ICC T20 World Cup: Scotland Replace Bangladesh
- ICC T20 World Cup decision follows BCB refusal
- ICC T20 World Cup schedule upheld after security review
The International Cricket Council announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The decision came after the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to take part in the tournament under the published match schedule. The ICC confirmed the change on Saturday and said it acted in line with its governance and qualification rules. The tournament will feature 20 teams and will take place from February 7 to March 8.
According to the ICC, the issue arose after the BCB asked to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka. The board cited concerns about playing in India. However, the ICC stated that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team in India. Therefore, it rejected the request to shift venues. The ICC stressed that it must protect the integrity of the ICC T20 World Cup schedule.
Meanwhile, the ICC said it undertook an extensive process to address the concerns raised by the BCB. Over more than three weeks, the ICC engaged in several rounds of discussions with the BCB. These talks took place through video conferences and in person meetings. The ICC described the process as transparent and constructive. It also involved discussions at different levels of the organisation.
During this period, the ICC reviewed the issues cited by the BCB in detail. It commissioned independent security assessments from both internal and external experts. The council also shared detailed security and operational plans with the BCB. These plans covered federal and state arrangements, along with enhanced and escalating security protocols for the ICC T20 World Cup. The ICC reiterated these assurances at several stages, including during meetings of the ICC Business Corporation Board.
After reviewing all inputs, the ICC concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to Bangladesh players, officials, or supporters in India. Therefore, it decided that amending the published ICC T20 World Cup schedule was not appropriate. The ICC also said it must safeguard the interests of all teams and fans. It noted that changing the schedule could set a precedent that might affect the neutrality and fairness of ICC events.
Following a meeting held on Wednesday, the ICC Business Corporation Board asked the BCB to confirm within 24 hours whether it would participate as scheduled. However, the ICC said it did not receive any confirmation within the deadline. As a result, it moved ahead to identify a replacement team.
Scotland emerged as the replacement because they are the highest ranked T20I side that did not originally qualify. They are currently ranked 14th and sit above several teams already in the tournament. These teams include Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United States of America, Canada, Oman, and Italy.
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