Bangladesh’s hopes of participating in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been dashed as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has replaced them with Scotland. This decision follows the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) failure to secure permission from the government for their players to travel to India.
On Friday evening, the ICC officially notified the BCB about their decision after the board expressed concerns over travel restrictions. Over the past three weeks, discussions had taken place between the BCB and the ICC regarding security issues that led to Bangladesh’s reluctance to send a team to the tournament.
Despite the BCB’s efforts to resolve the situation, including escalating the matter to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), no public statements have emerged from the ICC concerning this appeal. The decision to include Scotland was based on the team’s ranking, and they have previously participated in various editions of the Men’s T20 World Cup.
The BCB had previously proposed moving its matches to Sri Lanka, citing safety concerns for their players amid ongoing violence in Bangladesh. This request was made following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s call for their franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, to release Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman in light of the escalating situation.
Ultimately, the ICC rejected the BCB’s request to relocate matches outside of India during a video conference aimed at addressing these concerns. BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul reaffirmed the board’s decision not to participate in the T20 World Cup in India after their request was denied.