The BCB has said the ICC has expressed “willingness to work closely” with the board to ensure the “full and uninterrupted participation” of the Bangladesh team in the 2026 T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

The BCB issued a statement on Wednesday following a call with the ICC the previous evening to discuss Bangladesh’s refusal to pay their T20 World Cup group matches in India due to security concerns and a possible relocation of their fixtures. The statement did not mention whether Bangladesh would play in India or not.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Board’s expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, including the request for relocation of the team’s matches,” the BCB said. “In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board’s inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event.”

The Australian Open will offer a record prize pot of £55m at this year’s tournament – but players are said to be “disappointed” it does not represent a greater share of the Grand Slam’s total revenue.

Total prize money of A$111.5m represents a 16% increase on last year and is the largest player fund in the tournament’s history.

The singles champions will receive $4.15m (£2.05m) – a 19% increase on the amount which 2025 winners Madison Keys and Jannik Sinner took home.

All singles and doubles players competing at the season-opening Grand Slam will get a minimum increase of 10%.

“This increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting   tennis careers at every level,” said Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley.

The move comes after a group of leading players ramped up the pressure on the Grand Slam tournaments  in October over increased prize money and greater player welfare.

But they are “likely to be disappointed” their key demands of the Australian Open and other Grand Slams have been “largely ignored”, a source close to the players’ group told BBC Sport.

(BBC Sports)

Conflicting reports have emerged from the ICC’s call with the BCB on Tuesday over Bangladesh travelling to India to participate in the upcoming men’s T20 World Cup.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that in a virtual call on Tuesday, the ICC told BCB that it was rejecting the latter’s request to play Bangladesh’s matches outside India due to security concerns. The ICC is understood to have told the BCB that Bangladesh will need to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup or risk forfeiting points. The BCB, though, has claimed no such ultimatum has been relayed to them by the governing body.

There has also been no official communication issued by either the BCCI or BCB on the outcome of Tuesday’s call, which was arranged by ICC after BCB wrote in on Sunday asking to “consider” moving Bangladesh’s matches outside India.