When teams said no: A look at ICC tournaments hit by refusals and withdrawals | Cricket News
As discussions continue between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC over Bangladesh’s potential travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup amid security concerns, the situation has revived a familiar debate in international cricket. History shows that teams pulling out of ICC events due to political or security reasons is far from unprecedented. Below are notable instances where such decisions shaped major tournaments.
1996 ODI World Cup: Australia and West Indies refuse to tour Sri Lanka
In the build-up to the 1996 ODI World Cup, Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosts alongside India and Pakistan, was grappling with a civil war. A bomb blast in Colombo in January, just weeks before the tournament, escalated safety fears.
India and Pakistan publicly backed Sri Lanka by sending a combined XI to play a friendly in Colombo. Australia and West Indies, however, refused to play their scheduled group matches in the city and were forced to forfeit points. Despite this, both teams reached the knockout stages, while Sri Lanka went on to win the World Cup, defeating Australia in the final in Lahore.
2003 ODI World Cup: England skip Zimbabwe, New Zealand avoid Kenya
The 2003 ODI World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, saw two separate withdrawals. England declined to play in Harare due to opposition from the UK government to the Robert Mugabe regime. New Zealand, citing security concerns after a bombing in Mombasa months earlier, refused to travel to Nairobi to face Kenya. Both boards requested venue changes, but the ICC rejected the appeals and awarded walkovers to Zimbabwe and Kenya. England were eliminated in the first round, while Kenya used the advantage to reach the semi-finals in a landmark campaign.
2009 T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe withdraw amid visa uncertainty
Ahead of the 2009 T20 World Cup in England, strained relations between Zimbabwe and the UK raised doubts over player visas. In July 2008, Zimbabwe and the ICC reached an agreement that led to Zimbabwe withdrawing from the tournament in what was described as the larger interest of the game. Despite pulling out, Zimbabwe received their full participation fee, and Scotland were selected from the qualifiers to take their place.
2016 Under-19 World Cup: Australia pull out of Bangladesh
Security concerns once again influenced an ICC event when Australia withdrew from the 2016 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The decision followed Australia’s earlier cancellation of a bilateral series in the country, citing a continued high threat level to Australian interests. The ICC said it respected Australia’s stance, though expressed disappointment. Ireland replaced Australia in the tournament.
2025 Champions Trophy: India refuse to travel to Pakistan
The 2025 Champions Trophy was set to be Pakistan’s first ICC tournament in nearly three decades. While Pakistan had travelled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, uncertainty remained over whether India would tour Pakistan two years later. Eventually, the BCCI confirmed that India would not travel due to lack of government clearance. After prolonged negotiations, the ICC introduced a neutral venue arrangement for the 2024–2027 cycle. India played their matches in Dubai and went on to win the tournament. As the Bangladesh situation unfolds ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the ICC faces yet another familiar challenge, balancing security concerns, political realities and the integrity of global tournaments.
