ICC security assessment finds no major THREAT to Bangladesh team for T20 World Cup in India

Bangladesh received a security assessment from the ICC, which concluded that there was no particular or increased risk to the team during the 2026 T20 World Cup in India.

ICC, Bangladesh Cricket Board, BCB, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Bangladesh Sports Advisor, Asif Nazrul, Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR, IPL 2026, Shah Rukh Khan — ICC report finds no significant security threat to Bangladesh

New Delhi: Bangladesh received a security assessment from the ICC, which concluded that there was no particular or increased risk to the team during the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. Although it noted low to moderate risks at some venues and low to negligible risks at others classifications that are common in ICC events worldwide and typically do not warrant relocating matches, stated the internal report, which was shared with the BCB’s security team.

Details of the assessment, which were shared with the BCB last week, came to light after Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Nazrul claimed earlier on Monday that the ICC’s findings highlighted challenges in Bangladesh playing their 2026 T20 World Cup matches in India.

Asif Nazrul flags three security concerns ahead of T20I World Cup

“We have sent two letters (to the ICC), after which the ICC security team have sent a letter,” said Nazrul, who effectively heads the country’s sports administration. He cited three factors as carrying potential security implications: Mustafizur Rahman’s inclusion in the team, Bangladeshi fans wearing team jerseys in India, and the upcoming elections in Bangladesh.

“So this statement of the ICC security team has proven beyond a doubt that there is no situation for the Bangladesh cricket team to play the T20 World Cup in India. If the ICC expects us to make a cricket team without our best bowler, our supporters will not be able to wear the Bangladesh jersey, and we will postpone the Bangladesh elections to play cricket, then there can be no more bizarre, unrealistic and unreasonable expectation than this.”

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ICC’s position is still unchanged as of right now

ESPNcricinfo believes, that the ICC’s position is still unchanged as of right now. The match schedule has already been decided upon and made public, and all participating teams are expected to fulfill their responsibilities under the terms of ICC event participation.

ICC believes that Nazrul’s comments are not indicative of real risk but rather a misinterpretation of standard contingency planning and hypothetical scenarios that are typical in such security assessments. Furthermore, there is no indication in the assessment that the ICC is suggesting that domestic elections be postponed, restricting fans from donning team jerseys, or placing restrictions on team selection.

Another Bangladesh government official, along with the BCB, later issued statements clarifying that the ICC’s security assessment was not a response to Bangladesh’s formal request to relocate their T20 World Cup matches outside India.

“The correspondence cited today by the Adviser for the Ministry of Youth & Sports was in reference to an internal communication between the BCB and the ICC’s Security Department related to threat assessments for the Bangladesh team ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the BCB said.

“This does not constitute a formal response from the ICC to the BCB’s request for the relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India.

“The BCB reiterates that it has formally raised concerns regarding venue arrangements and has requested relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India in the interest of the team’s security. The Board confirms that it is still awaiting an official response from the ICC on this matter.”

Bangladesh sports adviser spearheaded calls for matches to be moved out of India

Bangladesh’s first three games will take place in Kolkata, and their last group match will take place in Mumbai. After the BCCI ordered the Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster, the venues became a problem. Sports adviser Asif Nazrul spearheaded calls for Bangladesh’s matches to be moved out of India, despite the fact that no formal explanation was provided. The move coincided with tense relations between the two nations.

In the aftermath of Mustafizur’s exclusion, the Bangladesh government banned the broadcast of the IPL in the country, and the BCB wrote to the ICC stating its refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India. The 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to begin on February 7.

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The Times Of Bengal