The move, which could see the ECB forced to pay up to £1million in compensation costs for failing to fulfil contractual obligations, comes after the ICC rejected the national governing body's request to switch the match against Zimbabwe on Thursday, February 13 to South Africa.
The decision of the players not to play in Harare due to security fears means that the England team will forfeit the points from the scheduled first round group game.
The ECB's stance follows a submission of evidence by the governing body to the ICC which detailed the concerns of the English players. After reviewing the document the ICC stood by its initial decision that staging the game in Zimbabwe did not represent a threat to the safety of the players.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) stating that the England team will not play its scheduled match in Zimbabwe.
