Bangladesh rejects ultimatum claims: BCB says ICC assures team's T20 World Cup participation

NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday said it has received a formal response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding its concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh national team in India during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, stressing that no ultimatum has been issued by the world body.

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In a detailed statement issued after its communication with the ICC, the BCB said the global governing body has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the “full and uninterrupted participation” of Bangladesh in the tournament. The ICC, the board added, has expressed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and assured that Bangladesh's inputs would be “welcomed and duly considered” as part of the tournament's security planning.




“The Bangladesh Cricket Board remains firmly committed to placing the highest priority on the safety, security and well-being of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team,” the statement read, while underlining that reports suggesting the BCB had been issued an ultimatum by the ICC were “completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received”.

The statement comes in the backdrop of an online meeting between ICC and BCB officials on Tuesday, during which the ICC is understood to have said it had received no actionable or credible security inputs warranting a relocation of Bangladesh's matches from India. According to reports, the ICC sees no basis, at present, to revise the tournament's venues.

The BCB had written to the ICC following an emergency meeting on January 4, seeking relocation of its matches to safeguard players and officials. Bangladesh are scheduled to play Group C matches against West Indies, Italy and England in Kolkata on February 7, 9 and 14 respectively, before facing Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.


Conflicting media reports emerged after the ICC-BCB interaction, with some claiming Bangladesh were told to travel to India or risk forfeiting points. The BCB has categorically denied this, and no official statement has been issued by either the ICC or the BCCI on the meeting's outcome.

The issue was triggered by the BCCI's directive to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, despite him being bought for INR 9.2 crore at the auction. In response, the BCB banned IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh, while Mustafizur has since signed up for the Pakistan Super League.

Full BCB Statement on ICC Communication Regarding T20 World Cup 2026

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Board's expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, including the request for relocation of the team's matches.

In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board's inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event.

The BCB has also taken note of certain reports published in a section of the media suggesting that the Board has been issued an ultimatum in this regard. The BCB categorically states that such claims are completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC.

The Board will continue constructive engagement with the ICC and relevant event authorities in a cooperative and professional manner to arrive at an affable and practical solution that ensures the smooth and successful participation of the team in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board remains firmly committed to placing the highest priority on the safety, security and well-being of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team."


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