Scotland replaces Bangladesh in ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Photo: ANI.
Scotland has officially been named as the replacement for Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Friday according to an India Today report. Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament, citing security concerns, and stated that their issues were not adequately addressed by the global cricket governing body.
According to reports, the ICC informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) through an official letter that Scotland would take their place in the tournament. The decision followed a meeting in Dubai chaired by ICC Chairman Jay Shah, convened to determine Bangladesh’s participation.
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In a final effort to contest the decision, Bangladesh had requested that the matter be referred to the ICC’s dispute resolution committee. However, the committee clarified that it could not act as an appeal forum and upheld the ICC’s ruling.
“The decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland was made after the BCB did not respond to the ultimatum regarding their participation,” India Today reported. Following this, the BCB held a press conference on Thursday after consulting with players, formally announcing their boycott of the event.
Scotland will play three of their four group-stage matches in Kolkata, with the fourth match scheduled at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
The T20 World Cup 2026 is just two weeks away, and the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s participation has kept the cricketing world on edge. The BCB, after meeting with the country’s sports advisor and national players in Dhaka, declared that under no circumstances would it send the team to India, blaming the ICC for denying them “justice.”
The tensions escalated earlier when the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), an Indian Premier League franchise, released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman without giving any specific reason. Bangladesh immediately reacted by deciding not to send its team to India for the T20 World Cup and also banned the broadcast of the IPL in the country.
Replacing an entire team in ICC tournaments is rare but not unprecedented. Bangladesh itself was at the centre of a similar controversy during the 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup, when Australia withdrew over security concerns and were replaced by Ireland. At the time, Australia cited “high threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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