Bangladesh has continued to refuse to travel to India for T20 WC 2026 citing security concerns.
Apart from that, BCB’s last-ditch attempt at getting their matches for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 moved out of India by writing to the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) of the ICC seems to be a non-starter.
According to numerous reports, BCB's appeal will not be entertained since it falls outside the scope of the subcommittee. After its request to shift the matches was denied following a vote at a recent ICC Board Meeting, BCB opted to approach DRC, which is led by Englishman Michael Beloff (King's Counsel).
“Yes, BCB has approached the DRC of ICC as it wants to exhaust all its options. If DRC rules against BCB, then the only body that can be approached is the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) in Switzerland," a BCB source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI on Friday.
As per clause 1.3 of the Terms of Reference of DRC: “The Committee shall not operate as an appeal body against decisions of the ICC or any decision-making body established under the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association or under any rules or regulations of the ICC…"
One of the ICC's most recent rulings under Beloff was in 2018, when it dismissed the Pakistan Cricket Board's USD 70 million compensation claim against the BCCI for allegedly breaking a deal to play bilateral series in Pakistan. The ICC's DRC operates in accordance with British law.
In its ruling, the DRC declared that what the PCB had previously referred to as a "Memorandum of Understanding" between two countries was only a "letter of intent" that was not legally enforceable by the BCCI.
As per ICC’s Constitution and ‘Terms of Reference’ for the DRC, it doesn’t have any right to hear an appeal against a decision passed by the Board of Directors of the global body.
“Bangladesh can approach the DRC, but if one looks at the rules, the case can’t even be heard as the committee doesn’t have the remit to hear an appeal which is against the decision made by the Board of Directors," PTI quoted an ICC source as saying.
Following the removal of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad on BCCI orders earlier this month, Bangladesh's interim government and its sports ministry adviser, anti-India hardliner Asif Nazrul, declared that the team would not visit India for "security reasons."
The ICC notified BCB that there is only a "low to moderate" threat level after an independent security assessment, but the board is steadfast in its refusal to travel to India for the event, which begins on February 7.
The ICC Board of Directors emphatically voted 14-2 in favour of keeping Bangladesh’s matches in India after an independent security assessment.
“The ICC Board Members are extremely angry with Aminul Islam Bulbul as to why, before informing the global body, a press conference was held. Asif Nazrul is a persona non grata for the ICC, but Bulbul shouldn’t have allowed a press conference before informing their decision to the ICC of their decision," the source told PTI.
Scotland has been placed on standby while ICC chairman Jay Shah, who was in Namibia for the current ICC U19 World Cup, is currently in Dubai. An official announcement regarding Bangladesh's successor is expected by Saturday.
The DRC normally checks if the ICC Board has followed all rules as per its law and accordingly gives its verdict. It is not an appeals body.
Apart from Beloff, others include Mike Heron (King’s Counsel), Justice Winston Anderson, both of whom are Independent Code of Conduct Commission representatives. The independent lawyers are Deon van Zyl (South Africa), Gary Roberts (Americas), Guo Cai (Asia), EAP Annabelle Bennett, Jean Paulsson (Europe), and Peter Nicholson (Ethics Officer). Vijay Malhotra (Chair of Audit Committee) and Sally Clark (Management Support) are also part of the 11-member committee.
(PTI inputs)