Bulbul hopes for ‘miracle’ as Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup fate hangs in balance

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul on Wednesday said he is hoping for a “miracle” from the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the board makes a last-ditch effort to salvage Bangladesh’s place in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Bulbul said he had sought additional time to consult the Bangladesh government after being informed that the team could be replaced if they refused to travel to India.

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ICC rejects BCB’s relocation request

“I asked the ICC board for time to talk to my government for one last time,” Bulbul informed 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.

“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; they consider everyone when taking a decision.”

The comments came within hours after the ICC formally rejected the BCB’s request to relocate its group-stage matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing the absence of any “credible security threat” and warning that altering the schedule would create serious logistical and precedent-related complications.

ESPNcricinfo further reported that if Bangladesh maintain their stance, they could be replaced by another team -- most likely Scotland -- in the 20-nation tournament.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul is scheduled to meet the national players at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka on Thursday at 3:00pm.

As per the existing fixtures, Bangladesh are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign against West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, before further group matches against Italy and England in the same city, and Nepal in Mumbai.