Security fear or diplomacy? When these 6 legendary teams flatly refused to play in the ICC tournament

T20 World Cup 2026: Recently, Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to come to India for the T20 World Cup to be held next month. The board cited security reasons for not coming to India. But this is not the first time in cricket history that a team has refused to come for an ICC event. Even before this, there have been many such occasions when politics and security concerns have dominated the game. The boycott of teams in ICC tournaments not only affects the points table but also raises questions about the credibility of the host country.

Australia and West Indies (1996 World Cup)

The 1996 World Cup was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Just before the start of the tournament, there was a big bomb blast in Colombo. Citing security, Australia flatly refused to play its match in Sri Lanka. Despite ICC pressure, the Australian team did not agree and Sri Lanka got a ‘walkover’. Following Australia’s lead, West Indies also refused to tour Sri Lanka during the 1996 World Cup.

England and New Zealand (2003 World Cup)

England refused to play in Zimbabwe in the 2003 World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. At that time, political instability and human rights issues were at their peak in Zimbabwe. Due to security concerns, England did not play the match in Harare, the consequences of which they had to suffer by being out of the tournament. In the same World Cup, New Zealand also refused to play its match in Kenya’s capital Nairobi due to security reasons.

Australia and other teams (2008 Champions Trophy)

Pakistan got the hosting rights of Champions Trophy in 2008. However, teams like Australia, England and South Africa refused to go there in view of the security situation in Pakistan. Ultimately the ICC had to postpone this tournament and later it was held in South Africa in 2009.

Also read: IND vs NZ: Rohit Sharma’s world record, became the first batsman in the world to hit 650 sixes.

Bangladesh (2026 T20 World Cup)

The latest case is of 2026 T20 World Cup, where Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has demanded to shift its matches to Sri Lanka citing security reasons in India. Although the ICC has initially rejected this demand, the Bangladeshi board is still firm on its stand, which has increased the bitterness in cricket relations.