The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.
The move came after the ICC issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) earlier this week. When the deadline elapsed without compliance, the ICC acted on Saturday, effectively removing Bangladesh from the marquee event.
According to Cricbuzz, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta formally wrote to the ICC Board on Saturday morning, stating that the demands made by the BCB were inconsistent with ICC policy and that the board had failed to comply with an earlier ICC decision. In his communication—circulated to all ICC Board members—Gupta reportedly made it clear that there was no alternative but to invite another team in Bangladesh’s place, with Scotland emerging as the replacement.
A copy of the letter was also marked to BCB president Aminul Islam, who sits on the ICC Board.
At the same time, Gupta is understood to have written to Cricket Scotland, extending a formal invitation to participate in the 2026 World Cup.
Why Scotland?
Scotland’s inclusion is based on a combination of recent performances in ICC events and their current world ranking of No. 14. The Associate nation has built a reputation for punching above its weight on the global stage.
In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Scotland finished third in Group B, level on points with England but edged out on net run rate. In the 2022 edition, they famously defeated West Indies in the group stage, though they narrowly missed out on Super 12 qualification.
Their standout moment came in 2021, when Scotland topped their group after beating Bangladesh—ironically the side they have now replaced—before going winless in the Super 12s.
FP/MI
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