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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland at the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, following Bangladesh’s continued refusal to travel to India for the tournament, according to a report by Cricbuzz.
The report claims ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta formally informed board members on Saturday that Bangladesh were not complying with the governing body’s earlier decision to stick to the existing schedule.
With no breakthrough after weeks of discussions, the ICC moved to enforce its stance and extend a formal invitation to Scotland, who will now take Bangladesh’s place at the marquee event.
The decision brings an end to nearly three weeks of back-and-forth between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC.
The dispute centred on Bangladesh’s refusal to play their World Cup matches in India, citing security concerns, and their insistence on relocating fixtures to Sri Lanka.
According to the report, the ICC informed the BCB via email on Friday evening after Bangladesh conveyed that its government had not granted permission for the team to travel to India for the tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7.
The matter had escalated earlier this week when the ICC Board held an emergency video conference on Wednesday.
During the meeting, a majority of directors reportedly voted in favour of replacing Bangladesh should they continue to reject the agreed schedule.
The BCB was given until Thursday to consult its government and confirm whether it would travel to India. However, both the Bangladesh government and the board reiterated their position.
Bangladesh were drawn in Group C and were set to play their first three matches in Kolkata, followed by a group-stage fixture in Mumbai.
Security concerns first surfaced earlier this month after the BCCI, on January 3, instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.
While no official reason was cited, the move came amid worsening diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.
A day later, the BCB formally wrote to the ICC, stating, after consultation with the government, that the national team would not travel to India for its World Cup matches, a stance it maintained despite multiple rounds of talks.
Scotland’s inclusion is understood to be based on their consistent performances in recent ICC tournaments and their current world ranking of 14.
They narrowly missed out on progression at the 2024 T20 World Cup and have registered notable wins in past editions, including victories over West Indies (2022) and Bangladesh (2021).
As per the revised arrangement, Scotland will slot into Group C, where they are scheduled to face West Indies, Italy and England in Kolkata, before travelling to Mumbai to play Nepal.
While the ICC has yet to issue an official public statement, sources quoted in the report insist the decision is final, effectively ending Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 and underlining the ICC’s firm position amid mounting geopolitical tensions.
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