The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The decision came after Bangladesh formally refused to take part in the tournament under the existing match schedule.
The ICC confirmed the development on Saturday, stating that Bangladesh will not compete in the upcoming event.
The ICC has announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh at the #T20WorldCup.
— ICC (@ICC) January 24, 2026
Details 📲 https://t.co/M61nOzx2fF
Bangladesh Withdraw After Schedule Dispute
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declined to participate because it objected to playing its scheduled matches in India. Bangladesh requested that its fixtures be moved to Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosts of the tournament, which begins on February 7.
However, the ICC rejected the request after concluding that there was no credible security risk to the Bangladesh team in India.
Scotland Join Group C
Following Bangladesh’s withdrawal, Scotland will take their place in Group C. Scotland will now compete alongside England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies in the group stage of the tournament.
Scotland are currently ranked 14th in T20 internationals and were the next-highest ranked team that had narrowly missed qualification.
ICC Cites Security Assessments and Dialogue
The ICC said it conducted a thorough review before reaching its decision. According to the governing body, both internal and external experts carried out independent security assessments.
In its official statement, 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."
ICC Details Talks With Bangladesh Board
The ICC said it engaged in discussions with the BCB for more than three weeks. These talks included video conferences and in-person meetings.
“Over more than three weeks, the ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted transparently and constructively, including meetings held via video conference and in person,” the statement said.
The ICC added that it reviewed all concerns raised by Bangladesh and shared detailed security and operational plans.
No Credible Security Threat Found
The ICC explained that it examined federal and state-level security arrangements, along with enhanced safety protocols planned for the tournament.
“As part of this process, the ICC reviewed the BCB’s concerns, commissioned and considered independent security assessments, and shared detailed security and operational plans,” the statement said.
“These plans covered federal and state arrangements, as well as enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event.”
After reviewing the findings, the ICC concluded, “The ICC’s assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials, or supporters in India.”
ICC Refuses to Change Tournament Schedule
Based on these conclusions, the ICC decided not to alter the match schedule.
“In light of these findings, and after careful consideration of broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not appropriate to amend the published event schedule."
The governing body said it was not feasible to make changes so close to the start of the tournament.
Bangladesh Misses Deadline to Confirm Participation
Following a meeting on Wednesday, the ICC gave the Bangladesh Cricket Board 24 hours to confirm whether it would play in India as scheduled.
When the BCB failed to respond within the deadline, the ICC moved forward with replacing the team.
As a result, the ICC “proceeded in line with its established governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team."
Scotland Get Opportunity After Narrow Miss
Scotland emerged as the replacement because they were the highest-ranked T20I team that had missed out on qualification. They finished ahead of Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Oman, and Italy.
The decision now gives Scotland a chance to compete on the global stage in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.