ICC officials to visit Dhaka amid uncertainty over Bangladesh T20 World Cup participation
New Delhi: The ICC officials are set to visit Dhaka this weekend to hold discussion with the BCB leadership in an effort to break the deadlock over Bangladesh’s travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which begins in three weeks.
The ICC officials are expected to share security-related information, including findings from an independent assessment, during the discussions. The decision was made soon after the BCB reiterated that it would not send the team to play in India due to “security concerns.” This is the first face-to-face meeting between the two parties, as all previous discussions have taken place over video calls.
BCB requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s match venue outside India
At a virtual meeting which was held on January 13, the BCB requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s match venue outside India. The ICC, however, refused to do so as the tournament’s start date (February 7), is less than a month away. Bangladesh are set to face West Indies in Kolkata on the opening day.
Amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh in recent times, the BCB wrote to the ICC on January 4, expressing concerns over the safety of travelling to India for the World Cup, where all four of their group matches are scheduled. The letter followed the BCCI’s decision to asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, a move for which no official explanation was provided.
World Cup Risk Assessment report has been prepared
A World Cup Risk Assessment report has been prepared by an independent security agency which states that the overall threat level for teams playing in India falls in the moderate-to-high category, but added that there is “no information suggesting a direct threat to participating teams.”
During their most recent meeting, the ICC presented this report to the BCB. The Bangladeshi team in India posed no particular or greater threat, according to the assessment. It concluded that there was no general danger to the side, even though it identified low to moderate risks at some locations and low to no risk at others. These risk levels do not typically warrant moving matches and fall under the standard ICC classifications used worldwide.