ICC says no specific security threat to Bangladesh team in India for 2026 T20 World Cup

Melbourne, January 13: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that there is no specific or heightened security threat to the Bangladesh cricket team while playing in India during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

According to a security assessment shared with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) last week, the ICC concluded that there is no overall threat to the team. The report noted only low to moderate risks at some venues and low to nil risks at others. These are standard ICC security classifications and are not considered sufficient grounds to relocate matches.

The issue came into the spotlight after Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul claimed earlier this week that the ICC security assessment highlighted serious difficulties for Bangladesh in playing its World Cup matches in India. He said three factors were cited as having potential security implications: the presence of star fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman in the team, Bangladeshi fans wearing national team shirts in India, and Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections.

Nazrul said the assessment proved that Bangladesh could not realistically play in India unless unreasonable conditions were met. However, ESPNcricinfo reported that the ICC views these claims as a misinterpretation of standard contingency planning and hypothetical scenarios that are routinely included in such security reviews. The ICC has not suggested any conditions on team selection, fan movement, or domestic political matters.

Later in the day, both the BCB and another senior government official clarified that the ICC’s security assessment was not a formal response to Bangladesh’s request to move its matches out of India.

In a statement, the BCB said:
“The correspondence cited today by the Adviser for the Ministry of Youth and Sports refers to internal communication between the BCB and the ICC’s Security Department regarding threat assessments for the Bangladesh team ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This does not constitute a formal response from the ICC to the BCB’s request for relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India.”

The BCB added that it has formally raised concerns about venue arrangements and is still awaiting an official reply from the ICC regarding its request to move matches outside India.

For now, the ICC’s position remains unchanged. The tournament schedule has already been finalised and published, and all participating teams are expected to meet their obligations. Under the current schedule, Bangladesh is set to play its first three group matches in Kolkata and its final group match in Mumbai.

The dispute escalated after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. No official reason was given, although relations between the two countries have worsened in recent months. Following Mustafizur’s removal, the Bangladesh government banned the broadcast of the IPL, and the BCB sent a letter to the ICC refusing to play its World Cup matches in India.

The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is scheduled to begin on 7 February.