The International Cricket Council (ICC) has stated that there is no specific security threat to the Bangladesh cricket team in India for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The global cricket body shared an internal security assessment with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), clearing the team to travel to India for the tournament.
The evaluation found no overall threat to the squad, although it noted low to moderate risks at some venues and low to negligible risks at others. These fall within standard ICC security classifications and are not considered grounds for relocating matches.
ICC Responds to Bangladesh Concerns
The clarification comes after Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, earlier claimed that the ICC’s security report had flagged concerns regarding the team’s participation in India.
Nazrul suggested that factors such as the inclusion of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladeshi fans wearing national jerseys, and the timing of Bangladesh’s domestic elections could increase security risks.
However, the ICC has reportedly viewed these remarks as a misinterpretation of routine contingency planning and hypothetical scenarios rather than a formal threat assessment.
Officials familiar with the matter said the communication cited was an inter-departmental note, not a response to Bangladesh’s request to move matches out of India.
Matches in Kolkata and Mumbai Deemed Safe
Bangladesh are scheduled to play three group matches in Kolkata and one match in Mumbai, with the tournament set to begin on February 7.
According to the ICC’s assessment, conducted by internationally recognised security experts, the overall security risk for the tournament in India has been classified as low to moderate, consistent with most major global sporting events.
The ICC assessment reportedly found no risks that cannot be managed effectively through standard security planning at the designated venues.
BCB Awaits Formal ICC Response
Despite the ICC’s position, the BCB has reiterated that it formally raised concerns regarding venue arrangements and requested the relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India in the interest of team security.
The board said it is still awaiting an official response from the ICC on the matter.
“The correspondence cited by the sports adviser was related to an internal security assessment and does not constitute a formal response to our request,” the BCB said in a statement.
Background to the Dispute
The issue escalated following Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the 2026 IPL, amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
Since then, Nazrul has been vocal in urging the ICC to move Bangladesh’s World Cup matches out of India, citing what he described as a hostile environment.
However, sources indicate that the ICC’s current stance remains unchanged. With the schedule already finalised and announced, all participating teams are expected to honour their commitments under ICC tournament regulations.
ICC Stands by Schedule
For now, the ICC maintains that its independent risk assessments do not identify any direct or specific threat to the Bangladesh team or officials.
Unless new developments arise, Bangladesh’s World Cup matches are set to go ahead in India as scheduled.
