Bangladesh reiterates stance about India travel after ICC rejects request
BCB president says "don't think India is safe" for Bangladesh players
January 21, 2026
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterated its position against touring India for the T20 World Cup on Wednesday, following the International Cricket Council's (ICC) rejection of its request to shift the side’s matches out of the country.
Bangladesh have refused to play their matches in India, citing concerns regarding players’ safety, and demanded to play their games in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside India.
Following the ICC's rejection of the request, BCB president Aminul Islam said that he sought more time from the cricket-governing body to talk to his government "for one last time".
"They [ICC] said it's a valid point, and gave me 24 or 48 hours to get back to them. I don't want to put pressure on the government. We know that India is not secure for us. We remain in the stance that we want to play in Sri Lanka," he added.
Acknowledging the ICC's decision to keep the tournament's schedule unchanged, Islam said he would consult the government and convey its feedback to the ICC.
"I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC," he said, adding that players and the government wanted Bangladesh to play the World Cup.
“But we don't think India is safe for our players. A government doesn't only consider the players, but they consider all, when it takes a decision," the BCB president added.
The ICC announced its decision on Bangladesh’s request after a board meeting earlier in the day.
"The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India," the ICC said in its statement.
The cricket-governing body maintained that it was "not feasible to make changes" so close to the tournament.
Further, the ICC stated that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events.
As per the schedule, Bangladesh are drawn in Group C and scheduled to play their first three group matches in Kolkata — against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9 and England on February 14 — before concluding their group stage against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
