The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent a formal letter addressed to International Cricket Council (ICC) in support of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) position regarding not taking part in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup games scheduled for 2026 in India and escalating the ongoing dispute over the venue for the tournament.
In a letter addressed by the ICC and also on behalf of all the members of ICC Board, the PCB offered its support to the BCB’s demand that Bangladesh’s group stage matches be moved away from India and relocated to Sri Lanka. This move is in the midst of heightened tensions in the political arena and security concerns reported by Bangladesh in recent weeks about travel to India for the forthcoming event that will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 until March 8, 2026.
The ICC will organize an Board meeting on January 21 2026. It will be a chance to discuss Bangladesh’s participation, and decide whether to approve or deny the suggestions submitted to the BCB. BCB. This letter sent by the PCB comes just a day prior to the meeting. It is an unusual instance of a full-member board expressing support for the position of a different cricket board regarding World Cup logistics.
Bangladesh’s inability of traveling to India to play its scheduled matches which comprise three matches in Kolkata and a final match that takes place in Mumbai The decision has put the World Cup’s organizational plans at risk. The BCB is backed by the Bangladesh government has repeatedly stated that regional instability and security issues render it unsuitable for Bangladesh to take part in games hosted by India.
According to people who are close to discussions the PCB’s letter emphasized “political tensions in the area” as a major reason in Bangladesh’s decision to support venue relocation. Although the PCB hasn’t issued an official statement regarding the issue, a variety of cricket news sources said that the board’s source inside the board confirmed its letter and the content.
The ICC and the BCB have had multiple discussions in recent times in an effort to end the conflict which culminated in a conference in Dhaka this past weekend. However, despite these discussions the two parties remain stuck to their respective positions. The ICC has remained insistence that the tournament continue according to the original program and the co-hosting arrangements for the tournament between India as well as Sri Lanka remain unchanged.
However to this, the BCB is sticking to its position that Bangladesh is not able to send its team to play in India in the absence of concerns addressed. The BCB has therefore decided to insist that all the matches to be played on the island of Sri Lanka instead. The BCB’s position has been met with strong support of the Bangladesh government and has declared the security situation to be unacceptable for the national team.
The conflict started with the deportation from Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman, who was a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, in response to a directive by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Although the BCCI’s official explanation were not clear enough to justify the decision, some analysts have linked the issue to the deterioration of bilateral relations among Bangladesh as well as India. This led to Bangladesh’s government Bangladesh to make the unorthodox step of officially announcing the team’s inability to go to India to participate in the tournament.
The ICC’s commitment to the original plan is backed by internal security audits that, according to the body, don’t identify any particular risks for the security of visitors teams, which includes Bangladesh. Security experts independent of the ICC have found that the risk degree was “low to medium” and comparable to other global major sporting events. But, this conclusion has been challenged by Bangladeshi authorities, who denounce the ICC’s assessment as not sufficient due to the wider political situation.
The upcoming ICC Board meeting holds significant implications for Bangladesh’s participation, but also for the general logistics of the tournament. If the ICC continue to refuse to relocate Bangladesh’s tournaments and the governing body of cricket might be forced to face the possibility of a team pulling out completely from the event. There was speculation that, in the event of Bangladesh’s withdrawal Scotland — who barely missed qualifying could be considered to fill in the gap however, this scenario is still a possibility until the final decision of the ICC is made.
Pakistan is, for its part will participate in all planned World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka under an arrangement for a hybrid hosting agreement that includes BCCI and ICC. BCCI and ICC the agreement was in effect until 2027. The agreement excludes Pakistan from having to travel to India to play its games, but allows it to be completely involved in the event.
While the world cricket community waits for the ICC’s final decision that will be announced on January 21, national boards, players and the public remain engrossed in the unfolding events. The results at meeting scheduled for January 21 Board gathering scheduled for Jan 21 will clarify whether Bangladesh will take part as a participant in the T20 World Cup as originally scheduled or if any further changes to the format of the tournament will be necessary.