United News of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh government has officially confirmed that the national cricket team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, citing ‘genuine security risks' amidst a volatile regional political climate. The announcement made by the Sports Adviser, Asif Nazrul, on Thursday, effectively defies the ultimatum set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) just a day earlier. Speaking to the media, the Sports Adviser made it clear that the safety of the delegation is non-negotiable. “Bangladesh is not travelling to India to play the World Cup due to the security risk—this is a decision made by the Bangladesh government. No other entity has any rights to take this decision,” he said. Read more: Travel to India for T20 World Cup or be replaced: ICC warns Bangladesh This statement overrides the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) attempts to negotiate and directly challenges the ICC's insistence on the original schedule. Addressing the potential financial and sporting repercussions of a boycott, the Adviser argued that national dignity and human safety carry a higher value. He urged the public and media to consider the alternative cost of capitulation. “You should also consider what the damage would be if we played the World Cup,” he said. “Pushing our players, fans, and journalists into a genuine risk amidst this regional political situation, with our heads bowed down... is a damage that must be weighed.” Despite the ICC's vote on Wednesday to replace Bangladesh with Scotland if they refuse to travel, the government remains hopeful for a last-minute diplomatic solution involving a venue change. Read more: India wins T20 series against New Zealand by 48 runs The Adviser insisted that the demand to play in Sri Lanka is valid and rooted in history. “We still hope the ICC will do justice,” he said. “There are many precedents in the world where matches are played at a different venue due to security risks. We have not given up hope yet.”

The diplomatic crisis surrounding the T20 World Cup has intensified just hours before a prospective deadline, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally intervening to support Bangladesh's refusal to play in India. On Tuesday, as ESPNcrinfo reported, the PCB sent a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its board members, backing the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) stance that the political climate in India poses a security risk. This move comes just a day before the ICC board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to make a final call on Bangladesh's participation in the tournament. The ICC has called an urgent board meeting for Wednesday to resolve the impasse, which threatens to derail the event less than three weeks before it begins. While the timing of the PCB’s email has raised eyebrows, sources suggest it is unlikely to alter the ICC's firm position. Read more: Bangladesh not to accept any illogical ICC conditions under Indian pressure: Sports Adviser The global body has repeatedly conveyed to the BCB that the World Cup schedule will not be changed to move Bangladesh's matches to co-host Sri Lanka. Both sides have remained deadlocked, with the ICC insisting on the original itinerary and the BCB, backed by their government, refusing to travel to India. Speculation regarding Pakistan's involvement has been rife for days, with unverified reports suggesting the PCB might review its own participation contingent on the outcome of the Bangladesh issue. While the PCB has not publicly commented, their email confirms a unified front with Bangladesh. This diplomatic row originated when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, citing worsening political ties—a move that prompted the Bangladesh government to bar the national team from playing in India. Read more: T20 World Cup: PCB suspends preparations, Pakistan signals Support for Bangladesh

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Tuesday said Bangladesh will not accept any unreasonable conditions if the ICC creates pressure on the country under influence from the Indian Cricket Control  Board. “If the International Cricket Council (ICC) bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose any illogical condition on us, we will not accept,” he told reporters at the Secretariat. He also said Bangladesh cannot be forced to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup under pressure. Read more: T20 World Cup: PCB suspends preparations, Pakistan signals Support for Bangladesh Asked about a report by French news agency AFP which said Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the World Cup if the team refuses to go to India, the adviser said they have not officially heard any such decision. “There are precedents in international cricket, when India refused to play in Pakistan the ICC changed the venue. We have reasonably asked for a venue change,” he added. Bangladesh recently informed the ICC that they would not travel to India for the tournament due to political tensions and requested their matches be moved to another venue. BCB rejects ICC’s plea to reconsider India tour to play T20 World Cup A final decision on Bangladesh’s participation and travel to India is expected by Wednesday. The ICC has not clarified how it would select a replacement team if a participant withdraws. Tensions escalated recently after Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL due to security threats, a concern reportedly validated by the ICC’s own “Internal Threat Assessment Report”.

As the BCB and the ICC continue talks on whether Bangladesh will play their matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India amid security concerns, it is worth recalling other occasions when teams opted out of playing ICC events in host nations. The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC are weighing options regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India, citing safety issues. Below are five past instances in which teams refused to play ICC tournaments in host countries. 1996 ODI World Cup: Australia, West Indies stay away from Sri Lanka Ahead of the 1996 ODI World Cup, co-host Sri Lanka was facing a civil war, and a bomb blast in Colombo in January—just weeks before the tournament—intensified security fears. Read more: BCB to continue ‘constructive engagement’ with ICC for T20 World Cup solution In a show of support, a combined India-Pakistan XI played a friendly against Sri Lanka in Colombo before the event. Australia and West Indies, however, declined to travel to Colombo for their group matches against Sri Lanka and forfeited points as a result. Sri Lanka progressed comfortably to the quarter-finals, as did Australia and West Indies, and later defeated Australia in the final in Lahore. 2003 ODI World Cup: England avoid Zimbabwe; New Zealand skip Kenya The first Africa-hosted ODI World Cup in 2003—co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya—saw two teams refuse to play in host nations. England did not travel to Harare to play Zimbabwe, citing opposition by the UK government under Tony Blair to Robert Mugabe’s regime. New Zealand declined to play Kenya in Nairobi due to security concerns following a bombing in Mombasa months earlier. Both teams asked for their matches to be relocated, but the ICC rejected the requests and awarded walkovers to Zimbabwe and Kenya. England exited in the first round, while New Zealand advanced to the Super Sixes. Kenya, benefiting from the forfeiture, went on to reach the semi-finals. 2009 T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe withdraw Relations between Zimbabwe and the UK remained strained, raising doubts over whether Zimbabwean players would receive visas to travel to England for the 2009 T20 World Cup. In July 2008, the ICC and Zimbabwe reached what they termed a “win-win” agreement. Zimbabwe withdrew from the tournament “in the larger interest of the game,” saying they did not want to be unwelcome participants, but received their full participation fee. Scotland, an Associate nation, replaced them after qualifying. 2016 Under-19 World Cup: Australia pull out Australia had already withdrawn from a bilateral series in Bangladesh in October 2015 due to security concerns. By the time of the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, their position was unchanged, citing a continued “threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh.” The ICC said it respected Australia’s decision, though it was disappointed. Ireland took Australia’s place in the tournament. 2025 Champions Trophy: India decline to tour Pakistan The 2025 Champions Trophy was set to be Pakistan’s first ICC event in 29 years after being confirmed as hosts in November 2021. Uncertainty persisted over India’s participation, given the strained relations between the two countries and India’s last tour of Pakistan dating back to 2008. Read More: BCB rejects ICC’s plea to reconsider India tour to play T20 World Cup Although Pakistan travelled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, India eventually announced it would not visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, citing a lack of government clearance. After prolonged discussions, a compromise for the 2024–2027 ICC cycle was agreed: matches between India and Pakistan in tournaments hosted by either country would be held at neutral venues. Consequently, India played their 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Dubai and went on to win the tournament. With input from ESPNcricinfo