The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned the tables on Bangladesh by using the nation’s own rhetoric against it. In a move of stark “tit-for-tat” diplomacy, journalists from the South Asian nation have been barred from covering the T20 World Cup 2026—a first in the country’s history. The news broke early Tuesday morning, January 27, as nearly 150 reporters received emails stating their accreditation and visa support had been cancelled following their team’s withdrawal from the tournament.
Why were Bangladeshi journalists denied accreditation?
Sources at the ICC, as quoted by NDTV, revealed that the governing body cannot justify granting media access when the Bangladesh government has officially labeled the host nation (India) “unsafe for travel.” The logic is simple: if the security is deemed insufficient for players, the ICC will not facilitate the presence of a massive media contingent, thereby avoiding potential liability and further controversy.
“They have not been given visas or accreditation because the government kept saying it is unsafe to come to India,” an ICC source told NDTV.
A “Dark Day” for Bangladeshi Journalism
The decision has stunned a media fraternity that has covered every global cricket event since before the nation’s 1999 World Cup debut. Even though Scotland has replaced Bangladesh in the tournament, the journalists hoped to cover the event as neutral observers. Those dreams have now been dashed.
Reacting to the mass cancellation, Rana Abbas, Sports Editor of Aajker Patrika, expressed deep disappointment: “This is extremely sad. In global sport, even journalists from non-participating countries are usually accommodated—FIFA is a clear example. This issue risks setting a damaging precedent and could also affect coverage of matches in co-host Sri Lanka.”
While the debate over who is responsible continues, the result is final: for the first time, neither the Bangladesh team nor its reporters will be part of the T20 World Cup, all due to a security row that has spiraled out of control.