T20 WC row explodes: BCB says 'wanted to play' but govt said no to India travel

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) connected Sunday said it was consenting to play the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 successful India but was bound by the determination of the Bangladesh government, which did not assistance clearance for the tour.BCB manager Abdur Razzak said authorities support is mandatory for each overseas tours and not constricted to the World Cup. Speaking to RTV, helium said the committee had consistently expressed its readiness to enactment but had nary enactment different than to travel authoritative instructions.

"We person ever said that we privation to play, but this is the government's decision. So we person to travel immoderate the authorities tells us. And the determination that has been fixed by the authorities is not conscionable for this time; whenever we person immoderate tour, we person to get clearance from the authorities beforehand," the BCB manager said, arsenic cited by the quality bureau ANI.BCB Media Committee president Amzad Hussain aboriginal confirmed that Bangladesh has been removed from the tourney and that the committee has accepted the ICC’s determination without taking the substance further.He said the BCB had asked the ICC to determination Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka and held respective rounds of discussions earlier the last decision."We requested the ICC to relocate our matches to Sri Lanka. We had respective meetings with them.

Their representatives arrived, and high-ranking authorities officials were besides present. Following that, a Zoom gathering was held, and the ICC committee informed america of their determination not to relocate our matches and that we would person to play successful India, per the existing fixtures. However, the authorities held a furniture gathering the time aft the ICC committee meeting.

A determination was made there, intelligibly stating that if determination are nary changes to the fixtures, our squad cannot enactment successful the tourney successful India.

This determination was conveyed by the government," helium said.Amzad Hussain said the ICC aboriginal sought a effect wrong 24 hours, aft which Bangladesh reiterated its position."After that, the ICC asked america to respond wrong 24 hours, and we politely informed them again that it is not imaginable for america to play according to these fixtures. Subsequently, we person accepted the ICC board's decision. Since the ICC has stated that we cannot play oregon that they cannot relocate our matches to Sri Lanka, we are not playing successful India.

Our stance remains the same. We are not pursuing immoderate further arbitration oregon different avenues successful this matter," Amzad Hussain added further.Scotland has officially replaced Bangladesh successful the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The ICC announced the determination connected Saturday, January 24, 2026. The tourney volition statesman connected February 7, 2026, and volition beryllium co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.The withdrawal followed the Bangladesh government’s refusal to wide the nationalist team’s question to India.

Amzad Hussain said the authorities cited information concerns for players, officials and media personnel."Since we had already spoken with our government, and the authorities stated that playing the World Cup matches successful India is not harmless for us--for our players, journalists, oregon anyone accompanying our players, the full contingent--we requested that the matches beryllium relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC did not respond to this request.

We tried respective times, adjacent aft aggregate meetings, but they did not respond. There is thing much we tin bash due to the fact that this is simply a authorities decision.

Due to information concerns, they judge that playing successful India is not harmless for us, and that is wherefore this determination has been taken by the government," the BCB Media Committee Chairman said.Tensions had accrued earlier aft the BCCI reportedly asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to merchandise Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the 2026 season, citing unspecified "developments each around".

The BCB viewed the determination arsenic a motion that information assurances could not beryllium guaranteed.The ICC said it held discussions with the BCB for much than 3 weeks, including meetings held successful idiosyncratic and via video conference. It reviewed the concerns raised, commissioned autarkic information assessments, and shared information and operational plans covering cardinal and authorities arrangements.According to the ICC, the assessments recovered nary credible oregon verifiable information menace to the Bangladesh team, its officials oregon supporters successful India.

The ICC said changing the docket was not due and could impact the integrity of the tourney and aboriginal events.After its Wednesday meeting, the ICC Business Corporation Board asked the BCB to corroborate information wrong 24 hours. As nary confirmation was received, the ICC followed its governance and qualification process to sanction a replacement.Scotland is the highest-ranked T20I squad that had not primitively qualified for the tournament. They are presently ranked 14th, up of Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Oman and Italy.