The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the Bangladesh team declined to travel to India due to security concerns. The decision marks a major development ahead of the global tournament and has sparked debate across the cricketing world regarding governance, security, and tournament integrity.
According to ICC sources, the decision was formally communicated to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) via email on Friday evening. The move came after the Bangladesh government refused to grant clearance for the national team to travel to India, despite repeated assurances from tournament organizers regarding player safety and security arrangements.
Scotland will now take Bangladesh’s place in Group C of the tournament, where they will compete alongside England, West Indies, Nepal, and Italy. This change reshapes the group dynamics and offers Scotland a rare opportunity to compete at the highest level of international T20 cricket on the world stage.
The ICC’s final decision followed an emergency board meeting held via video conference earlier in the week. During the meeting, a majority of ICC directors voted in favor of replacing Bangladesh if the team continued to insist on relocating its matches to Sri Lanka instead of honoring the original schedule in India.
In its official statement, the ICC said altering the tournament schedule at such a late stage was not feasible. The board emphasized that making changes without any verified or credible security threat could set a dangerous precedent, potentially disrupting future ICC events and undermining the organization’s neutrality as a global governing body.
The controversy began in early January 2026 when the BCB requested that its T20 World Cup fixtures be shifted from India to Sri Lanka. The request followed the release of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, reportedly under directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Despite being given additional time to consult with government authorities, Bangladesh ultimately confirmed its boycott on January 21. The team had been scheduled to play key group matches in Kolkata and Mumbai between February 7 and February 17.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will now proceed as planned from February 7 to March 8, with matches hosted across India and Sri Lanka, as Scotland steps in to fill the void left by Bangladesh.
