Bangladesh alleges 'unreasonable pressure' by ICC, stands firm on T20 World Cup venue dispute

With the January 21 deadline looming, uncertainty continues to surround Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as the country has pushed back strongly against what it describes as undue pressure from the global governing body. Speculation has intensified over the possibility of Bangladesh being replaced in the tournament, with Scotland emerging as a potential alternative should the situation escalate.

Addressing the issue, Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul made it clear that the ICC has not officially communicated any threat of exclusion. He stressed that Bangladesh would not compromise on what it believes are legitimate concerns regarding playing matches in India.

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“We are not prepared to accept unreasonable or unrealistic pressure to play in India,” Nazrul said while speaking to the media. “We have not received any formal notice saying Bangladesh will be excluded or that Scotland will take our place. If the ICC acts under pressure from the BCCI and tries to force us, we will not agree. There are precedents where India declined to tour Pakistan and the ICC altered venues accordingly. We are only asking for a venue change based on valid reasons.”

The dispute has led to multiple rounds of discussions between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in recent weeks. Reports suggest that the ICC has asked the BCB to provide a final confirmation by January 21 on whether it will send the team to India for the tournament. Failure to do so could prompt the ICC to name a replacement team based on current rankings.