The ICC has drawn a firm line, refusing entry to Bangladeshi journalists for T20 World Cup 2026 coverage in India following the nation’s team boycott. Security rhetoric that kept Bangladesh’s players home now bars their reporters too.
Reports detail how 130-150 applications met uniform rejection. Initial green lights for photographers on January 20-21 were reversed, per BCB’s Amjad Hussain. ‘Every Bangladeshi journalist applying this year was rejected,’ he affirmed.
The February 7-March 6 event across India and Sri Lanka lost Bangladesh after BCB’s pleas—to move matches to Sri Lanka post-Mustafizur’s IPL release and swap with Ireland—fell on deaf ears. ICC pressed for participation in India, but government-backed BCB withdrew, paving way for Scotland.
Arifur Rahman Babu, among four Bangladeshis at the 1996 tri-nation hosted World Cup, slammed the bar. ‘Associate members deserve access sans teams. This total shutdown is inexplicable; I condemn it outright.’
This reciprocal action amplifies cricket’s geopolitical undercurrents. As accreditation deadlines pass, the void left by Bangladeshi outlets means one-sided narratives from India venues. Stakeholders watch if this model persists, impacting media freedoms in sports mega-events.