T20 World Cup: Bangladesh Journalists' Media Applications Rejected

'Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none received accreditation.'

The International Cricket Council and Bangladesh clash refuses to die down, with new developments keeping the story in the news every day.

The ICC's decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2026 has sparked another controversy and this time, it's affecting the media.

Reports from Bangladesh news outlets suggest that journalists from the country have been denied accreditation to cover the tournament.

According to The Daily Star newspaper, Bangladesh Cricket Board media committee Chairman Amzad Hossain confirmed the situation. 'As far as I know, all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none received accreditation,' he said.

Bangladeshi journalists barred?

For some journalists, the decision came as a shock. Photographer Mir Farid, who works for the Bengali newspaper Kaler Kantho, said his accreditation was revoked after initially being approved.

'I received an approval email from the ICC media department on January 20, which included a visa support letter. But today I received another email saying my application was rejected,' Mir said.

Bangladesh has been part of ICC events since 1999, and its journalists have been covering these tournaments even earlier. Veteran journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, who covered the 1996 World Cup, said he too was denied accreditation.

'Even if a team is not playing, journalists from an ICC Associate Member nation can still receive accreditation. I find no reason why everyone was rejected. I am surprised, and I strongly condemn and protest this decision,' Arifur said.

Arifur, who is also president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association, said he plans to consult with the Bangladesh Sports Press Association and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community before deciding the next steps.

ICC reworking application process for Bangladesh's travelling media

The International Cricket Council is meanwhile reworking the media accreditation process for Bangladesh journalists wishing to cover the T20 World Cup in India after the withdrawal of its national team.

The ICC is changing the application process even as some of the Bangladesh journalists claimed that their accreditation request was rejected by the world body.

"There is a reworking of the process since there is a change in the number of requests and the schedules. The accreditation lists are being worked out accordingly," ICC sources told PTI.

Roughly 80-90 Bangladeshi journalists applied for the media accreditation and sources said, even if their team was participating in the ICC event, not all requests could be accommodated.

"If you go by country quota, you can't exceed the number beyond 40. The ICC goes by the recommendations of the home board and accordingly takes a call on applications," sources added.

In Dhaka, BCB media Amjad Hossain said he has taken up the matter with the ICC.

"The decision came only yesterday and we have sought to know (the details). An explanation has been requested. This is an internal and confidential matter, but to summarize-we wanted to know why this was done," Hossain told reporters in Dhaka.

It has been learned that members of Bangladesh media will need to apply for the accreditation all over again and their application will be assessed on a case by case basis.