The International Cricket Council (ICC) is revising the media accreditation process for Bangladeshi journalists seeking to cover the T20 World Cup in India, following Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament over security concerns.
Approximately 80–90 journalists from Bangladesh applied for accreditation, but country quotas limit the number to 40, leaving several applications rejected. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sought clarification from the ICC regarding these rejections.
“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 the Press Trust of India.
In Dhaka, BCB media official Amjad Hossain confirmed that the board had raised the issue 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 summarise — we wanted to understand why this was done,” Hossain said.
A senior Bangladeshi journalist, who has covered eight to nine ICC World Cups, expressed surprise at the rejection.
“This is the first time my application has been rejected. We are awaiting clarity from the BCB before reapplying,” he said.
According to ICC assessments, Bangladesh’s cricket team did not face a security threat in India. However, the BCB still decided not to travel, leading to Scotland replacing Bangladesh for the tournament scheduled to begin on 7 February.
