ICC Omits Bangladesh From Upcoming T20 World in India; Scotland Gets Nod

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, bringing to an end nearly three weeks of discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over the latter’s refusal to send its team to India, citing security concerns.

The decision was communicated to ICC board members through an email, which stated that the BCB had declined to participate in the tournament as per the approved schedule, with its matches to be played in India, leaving the governing body with no option but to proceed with a replacement.

According to sources, the ICC formally informed the BCB of its decision on Friday evening, after the board conveyed that the Bangladesh government had not granted clearance for the team to travel to India for the tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7. In its correspondence to the ICC on Thursday, the BCB had also indicated its intention to refer the matter to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), an independent panel constituted to address disputes involving member boards and the ICC. However, it remains unclear on what legal basis the BCB intends to approach the DRC or how the ICC has responded.

The possibility of a DRC challenge appears limited, as the ICC Board had already voted by a clear majority in favour of replacing Bangladesh should it refuse to travel. Clause 1.3 of the DRC framework clarifies that the committee does not function as an appellate body against ICC decisions, but only as a forum to examine the lawfulness of such decisions under a supervisory jurisdiction.

The final call followed an emergency ICC Board meeting held via video conference on Wednesday, during which most directors supported replacing Bangladesh if it persisted with its demand to shift its matches to Sri Lanka. In a statement after the meeting, the ICC said it was not feasible to alter the tournament schedule so close to the start date and stressed that making changes without any credible security threat in India could set an undesirable precedent, potentially undermining the integrity and neutrality of future ICC events.

The ICC had given the BCB until Thursday to consult with the Bangladesh government and confirm whether it would adhere to the existing schedule. Bangladesh, placed in Group C, was slated to play its first three matches in Kolkata and the fourth in Mumbai—fixtures that will now be taken over by Scotland. On Thursday, both the Bangladesh government and the BCB reiterated that the team would not travel to India.

ICC Accused

BCB president Aminul Islam accused the ICC of applying double standards, comparing the situation to the handling of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision not to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The dispute traces back to January 3, when the BCCI instructed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. Although no official explanation was offered, the move came amid strained diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh. A day later, the BCB wrote to the ICC, following consultations with the government, stating that the national team would not travel to India for the T20 World Cup due to security concerns—a position it maintained through multiple rounds of discussions.

The ICC, however, rejected the Mustafizur issue as a valid security concern, stating that the BCB had repeatedly linked its participation in the tournament to a single, isolated and unrelated domestic league matter, which, it said, had no relevance to the tournament’s security arrangements or participation conditions.