Bangladesh firm on not playing T20 World Cup in India despite risk of exclusion

Bangladesh have reiterated their refusal to play the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches in India, a day after the ICC warned that the team could be replaced if they continued to maintain their stance.

Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul on Thursday said the decision was taken at the government level due to security concerns, adding that there was no scope for reconsideration at present. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), however, said it would continue discussions with the ICC.

The decision followed a meeting in Dhaka involving Nazrul, BCB president Aminul Islam, CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, and several national team players. Those present included Nurul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Jaker Ali, Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan. ESPNcricinfo understands that most players expressed a desire to participate in the World Cup.

“The security threat is not hypothetical. It is based on a real incident,” Nazrul said, referring to Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the IPL. “The BCCI bowed to pressure from fundamental groups and removed one of our players from their tournament.

“This World Cup is being held in India, where the BCCI failed to ensure security for one of our cricketers. Security will be the responsibility of Indian agencies. How can we be confident about the safety of our players, fans and journalists?”

Nazrul criticised both the ICC and the Indian government for what he described as a lack of engagement. “The ICC only spoke about standard security protocols and did not address our specific concerns. The Indian government did not reach out to us, did not call the Mustafizur incident isolated, and did not even apologise. Therefore, there is no room to change our decision,” he said.

Bangladesh have requested that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka, citing precedent for venue changes due to security risks. “We are hopeful the ICC will recognise our genuine concerns and allow us to play in the World Cup,” Nazrul added.

Bangladesh are placed in Group C alongside England, Italy, West Indies and Nepal. They are scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata and their final group game in Mumbai, beginning with the tournament opener against West Indies on February 7.

Following an ICC board meeting on Wednesday, Bangladesh’s request to relocate matches was formally rejected. The ICC gave the BCB 24 hours to consult its government and confirm participation.

The dispute stems from January 3, when the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. While no official reason was provided, the move came amid strained diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh. A day later, the BCB informed the ICC that the national team would not travel to India for the World Cup due to security concerns, a position it has maintained through multiple discussions.

The ICC has dismissed the Mustafizur episode as unrelated, stating that the BCB was “repeatedly linking participation in the tournament to a single, isolated and unrelated development concerning a player’s involvement in a domestic league,” and that it had no bearing on the tournament’s security arrangements.