Amid a last-minute but unsuccessful effort to reverse the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to host Bangladesh’s group matches of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India, a new media report claims that ICC chairman Jay Shah is considering stringent measures should Bangladesh choose to withdraw from the tournament.
According to news agency ANI, Shah is currently in Dubai, where a final decision on the issue is expected soon.
The situation intensified after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad amid escalating regional tensions. The move sparked strong reactions in Bangladesh, prompting the government to ban the broadcast of the Indian Premier League in the country.
Following this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote to the ICC, seeking a relocation of their T20 World Cup group fixtures from India, citing security concerns. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their group-stage matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.
However, the ICC turned down the request after an independent security review assessed the threat level as “low to moderate.” The ICC Board of Directors subsequently voted 14–2 in favour of keeping Bangladesh’s matches in India.
As reported by PTI, the BCB then approached the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) in an attempt to challenge the decision. The committee, however, declined to intervene, citing Clause 1.3 of its Terms of Reference, which bars it from acting as an appellate authority against decisions made by the ICC or its authorised bodies.
With no further recourse available, the DRC ruled that the plea fell outside its jurisdiction under ICC by-laws.
The report further stated that a formal announcement regarding Bangladesh’s replacement at the World Cup is expected by Saturday.
“The ICC Board members are extremely unhappy with Aminul Islam Bulbul for holding a press conference before informing the global body. While Asif Nazrul is a persona non grata for the ICC, Bulbul should not have allowed a press conference without first communicating with the ICC,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.
