With the T20 World Cup less than three weeks away, there is a thick cloud of confusion surrounding the participation of a major Test-playing nation. A tense waiting game is locked in as a standoff between supporters and authorities ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reaching breaking point. No one, not even the players, knows if the 15-man squad will get on the plane or if the tournament will go ahead with last-minute changes.
Litton Das breaks silence on T20 World Cup 2026 as Bangladesh defies ICC ultimatum
Followed by an appeal to the media Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team, Rangpur RidersEliminated from the eliminator on January 20, 2026, captain Litton Das got a shocking reality check. When asked about his World Cup preparations, the skipper refused to give a technical answer, instead revealing a complete lack of communication between the board and the staff.
Das admitted that the players had not been consulted and was completely in the dark about their squad, travel plans or even whether they would attend. In a moment that captured the intensity of the tension, he stopped a reporter mid-sentence to say that it was simply “not safe” to discuss the matter further.
“Are you sure we will play in the World Cup? For my part, I’m uncertain; everyone is uncertain. I think the whole of Bangladesh is uncertain right now. You don’t know, I don’t know, we’re on the same page. It’s not safe for me to answer that. No player knows which country we’re going to play or who we’re going to play against.” This was reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Also READ: Pakistan has suspended its 2026 T20 World Cup preparations to show solidarity with Bangladesh
Bangladesh rejects ICC’s “unwarranted” pressure
At the heart of the crisis is Bangladesh’s refusal to play its group stage games in Kolkata and Mumbai, citing heightened security concerns following the Mustafizur Rahman IPL controversy. While the BCC has reportedly set a date of January 21 for a final decision, the Bangladesh Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul took an opposing position. He made it clear that Bangladesh would not “bow down” to what he described as unreasonable pressure from the BCCI or the ICC. BCB’s request to move its matches to Sri Lanka is rejected by the ICC, which claims that the risk assessments for India are low to moderate.
“If the ICC bows to the pressure of the Cricket Board of India and tries to impose unreasonable conditions on us, we will not accept those conditions. We cannot be forced to play in India by applying unreasonable pressure. There have been instances in the past where Pakistan has said they will not go to India and the ICC has changed the venue. We have asked for a change of venue on logical grounds.” “Indian Express” quoted Nazrul about this.
Also READ: ICC sets deadline for BCB on Bangladesh’s participation in 2026 T20 World Cup – Reports
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