AMID THE CONTINUING stand-off between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) over a possible venue change for the men’s T20 World Cup, Bangladesh government Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Tuesday reaffirmed the country’s firm position on not travelling to India for the tournament.
Nazrul warned that Bangladesh would not accept any “unreasonable” conditions if the ICC sought to enforce them under pressure from India.
“If the International Cricket Council bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose any illogical condition on us, we will not accept it,” Nazrul told reporters.
“There are precedents in the past where Pakistan refused to travel to India and the ICC changed the venue. Our request is based on logical grounds, and we cannot be pressured into playing in India through unreasonable demands,” he added.
Bangladesh have consistently refused to play their T20 World Cup matches in India, citing security concerns, and have formally requested the ICC to relocate their fixtures to co-host Sri Lanka. This position follows the BCCI’s directive to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
According to reports, the ICC is expected to take a final decision on Bangladesh’s request by 21 January. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue via emails and virtual meetings, the ICC dispatched a delegate for in-person discussions with the BCB. However, both parties remained steadfast in their positions following the meeting.
Bangladesh have also proposed a group swap, suggesting a move to Group B in exchange for Ireland, whose group-stage matches are scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka. The ICC, however, has reportedly assured Ireland that no such change will be made.
