The T20 World Cup 2026 Bangladesh travel issue has taken a new turn after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC), backing Bangladesh’s concerns over traveling to India for the upcoming global tournament. The development comes just ahead of a crucial ICC board meeting, expected to make a final decision on the matter.
According to reports, the PCB’s letter supported the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stance, which has refused to send its team to India due to security and regional political concerns. Sources indicate that the correspondence was circulated among ICC board members, although the PCB has not issued any public statement confirming the move.
The ICC is scheduled to deliberate on Bangladesh’s request to shift its T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, the tournament’s cco-hostalongside India. However, despite repeated discussions, the ICC has so far maintained a firm position on sticking to the existing tournament schedule and has already conveyed this stance to the BCB.
Bangladesh’s refusal to travel has been backed by its government, and multiple meetings between ICC officials and the BCB, including a recent one in Dhaka, have failed to break the deadlock. While the timing of the PCB’s intervention has attracted attention, insiders believe it is unlikely to influence the ICC’s final decision.
Speculation has also surfaced that Pakistan may have offered to host Bangladesh’s matches, and unconfirmed reports were suggesting the PCB could even reconsider Pakistan’s own participation depending on how Bangladesh’s case is handled. However, no official confirmation has been provided.
The controversy traces back to the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad on the instructions of the BCCI, without a formal explanation. This was followed by the Bangladesh government banning IPL broadcasts, escalating tensions further.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 set to begin on February 7, Bangladesh is currently scheduled to play its opening matches in Kolkata and Mumbai. As the ICC meeting looms, the situation remains unresolved, raising questions over logistics, security, and regional cricketing relations.
