Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam on Monday said the board’s next move on the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will hinge on the International Cricket Council’s response, after Bangladesh formally asked for their matches to be shifted out of India, citing security concerns.
“You know that we, along with all the directors of the cricket board, held two meetings before taking this decision, and at this moment we do not feel secure sending our team to India to play the World Cup,” Aminul said as quoted by Cricbuzz.
The BCB’s request to the ICC comes in the aftermath of a flashpoint involving Bangladesh pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who was released from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad ahead of the Indian Premier League as a directive from the BCCI. The episode, in Bangladesh’s reading, sharpened concerns around the travel and participation logistics for an ICC event hosted in India.
Aminul said Bangladesh had put its position to the world body in writing and is now waiting for formal engagement.
“So we wrote a letter to the ICC, and in the letter we clearly stated what we wanted to say. Because to us, security appeared to be a major concern, and that is what we are following. We have sent an email to the ICC, and we are expecting them to tell us to have a meeting with them soon, where we will express our concern,” he said.
He added that the BCB isn’t treating this as a bilateral matter with India’s board. “But what our next step will be depends on the reply to the email we have sent. We do not know what feedback will come, but the clauses we have given are within the MPO. We are not communicating with BCCI because this is an ICC event. We are communicating with the ICC,” he said.
The development also lands amid expectations that India may be reluctant to tour Bangladesh for a scheduled white-ball series in September, given strained relations between the two countries. Aminul, however, sought to separate cricketing ties from Bangladesh’s stated security concerns around the World Cup.
“Look, cricket between two countries, like playing a bilateral series or playing in the World Cup, is one thing, and security concern is another matter. So for now, we are thinking about the World Cup issue,” he said.
Separately, the Bangladesh Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has instructed broadcasters to stop airing the IPL, with Aminul indicating the board would not overstep a government directive.
“This is India’s domestic cricket, and in domestic cricket, who to show or not to show is the decision of our government. From our side, since the government, through the Ministry of Information, has taken this decision, we have nothing to say. However, it is true that we support the decision taken by the government,” he said.
