ICC Rejects Bangladesh’s Request, Team Must Play T20 World Cup Matches in India

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their T20 World Cup matches out of India. However, ICC has declined the request, dealing a setback to Bangladesh.

According to ICC, there is no significant security threat for the Bangladesh team in India. This independent assessment directly contradicts claims made by Asif Nazrul, advisor to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Sports, who had raised concerns that including Mustafizur Rahman in the squad could pose a security risk. Bangladesh is scheduled to play four league-stage matches in India.

An ICC source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told PTI that their independent security report found no grounds to prevent Bangladesh from playing its matches in India. The source also clarified that security levels for the tournament across India are rated as “low to medium,” which is considered standard for major international sporting events.

Earlier, in Dhaka, Nazrul publicly claimed that ICC’s report flagged Mustafizur as a potential risk. Following his exclusion from the IPL, BCB had even threatened to shift the match venues.

Awaiting ICC’s Official Response

While ICC has yet to issue a formal response to BCB’s request, the board reiterated that the request to move matches out of India was made “in the interest of the team’s safety.” BCB continues to await ICC’s official reply.

However, ICC officials indicate that changes to the current schedule are highly unlikely. The source emphasized that ICC, BCCI, and local authorities have full confidence in the security arrangements, which have successfully managed large-scale international sporting events in the past.

ICC also confirmed that its security planning is an ongoing process, and all participating member boards, including Bangladesh, are consulted throughout. Following Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL squad, the Bangladesh government had reacted by halting the broadcast of the IPL in the country.