Is ICC planning Scotland's inclusion in T20 World Cup 2026?
What's the story
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied any talks with Scotland about replacing Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, starting on February 7. This comes after media reports suggested that the ICC had asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to confirm their participation by January 21. If Bangladesh declined to travel to India, Scotland is likely to be considered as a replacement team based on current rankings.
Replacement speculation
Scotland's position and ICC's response
Scotland, the highest-ranked team not participating in the T20 World Cup 2026, was speculated to replace Bangladesh if the ICC chose to do so. However, BBC reported that no such talks have been held with Cricket Scotland. The Scottish cricket officials are also not planning any discussions with ICC "out of respect to their counterparts at the Bangladesh Cricket Board."
Ongoing crisis
BCB's concerns and ICC's stance
The ongoing crisis was triggered by the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the 2026 Indian Premier League on BCCI's instructions for unspecified "developments all around." The BCB has raised concerns over the safety and security of its players, citing security concerns and national pride. However, despite these issues, no solution has been found as yet.
Schedule adherence
ICC's firm stance on original schedule
The ICC has remained firm on not changing the original schedule for Bangladesh's matches. The team is placed in Group C and is scheduled to play in Kolkata and Mumbai from February 7 at Eden Gardens. During discussions, the ICC did not agree to Bangladesh swapping groups with Ireland, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Security assurance
ICC assures no security threat to Bangladesh
The ICC has assured the BCB that India poses no security threat to their team. Independent security assessments by internationally-recognized experts have found no reason why Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches in India. The overall security risk for the tournament in India has been rated as low to moderate, which is normal for major global sporting events.