DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that its internal security assessment has found no specific threat to the Bangladesh national cricket team in India ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.
The global cricket governing body shared its findings with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), clearing the team to travel and compete in India during the marquee tournament. The assessment concluded that there is no overall security concern for the Bangladesh squad, although certain venues were categorized as carrying low to moderate risk—levels that fall within standard ICC security parameters.
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The ICC noted that such risk classifications are routine for major international events and do not typically justify the relocation of matches. Several venues were also deemed to have low or negligible risk, reinforcing the council’s position that there is no extraordinary security situation facing the team.
The clarification comes after remarks from Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Nazrul Islam, who suggested that the ICC’s assessment had highlighted potential challenges for the Tigers during the tournament. He stated that the government and cricket board had exchanged correspondence with the ICC’s security department and claimed that three possible security implications were raised, including references involving star pacer Mustafizur Rahman.
Nazrul argued that any suggestion of Bangladesh participating without key players would be unacceptable, calling such expectations unrealistic and unreasonable. His comments fueled speculation that Bangladesh could seek to move its T20 World Cup fixtures outside India.
However, ESPNcricinfo reported that ICC officials believe these claims stem from a misinterpretation of standard contingency planning and hypothetical security scenarios. The ICC emphasized that such internal assessments are part of normal operational planning and should not be read as indicators of imminent danger.
Subsequently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board issued a formal clarification, distancing itself from the interpretation presented by the sports adviser. In its statement, the BCB explained that the correspondence referenced was part of internal communication between the board and the ICC’s security department regarding routine threat assessments.
The BCB stressed that the security assessment shared by the ICC does not represent an official response to Bangladesh’s separate request to relocate its World Cup matches outside India.
“This does not constitute a formal reply from the ICC regarding venue relocation,” the BCB said, adding that it has raised concerns about venue arrangements purely from a security standpoint and is still awaiting an official decision from the ICC.
The broader situation follows the recent release of Mustafizur Rahman from his Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders. The decision, taken in coordination with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), triggered strong reactions in Bangladesh and added further complexity to the ongoing discussions.
As of now, the ICC maintains that there is no specific security threat to the Bangladesh team, and preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continue as scheduled.
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