Bangladesh reiterates refusal to travel to India for T20 World Cup 2026

Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul has once again stated that the national cricket team will not travel to India to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns and what he described as a sustained anti-Bangladesh environment. Speaking at an event on Monday, January 12, Nazrul said prevailing conditions in India made it impossible for Bangladesh to take part in the tournament if matches were hosted there.

Nazrul also criticised the International Cricket Council, suggesting the governing body should act independently if it truly considers itself a global organization. He argued that Bangladesh should be allowed to play their World Cup fixtures outside India and said the team would be open to competing in alternative host nations whether the UAE, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka.

“We believe that given the extreme communal situation prevailing in India and the anti-Bangladesh environment, especially the anti-Bangladesh campaign that has been ongoing in India for the past 16 months, it is impossible for Bangladesh to play cricket in India. The Mustafizur incident and the letter I mentioned have unequivocally proven this. We believe that no one should have a monopoly over the game of cricket. The fate of a game or a tournament cannot be determined solely on the basis of market management. If the ICC is truly a global organization and if the ICC does not simply follow India’s dictates, then it should definitely give us the opportunity to play in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. We will not accept any compromise on this issue,” Nazrul said at the event.

Bangladesh had earlier requested a change of venues for their matches in the T20 World Cup after the Indian cricket board terminated Mustafizur Rahman’s contract in the Indian Premier League. In response, Bangladesh suspended IPL broadcasts in the country indefinitely and formally wrote to the ICC seeking relocation of their World Cup fixtures.

Nazrul claimed that while the ICC had shown willingness to move Bangladesh’s matches away from Kolkata and Mumbai, the proposed alternatives were still within India, an option Bangladesh is unwilling to consider.

“They are proposing two venues, both in India. India means India. We are talking about India. We mentioned Kolkata; changing it to Sri Lanka is not a problem. I don’t know if it’s true that Pakistan wants to host our matches. Host it in Pakistan, no problem; host it in the UAE, no problem. When the BCCI in India, bowing to extremist communal forces, says that a player from our team should not be allowed to play there, what greater proof do we need? I will give you a copy of the letter from the security team. It unequivocally proves that there is no suitable environment for us to play there, no suitable environment anywhere in India,” he concluded.

However, it is important to note that the Bangladesh Cricket Board has clarified that the ICC has not yet formally responded to their request regarding a change of venues for the tournament.