On Tuesday, 24 hours before the ICC board gathers, the Pakistan Cricket Board quietly emailed the world body to say it “supports the BCB’s stance” on moving Bangladesh’s 2026 men’s T20 World Cup fixtures out of India. Copies of the note went to every board director.
The immediate trigger is Bangladesh’s formal plea to play their group matches in Sri Lanka, one of the tournament’s co-hosts, citing security worries linked to ongoing political tension between Dhaka and New Delhi. An ICC meeting has now been fixed for Wednesday to decide whether that request – first lodged last week – will be granted.
Officials familiar with the agenda insist the schedule remains unchanged for the moment. “Our position is that matches must go ahead as planned,” an ICC spokesperson reiterated on Monday. The governing body has told the BCB the same in two rounds of talks, most recently in Dhaka at the weekend.
Bangladesh, backed by its government, has so far refused to send the side to India. A BCB director said after Sunday’s meeting, “We cannot compromise on the team’s security.” With the tournament barely three weeks away, the ICC had set 21 January as an unofficial deadline for a resolution.
The PCB’s late intervention follows a week of speculation in Lahore. Local media floated ideas ranging from Pakistan hosting Bangladesh’s games to Pakistan themselves withdrawing should the Tigers be barred. No proposal has been tabled formally, and the PCB has not commented publicly.
Relations between the BCCI and BCB dipped last month when Kolkata Knight Riders were told to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of IPL 2026. Neither board offered a detailed explanation, though regional political strains were widely cited. Soon afterwards the Bangladesh government announced its team would not play World Cup matches on Indian soil.
The fall-out has been felt domestically. Several senior Bangladesh players briefly threatened to strike after a BCB official remarked that a World Cup boycott would “save us a lot of money”. The walk-out disrupted the opening week of the Bangladesh Premier League before talks calmed the situation.
Industry analysts fear further delay could hurt all parties. Former ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told Sky Sports, “Any late venue switch creates broadcast, ticketing and travel headaches. The clock is ticking.” Yet he believes a compromise is possible: “Sri Lanka is already a co-host, so logistically it makes sense.”
Wednesday’s board call will seek that compromise. If the ICC holds firm, Bangladesh must decide whether to travel; if the schedule moves, India will have to approve revised logistics. Either way, time is short and a World Cup looms.
