New Delhi: A new controversy has emerged ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 involving Bangladesh. Over 100 Bangladeshi journalists claim that their accreditation applications to cover the tournament in India have been rejected by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The move follows Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India, citing safety concerns, which led to Scotland being granted a spot in the tournament instead.
While ICC has not issued an official statement on the matter, officials reportedly referenced the Bangladesh government’s own warnings, noting that India has been described as “unsafe” for travel. This reasoning was cited for rejecting the visa and accreditation applications of Bangladeshi media personnel.
Bangladeshi Media Voices Concerns
According to Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, around 130–150 journalists applied for accreditation to cover the T20 World Cup 2026. Amjad Hussain, Chairman of the Media Committee at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), confirmed that ICC declined to grant accreditation to all applicants. Some photojournalists had initially received approval on 20–21 January, but their accreditations were later revoked.
One journalist, Farid, said:
“I received an email from ICC Media Department on 20 January approving my application, with a visa support letter attached. But today I received another email saying my application was rejected.”
ICC Cites Government Concerns
NDTV reports that an ICC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the decision. The official explained that the ICC had to act in accordance with statements by the Bangladesh government, which repeatedly described India as unsafe for travel amid the ongoing political situation.
Criticism from Bangladeshi Media
Bangladeshi media outlets have criticised ICC’s decision. Rana Abbas, Sports Editor of Ajker Patrika, said this was unprecedented in Bangladesh, noting that journalists from the country have been covering ICC events since their first World Cup participation in 1999, including high-profile India-Pakistan matches. Even when such matches were held in India, Bangladeshi media were allowed to cover them. Abbas described the current action as “deeply regrettable” and noted that ICC has no previous precedent for denying accreditation in this manner.
The dispute highlights rising tensions between sporting authorities and governmental directives, as Bangladesh journalists find themselves caught in the middle ahead of the T20 World Cup.
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