World Cup winner claims 'Pakistan misled Bangladesh over playing in India' at T20 WC 2026

Former India cricketer Madan Lal backed the International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland at the 2026 T20 World Cup. The 1983 World Cup-winning star reckons that this is the right move at the right time. He felt Bangladesh made a mistake by pulling out and hinted that outside influence may have played a role in their decision.

Madan Lal for ICC's decision to remove Bangladesh

Reacting to the development, Madan Lal said the ICC had little choice. He also claimed Pakistan had misled Bangladesh and added that the change would greatly benefit Scotland.

“The ICC has taken a very good decision. Pakistan misguided them. This is a big opportunity for Scotland as they will get valuable exposure. Bangladesh has made a very big mistake,” he said as quoted by TOI.

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ICC confirmed Scotland as Bangladesh's replacement

On Saturday, the ICC officially confirmed that Scotland would take Bangladesh’s place in the tournament after the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to play under the originally announced schedule. The ICC rejected the BCB’s request to shift their matches to Sri Lanka, stating that there was no real or proven security threat to the Bangladesh team in India.

The 20-team tournament will be held from February 7 to March 8. Scotland have been placed in Group C, along with England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies.

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ICC held multiple discussions with the BCB

Before finalising the decision, the ICC conducted several independent security checks using both internal and external experts. According to an official statement, the ICC held multiple discussions with the BCB over more than three weeks, both online and in person, in an effort to address their concerns.

The governing body said it carefully reviewed all the issues raised by Bangladesh, organised independent security assessments, and shared detailed safety and operational plans. These included arrangements at both central and state levels, along with additional security measures that could be increased if needed.

After reviewing all reports, the ICC concluded that there was no credible or verifiable threat to the Bangladesh team, officials, or fans in India. The board also stressed that maintaining the tournament schedule was crucial.

With Scotland now included, the ICC said it followed proper procedure throughout the process. The decision ends a long-running disagreement with the BCB and gives Scotland a rare opportunity to compete on one of cricket’s biggest stages.