The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reported to be reworking the media accreditation process for Bangladeshi journalists after rejection.
Around 80 to 90 journalists or even more submitted their applications for the accreditation process. However, the global governing body clarified that the impossibility of accommodating all requests despite the team not participating in the tournament.
However, the ICC, before reconsidering the Bangladeshi applications, had to undergo severe criticism, especially after Bangladesh boycotted the T20 World Cup 2026.
‘Quota Not Beyond 40’: ICC Source Explained
ICC’s closest sources clarified to the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the 80 to 90 Bangladeshi journalists’ request for media accreditation was not possible to handle. With the change in requests and schedule, the council commenced the reworking process:
“No! It won’t be possible at all to exceed the number of 40 when prioritized by the country quota. The ICC operates as per the recommendations of the home board. A final call will be taken based on the number of applications.
Currently, the rework process is underway due to changes in requests and the schedule. Based on that, the accreditation lists are worked out.
The main reason why they haven’t been granted any visas or accreditation was that their government repeated its stance, conveying their security threats in India,” the ICC official told.
‘130 to 150 Members Applied’: BCB Media Committee Chairman
Amzad Hossain, the media committee chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), mentioned that nearly 130 and 150 Bangladeshi journalists were denied:
“See! All I knew was that around 130 to 150 Bangladeshi journalists applied for this year’s tournament, but none of them were granted accreditation,” Hossain said.
Bangladeshi Journalists vs ICC After Accreditation Denial
As per the reports, a handful of Bangladeshi photo journalists were first approved on January 20 and 21 via approval emails. But their accreditations were cancelled later.
Mir Farid, the special photojournalist of Bengali’s most popular newspaper named Kaler Kantho, explained about the situation:
“Disappointed! Initially ICC media department sent an approval email along with a visa support letter on January 20. But today I got a follow-up email stating that my application was revoked,” Farid said.
Arifur Rahman Babu, who was one such senior reporter having covered the 1996 World Cup matches, was left shocked by the ICC’s decision:
“Look! Any journalist from an ICC associate member nation is eligible to receive accreditation, even if the team is not playing.
So far, I have not able to understand why everyone from our nation faced rejection. I am too shocked by this and strongly disagree and protest with this decision,” Arifur said.
‘Darker Side of ICC’: Arifur Rahman Babu
Senior journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, who is indeed the president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), accused ICC of having a darker side:
“Yeah! It seems that ICC is unhappy with Bangladesh’s exit from the T20 World Cup and has closed the opportunities for Bangladeshi sports journalists. This is something that is unprofessional and completely cruel. I think ICC’s darker side has finally been exposed,” Arifur Rahman.
‘Never Happened in Bangladesh Before’: Sports Editor’s Opinion
Ajker Patrika’s sports editor, Rana Abbas, voiced against the denial of accreditation to Bangladesh journalists:
“No! Bangladesh is facing a situation that has never happened before. Ever since Bangladesh made its World Cup debut in 1999, journalists from the nation have been covering all ICC events. It includes the high-profile clashes between India and Pakistan, including the matches on Indian soil as well.
Never before have journalists been rejected like this. For the first time in the ICC events’ history, this has been deeply unfortunate and unusual.
Typically, big sports events like the FIFA allow journalists from any nation to cover them regardless of the countries participating in the tournament. Such issues could set a bad example for the future and could affect the coverage of matches in Sri Lanka.
Facing such widespread rejection can prove to be extremely disheartening for Bangladeshi journalists,” Rana said.
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Conclusion
Before taking any extreme actions, the Bangladeshi journalists have communicated with the Bangladesh Sports Journalist Community (BSJC) and the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA).
Since the 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh has been one of the core participants in ICC tournaments, with journalists from the nation who covered the live coverage of the matches.
With pressure and criticism mounting, ICC has taken an initiative to approve the Bangladeshi journalists’ visa requests and accreditations throughout the T20 World Cup 2026.
On Tuesday (January 28, 2026), several journalists received approval as several applications are under process. So, the path becomes clear to proceed with the on-field coverage of the matches from Sri Lanka throughout this T20 World Cup.
