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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026. This formal announcement, made on Saturday, follows the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) refusal to participate in the tournament according to the established match schedule. Consequently, Scotland will now step into Group C, joining a lineup that includes England, the West Indies, Italy, and Nepal.
Scotland replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026
The decision was reached after the ICC rejected a request from the BCB to relocate their matches from India to co-host Sri Lanka. The ICC's refusal was based on extensive independent security assessments conducted by both internal and external experts, which found no credible or verifiable security threats to the Bangladesh national team within India. With the tournament set to begin on February 7, the governing body determined that there was no justification for altering the published venue plan.
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There was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh: ICC
By bringing in Scotland, the ICC has ensured that Group C remains competitive while maintaining the integrity of the tournament schedule. This marks a historic shift for the event, as it will be the first edition of the T20 World Cup held without Bangladesh since the tournament's inception. For Scotland, the inclusion offers a major opportunity to showcase their talent on the world stage after being the highest-ranked team to have originally missed out on qualification.
"The decision follows 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," ICC's official statement read.
"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, officials or 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 statement further stated.
Following a meeting on Wednesday, the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board issued a strict 24-hour ultimatum to the BCB to confirm their participation in the India-based fixtures. When the deadline passed without an official commitment, the ICC invoked its formal governance and qualification protocols to fill the vacancy. This process ensured the tournament's integrity remained intact by moving quickly to identify a qualified replacement side. Scotland emerged as the clear choice for the vacant slot, as they are the highest-ranked T20I team that did not originally secure a place through the standard qualification route. Currently ranked 14th in the world, the Scottish side actually holds a higher ranking than several other teams already confirmed for the 2026 tournament, including Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy.
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