Bangladesh have pulled out of T20 World Cup 2026 after International Cricket Council sent a strong directive that they won't be entertaining BCB's request to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh withdraw from T20 World Cup
BCB formally requested to relocate their group-stage matches from India to co-host Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. However, the ICC Board rejected this request in a 14-2 vote, stating that independent assessments found no credible threat to the team and that changing the schedule so close to the tournament would set a damaging precedent.
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The dispute reportedly escalated after the removal of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, which triggered a series of diplomatic and sporting tensions between the two nations. In response to the ICC's refusal to move the matches, the Bangladesh government and the BCB have remained firm on their stance. The ICC has since issued a final 24-hour ultimatum for the team to confirm its participation; failure to do so will result in Bangladesh being officially removed from the tournament. In the end, Bangladesh's interim government made up their mind and decided to withdraw from the tournament which is slated to start from February 7.
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Scotland to replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup
The ICC had clearly warned Bangladesh, stating that if the team continues to refuse to travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, they will be replaced. Scotland, currently the highest-ranked team not qualified for the tournament at 14th in the ICC T20 rankings, has emerged as the frontrunner to take their spot. However, reports from the BBC indicate that the ICC has not yet officially contacted Cricket Scotland regarding this potential vacancy.
While Scotland missed out on direct qualification after finishing fourth in last summer’s Europe Qualifier—behind the Netherlands and Italy—their players have already returned to training to prepare for a one-day tri-series in March.
While there is historical precedent for such a move—Scotland replaced Zimbabwe in the 2009 T20 World Cup following a political withdrawal—the ICC has not yet clarified the exact modern criteria for selecting a replacement. Under current regional qualification rules, the process is less straightforward than it was in the past, leaving the final decision at the discretion of the ICC Board.