The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will commence on February 7. The tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided against sending its team to India because of security concerns which the board considered as their main reason.
ICC Denies Request to Change Match Location
- The BCB submitted a request to the ICC which asked for all Bangladesh matches to be moved to Sri Lanka. The ICC did not accept this request. The governing body confirmed that no actual security threats existed in India. Bangladesh decided to exit the competition after this ruling.
- Scotland received selection as Bangladesh's replacement for the tournament according to ICC rankings.
Pakistan Will Probably Participate
There were reports suggesting that Pakistan might boycott the tournament in support of Bangladesh. However, recent information contradicts those earlier reports. Pakistan will participate in the T20 World Cup which will take place in Sri Lanka through their scheduled matches. The Pakistan Cricket Board has developed a travel schedule according to reports. The team will reach Colombo on February 2. The PCB has not yet released an official statement.
Suresh Raina Shares His View
- Suresh Raina who played cricket for India explained the situation at the World Legends Pro T20 League. He said that Bangladesh needs to accept responsibility for its decision to withdraw. He believes that no security threats exist in India. He argued that Bangladesh will experience negative consequences from this decision.
- Raina confirmed that the Bangladesh team possesses considerable strength. He explained that their spinners had perfect skill sets to handle Indian climate conditions which would have allowed them to excel during the tournament.
Comments on ICC’s Stand
Raina also referred to comments made by ICC Chairman Jay Shah. He said that the ICC has warned of strict action against teams that refuse to play in India. He added that such decisions could lead to financial and competitive losses for the concerned cricket boards.
