While reacting to International Cricket Council's (ICC) vedict, BCB President Aminul Islam stated that Bangladesh still hope to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, provided the apex cricket body reconsider its stance and relocates the team’s matches away from India. This statement followed an ICC board meeting where a formal request to move the venues was rejected by a nearly unanimous vote, with 14 of the 16 members opposing the change. Despite a late expression of solidarity from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the ICC has remained firm, insisting that the tournament schedule will proceed as originally planned.
BCB President hopeful of miracle after ICC's final say on T20 World Cup participation row
The situation has now escalated into a final ultimatum for the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The ICC has granted the BCB a 24-hour window to confirm their travel to India for the tournament, which is scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8. If the board fails to provide a guarantee within this timeframe, the ICC has signaled it will move to replace Bangladesh with another nation to preserve the tournament's integrity and logistics.
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Bangladesh players want to play the World Cup: BCB president
The BCB’s next step involves a final consultation with the Bangladesh government, which has so far been unwilling to relax its ban on the team traveling to India. With only a few hours remaining before the deadline, the board must weigh the risk of a total tournament exit against the government’s security concerns. Should they fail to comply, Scotland—the highest-ranked non-qualifying team—is widely expected to take their place in Group C.
"I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC. Who doesn't want to play the World Cup? We can't really comment after the ICC's press release. The meeting went on for an hour and a half. We explained to the ICC board the reasons for our decision before the voting began. We didn't want to go into voting. We stepped back," Aminul said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"The Bangladesh players want to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh government wants Bangladesh to play the World Cup. But we don't think India is safe for our players. We asked them to shift the matches to Sri Lanka. We said that we can switch with Ireland or Zimbabwe. It would have been the easiest way. But Sri Lanka said that we don't want a new team in our group. After the vote, I told them that I want one last chance to tell my government. They said it's a valid point, and gave me 24 or 48 hours to get back to them," he added.
"I don't want to put pressure on the government. We know that India is not secure for us. We remain in the stance that we want to play in Sri Lanka. I know the ICC denied us, but we will talk to the government one more time. I will inform the government's feedback to the ICC. A government doesn't only consider the players, but they consider all, when it takes a decision," he concluded.
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In a final effort to resolve the standoff, a BCB official highlighted that the board has been in constant communication with the ICC, exchanging nearly 20 emails and holding multiple calls to find a compromise. These negotiations included high-level talks in Dhaka over the weekend; however, no agreement was reached. The friction intensified after the BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladeshi star Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad—a move attributed to the escalating political tensions between the two nations, prompting the BCB to formally request that their World Cup matches be shifted away from Indian venues.
As a potential solution, Bangladesh proposed swapping their group with another team to avoid playing on Indian soil. However, this suggestion was blocked by Ireland, whose representatives insisted they were not prepared to alter their original schedule or travel plans. With the ICC and rival boards refusing to budge on the tournament's logistics, the BCB remains at a crossroads as the deadline to confirm their participation looms.
Bangladesh sports adviser calls Bangla players for a meeting at Dhaka
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Sports Adviser, Asif Nazrul, has called for a high-stakes meeting on January 22 in a final bid to resolve the escalating standoff over the 2026 T20 World Cup. Scheduled for 3 PM at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka, the session will bring together national team players and top officials from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The primary objective is to finalize a unified response to the ICC’s ultimatum, which demands that Bangladesh confirm its participation in India or face immediate replacement by Scotland.