New Delhi, January 24, 2026 : The International Cricket Council on Saturday confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, bringing an end to days of uncertainty surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament scheduled to begin next month in India.
According to officials familiar with the decision, the ICC formally communicated the change to the Bangladesh Cricket Board through an email sent to its president, Aminul Islam Bulbul. The global governing body cited procedural and logistical reasons behind what it described as a difficult but necessary call.
The development follows the BCB’s refusal to send its national team to India, citing security concerns. The board had also requested that Bangladesh’s matches be shifted to Sri Lanka, a proposal the ICC said could not be accommodated so close to the start of the tournament. The ICC maintained that there was no verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh team, officials or supporters in India and that altering the already published schedule was not appropriate.
The situation escalated after the BCB held a press conference in Dhaka before officially informing the ICC of its position, a move the governing body viewed as a violation of established protocol. Sources indicated that Bangladesh had even suggested a swap of its group with Ireland, a proposal that was also turned down.
Scotland will now take Bangladesh’s place in Group C. The ICC stated that Scotland’s inclusion, starting February 7, provides clarity to all participating teams and allows tournament preparations to proceed without further disruption.
The decision has drawn attention across the cricketing world, marking a rare instance of a full member nation being replaced in a global ICC event due to off-field disagreements rather than on-field performance.
