ICC Refuses to Change Venue for Bangladesh's World Cup Matches in India

After several rounds of correspondence and meetings, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced its final decision regarding the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request to move the World Cup matches to Sri Lanka. Despite Bangladesh's firm stance on the matter, the ICC confirmed that there is no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh team, media personnel, officials, or supporters in any of India's venues.

In a meeting held on January 21, the ICC explained that altering the tournament schedule at this stage would be impractical. It also warned that setting such a precedent could challenge the neutrality and integrity of future ICC events. The ICC assured Bangladesh that detailed security assessments, including both central and state-level law enforcement plans, had been shared with the BCB to ensure safety.

The ICC spokesperson further explained, "While the BCB remains firm in its stance, their concerns were largely linked to a separate issue unrelated to the security framework of the T20 World Cup." The ICC reiterated that decisions regarding venues and schedules are made based on impartial security evaluations, and it could not relocate matches due to the absence of any independent security threats.

Moreover, Cricinfo reported that the ICC has given Bangladesh 24 hours to confirm its decision. Should Bangladesh remain firm in its refusal, an alternative team will be considered. The T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7, 2026.