BCB breaks silence on ICC ultimatum claims linked to T20 World Cup 2026
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has firmly rubbished reports suggesting the ICC issued an ultimatum over the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the claims baseless.
Bangladesh Cricket Board wants their T20 World Cup 2026 matches to be shifted away from India after BCCI told KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026.
Last Updated: 01.07 PM, Jan 07, 2026
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have released a statement, refuting the claims regarding ICC's T20 World Cup 2026 ultimatum. Reports suggest that ICC gave an ultimatum to BCB to either play the World Cup 2026 or forfeit the points. BCB denied the reports and mentioned that they are in coordination with ICC and have been promised to be heard by the board.
As per Cricbuzz, BCB president Aminul Islam is set to have a virtual meeting with his directors at 3:30 PM. They will discuss the safety issues that BCB have brought up and a solution is expected by the end of the meeting. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just a month away, relocation might be a difficult task.
"The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Board's expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, including the request for relocation of the team's matches," 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 said.
Why did BCB write to ICC ahead of T20 World cup 2026?
After BCCI instructed KKR to leave Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the IPL 2026 due to the rising political tensions in Bangladesh, the BCB went on to write a formal letter to ICC regarding the players' safety of the team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. BCB claimed that if BCCI cannot keep a single player safe in India, how can they keep an entire squad safe during the marquee event.
Hence, the Mustafizur Rahman row took a great turn and now, BCB have asked ICC to relocate the World Cup matches for the team. While the ICC have not yet released any statement ahead of the tournament, it will be interesting to see how everything turns out in the end.
Where to watch T20 World Cup 2026 matches?
Cricket fans in India can watch the T20 World Cup 2026 matches from February 7 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.