Published: Jan 23, 2026, 08:23 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 23, 2026, 08:26 PM (IST)
Bangladesh is not ready to send its team to India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The matter has escalated to the point where Bangladesh is likely to be excluded from the World Cup. However, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes this will not affect the World Cup. Kaneria says that Bangladesh’s decision not to travel to India is disappointing and will have future implications for Pakistani cricket.
Danish Kaneria said, “Hindus were mistreated in Bangladesh. Working people were being killed without reason. It was very disappointing to see this. This created a negative image of Bangladesh in India, and that’s why KKR dropped Mustafizur Rahman, who was selected for IPL 2026, from the team.“
He said, “Regarding the T20 World Cup, the Bangladesh cricket team was never told by the BCCI or ICC that they couldn’t come to India. Every ICC member team receives tight security for any global tournament. Bangladesh also receives good security. They decided not to go to India out of fear of what happened in Bangladesh. Representatives from all cricket boards were present at the ICC meeting, and only Pakistan voted in favor of Bangladesh. This clearly shows that security is not an issue in India.“
Kaneria said, “The Bangladesh Cricket Board may suffer consequences in the future due to the decision they made. They should have listened to the ICC. It’s difficult to change schedules at the last minute.” “The Indian team will not play Bangladesh in the future. This will be a loss for Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s absence will not affect the World Cup.“
Kaneria said that Bangladesh should have considered the future and gone to play the World Cup in India. If Bangladesh had listened to the ICC and gone to play the World Cup in India, the Mustafizur Rahman issue would have ended. You could have seen many Bangladeshi cricketers playing in the IPL next year, but that didn’t happen. Bangladesh also closed its own doors. Bangladesh’s decision not to go will not affect the ICC or BCCI.
On the possibility of Pakistan supporting Bangladesh and being eliminated from the T20 World Cup, Kaneria said, “I don’t think that will happen. If that happens, Pakistan will be at a disadvantage. Just as Scotland is being given a chance in place of Bangladesh, a team could be given a chance in place of Pakistan. New teams are playing well. Whoever gets the opportunity will benefit.“
