Not Just Cricket Team, Bangladesh Journalists Face T20 World Cup Snub

The fallout from the ICC's call to drop Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026 continues to grow. Bangladeshi media now allege that the ICC has rejected accreditation requests from every journalist based in the country. The dispute deepens an already tense stand-off over match venues for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka, scheduled from 7 February 2026.

Bangladesh had earlier opposed the ICC's refusal to move its World Cup fixtures from India to Sri Lanka. The ICC instead replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for T20 World Cup 2026, which sparked strong criticism from cricket followers and officials in Dhaka. The latest claims about media access are being viewed there as part of the same conflict.

T20 World Cup 2026 media row: accreditation figures and details

According to a report in The Daily Star, BCB media committee chairman Amzad Hossain said a large group of journalists from Bangladesh had sought credentials. Amzad Hossain stated that between 130 and 150 media workers applied through official channels. Based on information shared with Amzad Hossain, none of those applications received ICC approval.

Amzad Hossain told the newspaper that the rejections appeared to cover every outlet that applied. "As far as I know, all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none received accreditation," Amzad said. The committee is now trying to understand the formal reason behind the decision.

A section of Bangladeshi photojournalists initially believed they had cleared the process before their status changed. The Daily Star report said some photographers had received confirmation emails on 20 and 21 January. Those messages also carried visa support documents. Later, fresh communication reached them saying their accreditation had been turned down.

T20 World Cup 2026 access issue: individual experiences and history

One of the affected photographers, Mir Farid, described the sequence to the newspaper. "I received an approval email from the ICC media department on 20 January, which included a visa support letter. But today I received another email saying my application was rejected," the report quoted a journalist, Mir Farid, as saying. Others reported similar experiences.

Bangladesh has featured in ICC events since 1999, though Bangladeshi reporters were present even earlier. Veteran journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, who covered the 1996 World Cup, said accreditation had also been refused in that case. Arifur Rahman Babu suggested that the move went against previous practice for major ICC competitions.

"Even if a team is not playing, journalists from an ICC Associate Member nation can still receive accreditation. I find no reason why everyone was rejected. I am surprised, and I strongly condemn and protest this decision," said Arifur. The comments underline concern within the country's cricket media community.

Arifur, who serves as president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), said further discussions are planned. The BSJA intends to consult with the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC) before deciding how to respond. The ICC media department has not yet offered its version of events regarding T20 World Cup 2026 accreditation.