ICC removes Bangladesh from T20 World Cup 2026 after refusal to travel to India, Scotland named replacement
PTC Web Desk: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially removed Bangladesh from the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the team declined to travel to India, citing security concerns. Scotland has been named as Bangladesh’s replacement in the tournament.
The decision came after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) failed to reverse its stand despite being given a final 24-hour deadline by the ICC. BCB president Aminul Islam and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul confirmed that travelling to India was not an option for the team.
According to sources within the ICC, a formal letter has been sent to the BCB confirming Bangladesh’s exclusion from the global event. Scotland has also been officially informed about stepping in as the replacement team. This marks the first time a national side has been removed from an ICC global tournament due to non-participation.
The ICC had earlier attempted to address Bangladesh’s concerns by ordering an independent security assessment. The review reportedly rated the threat level as low to moderate. Based on this assessment, the ICC decided not to revise the tournament schedule and maintained that Bangladesh would need to play its matches in India.
An ICC delegation also travelled to Dhaka to hold discussions with BCB officials in an effort to resolve the issue. However, no agreement could be reached. During a meeting earlier this week, the ICC clearly stated that the original schedule would remain unchanged and warned that Bangladesh risked replacement if it refused to comply.
Late on Wednesday, Aminul Islam expressed hope that the ICC might reconsider and shift Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. Following this, the BCB held discussions with the interim Bangladesh government, after which Adviser Asif Nazrul met the players in Dhaka to assess the situation.
Under the original schedule, Bangladesh was placed in Group C along with England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy. The team was set to open its campaign on February 7 against West Indies. Three matches were scheduled at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, while the final group fixture against Nepal was to be played at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
The dispute between the ICC and the BCB reportedly intensified after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders despite being bought for Rs 9.20 crore in the IPL auction. The move, taken at the BCCI’s request amid unrest in Bangladesh, further strained relations and prompted the BCB to push for venue changes.
Despite multiple communications and negotiations, Bangladesh remained firm on its position, leaving the ICC with no option but to take a decisive step ahead of the tournament.
- With inputs from agencies
