Bangladesh Out, Scotland In: T20 World Cup Shakeup After Govt Veto

As reported by RTV, he highlighted that government approval is required for all tours, not just the World Cup. "We have always said that we want to play, but this is the government's decision. So we have to follow whatever the government tells us. And the decision that has been given by the government is not just for this time; whenever we have any tour, we have to get clearance from the government beforehand," the BCB director said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Media Committee Chairman, Amzad Hussain, confirmed Bangladesh's ejection from the T20 World Cup, adding they've accepted the ICC's decision and won't pursue further action.

"We requested the ICC to relocate our matches to Sri Lanka. We had several meetings with them. Their representatives arrived, and high-ranking government officials were also present. Following that, a Zoom meeting was held, and the ICC board informed us of their decision not to relocate our matches and that we would have to play in India, per the existing fixtures. However, the government held a cabinet meeting the day after the ICC board meeting. A decision was made there, clearly stating that if there are no changes to the fixtures, our team cannot participate in the tournament in India. This decision was conveyed by the government," he said.

"After that, the ICC asked us to respond within 24 hours, and we politely informed them again that it is not possible for us to play according to these fixtures. Subsequently, we have accepted the ICC board's decision. Since the ICC has stated that we cannot play or that they cannot relocate our matches to Sri Lanka, we are not playing in India. Our stance remains the same. We are not pursuing any further arbitration or other avenues in this matter," Amzad Hussain added further.

In a historic and highly controversial shift for international cricket, Scotland has officially replaced Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. 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 tournament is set to begin on February 7, 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

The withdrawal was sparked by the Bangladesh government's refusal to clear the national team for travel to India.

Amzad Hussain said the government had informed that it was unsafe for Bangladesh's players, officials, and media to travel to India for the World Cup due to security concerns, prompting the BCB to request relocating the matches to Sri Lanka, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) did not respond, leaving the board with no option, as it was a government decision.

"Since we had already spoken with our government, and the government stated that playing the World Cup matches in India is not safe for us--for our players, journalists, or anyone accompanying our players, the entire contingent--we requested that the matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC did not respond to this request. We tried several times, even after multiple meetings, but they did not respond. There is nothing more we can do because this is a government decision. Due to security concerns, they believe that playing in India is not safe for us, and that is why this decision has been taken by the government," the BCB Media Committee Chairman said.

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 regarding the hosting of 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