ICC replaces Bangladesh with Scotland in T20 World Cup

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Saturday that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to participate under the tournament’s published schedule, which would require them to play their league stage games in India. Bangladesh had sought to move their group-stage fixtures from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in the wake of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman being released from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. But ICC’s decision ends weeks of uncertainty after the BCB repeatedly pressed for a venue change and even suggested swapping groups with Ireland.

In a statement, ICC said independent assessments found no credible threat to the team’s safety. With the tournament set to begin on February 7, the governing body said it was not feasible to alter Bangladesh’s fixtures at such short notice.

ICC officials, including chairman Jay Shah, met in Dubai on Friday before formally deciding on Saturday to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the mega event. IANS

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