By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in next month’s T20 World Cup in India, after Dhaka refused to travel amid escalating tensions between the two nations.
The decision, announced on Saturday, follows weeks of negotiations in which Bangladesh demanded its matches be relocated to co-hosts Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. In a statement on its website, the ICC said the move was made because there was no “credible or verifiable security threat” to the Bangladesh team in India. “Scotland has been called up to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies,” the governing body added.
Scotland, currently ranked 14th in the world in T20 cricket, were selected as the next highest-ranked team available after Bangladesh. The controversy erupted on 4 January when Bangladesh said it would not play its World Cup fixtures in India. This came shortly after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League side, a development that fuelled growing diplomatic friction between the countries.
Bangladesh then formally asked the ICC to shift their games to Sri Lanka, but the request was turned down. Despite this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stood firm, insisting the team would not make the trip to India. The ICC’s statement outlined the exhaustive process behind its ruling, which involved more than three weeks of engagement with the BCB. It said multiple rounds of dialogue had taken place “in a transparent and constructive manner”, including video conferences and face-to-face meetings.
“As part of this process, the ICC reviewed the concerns cited by the BCB, commissioned and considered independent security assessments from internal and external experts, and shared detailed security and operational plans covering federal and state arrangements, as well as enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event,” the statement said. “These assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during discussions involving the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board. The ICC’s assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India.”
On that basis, the ICC determined it was “not appropriate” to alter the tournament schedule. The BCB was given a final 24-hour deadline after a meeting on Wednesday to confirm participation in India as planned. When no response came, the ICC proceeded to name a replacement in line with its qualification rules. “The [ICC] Board made the difficult decision that it was not feasible to meet the BCB’s requests so close to the tournament,” the statement 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.”
Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi criticised the ICC’s handling of the situation, accusing it of unfair treatment towards Bangladesh. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Naqvi – who also chairs the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) – said that Bangladesh has been treated unfairly. “I said the same in the board meeting of the ICC. You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever and do the total opposite for another country. That is why we have taken the stand that Bangladesh is being treated unfairly and should be allowed to play the World Cup in any case. They are a major stakeholder and this injustice should not be done.”
Naqvi added that the PCB’s position would align with instructions from the Pakistani government. Asked about the possibility of Pakistan boycotting the tournament, Naqvi said a decision rested with the authorities in Islamabad. “We are waiting for the prime minister to return,” he said. On whether he would propose a “hybrid model” for Bangladesh – similar to arrangements made for matches between Pakistan and India in recent tournaments – Naqvi said Bangladesh is the same member as Pakistan. “And our stance is that if you have done this favour with Pakistan and India, then you should do the same with Bangladesh.” “The main reason for this is that one country cannot dictate another. And if this dictation is attempted, then Pakistan definitely has its own stance.”
Pressed on contingency plans if Pakistan also pulled out, he responded light-heartedly: “Let the decision come first; we have Plan A, B, C, D.” The T20 World Cup is set to begin next month, with India and Sri Lanka sharing hosting duties. The ICC’s decision ensures the event proceeds with a full complement of teams, but it has highlighted ongoing geopolitical strains in the sport.
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