The International Cricket Council (ICC) has issued a major statement regarding the ongoing security concerns surrounding the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Sources within the ICC have clarified that there is no significant security threat to the Bangladesh team traveling to and playing matches in India.
According to the ICC, the security risk has been assessed as “low to moderate,” which is considered normal for any major international event.
ICC’s Response to Bangladesh Security Concerns
This clarification comes after Bangladesh’s sports advisor, Azif Nazrul, claimed that the ICC’s security team had indicated a heightened risk for Bangladeshi players and fans in India.
He had stated that the risk could increase if Mustafizur Rahman was in the team, if fans wore Bangladesh jerseys in public, or if the tournament coincided with the country’s elections.
Nazrul had described it as “unrealistic and unreasonable” to hold the World Cup in India under such circumstances. However, ICC sources have called these claims a misrepresentation of the facts.
An ICC source explicitly stated, “The ICC’s independent risk assessments, carried out by internationally recognized security experts, do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches in India.” They further added that the overall risk level for the tournament is “low to moderate.”
According to the sources, there is no direct or concrete threat to Bangladesh’s matches scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai. All arrangements can be managed under standard security planning.
ICC’s Clear Stand on Player Selection and Fans
The ICC also clarified that it has never suggested that any player should be included or excluded from the team for security reasons.
An ICC source stated, “The ICC wishes to be clear that it has never suggested, nor would it suggest, that any team should select or exclude players for security reasons, that supporters should be restricted from wearing national colours, or that domestic democratic processes be altered in order to participate in an ICC event.”
The release of Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders before IPL 2026 is also considered a contributing factor to this controversy. Following this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board formally wrote to the ICC to express its concerns.
Bangladesh is scheduled to play a total of three matches in India during the T20 World Cup 2026. Two of these matches will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and one at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The team will face West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14. Their final league stage match will be against Nepal on February 17.
