Cricket Jan 25, 2026

T20 World Cup: Scotland handed last-minute spot after Bangladesh removed by ICC over refusal to play in India

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
T20 World Cup: Scotland handed last-minute spot after Bangladesh removed by ICC over refusal to play in India

Scotland have been handed a last-minute place in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, replacing Bangladesh in next month's tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh asked the ICC on multiple occasions for their group games to be moved to Sri Lanka due to security concerns, following .

The requests were rejected by the ICC, which said in a statement that there there was "no credible or verifiable security threat", despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) indicating the Bangladesh government had not given them permission to travel to India.

The ICC warned after an emergency meeting on Wednesday that they would be removed if they did not agree to play in India and the Tigers have now been expelled, with world cricket's governing body saying it was "not appropriate" to alter the schedule.

Scotland, as the highest-ranked T20I nation not to have originally qualified, fill Bangladesh's spot in Group C alongside England, debutants Italy, Nepal and West Indies.

Scotland are poised play West Indies in Kolkata on the opening day on Saturday February 7 (9.30am UK) and then Italy at the same venue on Monday February 9 (5.30am).

A Valentine's Day clash with England would follow on Saturday February 14 in Kolkata (9.30am), before concluding their group campaign against Nepal in Mumbai on Tuesday February 17 (1.30pm).

Scotland finished fourth at last summer's Europe Qualifier, with Netherlands and Italy securing the two spots for the T20 World Cup proper. Details around squad selection for the tournament will be shared in the coming days.

Pakistan's participation could also be in doubt with the chairman of the country's cricket board, Mohsin Naqvi, disagreeing with the ICC's stance regarding the removal of Bangladesh, accusing it of "double standards".

Naqvi explained that a final decision would be taken after consultation with his government, saying: "It's the government's decision. We obey them, not the ICC.

"If the government of Pakistan says we mustn't play, then maybe the ICC will bring in a 22nd team [after Scotland]."

Pakistan are scheduled to play all their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, starting against Netherlands on February 7.

Naqvi said of Bangladesh's exit: "I think they have been hard done by. You can't have double standards. You can't say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite.

"That's why we've taken this stand and made clear Bangladesh have had an injustice done to them. They should play in the World Cup, they are a major stakeholder in cricket."

The ICC said: "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.

"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.

"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.

"Following a meeting on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had been given a 24-hour timeframe to confirm whether its team would participate in India as scheduled.

"As no confirmation was received within the deadline, the ICC proceeded in line with its established governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team."

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