ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council has confirmed that Scotland will participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup in place of Bangladesh, following Bangladesh’s refusal to play its scheduled matches in India.
The T20 World Cup is set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh had requested that all of its matches be shifted exclusively to Sri Lanka, citing concerns over playing in India. The ICC said the matter was discussed extensively with the Bangladesh Cricket Board over several weeks.
In a statement, the ICC said it remained in contact with the BCB throughout the consultation process and reviewed all concerns raised by the board. Despite assurances offered, the governing body decided to proceed with a replacement to avoid disruption to the tournament schedule.
Scotland has now been officially confirmed as Bangladesh’s replacement in the tournament.
Reacting to the development, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said Bangladesh was being treated unfairly and deserved to remain part of the World Cup.
He said Bangladesh should have been given equal consideration as a full ICC member and questioned what he described as inconsistent standards in tournament decision-making. Naqvi added that no single country should dictate terms to others in international cricket.
The PCB chairman also said any decision regarding Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup would ultimately be taken by the government, not the ICC. He noted that Pakistan was awaiting the prime minister’s return to finalize its position, after which multiple contingency plans were ready.
The ICC has not indicated whether further changes to the tournament structure are expected.
