The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that there will be no changes to the original schedule of the Men’s T20 World Cup, meaning Bangladesh will have to play their Group C matches in India as planned. The decision was taken during an ICC Board meeting held via video conference on Wednesday.

The meeting was convened after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested that its matches be shifted to Sri Lanka following the release of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad. However, the ICC’s official statement did not clarify whether Bangladesh has formally agreed to play in India or if the BCB has been given additional time to decide on its participation. While reports suggest that Scotland could replace Bangladesh if they choose not to travel, this was not mentioned in the ICC’s media release.

The ICC said the decision to stick with the original schedule was made after comprehensive security assessments were conducted. Independent reviews concluded that there is no security threat to Bangladesh players, officials, media personnel, or fans at any of the tournament venues in India.

Bangladesh are placed in Group C alongside England, Nepal, Italy, and the West Indies. The tournament will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The team, led by Litton Das, is scheduled to play three matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and one at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

In its statement, the ICC explained that making changes so close to the start of the tournament was not feasible. It added that altering the schedule without any credible security concern could set a dangerous precedent and compromise the integrity and neutrality of future ICC events.

The ICC also confirmed that its management has been in constant communication with the BCB to resolve the issue. This included sharing detailed information on security arrangements, such as layered protection involving both central and state law enforcement agencies.

An ICC spokesperson said the governing body made extensive efforts to address Bangladesh’s concerns but the BCB remained firm in its stance. According to the spokesperson, the ICC provided independent security assessments, venue-specific safety plans, and formal assurances from host authorities, all of which consistently found no verifiable threat to the Bangladesh team in India.

The ICC further noted that relocating matches at the last moment would create major logistical and scheduling challenges for other teams and fans. It emphasized that venue and scheduling decisions are based on objective threat assessments and host guarantees that apply equally to all 20 participating nations.

The statement concluded by saying that the ICC remains committed to acting in good faith, maintaining consistent standards, and protecting the collective interests of international cricket.