PCB backs BCB as ICC set to decide Bangladesh T20 World Cup schedule today

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally conveyed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it supports the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s position on not wanting to play in India amid what it has described as heightened political and security concerns.

The communication was sent on Tuesday, a day before the ICC is expected to take a final call on Bangladesh’s participation and match schedule at the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup. ESPNcricinfo reported that the PCB also copied members of the ICC Board on the email, underlining the seriousness of its intervention.

ICC Board meeting likely on Wednesday

According to media reports, ICC has convened a Board meeting on Wednesday to address the BCB’s request to have Bangladesh’s matches shifted out of India and played in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament with India.

While it could not be confirmed whether the PCB’s email directly prompted the meeting, January 21, Wednesday, had already been set as the deadline for a decision, less than three weeks before the start of the tournament. 

ICC remains firm on existing schedule

Despite the timing of the PCB’s intervention, the ICC’s position remains unchanged. According to espncricinfo, the governing body has so far been firm in its stance that the World Cup schedule will not be altered and that Bangladesh’s matches will proceed as originally planned in India.

The ICC is believed to have conveyed this position to the BCB during multiple interactions last week, reiterating that allowing Bangladesh to play all its matches in Sri Lanka is not under consideration.

Bangladesh government backs BCB refusal

The BCB, backed by the Bangladesh government, has maintained that it will not send the national team to India for the group-stage fixtures. The issue has been discussed in several meetings between the ICC and the BCB, including talks held in Dhaka last weekend.

However, neither side has shifted ground, with the ICC insisting the tournament must go ahead as scheduled and the BCB reiterating that player safety concerns prevent travel to India.

Speculation over PCB’s wider role

The PCB’s late involvement has come amid speculation over possible alternative solutions to the impasse. Earlier, Pakistani news channel Geo TV reported that there were unverified claims the PCB had offered to host Bangladesh’s matches in Pakistan.

There were also suggestions that the PCB was internally reviewing Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, depending on how the Bangladesh situation unfolded. None of these reports have been confirmed.

Dispute traces back to IPL decision

The stand-off can be traced back to the Board of Control for Cricket in India instructing Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for IPL 2026. While no official explanation was provided, deteriorating political ties between India and Bangladesh were cited as a factor.

That development prompted the Bangladesh government to formally state that the national team would not play its World Cup matches in India.

Fallout spills into domestic cricket

The situation has since escalated within Bangladesh, even affecting the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League. A brief player boycott disrupted the competition after a senior BCB official made disparaging remarks about leading players while responding to questions on the potential financial impact on the board if Bangladesh were to miss the T20 World Cup altogether.

With the ICC Board now set to deliberate, clarity on Bangladesh’s participation is expected within the next 24 hours.