T20 World Cup 2026: PCB writes to ICC supporting BCB’s stance as ICC set for key call on Bangladesh's participation

A day before the International Cricket Council is expected to take a final decision on Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board wrote to the governing body expressing support for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s position of not wanting to play matches in India amid political tensions in the region.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB also copied members of the ICC Board on the correspondence. It is understood that the ICC has convened a Board meeting on Wednesday to address the BCB’s request to move Bangladesh’s World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in India. It remains unclear whether the PCB’s communication prompted the meeting.

While the timing of the PCB’s intervention has raised eyebrows, sources indicate it is unlikely to alter the ICC’s stance to date. The ICC has consistently maintained that the tournament schedule will not be changed to allow Bangladesh to play its matches in Sri Lanka, despite the latter being a co-host of the event alongside India. This position was conveyed to the BCB during discussions last week.

Backed by the Bangladesh government, the BCB has refused to send its team to India for group-stage fixtures. Multiple meetings between the ICC and the BCB including talks in Dhaka last weekend have failed to bridge the gap, with neither side shifting from its position. January 21 had been set as the deadline for a resolution, less than three weeks before the tournament was scheduled to begin.

The PCB’s late involvement follows a week of speculation around possible outcomes. Unverified reports suggested Pakistan may have offered to host Bangladesh’s matches, or that the PCB was reviewing Pakistan’s participation depending on developments. The PCB has not commented publicly or responded to queries.

The standoff traces back to the Board of Control for Cricket in India instructing Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for Indian Premier League 2026. While the reasons were never fully clarified, deteriorating political relations were cited, prompting the Bangladesh government to formally state that the national team would not play in India.

The situation escalated further, triggering a player boycott that disrupted the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, after remarks by a senior BCB official about potential financial implications drew sharp criticism from players.

With the ICC Board set to meet, a decisive moment now looms for Bangladesh’s World Cup participation.