ICC officially begins process to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for T20 World Cup 2026 - Reports

Bangladesh have refused to travel to India for ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducted a final meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday (January 22) over their request to relocate their matches of T20 World Cup 2026 out of India.

After getting into loggerheads with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over Mustafizur Rahman’s ouster from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, BCB decided they would not send their players to India for T20 World Cup due to security reasons.

In the official meeting conducted by ICC through video-conferencing, 15 out of 16 ICC members voted against Bangladesh’s appeal to shift their matches to Sri Lanka. They did not support Bangladesh’s demand and rather supported changing them with another team.

Moreover, ICC refused to make last-minute changes to the tournament’s schedule and ordered Bangladesh to send their team to India, adding that there are no security issues in India.

They gave them a 24-hour deadline to confirm their participation in the T20 World Cup. According to media reports, a meeting was conducted between the Bangladesh Government officials and players after the ICC’s decision.

However, the Bangladesh Government did not give permission to their players to travel to India for the tournament. Asif Nazrul, the Bangladesh government’s sports advisor, reckoned that they want their matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka.

“Now this ICC tournament is being held in India. No matter how much the ICC says there is no security risk, the ICC does not have its own country. The country where my player was not safe – and where the Indian cricket board, which is an extended arm of the government, failed or was unwilling to provide him security under pressure from extremists – that is the country hosting this tournament,” Asif Nazrul was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

ICC begins process of replacing Bangladesh with Scotland- Reports

As per a report by Cricbuzz, BCB has failed to communicate its position to the ICC within the stipulated time period. As a result, ICC has begun the process of replacing Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.

Scotland were the next team in line according to the rankings. Hence, they will be allowed to participate after Bangladesh’s ouster.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh are part of Group C in T20 World Cup 2026 alongside West Indies, Nepal, England, and Italy. They are scheduled to play their first three matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by the last group stage game at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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