Bangladesh Cricket Board Declines To Play In England

Bangladesh Women [Source: AFP]

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has turned down an invitation from the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for the Bangladesh Women’s team to play a match at Wormsley Cricket Ground in England on May 29. 

Notably, the invitation arrived after Bangladesh successfully qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. MCC described the match as a way to celebrate Bangladesh’s recent achievements in women’s cricket. At the same time, the event aimed to strengthen cricket relations between the two sides.

Bangladesh’s journey To The T20 World Cup 2026

It is worth mentioning that Bangladesh recently secured their place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 after delivering strong performances during the qualifying tournament in Nepal. The team showed consistent form throughout the competition. As a result, they managed to advance to the main tournament without losing a match.

Bangladesh also impressed during the Super Six stage of the qualifiers. They defeated Thailand in an important game, which helped confirm their position in the upcoming World Cup. 

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Bangladesh Cricket Board rejects MCC’s offer 

However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board decided not to accept the offer. Officials explained that the women’s national team already has a scheduled tri-nation series in Scotland during that period. 

This series includes Bangladesh, Scotland, along with the Netherlands. Therefore, the team will remain busy with international fixtures at the same time as the proposed MCC match.

Preparation through the Scotland Tri-Series

The tri-nation series in Scotland will play an important role in Bangladesh’s preparation for the T20 World Cup. The conditions in Scotland are quite similar to those in England. 

Therefore, the matches will help the players adjust to the climate, pitch behavior, along with playing style they may face during the global tournament.

Bangladesh Cricket Board officials believe the series will give the team valuable match practice before the World Cup begins. An official stated that the busy schedule made it difficult to accept MCC’s invitation. As a result, the board politely declined the opportunity.

‘’We have a tri-series in Scotland around that time. So sadly, we had to say no to the invitation,’’ said an official.

Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will take place in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. The tournament will run for 24 days. During this period, 33 matches will be played across seven major cricket venues.

Some of the well-known stadiums hosting matches include Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, Headingley in Leeds, Hampshire Bowl in Southampton, along with Bristol County Ground.

Bangladesh will begin their World Cup campaign on June 14 against the Netherlands at Edgbaston. After that match, they will face Australia on June 17 at Headingley. Their next match will take place against Pakistan on June 20 at Hampshire Bowl. Bangladesh will then compete against India on June 25 at Old Trafford. Finally, they will play South Africa on June 28 at Lord’s.

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