The Bangladesh Cricket Board has made it clear that regardless of any assurances from the Indian board or the ICC about top-level security, the team will not travel to India. Photo: AFP
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reaffirmed its decision not to tour India for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, with its chief Aminul Islam announcing on Thursday that it would again request the International Cricket Council (ICC) allow the team to play in Sri Lanka instead.
The ICC board has dismissed Bangladesh’s concerns regarding the safety of its players and fans in India, despite persistent political tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.
Following a meeting on Thursday between the BCB’s top officials, players and the sports adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, the board maintained its stance despite the risk of being replaced by another team in the tournament set to begin on February 7.
Read: Bangladesh faces World Cup dilemma: Play in India or pull out
“We will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka,” Islam said at a press conference.
“They did give us a 24-hour ultimatum but a global body can’t really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup (if Bangladesh is axed). It will be their loss.”
Bangladesh Govt has announced their team is boycotting the World Cup.
Sports Adviser says Bangladesh wants to play but only and only in Sri Lanka
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Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh “cannot be forced to play in India”, underlining the government’s refusal to bow to what it described as “unreasonable coercion”.
He said the decision not to tour India was taken by the interim government. “We are hopeful that ICC will give us the opportunity to play in Sri Lanka,” Nazrul added.
Political relations between India and Bangladesh have recently deteriorated, impacting cricket too.
Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) despite signing with its Kolkata franchise.
Also Read: ICC rejects Bangladesh’s plea to play T20 WC matches outside India
Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
After an emergency ICC board meeting on Wednesday, cricket’s global governing body ruled out any security issue in India for players and fans from Bangladesh. It also ruled out altering the schedule so close to the tournament, saying it would set a bad precedent.
Political tensions have added fuel to the crisis. India-Bangladesh relations have deteriorated since the 2024 mass uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. Bangladesh is also due to hold its first elections since that upheaval during the World Cup period, further complicating matters.
Bangladesh captain Litton Das admitted uncertainty over participation. “Everyone is uncertain,” he said, reflecting widespread confusion within the team and the country.
With Sri Lanka not formally contacted about hosting Bangladesh’s matches, the ICC has indicated that Scotland, the highest-ranked non-qualified team, could replace Bangladesh if they withdraw.
For now, the Bangladesh T20 World Cup boycott remains one of the most serious crises the tournament has faced, blending sport, politics and diplomacy into a volatile mix.
Pakistan will play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka in keeping with their policy of not touring India over fraught political tensions.
