Bangladesh Claims ICC Willing To Work On India 'Security Concerns', Refutes Forfeiture Reports

 

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have said that they have received a response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding their request for their T20 World Cup matches to be shifted outside India. BCB said in an official release that the ICC has said that they will work closely with the board to address the security concerns regarding playing in India.

 

The upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup will start from February 7, and Bangladesh will play their four matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board has received a response from the ICC regarding the Board's expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India for the ICC T20 World Cup, including the request for relocation of the team's matches," the BCB said in a statement.

"In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board's inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event," it added.

 

Recently, there were reports that the ICC denied the request of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to shift their T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures scheduled to be played in India. BCB have claimed that all those reports are false. They further added that the ICC are willing to work closely with them to address the security concerns while playing in India.

 

The cricketing ties between the two countries soared when IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Mustafizur Rahman from their squad at the directive of the BCCI. The franchise acquired his services in the IPL mini auction held in Dubai last year. The Indian cricket board didn’t give a clear reason for the move, but the move was anticipated to be taken in the aftermath of the communal violence in Bangladesh against Hindus.

In response to Mustafizur’s release from the IPL, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested ICC to shift their matches outside India, citing security concerns.

 

Earlier, there were reports that ICC had told Bangladesh that either they would have to play in India or forfeit the points they might have earned from the fixtures. However, the BCB has denied all the claims, saying that no such communication took place between the two parties.

"The BCB has also taken note of certain reports published in a section of the media suggesting that the Board has been issued an ultimatum in this regard. The BCB categorically states that such claims are completely false, unfounded and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC," it asserted.

They also added that they will look forward to continuing the "constructive engagement" in a "cooperative and professional manner".