‘Who doesn’t want to play the World Cup?’ - BCB hopes for miracle from ICC as T20 World Cup approaches

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 less than three weeks away, Bangladesh’s participation is still not confirmed. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam has made a last appeal to the International Cricket Council (ICC), hoping for a miracle as the standoff over venue and security concerns increases. Despite the players’ desire to compete in the marquee event, Bangladesh now faces the real possibility of being replaced if they refuse to travel to India.

The crisis escalated after an ICC Board meeting on Wednesday, where Bangladesh’s request to relocate their World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka was formally rejected. Of the 15 directors present, only Pakistan backed the BCB’s stance. The ICC cited multiple independent security assessments that found no credible threat to Bangladesh players or officials in India. However, the BCB remains unconvinced and has repeatedly stated that it does not believe India is safe for its players amid deteriorating political relations between the two countries.

Aminul Islam, the lone BCB representative at the meeting, said he asked for more time to consult the Bangladesh government. The ICC granted a final 24 to 48-hour window for Bangladesh to confirm whether they will travel.

"I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC. Who doesn't want to play the World Cup? We can't really comment after the ICC's press release. The meeting went on for an hour and a half. We explained to the ICC board the reasons for our decision before the voting began. We didn't want to go into voting. We stepped back," Aminul said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

ICC warns Bangladesh will be replaced if they fail to travel to India 

The BCB had proposed shifting their matches to Sri Lanka or swapping groups with Ireland or Zimbabwe, but those options were rejected due to logistical issues and opposition from other boards, including Sri Lanka Cricket. The stoppage was triggered earlier this month when the BCCI instructed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. Though the ICC dismissed the incident as unrelated to World Cup security, the BCB has consistently cited it as a red flag amid wider political tensions.

Despite weeks of emails, calls, and in-person meetings, including visits from ICC security officials to Dhaka, no compromise has been reached. Bangladesh is scheduled to play their first three Group C matches in Kolkata and their final group game in Mumbai, beginning with the tournament opener against West Indies on February 7.

Notably, the ICC has clearly warned that Bangladesh will be replaced if they fail to travel to India by the deadline. Scotland is expected to step in as the replacement team based on rankings. The ICC stated that changing venues so close to the tournament would set a dangerous precedent and undermine the integrity and neutrality of global events. It revealed that all security guarantees have been met and that participation terms apply equally to all teams.