5 min readMumbaiJan 25, 2026 07:52 AM IST
First published on: Jan 24, 2026 at 07:36 PM IST
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that they will be replaced by Scotland for the forthcoming T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The ICC’s decision came after the Bangladesh government reiterated that its players would not play in India, and asked for their matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka. The world body has asked Scotland to prepare their team to replace Bangladesh in the tournament.
BCB president Aminul Islam and the country’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul had repeatedly cited ‘security concerns’ as reasons for their demand – a claim categorically rejected by the ICC. A 24-hour ultimatum was given to the BCB and the formal information was conveyed on Friday evening, stating Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament.
The call was taken after a decision by the ICC Board, where only Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s stand. The Board noted that it was not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament and that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events and undermine its neutrality.
ALSO READ | T20 World Cup: ICC hands ultimatum to Bangladesh: Play in India or be replaced by Scotland
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi told reporters on Saturday that Bangladesh has been treated unfairly and called the decision made by the ICC ‘double standards’. He added that a call on Pakistan playing the T20 World Cup will be taken at the highest government level.
“Bangladesh has been treated unfairly. I said the same in the ICC board meeting. You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever, and it’s the total opposite for another country. That is why we have taken the stand that Bangladesh is being treated unfairly and should be allowed to play the World Cup. They are a major stakeholder and this injustice should not be done,” Naqvi told reporters.
Naqvi said that a decision on whether Pakistan will play the T20 World Cup will be made by the government and they are waiting for the prime minister to return from abroad before a call can be taken.
The PCB wants ICC to consider a hybrid model for Bangladesh for the T20 World Cup, like it did for Pakistan. Without naming India, he said “one country cannot dictate to another”.
Pakistan will be playing all its T20 World Cup games in Colombo as per a new hybrid model approved by the ICC last year.
“Bangladesh is a Full ICC member, like Pakistan. And our stance is that if you have done this favour with Pakistan and India, you should do the same with Bangladesh,” Naqvi said.
“One country cannot dictate to another. And if this is attempted, Pakistan definitely has its own stance.”
No meeting point
Earlier, the Bangladesh government had stated that there was a security issue in India for their players, officials, fans and journalists, however, but the ICC didn’t buy the argument.
“While our cricketers have worked hard to qualify for the World Cup, the security risk regarding playing in India remains unchanged. This concern is not based on abstract analysis. It comes from a very real incident in which the Indian board failed to provide security to one of our top players due to pressure from extremists and he was asked to leave India,” Nazrul said.
He was referring to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad for the next IPL, citing “recent developments”, which is believed to be a reference to the domestic turmoil across the border and alleged atrocities on minorities.
“It is crucial to weigh the loss of not playing against the potential catastrophe of pushing players, fans, and journalists into a risky regional political situation. This is a government decision, as the state is responsible for determining whether its citizens face security risks abroad,” Nazrul had said.
“We are not convinced that they can ensure the safety of our entire team, journalists, and spectators. We expect the ICC to provide justice by considering our genuine security risk and allowing us to play in Sri Lanka.”
According to the original schedule, Bangladesh was slated to play three matches of Group C in Kolkata, including the opening game against West Indies (February 7), and against Italy (February 9) and England (February 14). Its last group was to be held on February 17 against Nepal in Mumbai. Now, Scotland will take their place for these games.
“All security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, mediapersons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC had said in its press release.
ICC replaced Bangladesh by Scotland for the 2026 T20 World Cup. (PHOTO: AP) 
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