Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially contacted International Cricket Council (ICC)The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is seeking to shift its matches away from India in 2026. The move comes after growing uneasiness within the board regarding player safety, which has increased further following the recent release of the star pacer Mustafizur Rahman Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, BCB president Aminul Islam confirmed that the board has written to the ICC and will decide its next action based on the global body’s response.
BCB President explains his decision to approach ICC
Aminul Islam revealed that the decision was taken after extensive internal deliberations. “You know we, along with all the directors of the cricket board, had two meetings before taking this decision and at this time we do not feel safe in sending our team to India to play the World Cup,” He said.
According to Aminul, BCB’s letter to the ICC clearly outlines their concerns and requests. He emphasized that safety is the primary issue driving the Board’s stance, not competitive or political considerations. The BCB is now awaiting a response from the ICC and is expected to hold a formal meeting to further discuss the matter.
“So we wrote a letter to the ICC, and in the letter we clearly stated what we wanted to say. We are hoping that they will ask us to have a meeting with them soon where we will express our concerns.” Aminul added.
Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL release: Reason for controversy
Controversy has arisen after Mustafizur was released from his IPL contract following instructions from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)The decision, taken ahead of the IPL season, has been seen by Bangladeshi authorities as a worrying sign regarding the treatment and safety of Bangladeshi players in India,
The BCB believes that if a contracted Bangladeshi cricketer could be prevented from participating in the domestic league, it raises widespread concerns about the safety of the national team during a major ICC event partly held in India.
Aminul clarified that BCB has not had any direct communication with BCCI on this issue. “We are not communicating with the BCCI because it is an ICC event. We are communicating with the ICC.” He said.
He also said that the clauses quoted in the letter fall within the framework of the ICC hosting and participation agreements, which shows that Bangladesh believes it has a legitimate procedural basis to raise a concern.
India-Bangladesh relations and future visits
The incident has sparked speculation that India may be reluctant to tour Bangladesh for the white-ball series scheduled in September, given the strained relations between the two boards. However, Aminul was keen to sever cricket ties for security reasons.
“Playing cricket between the two countries, like bilateral series or playing in the World Cup is one thing and security concerns are another thing.” He added. “So right now we are thinking about the World Cup issue.”
Also read: IPL 2026 – KKR could sign 3 players to replace Mustafizur Rahman if he misses out
