Scotland Replaces Bangladesh in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to begin on February 7. The decision follows Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal to participate in the tournament according to the published match schedule.

Group C Line-Up Updated

With this change, Scotland joins Group C alongside England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. The announcement comes after the ICC assessed the security concerns raised by Bangladesh and found no credible or verifiable threat to the team in India, one of the co-hosts of the tournament along with Sri Lanka.

In a detailed statement, the ICC emphasized:

“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. Independent security assessments were commissioned and verified, confirming that there was no credible threat to the Bangladesh team.”

ICC’s Decision-Making Process

Over a period of more than three weeks, ICC officials engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue, both virtually and in person. Security and operational plans were shared, covering federal and state arrangements as well as enhanced security protocols. Despite repeated assurances, Bangladesh did not confirm participation within the 24-hour timeframe provided, prompting the ICC to move forward with selecting a replacement team.

Why Scotland Was Chosen

Scotland was next in line based on T20I rankings. Currently ranked 14th globally, Scotland stands ahead of other contenders that originally missed qualification, including Namibia, UAE, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy.

This marks a historic opportunity for Scotland to compete at the highest stage of T20 cricket, giving the team exposure against some of the world’s strongest sides.