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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Bangladesh have formally asked to move 2026 T20 WC games
- 2🏆 Sri Lanka is BCB’s preferred alternative World Cup venue
- 3💡 Issue framed around player safety and national dignity
- 4🔮 ICC’s response could set a major tournament precedent
"Asif Nazrul said the BCB would attempt to convince the ICC of the gravity of their security concerns in India"
The debate around Bangladesh and the 2026 T20 World Cup has escalated, with the country’s sports advisor making it clear: they want their World Cup matches moved from India to Sri Lanka over serious security and dignity concerns.
Bangladesh hardens stance on India as World Cup venue
Sports advisor Asif Nazrul has doubled down on the BCB’s request to the ICC, stressing that this is not a routine logistical gripe but a matter of player safety and national pride. He believes current assurances underestimate the scale of the threat Bangladeshi players could face in India, on and off the field.
The board’s preference is straightforward: keep Bangladesh’s group fully intact, but stage their fixtures in Sri Lanka, where conditions are familiar and the perceived risk is lower. For players, it’s about the comfort of walking into grounds and hotels without a constant feeling of unease. For fans back home, it touches a raw emotional chord around how their cricketers are treated on foreign soil.
"The ICC doesn't fully realise the scale of the security issue regarding Bangladeshi cricketers in India." — Asif Nazrul
If the ICC concedes, it would create a rare split-venue scenario inside a single host cluster, adding a new layer of complexity to an already packed global calendar. If it stands firm, Bangladesh face a huge call: accept India as a venue, or risk missing a global event at the peak of this generation’s career cycle.
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