T20 World Cup: Pakistan Cricket Board backs Bangladesh in venue standoff, writes to ICC ahead of crucial meet | Cricket News

Bangladesh are scheduled to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Tuesday, has formally written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressing its support for Bangladesh’s refusal to play matches in India at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. The development comes a day before the ICC Board is set to meet on Wednesday to take a final call on Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the PCB’s communication to the ICC also copied members of the ICC Board, underlining Pakistan’s alignment with the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) stance amid what it termed political and security concerns in the region. Bangladesh, backed by its government, has asked for its group-stage matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka, co-hosts of the tournament.

The report further indicated that the governing body has so far remained firm on its position. The ICC has repeatedly conveyed to the BCB that the tournament schedule will not be altered and that Bangladesh are expected to play their matches in India as originally planned.Despite multiple rounds of discussions between the ICC and BCB, neither side has softened its stance. While the ICC has insisted that logistical and security assessments do not warrant a venue change, the BCB has maintained that it cannot send the team to India under the current circumstances. January 21 had been set as the deadline for a final decision, with the tournament scheduled to start on February 7.

The PCB’s late intervention follows days of speculation about its role in resolving the impasse. Unverified reports suggested that Pakistan had offered to host Bangladesh’s matches, while others claimed the PCB was even reassessing Pakistan’s own participation depending on how the situation unfolded. The standoff traces back to the BCCI’s decision to ask IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad — a move that was never fully explained but widely linked to deteriorating political ties. That episode prompted the Bangladesh government to formally state that the national team would not travel to India for the World Cup.The fallout has since escalated, triggering unrest within Bangladesh cricket, including a brief player boycott during the BPL after controversial remarks by a senior BCB official.