With Bangladesh refusing to travel to India over security fears for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Pakistan has offered to host their matches at short notice.
The situation has cast uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation and the venues for their scheduled matches, with discussions between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) still ongoing.
According to a Geo Super report on Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials confirmed that Pakistan has formally offered to stage Bangladesh’s games should Sri Lankan venues be unavailable. Sources added that all Pakistani grounds are fully prepared to host World Cup matches at short notice.
The standoff escalated after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on BCCI instructions, prompting the BCB to refuse travel to India. Bangladesh government sports advisor Asif Nazrul emphasised that the team would not compromise the nation’s dignity, highlighting the seriousness of the security concerns.
Following this, the BCB submitted a second formal letter to the ICC detailing specific travel-related security risks and requested that the four matches originally scheduled in India be relocated to Sri Lanka.
The ICC has not yet issued an official response, instead seeking further clarification while remaining publicly silent on the matter.
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