4 Instances When Teams Boycotted World Cup Games: From Australia To England, Check Full List Here

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift the scheduled T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India following Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, as per ESPNCricinfo report, the request has been rejected by the ICC. Now, the ball is BCB’s court. If they agree to travel to India then the matches will take place as scheduled, if not, then they will have to forfeit the points. 

Here we take a look at the instances where the teams have boycotted World Cup matches. 

Sri Lanka vs Australia (1996)

On January 31, 1996, a truck containing about 440 pounds of high explosives crashed through the main gate of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, located in the capital city of Colombo. The incident took place just three weeks before the World Cup. This terrorist attack which was carried out by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) left over 1000 people affected.

The Australian team refused to travel to the Lankan island, where four of the group games were scheduled, giving the home team a walkover.

Sri Lanka vs West Indies (1996)

West Indies too boycotted it for the same reason. West Indies and Australia were later handed some major fines. 

Zimbabwe vs England (2003) 

Zimbabwe was undergoing a heavy political unrest under Robert Mugabe’s regime. Then British Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered England to not travel to Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe team was later given a walkover and handed four points. 

Kenya vs New Zealand (2003)

New Zealand didn’t travel to Kenya for the 2003 World Cup matches owing to security concerns. After much discussion, the Kiwis decided not to travel to the African nation. 

Also Read: ‘Play in India or Forfeit’: ICC Rejects Bangladesh’s Request to Shift T20 World Cup 2026 Matches Out of India- Report