Bangladesh Out, Scotland In for T20 World Cup After Security Standoff

The BCCI Vice President made this comment after the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Scotland has officially replaced Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The decision, announced by the ICC on Saturday, January 24, 2026, marks the end of a weeks-long standoff between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the game's global governing body. The withdrawal was sparked by the Bangladesh government's refusal to clear the national team for travel to India.

"We wanted Bangladesh to play, and we also assured full security, but since they have made this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire schedule at the last moment. This is why Scotland was brought in," Rajeev Shukla told ANI.

Tensions spiked after the BCCI reportedly instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL franchise to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the 2026 season, citing unspecified "developments all around."

The BCB interpreted this as a sign that Indian authorities could not guarantee the safety of Bangladeshi nationals. The decision followed an extensive process undertaken by the ICC to address concerns raised by the BCB about hosting its scheduled matches in India.

Over a period of more than three weeks, the ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner, including meetings held both via video conference and in-person.

As part of this process, the ICC reviewed the concerns cited by the BCB, commissioned and considered independent security assessments from internal and external experts, and shared detailed security and operational plans covering federal and state arrangements, as well as enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event.

These assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during discussions involving the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board. The ICC's assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, its officials, or its supporters in India.

In light of these findings, and after careful consideration of the broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not appropriate to amend the published event schedule.

The ICC also noted the importance of preserving the integrity and sanctity of the tournament schedule, safeguarding the interests of all participating teams and fans, and avoiding the establishment of precedents that could undermine the neutrality and fairness of ICC events. Following its Wednesday meeting, the IBC Board requested that the BCB confirm, within 24 hours, whether Bangladesh would participate in the tournament as scheduled.

As no confirmation was received within the stipulated deadline, the ICC proceeded in line with its established governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team, the release said. Scotland is the highest-ranked T20I side not to originally qualify for the tournament.

They are currently ranked 14th, ahead of seven teams already in the tournament - Namibia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Oman and Italy.

- ANI