Pakistan offer to host Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches amid growing tensions with India – Report
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan offer to host Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches amid growing tensions with India – Report")
Pakistan offer to host Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup games amid rising tensions Photograph: (AFP)
Bangladesh is clear in its stance of not travelling to India for next month's T20 World Cup, citing concerns over their players' security.
In a strange yet surprising development in the 2026 T20 World Cup venue row, Pakistan has offered to host Bangladesh’s matches. Pakistan, which is not even co-hosting this 20-team tournament, with India and Sri Lanka sharing staging rights, is reported to have formally informed the apex body – the ICC, about its willingness to host all Bangladesh’s T20 WC games amid growing tensions between the two countries over internal chaos and attack on the minorities in Bangladesh.
A Times of India (TOI) report, which further credits Pakistani news outlet Geo News, claims that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has approached the ICC over Pakistan's willingness to host Bangladesh’s league and knockout matches, should they advance, after the BCB denied travelling to India for the showpiece event, citing security concerns.
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The BCB is awaiting the ICC’s decision, having already faced rejection on the same matter earlier. Bangladesh officially wrote to the apex body asking them to move their T20 World Cup matches out of India (to Sri Lanka), with the ICC throwing that concern out of the window, saying they have no substantial evidence of any possible threat to the travelling Bangladeshi side.
Meanwhile, it all began after the Indian Cricket Board directed the IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), to release the only Bangladeshi player picked in the December player auction – seamer Mustafizur Rahman, following what they mentioned as ‘recent developments’ across the border in their official statement. The lack of clearance behind his release caused chaos among the BCB and Bangladeshi cricket fans back home, with their cricket board holding emergency meetings over the past weekend.
The BCB, irked over BCCI’s decision, decided against broadcasting the upcoming season of the cash-rich league, suspending all IPL-related telecasts in the country. They then formally wrote to the ICC, seeking a venue change at next month’s T20 World Cup.
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Placed in Group C, Bangladesh is scheduled to play their four league matches across two different venues (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai), starting February 7.
In their official letter to the ICC, Bangladesh requested that their games be played in Sri Lanka for the safety and well-being of their players. During their online chat with the ICC last Tuesday, the apex body denied any such requests, commenting that either they play the World Cup in India or be ready to forfeit their points.
Unsatisfied with ICC’s decision, the BCB made another effort to convince them to change their venues at the T20 WC, while also standing their stance of not willing to travel to India as of now.
