The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Scotland will take the place of Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. This change comes after Bangladesh decided not to go to India because of safety issues. Scotland will join Group C, competing against Italy, Nepal, West Indies, and England. This situation began in early January 2026, when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) asked the ICC to move their T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, focusing on player safety. This request followed the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) decision to release Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their team, acting on orders from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The ICC turned down this request. Bangladesh then sent another letter, firmly stating that their team would not play in India. Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser, confirmed the choice, stating that the government prioritized the safety of the players. He said, “The security situation in India has not changed. Our worries came from a real incident. The Indian board, facing pressure, could not guarantee proper protection for one of our cricketers.” BCB President Aminul Islam supported this view, saying, “We will return to the ICC with our proposal to play in Sri Lanka. They gave us a 24-hour deadline, but the decision to avoid India was made by the government.” Ultimately, while players were consulted, the final choice was made by the board and the government. Bangladesh was supposed to play their first three matches in Group C in Kolkata against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14, finishing against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
Popular News
