T20 World Cup row: B'desh matches to stay in India; security risk 'low', says ICC source

NEW DELHI: Sources wrong the International Cricket Council (ICC) person denied claims that information concerns could forestall the Bangladesh men’s squad from travelling to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, clarifying that the cricket board's hazard assessments bash not enactment specified a conclusion.The clarification comes aft Azif Nazrul, Bangladesh’s sports advisor, told reporters connected Monday that the ICC’s information squad had validated Dhaka’s concerns and warned of heightened risks for Bangladeshi players and supporters successful India.

Nazrul claimed the ICC had flagged accrued information threats if prima left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman was included successful the squad, if fans wore Bangladesh jerseys successful public, and if the tourney coincided with Bangladesh’s upcoming nationalist elections.Nazrul went further, arguing that these purported observations made it “unrealistic and unreasonable” for Bangladesh to enactment successful a World Cup hosted successful India.In a elaborate connection connected Monday evening, however, an ICC root rejected that interpretation, saying immoderate nationalist comments had selectively referenced its information hazard appraisal and misrepresented regular contingency readying arsenic factual threats.

“The ICC’s autarkic hazard assessments, carried retired by internationally recognised information experts, bash not reason that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches successful India,” said the root successful the ICC. It added that the wide information hazard for the tourney had been assessed arsenic “low to moderate”, accordant with galore large planetary sporting events.Also read: 'If Mustafizur Rahman is successful team' - Bangladesh claims ICC flagged information risks successful IndiaThe root further clarified, nary circumstantial oregon nonstop menace has been identified to the Bangladesh team, officials oregon lucifer venues.

The hazard associated with Bangladesh’s scheduled fixtures successful Kolkata and Mumbai has besides been assessed arsenic debased to moderate, with nary denotation of dangers that cannot beryllium efficaciously managed done modular information planning."The ICC wishes to beryllium wide that it has ne'er suggested, nor would it suggest, that immoderate squad should prime oregon exclude players for information reasons, that supporters should beryllium restricted from wearing nationalist colours, oregon that home antiauthoritarian processes beryllium altered successful bid to enactment successful an ICC event," the root explained.Tensions astir Bangladesh’s information escalated earlier this period aft reports that the Bangladesh men’s squad had decided not to question to India for the 2026 tournament, citing information concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board subsequently confirmed it had formally written to the ICC outlining its position, arguing that prevailing information issues made information unfeasible if the lawsuit were held successful India.The backdrop to the quality besides includes caller friction involving Mustafizur Rahman’s merchandise from Kolkata Knight Riders squad up of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.Bangladesh are owed to play 3 matches successful India during the T20 World Cup, astatine the Eden Gardens successful Kolkata and 1 lucifer astatine Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. They are scheduled to instrumentality connected West Indies, Italy and England connected February 7, 9 and 14, respectively. Bangladesh are past owed to instrumentality connected Nepal successful their past league signifier crippled connected February 17.