Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam stated that he will talk to his government for ‘one last time’ and also hopes for a miracle from the ICC as their participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 hangs in the balance.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam is hoping for a miracle from the International Cricket Council over the team’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 after. This comes as the ICC, during its meeting, told the BCB to inform its government that Bangladesh will be ousted from the tournament if it does not send the team to India.
Aminul is hoping for a miracle from the ICC and stated that he will talk to his government one final time. “I asked the ICC board for time to talk to my government for one last time,” Aminul said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. “They said it’s a valid point, and gave me 24 or 48 hours to get back to them. I don’t want to put pressure on the government. We know that India is not secure for us. We remain in the stance that we want to play in Sri Lanka. I know the ICC denied us but we will talk to the government one more time. I will inform the ICC about the government’s feedback.”
‘Bangladesh players want to play World Cup’: Aminul
The board president stated that the team and the government want to play the tournament; however, he reiterated his thoughts regarding the safety in India. “I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC. Who doesn’t want to play in the World Cup?
“The Bangladesh players want to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh government wants Bangladesh to play the World Cup. But we don’t think India is safe for our players. A government doesn’t only consider the players, but they consider all, when it takes a decision.”
BCB’s proposal for group change rejected due to Sri Lanka
Meanwhile, BCB had also proposed to change their group and get swapped with Zimbabwe or Ireland, both of who are in Sri Lanka’s group. However, the report added that the demand was rejected as Sri Lanka didn’t want a “new team in the group.”
Bangladesh are placed in Group C along with England, Italy, West Indies and Nepal. Notably, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Oman and Australia form the Group B.ย
Bangladesh are set to play all four of their league stage matches in India – three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. However, after Mustafizur Rahman was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders from the IPL 2026, the BCB has been adamant of wanting its venue to be shifted out from India for the World Cup.
Scotland on standby as Bangladesh decide
According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC has informed the BCB that the matter has reached a critical point. The Bangladesh government has been asked to be briefed that if the team does not agree to travel to India, Bangladesh will be replaced in the tournament. This position was subsequently put to a vote at the board level, where a majority of ICC directors supported the option of replacing Bangladesh should their stance remain unchanged.
The BCB has been granted a final window of one day to respond to the ICC and clarify whether the team will participate under the existing schedule. If Bangladesh maintains its refusal, Scotland is the leading candidate to take their place in Group C. Scotland did not qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup through the European Qualifier, finishing behind the Netherlands, Italy and Jersey, but could now gain entry due to the extraordinary circumstances.