The government of Bangladesh has reiterated that it has no intention of changing its mind on participating in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup matches in India. BCB participation in the tournament, which is only a few weeks away, is still up in the air because officials are adamant on moving their matches outside of India because of security and political issues.
Asif Nazrul, the sports adviser for the Bangladeshi government, reiterated on Tuesday that despite continuing talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC), Dhaka is not ready to compromise. Bangladesh has officially asked for its games to be rescheduled to Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the T20 World Cup.
Senior BCB officials met with ICC representatives in Dhaka over the weekend in an attempt to break the deadlock. But there was no breakthrough, as both sides held onto their respective positions.
Asif Nazrul made it clear to the media that Bangladesh will not submit to any irrational or nonsensical pressure from the ICC to play in India.
He denied rumours that Scotland might take Bangladesh’s place if they decide to withdraw from the competition, stating he was not aware of any such discussions.
“I don’t know if Scotland will play alongside us at the next ICC T20 World Cup. Asif told reporters on Tuesday that “we will not accept those conditions if the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose pressure on us by setting unreasonable conditions.”
We can’t be forced to perform in India: Nazrul Asif
In support of Bangladesh’s petition, Nazrul also highlighted historical precedence, pointing out that the ICC had previously changed venues when Pakistan declined to visit India. He maintains that Bangladesh’s request makes sense and shouldn’t be interpreted as an effort to sabotage the competition.
“There have been instances in the past where Pakistan declared they would not visit India, and the ICC moved the event. We have requested a sensible site change, and we cannot be forced to perform in India under unreasonable duress,” he continued.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 lineup, raising security concerns that are the reason behind Bangladesh’s rejection. Bangladesh allegedly reacted strongly to the decision, which was made in the midst of ongoing political difficulties between the two countries.
It is known that the ICC has set a deadline of January 21 for resolving the matter. With Scotland being the top-ranked team that did not qualify, the ICC would have to move quickly to select a replacement if Bangladesh were to quit. Officials would have to allow any substitute at least 15 days to get ready, though. The idea of Bangladesh switching its group was also considered, but it was not adopted because Ireland refused to accept the change.
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