Scotland to replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup? BCB says there is no change in plan to visit India in reply to ICC 24 hour ultimatum

The ICC has granted the Bangladesh Cricket Board an additional day to consult the Bangladesh government and take a final call on whether the team will travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup. If Bangladesh continue to refuse participation citing security concerns, the ICC Board has decided that Scotland will replace them in the tournament based on team rankings.

The call was made during an ICC Board meeting held on Wednesday, where most directors voted in favour of naming a replacement should Bangladesh maintain their stance. Of the 15 board members present, only Pakistan is understood to have supported the BCB. The meeting was convened after the Pakistan Cricket Board wrote to the ICC and other member boards on Tuesday, expressing its backing for Bangladesh’s position.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul said, “We will continue to communicate with the ICC. We want to play the World Cup, but we won't play in India. We will keep fighting. There were some shocking calls in the ICC Board Meeting. The Mustafizur issue is not an isolated single issue. They (India) were the sole decision makers in that issue.”


Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Thursday said there was no possibility of revising the decision not to participate in the T20 World Cup in India, citing ongoing security concerns. He also remarked that the ICC had failed to do justice by rejecting Bangladesh’s request to relocate their matches, adding that he still hoped the governing body would act fairly.

Nazrul made the comments after meeting national team cricketers at Hotel InterContinental. He said the call on whether to travel to India was taken at the government level and that authorities remain firm on their stance, noting that the security situation that prompted the decision has not changed.

Later, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam addressed the media following the advisory meeting, reiterating that Bangladesh still wishes to play the World Cup but only in Sri Lanka. He added that the board would continue to press its case with the ICC.

Government sports adviser Asif Nazrul: "We are hopeful that ICC will give us the opportunity to play in Sri Lanka. It is our government who has decided not to go to India."