BCB and ICC Remain at Odds on Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup Venues

The BCB and ICC have not reached a consensus over the matter of the T20 World Cup venues where Bangladesh will play its matches. After holding a meeting on Saturday, the two bodies failed to reach a resolution, but decided to remain in constant communication to explore viable options for Bangladesh’s smooth participation in the event.

Shortly after the meeting, the BCB issued a statement stating that the board will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the ICC to find a solution for the impasse in the coming days.

"During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh government's views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders.” described the BCB statement.

The statement said that the discussions were held in a professional and cordial environment where both parties presented their points to resolve the impasse. It also added that the BCB has proposed shifting Bangladesh into a separate group to ease logistical issues.

"The discussions were conducted in a constructive, cordial and professional manner, with all parties engaging openly on the relevant issues. Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed." described the BCB statement.

Currently, Bangladesh are in the Group C of the mega tournament along with England, Nepal, West Indies and Italy. They are scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata and the final one in Mumbai.

"The ICC delegation was represented by Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, and Andrew Ephgrave, General Manager, Integrity Unit. Gaurav Saxena was unable to attend the meeting in person as his visa was received later than anticipated and therefore joined the discussions virtually. Andrew Ephgrave attended the meeting in person." described the BCB statement.

Considering the stance of the BCB, it is quite clear that they are concerned with the security of their players traveling to India for the event. It would be interesting to see how ICC would resolve this matter, as the 2026 T20 World Cup is just three weeks away.