Former India cricketer Atul Wasan opened up on Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) decision to withdraw from the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. Wasson said that the BCB should stop insisting on a change of venue and instead use Liton Das’s captaincy to calm the situation between the two countries and the ICC.
The ICC on Wednesday confirmed that the T20 World Cup will go ahead as planned and Bangladesh will play its matches in India. The decision was taken after an ICC Board meeting held via video conference, which addressed the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request to shift those fixtures to Sri Lanka.
This is a logistical nightmare for the ICC – Atul Wasan
Speaking to ANI, Atul Wasan said that Bangladesh should avoid insisting on change of venue. He said the last-minute transfer would create logistical problems for the ICC and urged Bangladesh to treat the tournament as an olive branch.
“This is a nightmare for the ICC. The preparations for the T20 World Cup have been going on for so long and with the tournament being so close, it is not possible to do it,” Atul Wasan told ANI on Thursday.
“I don’t think there will be any security issues in India. We have foolproof security measures here. And your captain is a Hindu, and I think Bangladesh should use the tournament as an olive branch and defuse the current tension,” he said.
I don’t think BCB’s concerns match ICC’s – Atul Wasan
Atul Wasan said that BCB’s concerns do not match those of ICC. He said teams cannot demand a sudden change of venue and expect accommodation from the ICC. Wasson said the ICC would have clearly asked the BCB to follow the existing plan or risk missing out on the T20 World Cup 2026.
He said, “I don’t think the BCB’s concerns coincide with those of the ICC. It is impossible for the ICC to cater to the whims and fancies of any team in this way. You can’t just wake up one day and write letters to move your matches. Things don’t work that way. The ICC would have told them to either fall in line or get out, and I think the BCB knows that.”
Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage schedule
Bangladesh is to play all its group-stage matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. They will begin their campaign against two-time champions West Indies on February 7 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The Liton Das-led side will face Italy on February 9 at the same venue, followed by another match against England in Kolkata. After three matches there, Bangladesh are set to travel to Mumbai for their final group match against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium.
Bangladesh has no group matches scheduled in Sri Lanka. The team suggested swapping groups with Ireland, who were playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, but the ICC rejected the proposal.
The ICC has given the Bangladesh Cricket Board one more day to confirm whether the team will tour India or not. If Bangladesh withdraws, Scotland, the highest ranked team among the teams not participating in the tournament, is set to take their place.
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