PCB writes to ICC supporting Bangladesh's stance: Reports

With the ICC set to decide Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally backed the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal to play matches in India amid regional political tensions, according to an ESPNcricinfo report.

The report said it learned that the PCB communicated its position to the ICC on Tuesday and copied members of the ICC Board.

The ICC has scheduled a Board meeting for Wednesday to discuss the BCB’s request to move Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka over security concerns in India. It is unclear whether the PCB’s email prompted the meeting, according to the report.

The ICC has consistently maintained that the World Cup schedule will not be altered and that Bangladesh’s matches will be played as planned, with Sri Lanka as co-host alongside India. This position has been conveyed to the BCB during discussions held last week.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Tuesday said Bangladesh will not accept any unreasonable conditions if the ICC creates pressure on the country “under the influence of the Indian Cricket Board.”

“If the International Cricket Council (ICC) bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose any illogical condition on us, we will not accept,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.

Bangladesh cannot be forced to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup under pressure, he said.

The ICC and BCB have held multiple meetings, including the most recent one in Dhaka last weekend, but neither side has shifted its stance.

The ICC insists the matches must proceed as scheduled, while the BCB maintains it cannot send its team to India. January 21 (Wednesday) was set as the deadline for a decision, less than three weeks before the tournament begins.

The PCB’s late involvement follows a week of speculation regarding its potential role in resolving the impasse. Unverified reports suggested the PCB had offered to host Bangladesh’s matches in Pakistan and was even reviewing Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup depending on the outcome of Bangladesh’s situation.

The PCB has not publicly commented or responded to ESPNcricinfo’s queries.

The dispute began after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for IPL 2026. 

While the reasons were not officially explained, deteriorating political relations between Bangladesh and India were cited. This prompted the Bangladesh government to formally state that the national team would not play matches in India.