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The International Cricket Council Chairman Jay Shah will contemplate strict action against Bangladesh if they do not agree to tour India for the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup 2026, ICC sources said on Friday.
The sources said the ICC Chairman is in Dubai for the final call on the issue. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier requested that the ICC shift their ICC T20 World Cup matches outside India to Sri Lanka, citing "security and safety concerns" for its players. There has been some strain in India's ties with Bangladesh over rising incidents of crimes against minorities in the country. Last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League 2026 squad amid growing demands in India, following atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. It is after Mustafizur's removal from the IPL that BCB started expressing concerns about the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent as the reason for not travelling to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup. ICC on Wednesday rejected the BCB's request to move their matches out of India for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Independent risk assessments, carried out by internationally recognised security experts, do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled T20 World Cup matches in India, ICC sources said on Monday, noting that the overall security risk for the tournament in India has been assessed as low to moderate, which is consistent with the profile of many major global sporting events. The sources said that the assessments did not identify any specific or direct threat to the Bangladesh team, team officials, or match venues in India. They said based on the professional advice received, the risk associated with Bangladesh's scheduled fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai is assessed as low to moderate, with no indication of risks that cannot be effectively managed through established security planning and mitigation measures. The BCB President Aminul Islam said on Thursday that the BCB stands firm in its decision not to play its ICC Men's World Cup matches in India, following the ICC's rejection of its request. "We will continue to communicate with the ICC. We want to play the World Cup, but we won't play in India. We will keep fighting. There were some shocking calls in the ICC Board Meeting. The Mustafizur issue is not an isolated single issue. They (India) were the sole decision makers in that issue," he said. "ICC had denied us our request to shift our matches away from India. We are not sure about the status of world cricket. Its popularity is going down. They have locked away 200 million people. Cricket is going to the Olympics, but if a country like us is not going there, it is ICC's failure," he added. Bangladesh's Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Thursday said that the ICC failed to convince them on security concerns in India. "ICC has failed to convince us on the security question. ICC has not taken any stand on our grievances. Even the Indian government did not communicate with us, or try to assuage our fears," Asif Nazrul said As per the current schedule, Bangladesh are scheduled to kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against two-time champions West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Litton Das-led side is then scheduled to face Italy on February 9 at the same venue before facing England in Kolkata again. After facing England, Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Mumbai to play Nepal at Wankhede Stadium. (ANI)
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