The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declined accreditation for Bangladeshi journalists to cover the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup scheduled in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. This decision follows Bangladesh’s refusal to participate in the tournament’s original schedule, which required them to play in India. Consequently, Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the event.
Bangladesh had requested to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns after Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Despite Bangladesh’s efforts to change venues, the ICC’s choice to substitute Bangladesh with Scotland resolved weeks of uncertainty. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had persistently pushed for a venue change and even proposed swapping groups with Ireland.
According to a report by the Daily Star, Bangladeshi photojournalists initially received approval emails on January 20 and 21 but later had their accreditations revoked. The BCB media committee chairman, Amzad Hossain, mentioned that around 130 to 150 Bangladeshi journalists applied for accreditation, but none were approved. He expressed disappointment over the rejection of all Bangladeshi journalists.
Senior journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, who covered the 1996 ICC World Cup, criticized the ICC’s decision. He highlighted that journalists from ICC Associate Member nations usually receive accreditation even if their team is not playing. The rejection of all Bangladeshi journalists surprised and dismayed him, leading to strong condemnation and protest against the decision.
The Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) stated that they would collaborate with the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC) to determine the next course of action.
