International Cricket Council (ICC) is reviewing its media accreditation process after no Bangladeshi journalist was initially granted access to cover the upcoming T20 World Cup, following Bangladesh’s decision not to travel to India over security concerns.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally sought an explanation from ICC after all accreditation applications submitted by Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. The development came despite expectations that journalists would at least be allowed to cover matches scheduled in Sri Lanka, even as Bangladesh withdrew from fixtures in India.
A BCB source said selected Bangladeshi journalists are now likely to receive accreditation approval limited to matches in Sri Lanka. However, the approval would be valid only for the duration of the tournament and would not guarantee press box access for specific matches for which applications were originally submitted.
BCB Media Committee chairman Amzad Hossain confirmed the issue on Tuesday while speaking after the opening ceremony of the CCDM Challenge Cup. He said the board had sought clarification following the decision.
“The decision came yesterday. After that, we asked for an explanation. Although it is an internal and confidential matter, we have still sought clarification,” he said.
When TIMES sought an update from Amzad Hossain on whether ICC had responded, he could not be reached by phone or WhatsApp. A source close to the matter later confirmed that the ICC was reviewing Bangladeshi applications. Around 130 journalists from Bangladesh had applied for accreditation.
Following BCB’s request, reports emerged that the ICC, currently headed by Jay Shah, the former secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, is reconsidering the accreditation process for Bangladeshi journalists. According to Indian news agency PTI, ICC sources said the accreditation lists were being adjusted due to changes in schedules and the number of requests.
“There is a reworking of the process because of changes in the number of requests and schedules,” an ICC source was quoted as saying.
On Monday, none of the Bangladeshi applications were approved. However, on Tuesday afternoon, Massranga Television sports reporter Zaber Hasnat received confirmation at around 3:50pm.
“I received the email from ICC this afternoon. No rejection email has come to me. As far as I know, a few other journalists have also received approval,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
ICC has already confirmed Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement in Group C, marking Bangladesh’s formal withdrawal from the tournament.
PTI quoted an ICC official as saying country quotas for accreditation cannot exceed 40 and that decisions are taken after considering recommendations from the host board.
“Not all requests can be accommodated,” the official said.
The rejection sparked criticism within Bangladesh’s sports journalism community, particularly as many journalists had already applied during BCB’s negotiations with ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches outside India.
Several journalists reported that their accreditation had initially been approved before being revoked. Daily Sun photojournalist Tanvin Tamim said his approval was confirmed on 17 January, including visa letters for two countries, but was cancelled on 26 January.
“The decision is very strange,” he said.
Amzad Hossain said the final call lay with ICC but argued that Bangladeshi journalists deserved the opportunity to cover the tournament regardless of the team’s absence.
“Bangladesh is the third-largest viewing market. Even if our team is not playing, the World Cup is still happening, and our journalists could have brought the tournament to the audience,” he said.
Veteran journalists also pointed to past precedents. JaagoNews24.com special correspondent Arifur Rahman Babu recalled covering the 1996 World Cup in Pakistan despite Bangladesh not participating.
“In the 2013 Champions Trophy, Bangladesh did not play, yet our journalists covered the event,” Amzad added, noting that Bangladeshi journalists routinely cover FIFA World Cups despite the national team never qualifying.
The controversy follows remarks by extremist figures and leaders of India’s BJP alleging minority persecution in Bangladesh and criticising national cricketer Mustafizur Rahman, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for 92 million rupees. BCCI later instructed KKR to release him.
Following the episode, BCB raised concerns about the safety of players, spectators, and journalists if Bangladesh travelled to India. The board sent two formal emails to ICC requesting that Bangladesh’s group-stage matches be moved outside India.
After two virtual meetings and one in-person discussion in Dhaka, the ICC cabinet decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, as BCB maintained its position.
In a press release, ICC said Bangladesh’s withdrawal due to security concerns was not connected to Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion and insisted there were no security risks for the Bangladeshi team in India.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told ANI that India had assured full security and wanted Bangladesh to participate.
A routine security assessment, however, identified mild to moderate risks for Bangladeshi spectators and journalists in India, though ICC did not factor this into its final decision.
The day before ICC’s announcement, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul held an emergency meeting with players and said the government would not send the team to India. He also confirmed journalists would not be allowed to travel there.
“Pushing players, spectators, and journalists into a genuine security risk without considering the regional political situation could cause serious harm,” he said.
An unnamed ICC official later told NDTV that Bangladeshi journalists were denied visas and accreditation because the government considered travel to India unsafe — a claim that raised questions as matches are also scheduled in Sri Lanka.
A former BCB director, speaking anonymously, said Bangladeshi journalists should at least have been allowed to cover Sri Lanka-hosted matches.
“Since neither the government nor BCB wanted Bangladesh to play in India, I think ICC did not grant any accreditation,” he said.
