International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah will think of taking strict action against Bangladesh if they do not agree to visit India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, ICC sources said on Friday.
They added that the ICC Chairperson is in Dubai for the final call on the issue.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested ICC to shift its World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, citing security and safety concerns in India.
The development comes amid strained India-Bangladesh ties following recent attacks on minorities in the neighbouring country. Against this backdrop, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The BCB began expressing concerns after the pacer`s release.
However, the ICC rejected BCB`s request to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka.
Despite the rejection, BCB President Aminul Islam said that the board will stay firm on its decision. He also stated that there were a few “shocking” calls taken during the meeting held with the ICC to discuss the issue.
“We will continue to communicate with the ICC. We want to play the World Cup, but we won`t play in India. We will keep fighting. There were some shocking calls in the ICC Board Meeting. The Mustafizur issue is not an isolated single issue. They (India) were the sole decision makers in that issue,” said Islam.
“ICC had denied us our request to shift our matches away from India. We are not sure about the status of world cricket. Its popularity is going down. They have locked away 200 million people. Cricket is going to the Olympics, but if a country like us is not going there, it is ICC`s failure,” he added.
T20 World Cup 2026: Group C teams and scenario if Bangladesh opt out of the tournament
T20 World Cup 2026 is set to kick off from February 7, with the first game scheduled to be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka.
As of now, Bangladesh is placed in Group C along with England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. The Bengal Tigers are scheduled to play their first group stage match against the West Indies on February 7 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In case Bangladesh opt to pull out of the marquee tournament, Scotland is likely to enter the event according to the rankings.
(With ANI Inputs)
