A day before the International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to take a final decision on Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stepped into the ongoing controversy by writing to the ICC in support of Bangladesh’s request to not play its matches in India due to prevailing political tensions between the two countries.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the ICC has called a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss Bangladesh’s insistence on relocating its World Cup fixtures outside India, citing “security and safety concerns.” However, it remains unclear whether the PCB’s communication played any role in prompting the meeting.
ICC unlikely to change tournament schedule despite PCB writing to them
Despite Pakistan’s late intervention, the development is unlikely to affect the tournament schedule. The ICC has maintained a firm stance that Bangladesh must play all its scheduled matches in India. As per the existing plan, Bangladesh are slated to play three group-stage matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and one match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. This position was reiterated to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) during discussions held last week.
Those talks ended without a resolution, with both the ICC and BCB refusing to back down from their respective positions. A deadline of January 21 (Wednesday) was reportedly set to determine Bangladesh’s participation, though the BCB later denied that such a deadline had been formally agreed upon.
PCB’s involvement comes weeks into an impasse that remains unresolved. Media reports have suggested that Pakistan has offered to host Bangladesh’s matches if required and has even reviewed its own participation in the tournament depending on the final outcome. The PCB, however, has not issued any official statement on the matter, according to ESPNCricinfo.
How did the dispute between BCCI and BCB start?
The dispute between the BCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) began after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad on BCCI’s instructions, amid allegations of minority atrocities in Bangladesh. Following that move, the BCB formally requested the ICC to shift its T20 World Cup matches out of India, citing concerns over player “safety and security.”
On Tuesday, Bangladesh rejected what it described as “unreasonable conditions” imposed by the ICC for its participation. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said, “If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian cricket board and imposes unreasonable conditions on us, we will not accept them.”
He further added, “There are precedents in international cricket. When India refused to play in Pakistan, the ICC changed the venue. We have reasonably asked for a venue change.”
ICC says no risk to Bangladesh team in India
Earlier, ICC sources stated that independent risk assessments conducted by internationally recognised security experts found no evidence suggesting Bangladesh could not safely play in India. The overall security risk was assessed as low to moderate, consistent with other major global sporting events.
The assessments did not identify any specific or direct threats to the Bangladesh team, officials, or venues in Kolkata and Mumbai, and concluded that any risks could be effectively managed through standard security planning. The ICC said it is aware of recent public comments regarding Bangladesh’s participation and the security evaluations. Now that PCB has backed Bangladesh it is to been seen what happens.
(With inputs from ANI)
