BCB stands its ground in talks with ICC over T20 World Cup venue

Bangladesh has again made it clear that it does not want to play the T20 World Cup on Indian soil, citing security concerns for players, supporters and media crews. 

The government and the Bangladesh Cricket Board have repeated this position in two separate letters to the ICC, urging that Bangladesh’s matches be moved to Sri Lanka.

With the issue still unresolved, the ICC held direct talks with the BCB in Dhaka today. One ICC official attended in person, while another joined online from India. During the meeting, Bangladesh restated its firm stance and renewed its request to shift all group-stage fixtures to Sri Lanka.

The discussion also explored whether Bangladesh could be placed in a different group to ease logistical challenges if the venue change is approved. The BCB shared these details in a press release after the meeting.

According to the statement, the talks covered various aspects of Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The BCB highlighted the government’s security concerns and stressed the need to ensure the safety of everyone involved, including fans travelling abroad and the media contingent.

The meeting was described as open and constructive. It was attended by ICC representatives Gaurav Saxena, who joined virtually due to visa issues, and Andrew F. Graves, who was present in Dhaka. BCB President Md. Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Md. Shakhawat Hossain and Faruk Ahmed, Cricket Operations Chairman Nazmul Abedin and CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury represented the board.

Both sides agreed to keep the discussions going as they work toward a resolution.