ICC Issues Ultimatum To Bangladesh Over T20 World Cup Participation In India

India Today

This report examines the escalating crisis surrounding the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 as Bangladesh faces a potential exit from the tournament. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly issued a firm ultimatum, stating 'you let us know by Wednesday' if a solution can be reached regarding their participation in India. Bangladesh has expressed reluctance to travel to India, requesting a move to neutral venues or a group swap, both of which the ICC has rejected. The programme highlights that Scotland is on standby as a replacement team. Furthermore, the situation has 'snowballed' with reports that Pakistan may also review its participation if Bangladesh is removed. This marks a historic tension where a team faces complete removal rather than just forfeiting points for individual matches, threatening the integrity of the upcoming global event.

Transcript

00:00VCCI not speaking here, but another situation where ICC is speaking a lot.

00:04Which is the situation of the ultimatum that Bangladesh has got from the ICC board as well, right?

00:09Talk to us a little bit about that. Why is that happening?

00:13That, I'm afraid, is a very serious situation that international cricket finds itself in.

00:18Just to, you know, break it down to our viewers.

00:21You've had situations in the past where countries have refused to play in a World Cup in a particular host nation.

00:27But the worst that you've had is that they don't play that one particular game.

00:32They forfeit the points.

00:33It's never had a major repercussion or a major dent to the tournament per se.

00:38Because a lot of those teams like Australia, like West Indies, like England,

00:42who have opted out to certain games in either Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe in the past,

00:46they've gone on to, you know, play the tournament, maybe even reach semifinals and finals and so on and so forth.

00:51This is for the very first time.

00:53There is a serious threat of a team being completely removed from the tournament.

00:59Where we are at the moment, Bangladesh is saying, nothing doing.

01:02We're not coming to India and playing.

01:05ICC is saying, nothing doing.

01:07You let us know by Wednesday.

01:08If you can't find a solution, we are not ready to swap your groups.

01:12We are not ready to put you in a neutral venue.

01:14We are going to get the next ranked team, which is Scotland,

01:18which, by the way, hasn't qualified for the T20 World Cup, hasn't been prepping.

01:21Most teams have been prepping for that tournament for a year, year and a half.

01:24The tournament starts in less than a month's time.

01:27Scotland would be told the 11th hour, you're in and Bangladesh, you're out.

01:31That, I'm afraid, could be a serious situation.

01:33And I'll tell you why I'm saying that.

01:35One, to have our team being removed.

01:37And secondly, we're just hearing from Pakistan.

01:40It was reported widely in Pakistani media.

01:42Because remember, India and Pakistan have been loggerheads.

01:45Pakistan is using this opportunity.

01:46And their government has let this information out in their media.

01:51That if Bangladesh is removed, we will also review our situation of participating in the tournament.

01:54Wow, so this is just snowballing.

01:56Yes.

01:56This is just snowballing.

01:57This is not the last we've heard.

01:58And this is just going out of hand.

02:00So let's see how this goes.

02:01Nikhil, just leaving it there for positive time over there.

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