Bangladesh eliminated from World Cup, Scotland to play

Just a few weeks before the start of the 2026 T20 World Cup, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been officially removed from the World Cup by the ICC for its insistence on not wanting to play on Indian soil. Scotland will now play in Group ‘C’ instead of Bangladesh.

According to a report by cricket-based website Cricbuzz, ICC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sanjog Gupta officially informed the board members today that Bangladesh’s demands are not in line with ICC policies.

The letter, copied to BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul, stated that Bangladesh has failed to comply with the decision taken by the ICC Board. As a result, there is no other option left but to invite another country (in this case, Scotland) to protect the dignity of the tournament. A formal invitation has already been sent to Cricket Scotland in Edinburgh to participate in the tournament.

Scotland got this opportunity due to its current T20 ranking of 14th and its excellent performance in previous ICC events.

They also lost to Bangladesh in the 2021 World Cup.
According to the new schedule, Scotland will now face the West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9) and England (February 14) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They will then travel to Mumbai to face Nepal.

The reason behind the ICC's strictness, according to the report, is that the cricket governing body's security assessment of the Bangladesh team on Indian soil was 'moderate to low' (less than tolerable).

But the BCB has been claiming that the risk is 'moderate to high' (more than tolerable). Interestingly, the BCB sent the Bangladesh team to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan last year despite the risk being higher than the current situation in India.

Last Wednesday, the ICC gave the BCB a 24-hour ultimatum. But the BCB did not give a positive response within that time and instead questioned the ICC's security report.

Although the BCB hinted at some flexibility during the BPL final on Friday, in reality they were adamant on their demands.

The BCB wrote to the ICC long after the deadline had passed, but it was too late.
The ICC believes that if the BCB's demands are accepted, any country will demand a change of venue in the future and destroy the neutrality of the tournament. However, no comment has been received from the BCB on any official message from the ICC so far.