Bangladesh replaced by Scotland in T20 World Cup

Bangladesh’s hopes of featuring in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ended yesterday after the International Cricket Council confirmed Scotland as their replacement for the tournament, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

The decision brings to a close more than three weeks of uncertainty following the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal on January 4 to travel to India for their scheduled matches, citing security concerns and the government’s directive.

Thus, Bangladesh, a cricket-crazy nation that began its World Cup journey at the 1999 ODI World Cup, will miss a World Cup in any format for the first time.

In a media release yesterday, the ICC stated that following a meeting on Wednesday, the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board asked the BCB to confirm within 24 hours whether Bangladesh would participate as scheduled. As no confirmation was received within the stipulated deadline, the ICC moved forward with its replacement process.

However, following a meeting with the cricketers, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Thursday said there is “no scope” for the Bangladesh team to travel to India as the security situation there has not changed. That day, the BCB also claimed to have approached the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) to intervene in the relocation request.

Earlier on Wednesday, the ICC had formally rejected the BCB’s request to relocate Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka. A vote was held during the ICC Board meeting, where only the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) supported Bangladesh’s stance, while the remaining members voted to retain the original schedule.

PCB chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated his support for Bangladesh yesterday, accusing the ICC of double standards.

“Bangladesh has been treated unfairly,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in several media reports. “You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever and do the total opposite for another country.”

Asked about a potential boycott of the World Cup by Pakistan, he said the government would make the decision. “We are waiting for the prime minister to return,” he said, adding that a final decision would be taken then.

The ICC also mentioned in yesterday’s statement that the decision was taken after an “extensive process” that found no “credible or verifiable security threat” to the Bangladesh national team in India.

“The ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner,” the statement read, adding that the process included video conferences, in-person meetings, independent security assessments, and detailed reviews of federal and state-level security arrangements.

The ICC said it had shared enhanced security and operational plans with the BCB at several stages, including during discussions involving the IBC Board. However, after assessing all available information, the ICC concluded that altering the published schedule “so close” to the tournament was not justified.

“The ICC also noted the importance of preserving the integrity and sanctity of the tournament schedule, safeguarding the interests of all participating teams and fans, and avoiding the establishment of precedents that could undermine the neutrality and fairness of ICC events,” the release added.

Scotland, the highest-ranked T20I side which did not originally qualify for the tournament, will now take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, alongside West Indies, Italy, Nepal, and England. They are currently ranked 14th in the ICC T20I rankings -- ahead of seven teams already in the competition, including Namibia, UAE, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy.

This is not the first time Scotland has been named as a replacement in an ICC event, having also stepped in for Zimbabwe at the 2009 T20 World Cup due to political relations between Zimbabwe and the UK.

Past tournaments have also seen teams withdraw over security concerns. Australia pulled out of the 2016 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka received walkovers in the 1996 World Cup after Australia and West Indies declined to tour. England and New Zealand skipped matches in Zimbabwe and Kenya, respectively, during the 2003 World Cup.

The current standoff began on January 3, when Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped by the Kolkata Knight Riders under directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Despite continued discussions, both the ICC and BCB never changed their stances, causing a deadlock that has now cost Bangladesh their place at the World Cup.