ICC denies accreditation to Bangladeshi journalists for T20 World Cup 2026 coverage

2026-01-27 - 07:29

DUBAI – The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied accreditation to Bangladeshi journalists seeking to cover the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, sparking concern and criticism from media bodies in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi media reported that no journalist from the country was granted accreditation for matches in either Sri Lanka or India, the host venues for the tournament. Several journalists who had earlier received confirmation emails later had their accreditation canceled. One journalist told local media that he received a confirmation message on January 20, only to be followed by another email informing him that his application had been rejected. A senior Bangladeshi journalist said that the ICC typically issues accreditation to journalists from associate member countries even when their national team is not participating in a tournament. Sports journalists’ associations in Bangladesh said they would soon announce their next course of action, adding that the ICC provided no official explanation for the decision. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Media Committee Chairman Amzad Hossain confirmed that between 130 and 150 Bangladeshi journalists had applied for accreditation. He said that, to his knowledge, all applications from Bangladeshi journalists had been rejected. The ICC so far not issued any formal statement on the matter, further intensifying the controversy. However, the sources said the ICC’s media department requested a list of journalists from a representative media organization who wish to cover the tournament. The sources said that the accreditation process for Bangladeshi journalists is expected to be restarted as approvals are likely to be issued for matches scheduled in Sri Lanka rather than India.