C.
The decision to name a replacement team was backed by the vast majority of ICC Board members during the emergency meeting, with only Pakistan supporting Bangladesh’s position. The Pakistan Cricket Board had written to the ICC earlier in support of the BCB’s request to shift matches to Sri Lanka.
Group C schedule remains unchanged
Even with the deadline tightening and the ICC signalling it is prepared to move forward without Bangladesh, the governing body framed its position as one rooted in consistency and the broader interests of the tournament and the sport.
“The ICC remains committed to acting in good faith, upholding consistent standards, and safeguarding the collective interests of the global game,” the ICC spokesperson said.
Bangladesh are currently slated to play all their Group C matches in India — three in Kolkata on February 7, 9, and 14, and the final group game in Mumbai on February 17. With the ICC standing firm on venue integrity and security assurances, all eyes are now on the BCB and the Bangladesh government as the tournament’s deadline looms.
