T20 World Cup 2026 - "No Problem If Pakistan, UAE Host Our Matches": Top Bangladesh Official On Venue Row

T20 World Cup 2026: Less than a month remains for the 2026 T20 World Cup to start, yet there is uncertainty over Bangladesh's four group-stage matches in India (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai). Bangladesh does not want to play in India, citing a 'security threat' in the country. The tussle began after the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders on the instructions of the BCCI for unspecified reasons. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift its matches to Sri Lanka (the hosts of the tournament). In the meantime, a report in Geo Super claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now shown interest in hosting the Bangladesh games.

Bangladesh government's Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul, known for his hardline stance against India, has reacted to the report. He was responding to a question on whether the BCB would accept a proposal where Bangladesh matches are shifted from Kolkata and Mumbai to another Indian city.

"We are talking about India, we are not talking about Kolkata. If the venue is changed from India to Sri Lanka, there is no issue. I saw a report, which I don't know is true or not, that claimed Pakistan has offered to host our matches. No problem if Pakistan or UAE host our matches," Nazrul said on Wednesday.

Nazrul also claimed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received a letter from the ICC's security team. Following is what Nazrul said in a press conference on Monday: "We are yet to receive any reply to the two letters sent to ICC. Also, in the meantime, the ICC security team, those in charge of security, have given a letter to the BCB. In that letter, it is said that if three things happen, the security threat to the Bangladesh team will increase:

"If Mustafizur Rahman is included in the Bangladesh team.

"If the supporters of the Bangladesh team roam around wearing the national jersey of Bangladesh, which is our national jersey.

"As the national elections are forthcoming, the security threat to the Bangladesh team will increase. This statement by the ICC security team has proven that Bangladesh is in no position to play the T20 World Cup in India," Nazrul said.

The ICC has, however, rejected Nazrul's claims. "The ICC is aware of public comments made in recent days concerning the participation of Bangladesh in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, including selective references to the ICC's security risk assessment," an ICC source told NDTV.

"It is important to clarify that the ICC's independent risk assessments, carried out by internationally recognised security experts, do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches in India. The overall security risk for the tournament in India has been assessed as low to moderate, which is consistent with the profile of many major global sporting events.

"The assessments did not identify any specific or direct threat to the Bangladesh team, team officials, or match venues in India. Based on the professional advice received, the risk associated with Bangladesh's scheduled fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai is assessed as low to moderate, with no indication of risks that cannot be effectively managed through established security planning and mitigation measures."

Topics mentioned in this article

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