Bangladesh accept ICC decision to replace them with Scotland at T20 World Cup, citing safety concerns about India
Bangladesh Cricket Board said it has accepted the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for next month’s T20 World Cup after refusing to travel to India over safety concerns. The board said it exhausted options and won’t pursue arbitration, adding the stance followed government advice.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) says it has accepted the International Cricket Council’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland at next month’s men’s T20 World Cup, effectively ending the board’s standoff over playing matches in India. The statement, carried on January 25, 2026, follows Bangladesh’s continued refusal to travel to India, citing security concerns.
According to the BCB’s media committee chairman Amjad Hossain, the board made multiple requests to resolve the issue, including asking for relocation of Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. Those proposals were not accepted, after which the ICC proceeded with replacement, with Scotland named as the incoming team.
BCB officials said the decision not to go to India was guided by advice from the Bangladesh government, and that the board would not escalate the dispute through arbitration or other legal processes.
The ICC’s position, as described in the report, included an independent security assessment that found no specific threat to the team. Bangladesh, however, maintained that its assessment of risk remained unchanged and therefore participation in India was not feasible under the prevailing conditions.
The episode injects an unusual off-field storyline into a tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with the build-up now shifting to logistics, group reshuffles and how the replacement impacts competitiveness and scheduling. For Bangladesh cricket, it is also a major sporting setback: qualification was earned on performance, but participation has been lost due to a political-security impasse.