Bangladesh Cricket Board Chief Reacts To ICC Rejecting T20 World Cup Request

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam is hoping for a 'miracle' after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the request to shift their T20 World Cup 2026 matches away from India. The BCB was given a 24-hour deadline on Wednesday to decide on their participation in the competition and if Bangladesh decided to stick to their stance of not travelling to India, they will most probably be replaced by Scotland. According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, it was Aminul who asked for more time in order to speak to the Bangladesh government regarding the ongoing situation.

"I asked the ICC board for time to talk to my government for one last time," Aminul said.

"They 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. I know the ICC denied us but we will talk to the government one more time. I will inform the ICC about the government's feedback," he added.

Aminul said that the BCB is hoping for a 'miracle' when it comes to their World Cup participation and pointed out that the players want to play the tournament but the final call will lie with the government.

"I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC. Who doesn't want to play in the World Cup?"

"The Bangladesh players want to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh government wants 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," he said.

Earlier, the ICC said that the World Cup matches will proceed as scheduled since there was no credible threat to the safety of Bangladesh players, officials or fans at any of the tournament venues in India.

The decision was taken at an ICC Board meeting held via video conference, which was convened to discuss the situation after the BCB raised concerns and sought a change in venues.

"The ICC Board noted that relocating matches under the present circumstances could jeopardise the sanctity of ICC events and undermine the organisation's neutrality as a global governing body," the ICC said in a statement.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Bangladesh Cricket Team BCCI International Cricket Council Bangladesh Cricket Board T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket