The International Cricket Council on Wednesday confirmed that it will not make any changes to the Men’s T20 World Cup schedule or group arrangements, rejecting Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches out of India. The decision comes just weeks before the start of the tournament and has intensified debate around player security, politics, and ICC neutrality.
Bangladesh had earlier announced on January 4 that it would not play its T20 World Cup matches in India, citing rising tensions between the two countries. The situation escalated after Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League franchise, a development that the Bangladesh Cricket Board linked to broader political concerns. Following this, the BCB formally requested the ICC to move Bangladesh’s fixtures to Sri Lanka.
The Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7, with Bangladesh placed in Group C alongside England. Under the existing schedule, Bangladesh is set to play all its group matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.
In an official statement, the ICC said the decision to keep the schedule unchanged was made after reviewing comprehensive security assessments, including independent evaluations. The governing body stated that no credible security threat had been identified for Bangladesh players, officials, media personnel, or fans at any of the tournament venues in India.
The ICC added that making changes so close to the event was not feasible and warned that altering the schedule without a verified security risk could set a dangerous precedent. According to the statement, such a move could undermine the integrity of future ICC tournaments and compromise the organisation’s neutrality as a global governing body.
An ICC spokesperson said the council had been in continuous discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board over recent weeks to facilitate Bangladesh’s participation. However, the spokesperson noted that the BCB repeatedly linked its involvement to a single, unrelated issue involving a player’s participation in a domestic league, which had no bearing on World Cup security arrangements.
Meanwhile, reports indicate the ICC has given Bangladesh one final day to consult with its government on whether the team will travel to India. If Bangladesh refuses to participate, the ICC Board is expected to replace the team with Scotland based on rankings.
Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul reiterated that the national team would not travel to India under any circumstances. He warned against what he described as unreasonable pressure, citing past examples where venues were changed due to similar disputes.
The standoff has placed the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the center of a growing international cricket controversy.
