The International Cricket Council has informed Bangladesh that there is no specific or heightened security threat to its national team while playing in India during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, according to details of an internal security assessment shared with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The assessment, reviewed by the BCB’s security unit last week, concludes that Bangladesh faces no overall threat across tournament venues. While it notes low to moderate risks at certain locations and low to nil risk at others, these fall within standard ICC security classifications and are not considered grounds for relocating matches.
The findings come amid growing tension after Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, earlier claimed the ICC’s security report itself highlighted difficulties in playing World Cup matches in India. Speaking on Monday, Nazrul suggested the assessment raised concerns linked to three factors: Mustafizur Rahman’s presence in the squad, Bangladesh fans wearing team jerseys in India, and upcoming elections in Bangladesh.
Nazrul went on to strongly oppose Bangladesh playing in India under what he described as unrealistic expectations. “If the ICC expects us to make a team without our best bowler, prevent our supporters from wearing Bangladesh jerseys, or postpone national elections to play cricket, then nothing could be more unreasonable,” he said.
However, ESPNcricinfo understands the ICC views these remarks as a misinterpretation of routine contingency planning. Sources indicate the security document outlines hypothetical scenarios that are standard practice in tournament assessments and does not impose conditions on team selection, fan movement, or domestic political matters.
The ICC’s position on the matter remains unchanged. The tournament schedule has already been finalised and published, and participating teams are expected to fulfil their obligations under ICC event regulations.
Later in the day, both the Bangladesh government and the BCB issued clarifications distancing themselves from the interpretation presented by the sports adviser. In a statement, the BCB said the correspondence referenced by Nazrul was part of an internal security dialogue and not an official ICC response to Bangladesh’s formal request to relocate matches.
“This does not constitute a formal response from the ICC to the BCB’s request for relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India,” the board said. “The BCB confirms it is still awaiting an official response from the ICC on this matter.”
Bangladesh are currently scheduled to play their first three group matches in Kolkata, followed by a final group fixture in Mumbai. Concerns intensified after the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad, a move that has not been publicly explained. Relations between India and Bangladesh have since deteriorated, prompting the Bangladesh government to ban IPL broadcasts domestically and the BCB to formally request a venue change from the ICC.
Despite the ongoing dispute, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 — co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka — remains on course to begin on February 7, with the governing body yet to indicate any willingness to revise the schedule.
