SRINAGAR: Scotland have officially taken Bangladesh’s place in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) lost patience with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Cricbuzz reported.
The development followed days of uncertainty, with the ICC having earlier issued the BCB a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw demands that were said to be inconsistent with ICC policy. When the deadline passed without compliance, the global body moved to enforce its decision on Saturday.
According to Cricbuzz, ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta formally informed the ICC Board that the BCB had failed to adhere to a binding board resolution, leaving the council with no alternative but to replace Bangladesh with Scotland. The communication was circulated among board members and also marked to BCB president Aminul Islam, who is an ICC Board member.
Gupta is also understood to have sent an official invitation to Cricket Scotland, confirming the associate nation’s participation in the tournament. While Cricket Scotland CEO Trudy Lindblade did not immediately respond to Cricbuzz queries, sources said early-morning communication between Dubai and Edinburgh indicated the decision was already being implemented.
Meanwhile, ESPN reported that senior ICC officials, including chairman Jay Shah, were present in Dubai on Friday, and that an email was sent late that evening to BCB chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul, formally conveying the ICC’s decision.
“An email was sent last evening to the Bangladesh Cricket Board chairman intimating him that his board didn’t get back to the ICC officially after the 24-hour deadline that was given to them to decide if they wanted to come to India, so a decision has been taken,” an ICC source told ESPN on condition of anonymity.
“The BCB did a press conference in Dhaka before officially intimating the global body, which is a violation of protocol. They have been categorically told that they are being replaced,” the source added.
Scotland’s selection is based on their consistent performances in recent ICC tournaments and their current world ranking of 14. At the 2024 T20 World Cup, they finished third in Group B level on points with England, missing qualification only on net run rate. In 2022, they defeated West Indies in the group stage, while in 2021 they topped their group after beating Bangladesh, though they failed to progress beyond the Super 12s.
Following the reshuffle, Scotland have been placed in Group C of the preliminary stage. They will begin their campaign against West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, before facing Italy on February 9 and England on February 14. The team will then travel to Mumbai to play Nepal on February 17.
