Bangladesh Stands Firm on Playing T20 World Cup Matches in Sri Lanka Despite ICC Confirmation

New Delhi, Jan 2026 : Following the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) announcement that the Men’s T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul asserted that his country will not play its matches in India and there is no scope to reverse their decision.

“There is no scope to change our decision. We will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka. They did give us a 24-hour ultimatum, but a global body cannot impose that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup. It will be their loss,” Nazrul said after a meeting with Bangladesh team cricketers and BCB officials in Dhaka. “ICC is calling Sri Lanka co-hosts. They are not co-hosts. It is a hybrid model. Some of the things I heard in the ICC meeting were shocking.”

Bangladesh had earlier informed the ICC that they would not travel to India, citing security concerns amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two nations. They requested that their matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC reiterated on Wednesday that the T20 World Cup would continue as planned, with Bangladesh’s matches scheduled to be played in India.

The ICC Board emphasised that altering the schedule so close to the tournament was not feasible. They stated that any changes in the absence of credible security threats could set a dangerous precedent, potentially undermining the neutrality and integrity of future ICC events as a global governing body.

Nazrul countered that Bangladesh’s security concerns are based on real incidents and not fabricated. “The security situation in India remains unchanged. Our concerns did not materialise out of thin air; they stemmed from actual events,” he said.

While the ICC confirmed the tournament’s timeline, Bangladesh maintains that relocating matches to Sri Lanka is the only acceptable solution. The BCB officials and national cricketers reportedly reviewed all available options during the Dhaka meeting, preparing to formally present their plan to the ICC.

The dispute underscores the tension between the ICC’s insistence on maintaining the schedule and Bangladesh’s insistence on player safety. Nazrul highlighted that the decision is final from Bangladesh’s side, and the board is determined to stick to its plan despite ICC warnings.

With the T20 World Cup drawing millions of viewers globally, the standoff raises questions about participation, scheduling, and security protocols for teams facing cross-border concerns. The ICC has maintained that the tournament’s integrity and fairness must be upheld, while Bangladesh continues to assert that player safety and national security remain non-negotiable.

This clash sets the stage for continued discussions between the ICC and Bangladesh ahead of the marquee event, with the final resolution yet to be seen.